Military Information Support Operations (MISO)
Executive Profile (BLUF)
Military Information Support Operations (MISO) is the US Department of Defense designation — introduced in 2010 to replace the term “Psychological Operations” (PSYOP) — for planned operations conveying selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately their behavior in support of US national objectives. MISO is executed by the US Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (USACAPOC) and the 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg. MISO is a core component of Information Operations (IO) doctrine alongside Military Deception (MILDEC), Operations Security (OPSEC), Electronic Warfare (EW), and Computer Network Operations (CNO). The term shift from PSYOP to MISO was itself a doctrinal influence decision — reducing the negative connotation of the word “psychological” in partner-nation and domestic audiences.
Doctrinal Framework
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| White MISO | Fully attributed to US government; overt messaging |
| Gray MISO | Source ambiguous; not directly attributed |
| Black MISO | Attributed to adversary or false source; covert |
Key Relationships
- Department of Defense — parent authority; MISO is a joint capability with Army as executive agent
- US Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (USACAPOC) — institutional home
- Joint Chiefs of Staff — doctrine: JP 3-13.2 (Military Information Support Operations)
- Central Intelligence Agency — covert IO activities; coordination at the IC level
- State Department — Global Engagement Center (GEC); interagency coordination for counter-disinformation
- NSA — technical support for targeting and effectiveness assessment
Cross-reference
For the adversarial analog, see Active Measures (Russia) and Three Warfares (China). For the broader conceptual framework, see Information Operations and Cognitive Warfare in 02 Concepts & Tactics/21 Information & Cognitive Warfare/.