intelligence support activity direct action

Intelligence Support Activity provides US special forces with intelligence gatherers, man hunters, assassins and deep penetration agents. "Gray Fox's low-profile eavesdropping planes also fly without military markings. It is common for the appearance and demeanour of an agent to be the key to their success as an infiltrator. (Source). (Source) Sending agents that not only act, but look like the people of the country they seek to infiltrate makes for an even more effective cover. Since 2003, t. ODSO/FOG overcame much of this through replication of capability generously funded and supported by CIA. Army did likewise through DAMO-ODSO. There are four primary battalions with various responsibilities being spread across them. Its members often use disguises to avoid detection and if they are compromised they can quickly disappear from sight and completely change their appearance. (Source). In all cases, the Congressional members voiced support. "ISA's existence became public in 1982 as a result of a scandal involving US POWs in Vietnam. They were so adept that observers commented they could literally pluck information from the air, speaking not only to the revolutionary use of SIGINT but also the skill of the ISA. The Cantor sent me out as usual to throw the lock, wait for our operational vehicle to pass, then shut it again. 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. While driving through northern Lebanon, Cowan and his mates suffered several close calls with Syrian roadblocks and patrols. Highly recommended. Clothing worn by locals, even in specific areas. The FOG was able to clandestinely enter Tehran and gather the required intelligence. Landing zones were established, Lebanese militias contacted for help, and plans formulated for a commando force. by Michael Smith 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. What does one actually do with such persons? LTG Odom acquiesced but took every opportunity to oppose actions engaging his traditional intelligence elements. It is unclear how often the ISA interrogates subjects, though given their covert operations they likely at least interrogate high-value targets. Intelligence Support Activity | The Activity | Gray Fox "These commands and white Special Forces like the Green Berets, as well as Air Force combat controllers and commandos of eight different nations report to a mind-boggling array of new command cells and coordination units set up after Sept. 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? 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 ISA is perhaps the most major outlier doctrinally from its other, better known, counterparts within JSOC and SOCOM as a whole. The SEALs, SAS, and SBS added additional capabilities over time, responding to the needs of modern conflict. Reconnaissance overflights revealed a possible location where POWs, still believed to be held by the Vietnamese early in the year. As with both the establishment of JSOC, TF160/SOAR and Ranger SOF, the task was not easy. This extra length concealed the main eavesdropping antennas, while others could be lowered from the belly while in flight. ISA would operate under a host of cover names to confuse anyone without the need to know. Due to their specialization in intelligence, they can operate as vanguard teams to support another units operations. However, the ISA intercepted Iraqi communications that corroborated intelligence collected from his family members. 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'). Intelligence Support Activity - SourceWatch At last, he came back, and, handing me the tools lamented: I couldnt get that fucker!. (Source), Active operational support is also a crucial role of the ISA. One such organization, the Red Brigades, composed of far-left communist-leaning extremists, kidnapped U.S. Brigadier General James Dozier. The cyber operations team extends into other offsets of intelligence gathering, including OSINT, cyber threat intelligence and cyber warfare. 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. The OSS was a direct action "group" that was directly involved in sabotage, infiltration, combat and even assassination. 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. 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. Key to the concept was that there would be a single in-house element (FOG) that either side could use e.g. The Intelligence Support Activity conducts its operations during and in advance of US military operations. Funding was to be a joint undertaking. 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). Bravo troop tackles the extremely difficult target countries like Syria which had a sophisticated counterintelligence network. The exact makeup of ISAs force structure is hard to determine. > Role: HUMINT (human intelligence), SIGINT (signals intelligence), direct action. According to The Secret War by William M. Arkin, published in the Los Angeles Times on October 27, 2002, "The Army created a highly compartmentalized organization that could collect clandestine intelligence independent of the rest of the U.S. intelligence community and follow through with covert military action. 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. His areas of focus are extremism in the Western world, military privatization and the impact of climate change on global security. Members of FOG infiltrated Nicaragua using false passports. })(); Intelligence Support Activity provides US special forces with intelligence gatherers, man hunters, assassins and deep penetration agents. "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. Law and the killing of a Russian propagandist: Some Q & A BY CHARLIE DUNLAP, J.D. (Source) Training involves different espionage and intelligence methods that allow ISA members to carry out their essential HUMINT operations. (Source). This has been more visible in their operations in Afghanistan, Operation Winter Harvest and Operation Queens Hunter. The moronic mandarins merely blinked and nothing more. I grabbed assault rifles and ammo can from our stash in the attic of the safe house and reluctantly handed one to Kay-Kay: You keep this damned thing on safe at all times! (Source) These collectively will compose some of the roles within a primary battalion of the ISA. The training processes of other military groups however grant general insight into the selection and training of the ISA. Within these battalions, there is a cyber ops teams, technology ops teams and mission support teams. Russia and Ukraine battle daily in the sky. Dozier was taken hostage and mistreated, with the Red Brigades viewing him as an ideological foe that needed to be made an example of. Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Typically the ISA pulls from the Green Berets due to their prior special operations experience, language skills, and autonomy. When the CIA took credit for Centra Spike's work, the Army became furious and a competition was arranged between the two units. Additionally, ISA operates a number of fixed and rotary wing aircraft and these pilots fit somewhere into the puzzle that is ISA. During Anaconda, ISA intelligence helped save both the 10th Mountain Division and 101st Airborne Division at Takur Ghar. In short order, Langley provided people, training, and a conduit to its various intelligence and planning aspects. Little is known about the organization or its activities, but it is clear that they serve as a military intelligence unit and have partaken in numerous missions around the globe. While the nerdiest Green Berets and special operators comprise the bulk of ISA, there are also non-traditional operatives who have not passed the selection course. Immediately after, he would be dropped off in a city, and asked to perform clandestine activities. 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. As they soundly slept in the reverie of their grand plan, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy happened by and found the car unlocked. Establishing cover as husband and wife to live in and conduct intelligence collection missions within a target country. Its budget would be carefully concealed so that it never made a paper trail, and only a dozen officials would know the names and locations of all of ISA's agents and safehouses. (Source), The tactics and techniques of the ISA are some of the most unique among all the JSOC special operations groups. Join our mailing list to stay in the loop for free! 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. 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. RecPak is a meal replacement for the outdoors that saves you weight, space and time in the most challenging environments, just add water. This intelligence then triangulated the possible location of Dozier. [2] Unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance and direct action roles have merged throughout the decades and are typically performed primarily by the same units. Cowan and another ISA agent managed to drive through every sector of Beirut, even the Shiite suburb, a dangerous practice at the time. Intelligence Support Activity - SourceWatch "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. ISA. The unit has been under command of the US Army but some time after September 11th 2001 command was placed under direct control of the Joint Special Operations Command or JSOC at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, United States. The selection process for the ISA prioritizes both a physical skill for field operations and a skill for intelligence operations. Candidates then are put through a battery of assessment and selection courses as well as background checks and psychological testing. While Delta and DEVGRU focus on direct engagement and specialized combat tactics, the ISA conducts intelligence and espionage operations at a tactical level. Additionally, conceal meant can be a factor in weapon selection too. However, the CIA couldnt provide these answers so Delta turned to the FOG. Bravo and Delta troops utilize commercial or non-official cover. One of their major tasks was to create 'pathfinders'. Intelligence Support Activity - Role 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'). 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. The decision was made to deploy another ISA unit. It was the type of mission ISA was designed for, but no agents were sent in. by Michael Smith As previously mentioned, its members cross train with the CIA, Americas most comprehensive civilian intelligence agency. It built a reputation for daring, flexibility and a degree of lawlessness. Almost simultaneously, another truck bomb exploded in the French barracks, killing 56. 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. The ISAs HUMINT collectors gather information from human sources via coercion and interrogation depending on the asset. The Beechcrafts were made to appear normal from the outside, save for a wingspan six inches longer. It was so simple that we didnt even need to create a nursery rhyme to recite to help us remember all the steps. 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. 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. The Cantor, busy writing, asked me how it went. During these operations, the ISA operated alongside other combat groups, providing them with signals intelligence support and field intelligence, including HUMINT. There was a task I did for the Cantor routinely and at a moments notice. (Source) At the time, the Salvadoran Army was facing attacks from leftist groups and more lethal right-wing death squads. Most ISA trainees are from Army Special Forces, meaning many have skills in CQC, sniping, counter-sniping and general tactical engagements. Smith's book lifts the lid of secrecy on the Activity, one of America's least well known Special Ops units. Known as the Confederate Air Force, a joke refencing their title, the Army of Northern Virginia. Grey Dynamics is a Private Intelligence firm based out of London with analysts, researchers, and investigators worldwide. 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. Well, say that was certainly good news. 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. 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'). This includes Clandestine operations, but not those which are Covert. (Source). By the time though, the situation had begun to subside. Every modern military relies on intelligence, and the US military is a voracious consumer of intelligence, from both an analytical and functional standpoint. The examples and perspective in this article, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Joint Publication 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms", United States Army Special Operations Command, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Direct_action_(military)&oldid=1081847487, This page was last edited on 10 April 2022, at 01:40. The agents prepared contingency plans for a commando force to enter Beirut clandestinely, and to strike at Hizbollah and Syrian targets. Subsequently, theyre protected by diplomatic immunity if theyre compromised during an espionage operation. Human intelligence (HUMINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) are the most common products of their operations. 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. 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. According to The Secret War by William M. Arkin, published in the Los Angeles Times on October 27, 2002, "The Army created a highly compartmentalized organization that could collect clandestine intelligence independent of the rest of the U.S. intelligence community and follow through with covert military action. Centra Spike was withdrawn in 1993 for a temporary assignment in Somalia to aid US special forces there, but resumed the hunt later in the year. Both the CSA and the Director understood that each offered something the other did not and that together, a much better response capability could be generateda point that POTUS emphasized through the National Security Council to both. So there they were sitting in our Tactical Operations Center in Bosnia waiting to be integrated into our PIFWC hunting operations. They also noted the specific funding line and agreed to manage it as a priority classified line absent committee discussion. Given the nature of their operations and the close work and training they receive alongside other US special operations forces, much of their equipment is likely to mimic that of the special mission units they support and work alongside. (Source). It is after all, not a strictly combat-oriented role like its other Tier 1 operators. Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance, otherwise known as Force Recon, are a company-sized (about 200) recon and direct-action element that falls directly under the Marine Expeditionary Force. He had literally tried to muscle open the lock with tools designed for a sincerely delicate operation. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. Parsing one from the other can be quite difficult and largely determined by the location and nature of the target. To lawyers, this is a distinction with a difference. Nowadays the ISA focuses on the preparation of the battlespace for military operations across the globe. Smith's book lifts the lid of secrecy on the Activity, one of America's least well known Special Ops units. Covert Action and Clandestine Activities of the Intelligence Community My team, me and happy-trigger-fingered Kay-Kay, were to position north of the ambush site, report the approach of the Generals car, then pull our car out onto the highway to block traffic for the hot minute it took the assault force to stop Klandanjs car and scoop him up. Some forces were focused on eliminating Iraqi forces and others focused on deposing the ruling Hussein family. A team of mandarins was tasked with blocking traffic in the same fashion on the south side of the ambush site, then with following the assault force north to provide rearguard to the convoy. However, through OSINT collection we know that there are three primary squadrons: Sometimes referred to as HUMINT or Ground squadron, Operations Squadron functions as ISAs HUMINT collection squadron. ISA operatives are highly skilled in the various arts of HUMINT gathering including: (Source). The survey was successful, which led defense officials to create ad hoc Special Forces units to survey US embassies in hotspots around the world. In the 1980s, extremist parties on both sides of the political spectrum plagued Italy. The Elite Within the Elite: A Guide to U.S. Special Forces 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. Original content is published under aCreative Commons Licenseper ourTerms of Use. COL Nightingale is a retired Army Colonel who served two tours in Vietnam with Airborne and Ranger (American and Vietnamese) units. Russia's Spetsnaz combines DA and SR units. . When conducting more integrated operations with other parts of the military, the skill of intelligence support comes into play. . Failed Clandestine operations, usually result in some form of USG explanation. Like many special operations groups, their active arsenal is not likely a small rigid loadout, it is a range of various weapons that are available to suit the units needs. ISA operators would infiltrate either Beirut or Algiers on commercial flights to avoid tipping off the terrorists or the authorities. However, our personal favorite is a toss-up between Cemetery Wind and Gray Fox. The United States Army Intelligence Support Activity(USAISA), frequently shortened to Intelligence Support Activity (ISA),also known at various times as Joint Reconnaissance Evaluation Group (JREG),[citation needed]Mission Support Activity (MSA), Office of Military Support (OMS), Field Operations Group (FOG), Studies and Analysis Activity (SAA), Authors cartoon depicting the mandarins installing the soon-to-be compromised surveillance camera. The vast majority of their operations are clouded not just in shadow, but in complete darkness. The Intelligence Support Activity, commonly called "The Activity" . 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. 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. "In late 1981, ISA agents were involved in the attempt to acquire a Soviet T-72 tank, which had obsessed intelligence analysts. Some of ISA's most recent deployments was in 1993 in Somalia. "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. Colonel Jerry King retained his position as the head of the group, now 100-strong and headquartered in a nondescript building in Arlington, Virginia. INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL OPERATIONS - Federation of American Scientists Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States. All the tools you need to an in-depth Intelligence Support Activity Self-Assessment.

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