This was the birth of the Field Operations Group (FOG)-later ISA/Secret Army of Northern Virginia. Direct action differs from conventional offensive actions in the level of physical and political risk, operational techniques, and the degree of discriminate and precise use of force to achieve specific objectives."[1]. "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. 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 web portal tool will maintain a repository of all INSCOM and non -INSCOM Originally the ISA operated as a tactical arm of the National Security Agency. and other specialized capabilities to support Army, joint, unified action partners, and the U.S. intelligence commu-nity. He later commanded both the 1/75th Rangers and the 1st Ranger Training Brigade. Bravo and Delta troops utilize commercial or non-official cover. Highly detailed knowledge of an infiltration location is also key. He commanded airborne battalions in both the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division. All Rights Reserved. Key was the requirement to develop a competent counter resolution force. It built a reputation for daring, flexibility and a degree of lawlessness. Initially, the raid appeared to be a bust until a Delta operator kicked some debris on exfil. US Army intelligence defines HUMINT as including: The sources of this information can come from enemy combatants, including regular armed forces, and civilian sources. Unless you plan to body-check those cars I would junk up.. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. On October 23, 1983, a truck bomb slammed into the US Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 Americans, and injuring scores more. All information and multimedia on Specwar.info comes from a wide number of sources. var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
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But if the copyright owners want to get in touch to have them immediately removed from this site then please contact our webmaster. ODSO/FOG overcame much of this through replication of capability generously funded and supported by CIA. 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. 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. (Source). Its worth noting that Bravo troop was never compromised while conducting espionage against the Assad regime in Syria. 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. If some elements (especially photos) were originally yours please consider Specwar.info to host for free. A Congressional hearing was held, and the media revealed the existence of a 'classified military intelligence unit'. 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. Centra Spike agents operated all around Colombia, as well as neighbouring countries where the cartels influence extended. That close-holding of his cards was typical of him. 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. (Source) Gray Fox operators and intelligence specialists operated alongside other special operations units, including Delta Force and DEVGRU, as well as other components of the US Army. Geo, take a mandarin with you, the Cantor directed without looking at me. This Intelligence Support Activity All-Inclusive Self-Assessment enables You to be that person. 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. 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. I though not wanting to be the harsh critic at jump street found it rather novice of them the way they got their camera compromised. 160th SOAR |
Under the umbrella group of Joint Special Operations Task Force 20, the Intelligence Support Activity helped track down and locate Saddam Hussein. Special Air Service (SAS) |
Sadly, the team's evaluation did not serve to upgrade American security standards, and a truck bomb exploded from within 40 feet of the embassy entrance later that year. It was provided with a cover name, Tactical Concept Activity, and would never be acknowledged by the Pentagon. When government officials found out, they were horrified, they seemed to have a rogue agency within its ranks. Members of FOG infiltrated Nicaragua using false passports. As with any clandestine unit, only so much can be known about any of the JSOC special mission units. Good enough, I thought. Officially formed in 1980 as FOG then transitioning to the USAISA from 1981 to 1989, this unit now operates under changing names like Capacity Gear or Quiet Enable. The exact makeup of ISAs force structure is hard to determine. Operatives must also go unnoticed, being able to blend into crowds and not draw attention. The ISA agent was ordered to stop the recording, an order to which he complied. The force is supposedly around 250-275 operators, who excel in intelligence gathering, languages and electronic surveillance. 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'). Under the guiding hand of JSOC, the ISA operated alongside other JSOC and CIA elements, under the codename Gray Fox. Before it operated under the name ISA, the group was referred to as the Field Operations Group (FOG). INSCOM's functional brigades and groups may provide general support, general support reinforcing, or direct sup-port to theaters through intelligence reach, or they may be With the expansion, the FOG has renamed the ISA and officially established as a unit on January 29th, 1981. Since that time the unit reports to Special Operations Command or SOCOM in Tampa Florida, United States. They were never used. The selection process for the ISA prioritizes both a physical skill for field operations and a skill for intelligence operations. Afghanistan: The Fox and The Anaconda. ISA has gone by many names over the years but its current one is not public knowledge. He would be given instructions and equipment along the way, and was required to perform certain assignments, for example, setting up a SATCOM system. The training processes of other military groups however grant general insight into the selection and training of the ISA. ISA was allegedly co-operating with Task Force Ranger, and was responsible for tracking down Somali warlord Mohammed Farah Adid, through electronic surveillance and Somalian informants. After a massive effort, including remote viewers from the United States, turned up nothing, a team of ISA signals intelligence specialists was also sent over to Italy to provide any assistance they could, along with sophisticated equipment and specially outfitted helicopters. ISA operatives often work in disguise and undercover. The operation was codenamed Amber Star, and was a joint US-British-French-Dutch effort to apprehend the suspects. As previously mentioned, its members cross train with the CIA, Americas most comprehensive civilian intelligence agency. 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. "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. Exactly who would execute the direct-action operations, would be determined after the intelligence determine the situational necessities. Its scope is quite large, and it often works in support of JSOC, SOCOM and even other intelligence agencies. 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. _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
In Evaluating Immunities before a Special Tribunal for Aggression Against Ukraine, the Type of Tribunal Matters, Chinas Ferry Tale Taiwan Invasion Plan Is A Legal Nightmare, China Maritime Report No. The ISA's HUMINT collectors gather information from human sources via coercion and interrogation depending on the asset. (Source).
Stationed in the fifth floor of the American embassy, and operating from specially outfitted Beechcraft 300 and 350 aircraft, Centra Spike tracked Escobar around the country. An ISA agent was secretly infiltrated into Beirut where he provided real-time intelligence on the location of the hostages. Sound Like You? More technical training on SIGINT, such as transmission and signals interpretation is also a component of the training. They require units with combinations of trained specialized personnel, equipment, and tactics that exceed the routine capabilities of conventional military forces. The survey was successful, which led defense officials to create ad hoc Special Forces units to survey US embassies in hotspots around the world. Cake duty! It was agreed that FOG would be a Joint organization and roles and tasks were developed for eachalways mindful of the Title 10/50 issues. A vehicle on time and on target rolled through the barricade. RecPak is a meal replacement for the outdoors that saves you weight, space and time in the most challenging environments, just add water. 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. In sum, Uniforms do Clandestine, Civvies do Covert. They also noted the specific funding line and agreed to manage it as a priority classified line absent committee discussion. Upon return to the Pentagon, he re-assigned the ACSI POC out of FOG-related issues. The southern blocking force team of mystified mandarins meandered in where we were stacking mags and: What are you guys doing with all the hardware?, Mission prep for the Klandanj takedown., Well were a blocking force; were supposed to block cars keep them from getting around us to the ambush site. LTG Odom acquiesced but took every opportunity to oppose actions engaging his traditional intelligence elements. The raid was cancelled over fears that the French and Italians tipped Karadzic off. 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). With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! The Joint Special Operations Command and the frequently-renamed Intelligence Support Activity are similar units. Well, say that was certainly good news. It was settled, and Majestic Eagle withdrew from the operation. Operatives can covertly enter enemy buildings to plant cameras. An investigation by journalist Mark Bowden (author of Blackhawk Down) revealed that in 1989, the Colombian government asked for US help in tracking down Escobar. This is a potentially significant compromise. the Cantor lamented in earnest. When hostages were taken in the Tehran embassy in 1980, it became clear that FOG needed to become a larger group with more resources. 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. 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. The Intelligence Support Activity (ISA), the 1st Capabilities Integration Group (Airborne), or simply The Activity is a component of the US Army and acts as a dedicated intelligence group for SOCOM. As they soundly slept in the reverie of their grand plan, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy happened by and found the car unlocked. During the operation, a rivalry developed between Centra Spike, and a CIA intelligence unit named Majestic Eagle. Since its inception, the Activity has been providing invaluable intelligence and support to many United States operations. The US recognized the usefulness of this unit and began surveying embassies across the world. Smith's book lifts the lid of secrecy on the Activity, one of America's least well known Special Ops units. and direct action combat. by Michael Smith Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world. Its members often use disguises to avoid detection and if they are compromised they can quickly disappear from sight and completely change their appearance. The following article on the Intelligence Support Activity was copied from Specwarnet.net online. (Source) At the time, the Salvadoran Army was facing attacks from leftist groups and more lethal right-wing death squads. US Army Rangers |
[2] Unconventional warfare, special reconnaissance and direct action roles have merged throughout the decades and are typically performed primarily by the same units. Both were doing the same thing in Colombia, except Centra Spike was doing a better job, at a much lower cost. 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). The plan involved flying feet above the turbulent Mediterranean Sea, at night, through hostile airspace. To operatorsnot so much. In addition to covert operations, it provides the war on terrorism with the kind of so-called 'close-in' signals monitoring -- including the interception of cell phone conversations -- that helped bring down Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. These techniques include intelligence gathering, infiltration and intelligence support. Samuel is a King's College graduate with an MA in War Studies. Rather than disbanding the unit, it was expanded. These operatives were responsible for helping take down insurgent networks in Iraq. In line with their proficiency in infiltration, they had an array of passports, credit cards and falsified documents to allow easy movement between territories. However, the CIA couldnt provide these answers so Delta turned to the FOG. non-covert action intelligence activityoften a collection programto be of such sensitivity that 1 Oral notifications shall be followed by a written notification. Are you one of them? Small Wars Journal is published by Small Wars Foundation - a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. Escobar was shot as he was trying to escape from the roof of his house. Special Recon, Direct Action. "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. Establishing cover as husband and wife to live in and conduct intelligence collection missions within a target country. 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Reconnaissance overflights revealed a possible location where POWs, still believed to be held by the Vietnamese early in the year. 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 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. Not wishing to be a dire critic, I found it rather novice of him, but drew another pick from my kit and threw open the lock. (Source). 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. 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 terrain was extremely rugged, the enemy was far more entrenched than anticipated, and Murphys Law was in full effect. The order never came; a secret arms-for-hostages deal was cut by the American government. At the point of execution, the road became bureaucratically bumpy. Once they arrived they took pictures of the embassy from every angle, recorded the types of locks on all doors, inside and outside, recorded the number of windows and exits, and created a blueprint of the building. "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. 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? US intelligence gathering methods centre around the US intelligence process, composed of the phases Plan, Prepare, Collect, Process, and Produce. The unit is organized into several elements. (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. Covert operations are shrouded in plausible deniability. He had literally tried to muscle open the lock with tools designed for a sincerely delicate operation. 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? (Source), Additionally, the ISA has acted as a pseudo-security element for the CIA. Here, Ive got it, offered the mandarin with hand extended to my lock pick set. As such discussing their capabilities is frowned upon. During the 1990's the unit was known as Capacity Gear. (Source). (Source), The tactics and techniques of the ISA are some of the most unique among all the JSOC special operations groups. (Source). ISA agents even managed to obtain Lebanese license plates, which would allow Delta to be parachuted in with their own cars, then 'legitimized' with the plates. (Source), Active operational support is also a crucial role of the ISA. Featured Book: (Source). In short order, Langley provided people, training, and a conduit to its various intelligence and planning aspects. Most officials disliked the unit's head, Jerry King, and thus, JSOC did not send the unit in. A goodly amount of minutes went by. A much more classified component was a solely-US effort codenamed Green Light, focusing specifically on former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. This site uses cookies. They began forming their own plan for storming the airplane and liberating the hostages. 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. The U.S. Army's Intelligence Support Activity is arguably the most secretive unit out of the five tier one units in the United States Military. 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'). 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. The ISAs HUMINT collectors gather information from human sources via coercion and interrogation depending on the asset. Special Operations (SO) encompass the use of small units in direct or indirect military actions focused on strategic or operational objectives. ", Sources: In all cases, the Congressional members voiced support. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. Some of ISA's most recent deployments was in 1993 in Somalia. 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. 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Bickering between the CIA and JSOC further complicated matters. The whole force drove north as planned, putting Kay and me upfront to clear ahead and report back to the assault force. It is common for the appearance and demeanour of an agent to be the key to their success as an infiltrator. Delta's deployment was stalled by bureaucratic dealings, so ISA mobilized its most compartmentalized unit, the direct action element, the shooters. They acquainted themselves with the layout and landmarks of the city for future reference. Tracking dummy targets over Medellin, Centra Spike managed to pinpoint their locations within 200 meters, while Majestic Eagle came no closer than four miles. 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. var _gaq = _gaq || [];
The third known squadron is the Mission Support Squadron. Landing zones were established, Lebanese militias contacted for help, and plans formulated for a commando force. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. Typically the ISA pulls from the Green Berets due to their prior special operations experience, language skills, and autonomy. 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. The aim of the operation was to monitor cross-border raids and movements of Sandinista forces and rebels in El Salvador. Lgion trangre (French Foreign Legion) |
During these operations, the ISA operated alongside other combat groups, providing them with signals intelligence support and field intelligence, including HUMINT. 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.