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Information Warriors on USS Tarawa Win Hearts, Minds in Iraq

Navy NewStand

Story Number: NNS030425-12
Release Date: 4/27/2003 9:17:00 PM

By Journalist Seaman Apprentice David Perea, USS Tarawa Public Affairs

ABOARD USS TARAWA, In The Arabian Gulf (NNS) -- Imagine you're an Iraqi soldier with limited resources and confronted with the military of a super power.

Leaflets rain down from the sky and broadcasts flood the airwaves -- if you're fortunate enough to have a radio -- preemptively informing you of proper surrendering procedures. How willing would you be to fight for the falling regime?

There was an unseen battle fought amidst the clashing ground forces of the war in Iraq.

The information battle of Psychological Warfare Operations, or PSYOPS, directly supported U.S. ground forces with an arsenal of broadcasts and leaflets, bombarding the Iraqi forces in an effort to "win their hearts and minds and bend the will," said Electronics Warfare Technician 1st Class Eric Laursen.

Laursen, a member of the information warfare team of Commander, Task Force 51 embarked on USS Tarawa (LHA 1), contributed to this psychological battle by transmitting broadcasts to Iraq. The broadcasts informed the Iraqi community of safe and unsafe areas, as well as ensured that humanitarian aide was forthcoming.

Laursen and his teammates are part of a vast community of information warfare warriors that includes electronic warfare technicians, intelligence specialists and cryptologic technicians across the fleet.

During Operation Iraqi Freedom, they, as part of Task Force 51, reported to the Combined Information Warfare Command, embarked aboard USS Constellation (CV 64).

In a combined effort, this information warfare powerhouse got the message out everyday to the Iraqi community that "we are here, we are going to stay and finish the job," said Chief Electronics Warfare Technician Daniel Bess. According to Bess, the broadcasts and leaflets encouraged surrendering vice fighting, and contained instructions on how to surrender.

PSYOPS broadcasts and leaflets helped combat the enemy's propaganda machine, delivering misinformation to their people, according to Chief Warrant Officer Johnny Overstreet.

"We try to counter that and get the truth out there to the people to show progress is being made," he said.

Overstreet said the feedback to their work was positive, and that the enemy was listening and had reservations about what they were doing. "Just turn on the television to CNN and see how many people surrendered and followed the instructions on the leaflets to a "T".and that will tell you how good we are doing," noted Overstreet.