BELGIUM     

Psychologische operaties

For many years, Belgium has contributed specialist personnel to various mulitinational PSYOPS formations - individual soldiers have served within German OPINFO units on deployment i.e. KOSOVO, MACEDONIA, and BOSNIA.  It is only recently - 2006 in fact, that Belgium has established a dedicated PSYOPS capability.  The unit or speciality is 'hidden' within an old established regimental unit - The 17 Recce - a cavalry unit.  Officially PSYOPS was added to 17 Recce in 2003, as was a CIMIC detachment.

A Psycho-logical Operations (PSYOPS) department was added to the unit in 2003.

Recent information received, is that PSYOPS within the Belgian Army is now entrenched.   As of 19 October 2007, the 17 Recce unit no longer carries this name. 

The new name is the INFORMATION OPERATIONS GROUP (17 Recce).........PSYOPS having increased it's importance and value in the Belgian Armed Forces.

As of early 2008, The Belgian Information Operations Group (17 Recce) has had a new heraldic designation authorised.

INFORMATION OPERATIONS GROUP

On 19 October 2007, the 17th Recce changed its name into the Information Operations Group (Info Ops Gp).

The reconstruction in 2010 gave the opportunity to elevate both of PSYOPS and CIMIC and 6 February 2014 create a new cell called

Human Factor Analysis (HFA) within the unit.

The Info Ops Gp has 3 main detachments:

- the PSYOPS Support Unit (PSU),

- the cell Human Factor Analysis (HFA) and

- the CIMIC support unit (SCU).

2015 In a revamp of the entire Belgian Military, within a transformation process, the INFORMATION OPERATIONS GROUP and other newer functions i,e, ISTAR etc, adopted the Jaagers te Paard unit identity. The reality here is that a new function has assocaition with a traditional unit that no longer can servicee within a modern militatary structure.

Thus the 3rd Jaagers te Paard ( 3rd Mounted Rifles) beret badge, yellow beret backing and the black beret is the new head dress for the INFO OPS GROUP.

Belgian Tactical Psyops Team - Afghanistan

Circa 2009 

AFGHANISTAN - Belgian Tactical PSYOPS Team

In 2012 pictures emerged of the small Belgian Tactical PSYOPS Team element part of the German Contingent at Kunduz.  Protected by the German Army, the TPT shows some interesting patches made - locally made and sourced.

BELGIAN PSYOPS TASK FORCE FOX rare cloth patch	17 RECCE UNIT INSIGNIA   17de Compagnie Recce	INFORMATION OPERATIONS GROUP 19 Oct 2007 officially desiganted THE INFORMATIONS OPERATIOSN GROUP (17 Recce)