SALUTE TO VETERANS | Gresham Army Reservist learned ‘marketing, psychology’ through service

(GRESHAM) — An Army Reservist was set to step away from the military and return to civilian life. Then special forces came knocking at the door with a unique opportunity. The military wanted Maggie Chavez to become a psychological operations specialist — colloquially known as psyops. That role is all about communications expertise, using unconventional tactics to persuade and influence foreign allies and enemies. “It was awesome, basically psychological warfare,” Chavez said. That led to 2.5 years of market research on people and motivations, and learning all the tools to get them to think the way you want. She was in non-kinetic special forces, which meant everything was done without direct physical force. Instead, it was influence and ideas. “If psyops doesn’t work, that is when the traditional special forces go in,” Chaves said. Her favorite project she worked on was an attempt to get children to stop touching and playing with unexploded ordnance (UXOs).

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