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?. This site uses cookies. On October 23, 1983, a truck bomb slammed into the US Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 Americans, and injuring scores more. Support Veteran Journalism . (Source). This time around, travel through the city was a very dangerous endeavour, with roadblocks everywhere. It later took on other roles like SIGINT as battlefield requirements changed over time. Political bickering stalled the deployment of the agents, and finally, the operation was approved. (Source). 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. 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). Geo, take a mandarin with you, the Cantor directed without looking at me. See Intelligence Collection Directive (ICD) 112, . The ISA consistently attaches itself to other units, either as a temporary or more permanent component. The ISA also has likely integrated other new intelligence fields into its scope. "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. Kay-Kay and I sat at a table jamming some 12 magazines and chatting over our actions at our blocking position. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. The SIGINT group of the ISA gathered signal intelligence via aircraft, that was then passed on to NSA analysts. All the tools you need to an in-depth Intelligence Support Activity Self-Assessment. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. 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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 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. and other specialized capabilities to support Army, joint, unified action partners, and the U.S. intelligence commu-nity. a Title 10 operation or a Title 50 operation. FOG became permanent and renamed ISA on March 3, 1981. The TRADOC DCS, G-2 develops, describes, and delivers the OE in order to support the Army's preparations to fight and win the nation's wars. Candidates then are put through a battery of assessment and selection courses as well as background checks and psychological testing. Its scope is quite large, and it often works in support of JSOC, SOCOM and even other intelligence agencies. By Almighty God and with honor, Russia's Spetsnaz combines DA and SR units. 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. The authors note that "All information used in this article has been obtained from publicly available, open source documents." 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. Some of the more well-documented operations of the ISA shed light on the general nature of the ISAs overall operations. 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. When conducting more integrated operations with other parts of the military, the skill of intelligence support comes into play. There was a task I did for the Cantor routinely and at a moments notice. Additionally, conceal meant can be a factor in weapon selection too. One such organization, the Red Brigades, composed of far-left communist-leaning extremists, kidnapped U.S. Brigadier General James Dozier. " His elements were being heavily tasked, and a directed intelligence pipeline was established to FOG. 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. ISA was highly classified. Be sure to get the latest news about the U.S. military, as well as critical info about how to join and all the benefits of service. 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. 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. One of their major tasks was to create 'pathfinders'. (Source). Eventually, agents had pinpointed the locations of a number of cartel hideouts and high-value targets, including Pablo. (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. 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. The CIA would talk directly to the warlords while the ISA provided SIGINT support and ground security for them. These operatives were responsible for helping take down insurgent networks in Iraq. "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. Typically the ISA pulls from the Green Berets due to their prior special operations experience, language skills, and autonomy. US Army Rangers | ". Being highly proficient in the collection of HUMINT and SIGINT has made them a very effective, yet specifically dedicated, intelligence task force. Under Operation Winter Harvest, a small team of Delta Force technicians was dispatched to Italy to provide assistance with the search for Dozier. Unfortunately, the police were either heavily corrupted or unwilling to arrest Escobar, and the intelligence went to waste. Read Next: Delta Force and SEAL Team 6 operators on the loose? 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. Sound Like You? Most officials disliked the unit's head, Jerry King, and thus, JSOC did not send the unit in. 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 capture was to happen as he would be heading south to the city of Vlasenica. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ . 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. By November 1993, the noose was tightening around Escobar, and Centra Spike managed to track him down to a suburb of Medellin called Los Olivos. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The moronic mandarins merely blinked and nothing more. 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; 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. In effect, the ISAs exploitation of signal intelligence saved the lives of 100s of US soldiers from the 10th Mountain and 101st Airborne divisions. FOG was developed because of a perceived need for greater intelligence-gathering capabilities for the U.S. military. US News & World Report describes Torn Victor as 'trained as high-risk intelligence gatherers,' a title fitting the ISA. They also noted the specific funding line and agreed to manage it as a priority classified line absent committee discussion. To lawyers, this is a distinction with a difference. 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. The Cantor sent me out as usual to throw the lock, wait for our operational vehicle to pass, then shut it again. However, the CIA couldnt provide these answers so Delta turned to the FOG. ISA members conducted extensive interviews with Special Forces members in the country, Lebanese Army and CIA and embassy officials. Are you one of them? The ISA comprises 5 primary elements: administration, training, SIGINT, HUMINT and direct action. The CIA was leading extraordinary rendition operations in Somalia in conjunction with the ISA and the help of local warlords. 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. However, the ISA intercepted Iraqi communications that corroborated intelligence collected from his family members. They marked secret infiltration routes and bases American forces could use if they were ever sent into the country. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. The ISA specializes in gathering human intelligence, signals intelligence and combat. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! 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'). 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. He had literally tried to muscle open the lock with tools designed for a sincerely delicate operation. The second rescue force was not going to be affected by the same problem, and the FOG was established in July of 1980, under the control of Colonel Jerry King. A vehicle on time and on target rolled through the barricade. He later commanded both the 1/75th Rangers and the 1st Ranger Training Brigade. Some of ISA's most recent deployments was in 1993 in Somalia. 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. "In May 1982, Deputy Secretary of Defense Frank Charles Carlucci III called the ISA 'uncoordinated and uncontrolled.' Exactly who would execute the direct-action operations, would be determined after the intelligence determine the situational necessities. 11.". In line with their proficiency in infiltration, they had an array of passports, credit cards and falsified documents to allow easy movement between territories. Colonel Jerry King retained his position as the head of the group, now 100-strong and headquartered in a nondescript building in Arlington, Virginia. "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. (Source). Subsequent, Task Force 121, a collection of special mission units and conventional forces organized a raid on a small farming compound in rural Iraq. Check, chief! and she yanked the gat our of my hand. 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. 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. Now, shes a third-term Virginia congresswoman. Immediately after, he would be dropped off in a city, and asked to perform clandestine activities. The simple plan called for pipe-hitters to deploy from the states and set up an ambush at a blind S-curve along the generals route. The CIA proved unable to provide the critical intelligence Delta Force needed, such as the number of guards, the type of weapons they were using and what kinds of locks were on the doors. This Army Special Operations unit, goes by many names, which is indicative of the various activities, functions and environments performed by these operators. Title 10 is the broad statute regarding what DOD is authorized to do. Under the guiding hand of JSOC, the ISA operated alongside other JSOC and CIA elements, under the codename Gray Fox. Lgion trangre (French Foreign Legion) | 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. Gray Fox was formed in 1980 in response to the infamous failed rescue attempt of American hostages under Operation Eagle Claw in the Tehran embassy. That night, the mandarin and I stashed our car and cut through an orchard whose northwest corner gave way to the bollards and the chain barricade. This is especially useful in countries where men and women socializing is frowned upon outside of the family. Special Boat Service (SBS) |, Camouflage patterns: 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 . The selection process and training for special operations groups are secret. The emerging problems our Nation faced in the early 1980s with terrorism, airplane hijacking, and hostage taking, created considerable challenges for the government (USG) to resolve. 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. During the war on terror it was responsible for hunting hunting high value persons. Come again, Cantor? I was trying to make him look at me while he repeated that last instruction. These are primarily preparation intelligence and tactical/ strategic intelligence for active operations. 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'). 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. "In late 1981, ISA agents were involved in the attempt to acquire a Soviet T-72 tank, which had obsessed intelligence analysts. The SEALs, SAS, and SBS added additional capabilities over time, responding to the needs of modern conflict. _gaq.push(['_setDomainName', '.specwar.info']); 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. When the CIA took credit for Centra Spike's work, the Army became furious and a competition was arranged between the two units. We provided documents for viewing from both the Agency and DOD lawyers supporting the organization and outlining the rationale. The unit selects operatives for deployments based on their language proficiency and their ability to blend in with the locals. During the operation, a rivalry developed between Centra Spike, and a CIA intelligence unit named Majestic Eagle. Operationally, the ISA is a dedicated intelligence group, doing the intelligence leg work for special operations groups. Killer Elite The survey was successful, which led defense officials to create ad hoc Special Forces units to survey US embassies in hotspots around the world. Most ISA trainees are from Army Special Forces, meaning many have skills in CQC, sniping, counter-sniping and general tactical engagements. Members of FOG infiltrated Nicaragua using false passports. But it had no effect on me or what I was doing not for now at least. 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. 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. "Also in 1989, ISA was rumoured to have taken part in the hunt for the richest drug trafficker in the world, Pablo Escobar, operating under the code-name Centra Spike. Originally referred to as Task Force Orange, other names have included Centra Spike, Torn Victor and Gray Fox. Grey Dynamics is a Private Intelligence firm based out of London with analysts, researchers, and investigators worldwide. In 1979 the need for a dedicated special operations intelligence unit was solidified following the overthrowing of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. It's a Special Mission Unit and conducts highly classified operations. 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. The agents prepared contingency plans for a commando force to enter Beirut clandestinely, and to strike at Hizbollah and Syrian targets. 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. Smith's book lifts the lid of secrecy on the Activity, one of America's least well known Special Ops units. Talk about close target recce. Thats pretty frickin ballsy. Two people with a lockpick kit and a camera. Unless you plan to body-check those cars I would junk up.. They began forming their own plan for storming the airplane and liberating the hostages. Or these operatives can clone a cellphone, allowing them to send and receive communications to and from the phone from a remote locations. One problem that plagued the first attempt was the lack of valuable intelligence. 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. ODSO/FOG overcame much of this through replication of capability generously funded and supported by CIA. Additionally, ISA recruits from other branches of the US military and potentially elsewhere in the intelligence community. Few special operations forces are clad in as much secrecy as the Intelligence Support Activity. ". 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. Human intelligence (HUMINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) are the most common products of their operations. 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? The JTF was largely dependent upon the CIA to provide the vital confirming HUMINT as to the hostage location. They are called upon to perform the toughest duties in the armed forces, and their actions directly affect the protection of America's freedom. Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Operations Response Team (SORT), " Veritas Omnia Vincula Vincit Understanding all the following is necessary for successful infiltration: (Source). We had a key to that lock that the MUPs did not know about; that is, I could pick the lock with consistency. US intelligence gathering methods centre around the US intelligence process, composed of the phases Plan, Prepare, Collect, Process, and Produce. 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 other half flew to Cyprus to join the rest of the rescue force. They discovered there was no co-ordination between them, and vital information regarding terrorist attacks was not being shared. 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. "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. 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 OSS was a direct action "group" that was directly involved in sabotage, infiltration, combat and even assassination. Alpha and Charlie troops utilize official cover to collect human intelligence. Subsequently, theyre protected by diplomatic immunity if theyre compromised during an espionage operation. 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. Bickering between the CIA and JSOC further complicated matters. Rather than disbanding the unit, it was expanded. Delta's deployment was stalled by bureaucratic dealings, so ISA mobilized its most compartmentalized unit, the direct action element, the shooters. 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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. "ISA was also rumoured to be operating in Bosnia in the last few years under the code-name Torn Victor. Special Operations (SO) encompass the use of small units in direct or indirect military actions focused on strategic or operational objectives. The intelligence gathering part was named "Buckeye" and consisted of CIA, NSA and Torn Victor operatives. ISA operatives often work in disguise and undercover. Lawyers for both Titles within the respective DOD and CIA bureaucracies, fought to preserve their interpretations of applications, to prevent one department from intruding into the territory of the other. Here, Ive got it, offered the mandarin with hand extended to my lock pick set. The next morning arrived, but the moping mandarins came empty-handed: Ok, give me a rundown on the entire operation starting from when you arrived at the install site.. (Source) Operatives must not look out of placeor easily recognizable. 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.