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"Currently, ISA is believed to be under control of JSOC, and published accounts have it organized into administration, training, SIGINT, HUMINT and direct action elements. Meyer was determined that no future SOF OP with Army forces would be conducted absent credible quality CIA/DOD/NSA and Army intelligence. LTG Odom acquiesced but took every opportunity to oppose actions engaging his traditional intelligence elements. "ISA's existence became public in 1982 as a result of a scandal involving US POWs in Vietnam. The planners in DAMO-ODSO were acutely aware of the different legal authorities contained in Title 10 and Title 50 statutes. Had the force been aware of the actual hostage location and situation, the force could have continued past Desert One and probably succeeded. This was never forthcoming despite the greatest pressure upon the Agency. Russia and Ukraine battle daily in the sky. 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. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? The operation, code-named Great Falcon, made a deal with the Iraqi government for a T-72, in exchange for 175mm cannons. 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. 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Retired Army Col. Paris Davis stood in the White House as President Biden draped the Medal of Honor around his neck, nearly Chief Special Warfare Operator Michael T. Ernst died following a "military freefall training accident" on Feb. 19 in Marana Lt. Col. Collin Charlie Christopherson, the commander of the 1st Special Operations Maintenance Squadron, was arrested How much do you know about the morale machine that's been deploying with U.S. troops since WWII? Clothing worn by locals, even in specific areas. Sound Like You? ISA was asked to form an Algerian-based plan and a Beirut-based one for rescue. The planners in DAMO-ODSO were acutely aware of the different legal authorities contained in Title 10 and Title 50 statutes. Operation Anaconda was, by most standards, a very difficult engagement. 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. 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Cowan traveled the Lebanese countryside pinpointing the locations of Syrian anti-aircraft emplacements. The cyber operations team extends into other offsets of intelligence gathering, including OSINT, cyber threat intelligence and cyber warfare. The force is supposedly around 250-275 operators. Fort Belvoir, North Virginia, United States. 25: More Chinese Ferry Tales: China's Use of Civilian Shipping in Military Activities, 2021-2022, Hospital Ships: A Vital Asset for SOUTHCOM and South American Navies, The Goshen Massacre and the Specter of Cartel Spillover Into the US, Dangerous Alliances: Russias Strategic Inroads in Latin America, Year Ahead Emerging Technologies and the Collection of Battlefield Evidence, How Does Matter Matter In International Conflict and Security? _gaq.push(['_setDomainName', '.specwar.info']); See Intelligence Collection Directive (ICD) 112, . With dramatis personae that include the CIA, Delta Force, DEVGRU, the Intelligence Support Activity, Pakistani Commandos, the Taliban, and spies from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI), this story has the makings of a future Brad Thor bestseller. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! 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. Later that same year, Delta Force and ISA operators were sent to Saudi Arabia to help organize and train a Special Purpose Detachment of the Saudi National Guard. The direct action element reportedly trains with Delta Force and DEVGRU to maintain their skills. "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. The forms of intelligence gathered by the Activity include: HUMINT (HUMan INTellgence) Through their mastery of SIGINT, the ISA quickly got on the task of intercepting radio and telephone transmissions. WOAH, WOAH, WOAH! the Cantor interrupted, youre telling me you put in the camera in daylight hours, and now everyone is supposed to be surprised and sympathetic that its gone?. The SEALs, SAS, and SBS added additional capabilities over time, responding to the needs of modern conflict. The monitoring of guerilla factions allowed the Salvadoran Army to successfully defend against their attacks. (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. Based on photos of ISA operatives and reasonable assumption, they are most likely to carry: For a unit like ISA, firearms are not its primary weapons. The whole force drove north as planned, putting Kay and me upfront to clear ahead and report back to the assault force. It is after all, not a strictly combat-oriented role like its other Tier 1 operators. The third known squadron is the Mission Support Squadron. The operation went smooth up until the force rolled away. ISA was asked to develop a plan of action. The Activity's primary role is to gather actionable intelligence in order to pave the way for special operations undertook by units such as Delta Force (known as 'operational preparation of the battlespace'). "Perhaps the least known, and most classified unit within the realm of US special operations is the Intelligence Support Activity (ISA), a small, highly trained and capable intelligence unit. This time, the manhunt for Escobar was being led by Col. Hugo Martinez, who did not intend to let Escobar get away, and who operated with ruthless efficiency, aided by Centra Spike's intelligence. Developed hunt methodology for Albuquerque-based Counter Human Traffic organization DeliverFund llc as an Intelligence Analyst and Network Disruption Team Leader in the Get The Daily Situation. Before it operated under the name ISA, the group was referred to as the Field Operations Group (FOG). (Source). Not only did this demonstrate that the ISA was functionally effective, it showed that it could operate alongside not only various elements of the US military, but foreign military elements as well. During the operations training course, candidates are taught infiltration techniques, advanced air operations, offensive and off-road driving, personal defensive measures and communications. The FOG was re-named the Intelligence Support Activity (ISA), and given an initial budget of $7 million. 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). They require units with combinations of trained specialized personnel, equipment, and tactics that exceed the routine capabilities of conventional military forces. (Source) Operatives must not look out of placeor easily recognizable. Since that time the unit reports to Special Operations Command or SOCOM in Tampa Florida, United States. Landing zones were established, Lebanese militias contacted for help, and plans formulated for a commando force. The trials of the ISA in Queens Hunter were not the only time the team was tested in South America. Here, Ive got it, offered the mandarin with hand extended to my lock pick set. (Source) At the time, the Salvadoran Army was facing attacks from leftist groups and more lethal right-wing death squads. 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 mandarins had inexplicably turned and ran south back to our home base leaving no rear guard for the main body. > Role: HUMINT (human intelligence), SIGINT (signals intelligence), direct action. var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; However, his several interventions and temporary blockage of many initiatives, showed that his primary intent was to arrest the development and contain the capability. October 16, 2020 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). US News & World Report 7/6/98 - "Hunting war criminals: The first account of secret U.S. missions in Bosnia" by Richard J. Newman, https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Intelligence_Support_Activity&oldid=305336, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. The ISA has gone by many name: Intelligence Support Activity or Mission Support Activity, and nicknamed The Activity, Task Force Orange . (Source), Under the operational codename Centra Spike, the Intelligence Support Activity operated alongside CIA and local police elements to track down Escobar. by Michael Smith (Source), The tactics and techniques of the ISA are some of the most unique among all the JSOC special operations groups. Most officials disliked the unit's head, Jerry King, and thus, JSOC did not send the unit in. 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. var _gaq = _gaq || []; Smith's book lifts the lid of secrecy on the Activity, one of America's least well known Special Ops units. As an ancillary, but crucial action during this period, LTC Bruce Mauldin and I, with the CSAs concurrence and support, visited the Hill and had several closed-door sessions with appropriate committee Chairs and Ranking Members regarding the unit's establishment, roles and missions, and funding lines. Covert operations are shrouded in plausible deniability. The rapidly deteriorating situation in the country prompted the United States to create a small Special Forces unit with the purpose of surveying the US embassy. 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This is directed from , waaay above my pay grade yeah, I get it.. International Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Interview with Dr. Niamh Gaynor, Transnistria and Russian Tensions: Moldova 12-month Forecast, Terrorist Threat in Senegal: A 12-month Forecast, Terrorist Threat in Guinea: A 12-Month Forecast, 7.3. Highly recommended. 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. Establishing cover as husband and wife to live in and conduct intelligence collection missions within a target country. While Delta and DEVGRU focus on direct engagement and specialized combat tactics, the ISA conducts intelligence and espionage operations at a tactical level. Boss Cantor seemed satisfied with how the mandarins gathered the necessary hardware for the mission and then marched smartly out the door. Intelligence Support Activity > Service branch: Army > Also known as: Gray Fox, ISA, USISA, The Activity . ODSO/FOG overcame much of this through replication of capability generously funded and supported by CIA. The FOG was able to clandestinely enter Tehran and gather the required intelligence. (Source), Active operational support is also a crucial role of the ISA. What was needed was a SOF unit devoted to intelligence gathering and preparing the battlespace for other SOF operators. Some of ISA's most recent deployments was in 1993 in Somalia. "Cowan put together another five-man team, but their deployment was stalled for three weeks. The unit was raised in 1979 as the Foreign Operating Group (FOG), who was created to overthrow the Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. We provided documents for viewing from both the Agency and DOD lawyers supporting the organization and outlining the rationale. Access to that road saved a considerable amount of travel time for support for an ongoing mission. The DCS, G-2 is the Director of the Operational Environment Enterprise (OEE) and author of the Army's approved current Operational Environment (OE). Officials developed a contingency plan for the new situation: ISA operators were to infiltrate the city and confirm the locations of the hostages, as well as make contact with the Lebanese Christian militia. Alpha and Charlie troops utilize official cover to collect human intelligence. (Source) This allowed the forces involved in the surrounding Shahikot Valley to be more informed of enemy movements and positions. Cake duty! Years before its actual formation, the need for the ISA, or an operational entity like it, was already being examined. While driving through northern Lebanon, Cowan and his mates suffered several close calls with Syrian roadblocks and patrols. These operatives have a cover in the commercial sector, typically as an international businessperson. Delta Force | Typically the ISA pulls from the Green Berets due to their prior special operations experience, language skills, and autonomy. 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. These operatives mirror the function of CIA case officers and even go through CIA training at the Farm in Virginia. From 5 miles away and 4,575m above the ground, operatives could target insurgents communications via cellphone. Few special operations forces are clad in as much secrecy as the Intelligence Support Activity. These are primarily preparation intelligence and tactical/ strategic intelligence for active operations. Operatives can covertly enter enemy buildings to plant cameras. Operatives tradecraft for avoiding detection is impeccable. ". The most important thing to know is that intelligence drives "direct action" operations. Killer Elite As a result, ISA was almost disbanded, but Army officials succeeded in ensuring its survival, albeit on a much tighter leash. There was a task I did for the Cantor routinely and at a moments notice. The United States realized that insufficient intelligence gathering was the critical point of failure in our attempt to rescue the American hostages and that there was a gap between the Intelligence and Special Operations communities. A top-secret 'Army electronic surveillance team', was sent to aid the Colombians in August of 1989, as a part of Operation Heavy Shadow. Political bickering stalled the deployment of the agents, and finally, the operation was approved. He commanded airborne battalions in both the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division. 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 force is supposedly around 250-275 operators, who excel in intelligence gathering, languages and electronic surveillance. Eliciting information from select sources, The exploitation of documents, media and materials. Original content is published under aCreative Commons Licenseper ourTerms of Use. "In late 1981, ISA agents were involved in the attempt to acquire a Soviet T-72 tank, which had obsessed intelligence analysts. The Cantor finally said something, and he said it very very loudly when the mandarins lost control of some weapons and encrypted radios. In the 1980s, extremist parties on both sides of the political spectrum plagued Italy. 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. 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