9th Military Information Support Operations Battalion (Airborne)
9th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne)

In 2010, the US Army announced its intention to rename the entire Psychological Operations Branch as the Military Information Support Operations (MISO) Branch. It was unclear, when and if this shift formally authorized and to what extent and changes had been made. As of 2011, both the Army's Center of Military History and the Department of Defense's Institute of Heraldry were still referring to psychological operations rather than MISO. Units aligned under Army Special Operations Command, such as the 9th Military Information Support Operations Battalion (Airborne), were using the MISO term, but reserve component elements were still using the term psychological operations.

The 9th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne) is the tactical support battalion for the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne). Tactical psychological operations are associated with "face-to-face" operations in support of maneuver units within the theater and is conducted by the Corps Psychological Operations Support Element (CPSE), Division Psychological Operations Support Element (DPSE), Brigade Psychological Operations Support Elements (BPSE), and by Tactical Psychological Operations Teams (TPTs). These elements enable tactical commanders to communicate directly with the enemy and foreign civilians.

Tactical Psychological Operations elements disseminate products normally developed by the regional battalions or by the Psychological Operation Task Force (POTF). The 9th Psychological Operations Battalion has worldwide responsibility for all tactical assets including loudspeakers, helicopters and vehicles.

The 9th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne) was first constituted on 14 April 1952 in the Regular Army as the 9th Loudspeaker and Leaflet Company, Army and activated on 26 April 1952 at Fort Riley, Kansas. The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 27 May 1953 as the 9th Loudspeaker and Leaflet Company. It was inactivated on 25 September 1953 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The unit was redesignated on 22 March 1963 as the 9th Psychological Warfare Company and activated on 1 April 1963 in the Panama Canal Zone. It was reorganized and redesignated on 1 April 1967 as the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion and inactivated on 31 December 1974 in the Panama Canal Zone.

The Battalion was reactivated on 15 April 1985 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 16 March 1990 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 9th Psychological Operations Battalion. In 1990, the Battalion became responsible for tactical psychological operations worldwide, becoming the tactical support battalion for the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne). The unit subsequently participated in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, being awarded campaign streamers for Defense of Saudi Arabia and Liberation and Defense of Kuwait.

The unit was reorganized and redesignated on 16 November 1995 as Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company, 9th Psychological Operations Battalion, with its organic elements concurrently constituted and activated with personnel from provisional units.

Immediately following the events of 11 September 2001, the Battalion rapidly deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and then in 2003 deployed in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom.

Soldiers from the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne) deployed to Iraq in July of 2006. Company C, 9th Psychological Operations Battalion was at that time only tactical psychological operations company and the only US Army Special Operations Command company-sized element deployed for almost 15 months. The Company served with the II Marine Expeditionary Force, Multi-National Force-West and played a pivotal role in shaping the battle space and facilitating the transition of Al Anbar from the haven of the insurgency to a model province with significant declines in violence. Elements of Company C began returning from the deployment in October 2007.

Tactical teams from 9th Psychological Operations Battalion (Airborne) deployed to Haiti to support relief efforts following a devastating earthquake in January 2010.

On 23 March 2010, E Company, a tactical psychological operations company, was activated. This made the 9th Psychological Operations Battalion the largest such battalion in the US Army at that time.

With the activation of the Military Information Support Operations Command (Airborne) (Provisional) and the 8th Military Information Support Operations Group (Airborne) (Provisional) in August 2011, the 9th Military Information Operations Support Battalion (Airborne) was reassigned to the latter from the 4th Military Information Support Operations Group (Airborne)