What insight can you provide on either PSYOP or CA, from a officer's point of view (progression, life on the job, etc.)?

After talking to other psyops officers, Psyop is run by a full bird colonel while Civil Affairs is run by a 2 or 3 Star General. I remember talking to a major in Psyop who told me that it takes forever to get his Captain's career course in his branch. I don't mean to bash on my sister service but if you're looking for opportunities, you have more opportunities and promotion in Civil affairs. Civil Affairs has a 90% selection rate to lieutenant colonel. I am in the Army Reserve. There are Psyop and Civil Affairs Airborne units in the Army Reserve. 1 psyop Airborne unit is in Texas and I belonged to a civil Affairs BN that was airborne in Upland California. Active duty, you know they are all at Fort Bragg. No matter which choice you make , you will have plenty of opportunities. When I joined civil Affairs, it was a functional area and you had to have a captain's career course from another branch. Now things are different and civil Affairs is a branch. Either way, you have plenty of opportunities.

It depends heavily if you will be assessing into the Reserves or Active Duty. If Reserves, LTC Conway’s post sums it up nicely. If Active Duty, don’t worry about going Special Operations (where active duty Psychological Operations and Civil Affairs are organized on AD) until after you get through your time as a 2LT and 1LT. Keep your eyes on the 50m target and develop into an adaptive, creative, well rounded leader - thats what SOF is looking for in their formations.

Many years ago, about 1983, I was assigned to 1st Psyop Bn at Ft. Bragg. That was an unusual unit. The 2 things I remember most about it are: 1) we did the first air drop of leaflets since the Vietnam War and there were many many details that had to go into doing that, 2) we had the most unique group of reservists come on active duty for their annual training, among them were cartoonists from Disney Studios and other famous studios or companies. They were all taking a big cut in pay to go on active duty for their Annual Training.