intelligence support activity direct action

Come again, Cantor? I was trying to make him look at me while he repeated that last instruction. Law and the killing of a Russian propagandist: Some Q & A BY CHARLIE DUNLAP, J.D. })(); Intelligence Support Activity provides US special forces with intelligence gatherers, man hunters, assassins and deep penetration agents. by Michael Smith All rights reserved. The situation looked dire. The FOG was able to clandestinely enter Tehran and gather the required intelligence. The U.S. Army's Special Operations Forces Explained by Michael Smith ISA: Soldier Spies of the Intelligence Support Activity The United States Army Intelligence Support Activity ( USAISA ), frequently shortened to Intelligence Support Activity or ISA, and nicknamed The Activity is a United States Army Special Operations unit originally subordinated to the US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM). COL Nightingale is a retired Army Colonel who served two tours in Vietnam with Airborne and Ranger (American and Vietnamese) units. to FOG, SOG, SAD, SMU, ISA, and, FID, the focus of which is the ISA through 2015. As the name implies, SIGINT Squadron is responsible for ISAs signals intelligence mission. "ISA's existence became public in 1982 as a result of a scandal involving US POWs in Vietnam. Bickering between the CIA and JSOC further complicated matters. Intelligence Support Activity > Service branch: Army > Also known as: Gray Fox, ISA, USISA, The Activity . Special Boat Service (SBS) |, Camouflage patterns: Failed Clandestine operations, usually result in some form of USG explanation. ISA members are often multilingual. With it, they had a unit of military spies able to covertly infiltrate a country and provide hands-on, critical intelligence, as well as to raise logistical support for counter-terrorist commandos in case of a crisis. Feeling the working end of my pick with my fingers I could tell that it was destroyed; the neck had a corkscrew twist in it and it was staved to shit. By continuing to use this site you consent to our use of cookies. Gen Meyer demurred on the request, citing the several parts of the world where Army FOG personnel were actively supporting SOF elements, the Agency, and CINC. The forms of intelligence gathered by the Activity include: The Activity is thought to made up of around 300 operators and is under the command of JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command). We provided documents for viewing from both the Agency and DOD lawyers supporting the organization and outlining the rationale. This intelligence then triangulated the possible location of Dozier. As such, the activities and specifics of Gray Fox are not widely made available. He looked up at me momentarily though he did not repeat himself. Everyone in the unit is on on the Department of the Armys Special Roster, which means they dont exist. For obvious reasons, the unit doesnt exactly publicize their makeup. For the four main battalions, numbering in total over 300 operators, there are different roles members could fall into. The moronic mandarins merely blinked and nothing more. There's a lot of fascinating special operation history in the Netflix thriller "Lou," but going into details would reveal Jason McCarthy of goruck.com and Stew Smith discuss his journey to, through, and after Army Special Forces and being Copyright 2023 Military.com. "Today, the ISA operates under the code name Gray Fox. (Source), The tactics and techniques of the ISA are some of the most unique among all the JSOC special operations groups. The strategists decided the best option would be to send an ISA team in to provide accurate intelligence on the situation, and to prepare to secure landing zones for a Delta rescue force. "Known as the Intelligence Support Activity, or ISA, when it was established in 1981, this unit fought in drug wars and counter-terror operations from the Middle East to South America. (Source). Clothing worn by locals, even in specific areas. Zones are prepared, field intelligence is gathered, and targets are laid out for other forces. Every component of the US military was involved in the Invasion of Afghanistan, including the ISA. But what if I dont need signal intercept and intelligence gathering support for my mission?, Look, Geo theyre here, theyre queer, and theyd like so say hello just deal with it because theyre not going away. The mission criteria were pretty simple: we would fail our mission if we missed reporting the generals car, or if we allowed someone to get around our blocking position and into the ambush site. The Secret Army of Northern Virginia - SOAA If they would have been caught, they were done. SMU operator (on ISA breaking into an Al-Qaeda safehouse), Additionally, HUMINT operatives working deep undercover will sometimes work in male-female teams. Then, Delta and SEAL Team 6 operators would make their way into the city in small groups and wait at safe-houses until the time was right. Eliciting information from select sources, The exploitation of documents, media and materials. The unit's history, the politics that have shaped it and the operations it has carried out are recounted in great and fascinating detail. Part of a Delta-DEVGRU task force, ISA provided intelligence on the whereabouts of Bosnian Serb war crimes suspects. As previously mentioned, its members cross train with the CIA, Americas most comprehensive civilian intelligence agency. Approval was given for ISA's deployment, and operators flew to Frankfurt, where some stayed in case the airliner, now back in Beirut, flew back to Algiers. There are four primary battalions with various responsibilities being spread across them. (Source), Under the operational codename Centra Spike, the Intelligence Support Activity operated alongside CIA and local police elements to track down Escobar. Each chapter of the book brings a new chapter of the Activity's operations like Lebanon, where its efforts to rescue US hostages was stymied by its own government or Bosnia where it hunted down war criminals. Ironically, the embassy in Iran was on their itinerary, but, history intervened, and it was overrun by a mob who took the larger part of the staff hostage. Operators from the unit entered Nicaragua using false passports, and proceeded to photograph the embassy from every angle, record the types of locks on all doors, inside and outside, record the number of exits and windows, and finally drew up the internal layout of the building. By Almighty God and with honor, "Also in 1982, an ISA team was sent to Sudan to provide protection to Sudanese President Gaafar Nimeiry and his vice president. Though its history is relatively brief and known missions it has undertaken even briefer, it has become one of the most interesting and influential special operations groups at the disposal of JSOC and the US military. It was completely hidden from view, covering its existence with a series of regularly changing code names like Centra Spike, Royal Cape, and Grey Fox. This time around, travel through the city was a very dangerous endeavour, with roadblocks everywhere. One problem that plagued the first attempt was the lack of valuable intelligence. Intelligence Support Activity - Wikipedia US Army Intelligence Support Activity (USAISA), also known as ISA, The Activity, GREY FOX and, in recent times, the Mission Support Activity (MSA), is a top secret Army intelligence unit. Task Force Orange: Supporting Delta Force | SOFREP ISA was asked to develop a plan of action. The planners in DAMO-ODSO were acutely aware of the different legal authorities contained in Title 10 and Title 50 statutes. The ISA technicians were instrumental in the tracking and capture of a number of Red Brigades terrorists, and most probably the location of the kidnapped Dozier himself. For instance, while US Army Special Forces were originally created for unconventional warfare (UW) missions and gradually added other capabilities, the US Navy SEALs, and the UK Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS) continue to perform a primary DA role with special reconnaissance (SR) as original missions. Kay-Kay and I sat at a table jamming some 12 magazines and chatting over our actions at our blocking position. . He seemed equally satisfied when they reported the next morning that the clandcam was up and recording and that they would have the product with them when they returned the next morning. He scurried off to the barricade. The ISA wasn't popular within JSOC. Funding was to be a joint undertaking. The raid was cancelled over fears that the French and Italians tipped Karadzic off. I didnt think a thing of it, as it had taken me a while to throw that lock open on my first few tries. The situation quickly worsened, until officials in the US embassy were in genuine concern for their lives, so much that the ambassador cabled for immediate help. How do you guys block?, I dont know how you guys operate. SIGINT operations extended to areas with overlapping guerrilla operations, such as Nicaragua, which was facing the increased foe of the Contras. However, the ISA intercepted Iraqi communications that corroborated intelligence collected from his family members. and other specialized capabilities to support Army, joint, unified action partners, and the U.S. intelligence commu-nity. Task Force Mandarin [better known as Task Force Orange or the Intelligence Support Activity (ISA)] was a support organization formed to provide signal intercept and intelligence gathering capabilities to Tier One organizations. Most officials disliked the unit's head, Jerry King, and thus, JSOC did not send the unit in. (Source). "In 1981, the Central Intelligence Agency, along with a covert helicopter unit, Seaspray, was involved in the secret transport of Lebanese Christian leader Bashir Gemayel back to Beirut after a round of secret talks with the President Ronald Reagan. A DOD lawyer was assigned to the development planning, and Col Jerry King (MG Vaught's Chief of Staff for the Iran JTF) became the first head of the FOG. These operatives were responsible for helping take down insurgent networks in Iraq. The JTF was largely dependent upon the CIA to provide the vital confirming HUMINT as to the hostage location. The mandarins decided they were much too tired and sleepy to unload their car to safekeep all of their sensitive items in the house with them. As they soundly slept in the reverie of their grand plan, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy happened by and found the car unlocked. World conditions in the early 1980s suggested that some capability was required to address the ambiguous conflicts of each Title authority into some form of credible operational capability. Parsing one from the other can be quite difficult and largely determined by the location and nature of the target. It's a Special Mission Unit and conducts highly classified operations. (Source) Once the safe house was located, using a mixture of SIGINT, GEOINT and HUMINT, a raid was initiated. Intelligence Support Activity The Army's most obscure special-ops unit is the roughly 300-strong Intelligence Support Activity, formed in 1981, which has gone by various codenames over. The Birth of the Field Operations Group (Later Intelligence Support Activity / Secret Army of Northern Virginia), Part 1 of 3 - Rangers and TF160/SOAR to Follow. Intelligence Support Activity-Bragg developed an online tool, the pilot for which was planned to commence on June 1, 2019, to standardize the System Authorization Access Request, Acceptable Use Policy and Privileged Access Agreement for the command. The US Department of Defense has defined direct action as "Short-duration strikes and other small-scale offensive actions conducted as a special operation in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments and which employ specialized military capabilities to seize, destroy, capture, exploit, recover, or damage designated targets. As such discussing their capabilities is frowned upon. Jose Solano - Intelligence Analyst - CACI International Inc | LinkedIn The ISA is perhaps the most major outlier doctrinally from its other, better known, counterparts within JSOC and SOCOM as a whole. and other specialized capabilities to support Army, joint, unified action partners, and the U.S. intelligence commu-nity. Original content is published under aCreative Commons Licenseper ourTerms of Use. This is a potentially significant compromise. the Cantor lamented in earnest. It is tasked to collect actionable intelligence in advance of missions by other US special operations forces . The training processes of other military groups however grant general insight into the selection and training of the ISA. America's Most Elite Special Forces - msn.com Since its inception, the Activity has been providing invaluable intelligence and support to many United States operations. The terrain was extremely rugged, the enemy was far more entrenched than anticipated, and Murphys Law was in full effect. Well, ok we arrived at just around 1630hrs and the mandarin began. Intelligence Support Activity The Army's most obscure special-ops unit is the roughly 300-strong Intelligence Support Activity, formed in 1981, which has gone by various codenames over the years. The ISA specializes in gathering human intelligence, signals intelligence and combat. Delta was finally given the go-ahead and flew to Sicily and Cyprus along with Task Force 160 and Seaspray helicopters, thus ending the need for ISA's help. The ISAs HUMINT collectors gather information from human sources via coercion and interrogation depending on the asset. action is "necessary to support identifiable foreign policy objectives of the United States, and is The ISA also has a direct action arm comprised of men and women recruited from the US Army Delta . (Source), The failure of Operation Eagle Claw was a turning point for US special operations. Spec Ops Profile: Intelligence Support Activity | Military.com The "Pakistani cook" piece, delivered as Delta boarded the aircraft, was viewed as an implausible source though subsequent inquiry revealed that the crucial info was available much earlier, but intentionally not shared for several reasons. "On December 17, 1981, Colonel James Dozier, the highest ranking American army officer in the NATO southern European Command was kidnapped by members of the Red Brigade terrorist faction. Unfortunately, the police were either heavily corrupted or unwilling to arrest Escobar, and the intelligence went to waste. It was the type of mission ISA was designed for, but no agents were sent in. These intelligence gathering methods outline how intelligence is gathered and what is done with it afterwards. The Cantor finally said something, and he said it very very loudly when the mandarins lost control of some weapons and encrypted radios. The selection process and training for special operations groups are secret. . To lawyers, this is a distinction with a difference. Every modern military relies on intelligence, and the US military is a voracious consumer of intelligence, from both an analytical and functional standpoint. No unit is quite as secretive as the Intelligence Support Activity. Special Operations Forces are the elite commandos of the U.S. military. Typically the ISA pulls from the Green Berets due to their prior special operations experience, language skills, and autonomy. The SIGINT group of the ISA gathered signal intelligence via aircraft, that was then passed on to NSA analysts. The Elite Within the Elite: A Guide to U.S. Special Forces Plus, they wouldnt have to load the car back up again the next day what a grand and magnanimous plan that proved to be. Codename: Gray Fox - Sicarius Get the weekly email from Grey Dynamics that makes reading intel articles and reports actually enjoyable. If some elements (especially photos) were originally yours please consider Specwar.info to host for free. The cover of these operatives is typically much harder to develop since it requires a reason to be in and out of the target country on a frequent basis, and to have inauspicious ties to the target country. Nowadays the ISA focuses on the preparation of the battlespace for military operations across the globe. Primarily acting as enablers for JSOC special mission units. (Source) The US military sought to carry out intelligence operations without the direct need of US intelligence agencies. Sound Like You? These operatives mirror the function of CIA case officers and even go through CIA training at the Farm in Virginia. A Congressional hearing was held, and the media revealed the existence of a 'classified military intelligence unit'. Why America's Special Forces Are so Unique and Deadly Gaining entry into the ISA is not easy; candidates already must be part of a special operations forces group. "In and around Afghanistan, Gray Fox was part of a secret sphere that included the CIA's paramilitary Special Activities Division and the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command. "ISA was also rumoured to be operating in Bosnia in the last few years under the code-name Torn Victor. (Source) This allowed the forces involved in the surrounding Shahikot Valley to be more informed of enemy movements and positions. "In late 1981, ISA agents were involved in the attempt to acquire a Soviet T-72 tank, which had obsessed intelligence analysts. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! Reconnaissance overflights revealed a possible location where POWs, still believed to be held by the Vietnamese early in the year. Cowan traveled the Lebanese countryside pinpointing the locations of Syrian anti-aircraft emplacements. After the rescue attempt, then CSA Shy Meyer, convened a small group of people within Army DCSOPS to address future SOF/CT structure in the aftermath of the failure, and while still under a POTUS mandate, to be prepared to conduct an In-Extremis rescue within 10 days. Electronic specialists and SIGINT operators comprised part of the force. Featured Book: It was a body of men and women first sent to Japan to study Ninjitzu, then on to Chinas Shao Lin Temple to study Kung Fu, then finally to Iran to study the ways of the Immortals under the former King of the Persian Empire, Xerxes the Great. ISA operators were said to be so skilled that they could tell whether a tank needed a tune-up from background noise of transmissions. The US military and many of its allies consider DA one of the basic special operations missions. They are known by many names: Task Force Orange; the Intelligence Support Activity; The Activity; the Army of Northern Virginia; the Field Operations Group (FOG); the United States Army Intelligence Support Activity, or just shortened to Intelligence Support Activity (USISA). In 1989, during Operation Just Cause, the American invasion of Panama, ISA proposed to deploy a team of its intelligence agents to track Manuel Noriega, but the offer was declined. Small Wars Journal is published by Small Wars Foundation - a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Initially, the raid appeared to be a bust until a Delta operator kicked some debris on exfil. PDF National and Joint Intelligence Support - United States Army Distinctive Unit Insignia of the US Army Intelligence Support Activity (USAISA), Task Force Orange; the Intelligence Support Activity; The Activity; the Army of Northern Virginia; the Field Operations Group (FOG); the United States Army Intelligence Support Activity, or just shortened to Intelligence Support Activity (USISA). These are primarily preparation intelligence and tactical/ strategic intelligence for active operations. The mandarins had inexplicably turned and ran south back to our home base leaving no rear guard for the main body. This site uses cookies. "During the 1983 American invasion of Grenada, special forces units were plagued by lack of useful and up-to-date intelligence. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. During the 1990's the unit was known as Capacity Gear. Originally the unit was known as the Field Operations Group or FOG and was designed to fill the Armys need for clandestine intelligence collection. "When the first rescue attempt of the hostages in Iran failed, a second attempt, code-named Honey Badger, immediately started. In 1979 the need for a dedicated special operations intelligence unit was solidified following the overthrowing of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. All the tools you need to an in-depth Intelligence Support Activity Self-Assessment. PDF (U) Results in Brief - U.S. Department of Defense Eventually, agents had pinpointed the locations of a number of cartel hideouts and high-value targets, including Pablo. Human intelligence (HUMINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) are the most common products of their operations. These deployments include Operation Winter Harvest, Operation Queens Hunter and their role in Operation Anaconda. Its purpose is unlike many other special operations forces of the US military, not dedicated to direct combat, and more towards secretive and clandestine actions necessary to support other military operations. Such as procuring equipment, getting funding for operations/training, and human resources functions. They skillfully pushed the car down the dirt driveway and out onto the hardball road a-ways where they could hot-wire and start the car without being heard by the slumbering princesses in the safe house. Both Army and the Agency recognized the changed nature of the world and the requirements of the emerging terrorist/hostage issues. [2] Unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance and direct action roles have merged throughout the decades and are typically performed primarily by the same units. Two task forces of JSOC took part in the search and rescue operations, Delta Force and a detachment of the ISA. It was so simple that we didnt even need to create a nursery rhyme to recite to help us remember all the steps. Prior to Saddams capture, over 40 members of his family were captured and interrogated to determine his whereabouts with little success. However, due to the nature of ISAs mission, its operators are rarely likely to carry weapons into the field. "In 1982, ISA SIGINT specialists took part in Operation Queens Hunter, a Seaspray operation in the skies above El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. The Intelligence Support Activity conducts its operations during and in advance of US military operations. Colonel Jerry King retained his position as the head of the group, now 100-strong and headquartered in a nondescript building in Arlington, Virginia. Featuring 931 new and updated case-based questions, organized into seven core areas of process design, this Self-Assessment will help you identify areas in which . Infiltration relies much less on stealthy engagement, and much more on subtlety and effective tradecraft. (amazon.com). The forms of intelligence gathered by the Activity include: HUMINT (HUMan INTellgence) This includes Clandestine operations, but not those which are Covert. These members function as case officers.

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