One of their major tasks was to create 'pathfinders'. Some of ISA's most recent deployments was in 1993 in Somalia. The situation looked dire. This was the birth of the Field Operations Group (FOG)-later ISA/Secret Army of Northern Virginia. It was late in the evening after a long day and long drive for the mandarins, who finally stopped to stay the night in one of the many safe houses we had scattered throughout the country. HUMINT collection cant be done without boots on the ground, so members of the main battalions are likely conducting field operations. "When the first rescue attempt of the hostages in Iran failed, a second attempt, code-named Honey Badger, immediately started. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. ", Sources: The Cantor said nothing. It is not certain that ISA operators were on the scene at the moment of his capture, but the operational intelligence provided was critical to the success of the operation. 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. In 2003 four troops: A,B,C, and D made up the squadron. Primarily acting as enablers for JSOC special mission units. ISA focuses on gathering human intelligence based on contact with field agents, and signals intelligence (intercepted communications) to support Delta Force and DEVGRU operations. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. 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. Cake duty! Come again, Cantor? I was trying to make him look at me while he repeated that last instruction. Now, shes a third-term Virginia congresswoman. Two task forces of JSOC took part in the search and rescue operations, Delta Force and a detachment of the ISA. As previously mentioned, its members cross train with the CIA, Americas most comprehensive civilian intelligence agency. The ISA initially had only support activity and HUMINT gathering functions. As a result, ISA was almost disbanded, but Army officials succeeded in ensuring its survival, albeit on a much tighter leash. The unit is provided with the best equipment money can buy and it is known it maintained a fleet of aircraft at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. It was settled, and Majestic Eagle withdrew from the operation. The forms of intelligence gathered by the Activity include: HUMINT (HUMan INTellgence) This is how we block. The Activity grew out of the need for specialized intel support for US Special Operations that was highlighted by the failed US attempt to rescue American hostages from Iran in 1980. US Air Force Pararescue | Mission. "In 1983, a five-man ISA unit led by Lt. Col. William Cowan was dispatched to Beirut, Lebanon to deal with the increasing threat to American interests in the area. They were never used. The ISA has gone by many name: Intelligence Support Activity or Mission Support Activity, and nicknamed The Activity, Task Force Orange . The Cantor sent me out as usual to throw the lock, wait for our operational vehicle to pass, then shut it again. ISA. But, it was also clear that some form of operational melding was essential to effectively address operational requirements. All rights reserved. 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. (Source) These collectively will compose some of the roles within a primary battalion of the ISA. It has since changed names several times to avoid media publicity, having been alternately known as the Tactical Concept Activity, the Tactical Coordination Detachment, the Tactical Support Team, and the Studies and Analysis Activity (SAA), among other designations. Once inside, Centra Spike agents would plug in laptops into the airplane's power and could simultaneously track four frequencies. The U.S. Army Intelligence Support Activity (ISA) is a special operations unit that collects "actionable" intelligence in preparation for activities by other special operations units, particularly those related to counter-terrorism missions. Rather than disbanding the unit, it was expanded. 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. The Intelligence Support Activity, commonly called "The Activity" . The Beechcrafts were made to appear normal from the outside, save for a wingspan six inches longer. The ISA team left Beirut in January 1984. 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. Special Recon, Direct Action. Landing zones were established, Lebanese militias contacted for help, and plans formulated for a commando force. Their unique abilities are called upon when other special operations forces have not been able to complete their mission due to a gap in intelligence. If an operative is in a country with an official cover, possessing a firearm can mean being sent to prison or death. The unit would be immediately deployed to any country where a terrorist act against the United States had taken place, and would start providing critical intelligence, as well as setting up landing zones and infiltration routes for the counter-terrorist force. During the 1990's the unit was known as Capacity Gear. Killer Elite It is unclear how often the ISA interrogates subjects, though given their covert operations they likely at least interrogate high-value targets. Traditions (religious, political, societal). A vehicle on time and on target rolled through the barricade. (Source) This indicates that members of the primary four battalions who are combat specialists will have a wide range of skills, and therefore a high range of weapons they utilize. Candidates pulled from computer records, or by word of mouth were required to pass a tough selection course, physical and psychological tests. FOG became permanent and renamed ISA on March 3, 1981. During the operation, a rivalry developed between Centra Spike, and a CIA intelligence unit named Majestic Eagle. Operation Anaconda highlights how vital of a role the ISA plays in the battlespace. Exactly who would execute the direct-action operations, would be determined after the intelligence determine the situational necessities. Dozier was taken hostage and mistreated, with the Red Brigades viewing him as an ideological foe that needed to be made an example of. This extra length concealed the main eavesdropping antennas, while others could be lowered from the belly while in flight. In sum, Uniforms do Clandestine, Civvies do Covert. They began forming their own plan for storming the airplane and liberating the hostages. Highly recommended. ISA recommended covert deployment of its operatives to both airports to secure landing zones and infiltration routes. It was the type of mission ISA was designed for, but no agents were sent in. The unit's missions range from Latin America, fighting communist guerrillas and drugs barons, to Africa, the Middle East and central Asia, tracking down terrorists. We provided documents for viewing from both the Agency and DOD lawyers supporting the organization and outlining the rationale. Sound Like You? ISA operatives are masters of tradecraft. The unit exists in an altered form today, but it is an example as to how the USG can effectively mix Title 10 and 50 rules to achieve a common end and how conventional bureaucracies can stifle needed imaginative resolutions. The Cantor, busy writing, asked me how it went. A top-secret 'Army electronic surveillance team', was sent to aid the Colombians in August of 1989, as a part of Operation Heavy Shadow. Originally the ISA operated as a tactical arm of the National Security Agency. The unit's history, the politics that have shaped it and the operations it has carried out are recounted in great and fascinating detail. There was a chain barricade that the Serbian police (MUPs) used to block access to a side road that junctioned with highway M4. Both sides would work together on developing the intel, and then a decision would be made regarding a specific operational tasking to avoid statutory conflict. In the aftermath, the FOG was hard at work gathering intelligence in Iran in preparation for Operation Credible Sport, the second attempt to rescue the hostages. With the expansion, the FOG has renamed the ISA and officially established as a unit on January 29th, 1981. Russia and Ukraine battle daily in the sky. As with both the establishment of JSOC, TF160/SOAR and Ranger SOF, the task was not easy. Due to their specialization in intelligence, they can operate as vanguard teams to support another units operations. Unfortunately, the hostages were dispersed throughout the country, and the chance never came for a second attempt, but the seeds were planted for the Intelligence Support Activity. This time around, travel through the city was a very dangerous endeavour, with roadblocks everywhere. In short order, Langley provided people, training, and a conduit to its various intelligence and planning aspects. Are you one of them? The unit's history, the politics that have shaped it and the operations it has carried out are recounted in great and fascinating detail. Samuel is a King's College graduate with an MA in War Studies. Centra Spike was known to operate under several cover names, including Torn Victor, Cemetery Wind, Capacity Gear and Robin Court, and closely matched ISA's description. Access to that road saved a considerable amount of travel time for support for an ongoing mission. When Escobar surrendered in 1991, Centra Spike was pulled out, only to return a year later, when Escobar escaped from his comfortable prison. Moscow Should Prepare For Probable US Nuclear Aggression: Reports Russian Military Journal, Destroying American Monster Abrams: Pro-Russian Group Release A How-To Video, Dr. Mary E. Walker: The First AND Only Female Medal Of Honor Recipient, Bakhmut on the Brink of Falling to Russian Troops, Decorated Navy SEAL Died in HALO Training Accident, Adam Brown: A SEALs Life of Courage and Redemption, Complete List: Ticonderoga-class Missile Cruisers To Retire By 2027, Nuclear Close Calls That Nearly Caused World War III, Russian Sausage Millionaire and Putin Critic Falls to His Death in India, Deadly Russian Rifle Brigade Wiped Out During War in Ukraine. On December 2, 1993, with help from Centra Spike and a mobile Colombian surveillance team, Escobar's hideout was pinpointed, and Colombian police moved in. "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. Delta troop is tasked with countries that are a softer target for infiltration such as the Philippines or Morocco. (Source). Initially, Delta Force turned to the CIA for information regarding the number of guards, how they were armed and what security measures they had in place. A declassified document provides background information about the Intelligence Support Activity (ISA ), a little known intelligence gathering unit that collects tactical intel for Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and other Special Operations units. Stew Smith and Jeff Nichols discuss the new testosterone to epitestosterone ratio (T/E) used at BUDS to deter use Abigail Spanberger spent almost a decade as a CIA operations officer. Part of a Delta-DEVGRU task force, ISA provided intelligence on the whereabouts of Bosnian Serb war crimes suspects. US intelligence gathering methods centre around the US intelligence process, composed of the phases Plan, Prepare, Collect, Process, and Produce. This Army Special Operations unit, goes by many names, which is indicative of the various activities, functions and environments performed by these operators. Eliciting information from select sources, The exploitation of documents, media and materials. Operatives can covertly enter enemy buildings to plant cameras. The debris revealed a spider hole and as an operator prepared a grenade, Saddam poked his head out of the hole. Read Next: Delta Force and SEAL Team 6 operators on the loose? 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. But if the copyright owners want to get in touch to have them immediately removed from this site then please contact our webmaster. Direct action (DA) is a term used in the context of military special operations for small-scale raids, ambushes, sabotage or similar actions. Join our mailing list to stay in the loop for free! Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); Had the force been aware of the actual hostage location and situation, the force could have continued past Desert One and probably succeeded. Smith's book lifts the lid of secrecy on the Activity, one of America's least well known Special Ops units. US Navy SEALs | Lets just settle on Gray Fox for now, as these operators fill in the gray area between Title 50 intelligence gathering and Title 10 unconventional warfare operations. Such as procuring equipment, getting funding for operations/training, and human resources functions. He later commanded both the 1/75th Rangers and the 1st Ranger Training Brigade. However, our personal favorite is a toss-up between Cemetery Wind and Gray Fox. Guerrilla insurgents in Nicaragua composed only one part of the multitude of threats facing the US With cartels all over South America creating chaos for pro-US forces, Pablo Escobar and his cartel were the targets of several US government agencies and departments, including the ISA. The unit conducts close survelliance with cameras, even going as far as covertly entering terrorists safe houses and planting hidden cameras. The manhunt was over. to FOG, SOG, SAD, SMU, ISA, and, FID, the focus of which is the ISA through 2015. 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. 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). The vast majority of their operations are clouded not just in shadow, but in complete darkness. How do you guys block?, I dont know how you guys operate. Delta Force | Gen Meyer, Gen Vaught (DAMO-OD), and LTC Jim Longhofer (DAMO-ODSO), traveled to Langley and met with the new Director and his operational elements director. The ISA's HUMINT collectors gather information from human sources via coercion and interrogation depending on the asset. 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. An ISA technician with a SATCOM was provided for the operation to aid in the tracking. 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. For a Tier 1 group dedicated primarily to intelligence collection and support, the equipment of the ISA cannot be completely verified, nor can any weapons or equipments continued use be verified. His areas of focus are extremism in the Western world, military privatization and the impact of climate change on global security. "Apparently, ISA's direct action element was also put on alert during the hijacking of the Italian cruise ship, Achille Lauro. Operation Anaconda was, by most standards, a very difficult engagement. If some elements (especially photos) were originally yours please consider Specwar.info to host for free. 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. 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. Every modern military relies on intelligence, and the US military is a voracious consumer of intelligence, from both an analytical and functional standpoint. FOG was developed because of a perceived need for greater intelligence-gathering capabilities for the U.S. military. The US military and many of its allies consider DA one of the basic special operations missions. The team put together a detailed critique and proposed changes to the organization of the forces, but the document was ignored by the higher officials insisting that security was adequate. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. 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. Within these battalions, there is a cyber ops teams, technology ops teams and mission support teams. The vast majority of the ISAs operations in Afghanistan are still classified. ISA was close to making the exchange, but the deal fell through at the last minute. The Intelligence Support Activity conducts its operations during and in advance of US military operations. He commanded airborne battalions in both the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division. . See Intelligence Collection Directive (ICD) 112, . The ISA differs from its brother and sister task forces in that it is not primarily a combat-oriented team, excelling in HUMINT and SIGINT operations that allow it to provide extremely valuable intelligence to other military elements. Im telling you, they are packed parachutes for you; all you have to do is jump they dont need any training or preparation they can do it all!. As such discussing their capabilities is frowned upon. Unit Profile. An ISA agent was secretly infiltrated into Beirut where he provided real-time intelligence on the location of the hostages. The planners in DAMO-ODSO were acutely aware of the different legal authorities contained in Title 10 and Title 50 statutes. As with any clandestine unit, only so much can be known about any of the JSOC special mission units. Subsequently, theyre protected by diplomatic immunity if theyre compromised during an espionage operation. "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. Human intelligence (HUMINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) are the most common products of their operations. Zones are prepared, field intelligence is gathered, and targets are laid out for other forces. His elements were being heavily tasked, and a directed intelligence pipeline was established to FOG. At one point during the Global War on Terror, ISA along with a component from the Airforce and Delta began to build a fleet of ISR aircraft. The CIA was leading extraordinary rendition operations in Somalia in conjunction with the ISA and the help of local warlords. var _gaq = _gaq || []; Plus, they wouldnt have to load the car back up again the next day what a grand and magnanimous plan that proved to be. A Congressional hearing was held, and the media revealed the existence of a 'classified military intelligence unit'. On October 23, 1983, a truck bomb slammed into the US Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 Americans, and injuring scores more. More technical training on SIGINT, such as transmission and signals interpretation is also a component of the training. Under the US Central Intelligence Agency's National Clandestine Service, there is a Special Activities Division to operate without apparent national identification for plausible deniability. The Intelligence Support Activitys operations in El Salvador, under Operation Queens Hunter, demonstrated the effectiveness of the newly founded squadrons mastery of SIGINT and cross-departmental cooperation. In the 1980s, extremist parties on both sides of the political spectrum plagued Italy. The most important thing to know is that intelligence drives "direct action" operations. Centra Spike agents operated all around Colombia, as well as neighbouring countries where the cartels influence extended. The monitoring of guerilla factions allowed the Salvadoran Army to successfully defend against their attacks. "The government realized the importance of the FOG. Well, ok we arrived at just around 1630hrs and the mandarin began. Under the guiding hand of JSOC, the ISA operated alongside other JSOC and CIA elements, under the codename Gray Fox. This includes Clandestine operations, but not those which are Covert. However, due to the nature of ISAs mission, its operators are rarely likely to carry weapons into the field. What was needed was a SOF unit devoted to intelligence gathering and preparing the battlespace for other SOF operators.
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