Echoes of Influence: Saying Farewell to 1st IO

The story of the 1st Information Operations Command is a testament to how innovation in warfare often starts quietly – drawn out on butcher boards in briefing rooms and SCIFs (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) – by people who see what others don’t yet recognize.

From the sands of Iraq to the digital battlefields of today, its members helped pioneer Army Information Advantage.

The idea began as an INSCOM (U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command) concept; an intangible form of warfare that could determine a battle’s outcome. From that vision emerged the Army’s only active-duty information operations unit: the 1st Information Operations Command (Land), or 1st IO. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, the unit spent three decades deploying teams, providing reach-back support, conducting red team cyber threat assessments, and delivering IO training.

Tracing its lineage to the Land Information Warfare Activity (LIWA), activated May 8, 1995, 1st IO was formally established on October 28, 2002.

This story goes beyond organizational charts and force structure realignment. It’s about the people who made it matter and a legacy that informs and empowers the next generation of information warriors.

Thirty years—to the day—after LIWA’s founding, 1st IO Command cased its colors on May 8, 2025. Its legacy set to be carried forward by Army information advantage forces and nascent Theater Information Advantage Detachments (TIADs). 1st IO deployed worldwide, embedded in joint and Army commands, training thousands and enabling commands to achieve an information advantage.

The unit’s heraldry captures a global mission: the green circle symbolizes land operations worldwide; black and white denote 24/7 vigilance; the lightning bolt and sword represent rapid response and force protection. 1st Battalion (Custodia Indicium Ausum – Protection, Information, Exploitation) features a chess piece, dragon, and knight’s helm for psychological operations, information warfare, and domain defense; while 2nd Battalion (Indicium Dominatus – Information Dominance) showcases a shield, lightning, and stars for network defense, agility, and global reach.

Until April 2025, the command maintained a sustained global presence, supporting multiple combatant commands in contested environments. Former and current members recounted stories of innovation under pressure and institutional depth. Lt. Col. Paul Hill, who led a deployed IO Field Support Team, providing support to Operation Atlantic Resolve, highlighted the demand for IO capabilities.

“Information operations teams have to be flexible, knowledgeable across a wide range of capabilities, and able to make an impact as soon as we hit the ground,” Hill said. “Our ability to understand the environment, integrate capabilities from across the joint force, and deliver an effect greater than the sum of its parts is essential. The need for this capability will only grow as the operational environment becomes more complex.”

1st IO adapted to the changing fight and proved that influence, access, and perception can matter as much as firepower. Maj. Blake Fitzgerald was assigned to 1st IO from 2022 through its inactivation in 2025 and led the final deployed Field Support Team.

“My FST deployment to Qatar, in early 2025 stands out most. It’s the teammates that made it unforgettable – shared challenges, shared responsibility, and a clear sense of impact. It was the best of three missions I led with the command,” said Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald also contributed to the Army’s early implementation of the Theater Information Advantage Detachment model, gaining firsthand insight into the Army’s campaign of learning.

“These experiences allowed me to see the full arc of information advantage; from its legacy in 1st IO to its future under ARCYBER (U.S. Army Cyber Command),” remarked Fitzgerald.

“The experience here went back to Bosnia in the 1990s. That kind of depth gave me clarity on how far we’ve come and confidence in where we’re going,” Fitzgerald added.

Others reflected on the mindset and institutional depth that made the command distinct.

Retired Col. Tammy Heath, who served in 1994 during LIWA and into the transition to 1st IO during its stand-up from 2003 to 2006, described those formative years as a rare privilege.

“We weren’t better than anyone else, we just had more exposure,” said Heath. “We got to eat and breathe IO every day, sitting in what felt like the IO capital of the world at the time.”

Heath recalled learning directly from leaders “building the plane in flight,” helping shape a generation of IO professionals trained in targeting, deception, and influence.

Lt. Col. Chris Telley, commander of 1st IO’s 1st Battalion, noted in his inactivation speech that “no other formation was as equipped to train, certify, and deploy teams capable of delivering full-spectrum information advantage.”

Retired Maj. Gen. John Davis, who commanded 1st IO in 2006, echoed that pride when he spoke at the unit’s final dining out, reflecting on its enduring impact. He emphasized the “sacred obligation to be prepared” for modern warfare, where success demands the convergence of “bullets, bombs, bits, and bytes.” Davis credited 1st IO with transforming military operations by embedding IO into the broader fight and shifting operational paradigms across the joint force.

“Warfare is evolutionary and mutable,” said Davis. “Adversaries have spent decades learning from us, exploiting effects under the threshold of armed conflict.”

In today’s digital age, where momentum is built through subtle, persistent effects, Davis credited 1st IO’s 30-year legacy for laying the foundation of information warfare at every level: tactical, operational, and strategic, while providing critical support across the Army, joint forces, and Joint Special Operations Command.

Lt. Col. Telley emphasized that while the story of the first IO battalion is exceptional, its fate follows a familiar trajectory.

In the wake of World War II, the U.S. divested key capabilities like the Office of Strategic Services, Office of War Information and the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. Those capabilities unconventional missions went largely unrecognized at the time, yet their pioneering ethos never truly vanished. They resurfaced decades later as the bedrock of modern information and influence operations needed to counter dynamic threats. 1st IO’s lineage traces directly to those same innovators; the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Company Special, the famed “Ghost Army,” whose cartoonists, architects and newspapermen brought talents well outside the standard Soldier’s playbook.

Strategic competition today demands the same creative agility that once fueled the reconstitution of U.S. capabilities after World War II. The legacy of 1st IO Command lies in its institutional knowledge and its ability to optimize an unending panoply of unconventional skills, much like those past units. What 1st IO built will be recalibrated, refined, and reemployed, ready to adapt, deliver, and decisively contribute to the next fight.

Long before “cyber” entered the Army’s lexicon, LIWA and later 1st IO shaped cyberspace operations.

2nd Battalion, 1st IO, held its inactivation ceremony in December 2024. its core mission, executing multifunctional red team cyberspace assessments remained vital. Lt. Col. Matthew Maness, the battalion’s final commander, characterized the inactivation not as an end, but as a strategic transition.

“By transferring the Red Team’s mission to the Cyber Protection Brigade, ARCYBER, we are aligning the personnel, resources, technology, and training to meet the challenges of tomorrow. We’re also guaranteeing the legacy of the Command,” stated Maness.

Now operating as the Army Cyber Red Team, the unit’s unique capabilities were explicitly retained in the ARSTRUC (Army Structure) as a critical enabler for Multi-Domain Operations (MDO).

The sentiment of pride in legacy was echoed at the inactivation ceremony by Lt. Gen. Maria Barrett, commanding general of U.S. Army Cyber Command, who underscored the enduring heritage of 1st IO Command.

“People are the heart of what is to be preserved through the whole experience,” said Barrett.

Drawing a parallel to the legacy of Revolutionary War, she described 1st IO’s story as one of success. Establishing a critical bridge between the digital landscape and the land component. The unwavering dedication, innovation, and adaptability of 1st IO’s people laid the foundation for the information forces of tomorrow.

Matt LaChance, who served from 2002 through 2025 in multiple key roles including Deputy to the Commander, spoke of the unit’s consistent operational value.

“Our mindset was what set us apart. That’s why special operations customers kept asking us back,” said LaChance. “During Iraq under the Coalition Provisional Authority, we integrated IO with the ‘D’ in DIME, directly alongside diplomacy. That’s not something you see often, and it was the right capability at the right time.”

Jimmy Wade, the first acting command sergeant major during the LIWA/1IO transition, added, “Our strength wasn’t just in our toolset, it was the trust we built across commands. That’s what made us effective.”

“The inactivation of the command means the Army is turning a page,” said Col. Willie Rodney, the commander of 1st IO. “It doesn’t mean what the command has done is not still relevant, it just means we are going to do it a different way. 1st IO and information operations writ large were created because the Army didn’t know how to integrate non-kinetics into the fight. The rise of MDO demands the Army integrate the capabilities that are executed in domains other than air, land, and sea into the scheme of maneuver and operations process. The need for IO is not going away with the command; rather, the Army is forcing it to be integrated throughout the service and its forces. Overall, it’s a step toward where we’ve always wanted and needed to go.”

Asked what advice he’d give to the next generation, Rodney didn’t hesitate. “Change will inevitably come. You can fight it and become irrelevant, or you can understand it and influence it to achieve outcomes that still fit the vision.”

And in that legacy, 1st IO Command has earned its place. It gave the Army its first true glimpse of information advantage. The expertise 1st IO cultivated will now seed the next generation of information superiority units. Now, it passes the torch to a new construct, ready to fight and win in the next era.

“The inactivation of the command means the Army is turning a page,” said Col. Rodney. “It doesn’t mean what the command has done is irrelevant; we are just doing it a different way. The rise of MDO demands integrating capabilities beyond air, land, and sea into operations. IO’s need isn’t going away; it’s becoming integrated across the service.”

Rodney advised future leaders to embrace and influence change proactively. In that mindset, 1st IO Command has secured its place in Army history. It gave the Army its first glimpse of integrated information advantage. The legacy it leaves behind will inform, train, and empower the next generation of information warriors. The torch has passed, but it still burns brightly.

“Victory Through the Power of Information”