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Some of ISA's most recent deployments was in 1993 in Somalia. 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. Delta Force | 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. 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. Me, I dont like to be on the delivery end of harsh criticism; however, I do find that whole situation with the mandarins to be just ever so slightly south of sensational, and fairly fundamentally novice! 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. Though its freelance tendencies were curbed, the ISA continued to operate under different guises through the ill-starred U.S. involvement in Somalia in 1992 and was reportedly active in the hunt for Bosnian Serbs suspected of war crimes. 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 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. 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. What was needed was a SOF unit devoted to intelligence gathering and preparing the battlespace for other SOF operators. 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 unit's missions range from Latin America, fighting communist guerrillas and drugs barons, to Africa, the Middle East and central Asia, tracking down terrorists. Operatives tradecraft for avoiding detection is impeccable. Authors cartoon depicting the mandarins installing the soon-to-be compromised surveillance camera. It was discovered that he was tape-recording the operation, prompting fears that ISA head Jerry King might use the tape as leverage in case the op went bad. ISA operatives often work in disguise and undercover. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. In 2003 the CIA and ISA conducted a joint operation in Somalia. The OSS was a direct action "group" that was directly involved in sabotage, infiltration, combat and even assassination. Law and the killing of a Russian propagandist: Some Q & A BY CHARLIE DUNLAP, J.D. })(); Intelligence Support Activity provides US special forces with intelligence gatherers, man hunters, assassins and deep penetration agents. 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! "Known as the Intelligence Support Activity, or ISA, when it was established in . HUMINT collection cant be done without boots on the ground, so members of the main battalions are likely conducting field operations. Highly recommended. This intelligence then triangulated the possible location of Dozier. 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. (Source), Active operational support is also a crucial role of the ISA. ISA: Soldier Spies of the Intelligence Support Activity . I could tell by her skunk-eye that she had a dagger in the pipe ready to launch, so I lightened up. ODSO/FOG overcame much of this through replication of capability generously funded and supported by CIA. The direct action element reportedly trains with Delta Force and DEVGRU to maintain their skills. In line with their proficiency in infiltration, they had an array of passports, credit cards and falsified documents to allow easy movement between territories. For instance, while US Army Special Forces were originally created for unconventional warfare (UW) missions and gradually added other capabilities, the US Navy SEALs, and the UK Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS) continue to perform a primary DA role with special reconnaissance (SR) as original missions. ISA members conducted extensive interviews with Special Forces members in the country, Lebanese Army and CIA and embassy officials. The whole force drove north as planned, putting Kay and me upfront to clear ahead and report back to the assault force. The Invasion of Iraq was an extremely complex time for the US military with units scattered across the country conducting a wide variety of missions. When conducting more integrated operations with other parts of the military, the skill of intelligence support comes into play. Its members often use disguises to avoid detection and if they are compromised they can quickly disappear from sight and completely change their appearance. COL Nightingale is a retired Army Colonel who served two tours in Vietnam with Airborne and Ranger (American and Vietnamese) units. Cowan traveled the Lebanese countryside pinpointing the locations of Syrian anti-aircraft emplacements. After the rescue attempt, then CSA Shy Meyer, convened a small group of people within Army DCSOPS to address future SOF/CT structure in the aftermath of the failure, and while still under a POTUS mandate, to be prepared to conduct an In-Extremis rescue within 10 days. During Anaconda, ISA intelligence helped save both the 10th Mountain Division and 101st Airborne Division at Takur Ghar. The vast majority of their operations are clouded not just in shadow, but in complete darkness. It is known that the unit has changed its codename over . The US wanted a team to covertly survey the situation on the ground and provide officials with a survey of the US embassy. 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. To this point, the CIA and the DOD followed separate independent paths as defined by statutes contained in Title 10 (DOD authorities) and Title 50 (Intelligence agency authorities). Some solid intelligence gleaning prompted the community into action to capture PIFWC Serbian General S. Kladanj on his scheduled move out of Serbia proper into the Republic of Serbia. Working alongside SEASPRAY, a specialized aviation unit that would later form a part of Delta Force, the ISA would conduct aerial SIGINT operations to assist the Salvadoran Army against guerrillas. The unit is organized into several elements. How do you guys block?, I dont know how you guys operate. Key to the concept was that there would be a single in-house element (FOG) that either side could use e.g. "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 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. _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); "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. var _gaq = _gaq || []; The unit conducts close survelliance with cameras, even going as far as covertly entering terrorists safe houses and planting hidden cameras. The exact breakdown of this squadron isnt known, however it is a reasonable assumption that its divided into troops based on the specific mission, such as airborne SIGINT or ground SIGINT. The negotiations were going so well that Iraq decided to throw in a Mil Mi-24 Hind D helicopter and a MiG-25 fighter-interceptor. As they soundly slept in the reverie of their grand plan, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy happened by and found the car unlocked. (Source) This allowed the forces involved in the surrounding Shahikot Valley to be more informed of enemy movements and positions. The monitoring of guerilla factions allowed the Salvadoran Army to successfully defend against their attacks. While driving through northern Lebanon, Cowan and his mates suffered several close calls with Syrian roadblocks and patrols. All the tools you need to an in-depth Intelligence Support Activity Self-Assessment. By the time though, the situation had begun to subside. 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. HUMINT-related activities at the Department of Defense and Defense Intelligence Agency level, subsequent to the disestablishment of the DHS, included continued issuance of DoD directives or instructions governing elements of HUMINT operations - including those concerning human source validation ( Document 44 ), creation of the since Additionally, these operative can remotely turn on a cellphone thats been turned off, which allows them to hear everything going on near it. Intelligence Support Activity A Complete Guide - 2020 Edition In one particular situation, Delta and Torn Victor agents supposedly donned French uniforms (Pale is in the French sector of the UN zone) and traveled to Pale hoping to conduct closer surveillance of his whereabouts. Kay-Kay and I sat at a table jamming some 12 magazines and chatting over our actions at our blocking position. We provided documents for viewing from both the Agency and DOD lawyers supporting the organization and outlining the rationale. 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. Direct action (DA) is a term used in the context of military special operations for small-scale raids, ambushes, sabotage or similar actions. Human intelligence (HUMINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) are the most common products of their operations. His elements were being heavily tasked, and a directed intelligence pipeline was established to FOG. Secret Warriors: Inside the Covert Military Operations of the Reagan Era by Steven Emerson 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. There are four primary battalions with various responsibilities being spread across them. 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; But if the copyright owners want to get in touch to have them immediately removed from this site then please contact our webmaster. find out more The ISA has gone by many name: Intelligence Support Activity or Mission Support Activity, and nicknamed The Activity, Task Force Orange . During the war on terror it was responsible for hunting hunting high value persons. Political bickering stalled the deployment of the agents, and finally, the operation was approved. Codename: Gray Fox - Sicarius 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. Intelligence Support Activity > Service branch: Army > Also known as: Gray Fox, ISA, USISA, The Activity . 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. Their role is to bridge the gaps when it is simply too dangerous for other agencies to put boots on the ground, and as these gaps change in every operational environment, so too do their responsibilities and activities. An ISA agent was secretly infiltrated into Beirut where he provided real-time intelligence on the location of the hostages. Delta's deployment was stalled by bureaucratic dealings, so ISA mobilized its most compartmentalized unit, the direct action element, the shooters. FOG was developed because of a perceived need for greater intelligence-gathering capabilities for the U.S. military. I didnt think a thing of it, as it had taken me a while to throw that lock open on my first few tries. 8 years' rapidly progressive experience with US Army and a DoD Contractor 4 years in direct support of conventional intelligence units 3 deployments in support of a SOF Task Force. . It is known that the unit has changed its codename over the years. 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). A vehicle on time and on target rolled through the barricade. "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. Human intelligence (HUMINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) are the most common products of their operations. Army did likewise through DAMO-ODSO. Declassified documents on the Intelligence Support Activity (ISA) action is "necessary to support identifiable foreign policy objectives of the United States, and is Prior to Saddams capture, over 40 members of his family were captured and interrogated to determine his whereabouts with little success. The forms of intelligence gathered by the Activity include: HUMINT (HUMan INTellgence) The specialists, nicknamed 'knob turners' operated sophisticated electronic eavesdropping equipment located in the back cabin of specially-outfitted Seaspray Beechcraft 100 airplanes. _gaq.push(['_setDomainName', '.specwar.info']); 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. Or these operatives can clone a cellphone, allowing them to send and receive communications to and from the phone from a remote locations. 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. However, Operation Anaconda is one of few of the ISAs Afghanistan operations known to the public. Bravo troop tackles the extremely difficult target countries like Syria which had a sophisticated counterintelligence network. During the operations training course, candidates are taught infiltration techniques, advanced air operations, offensive and off-road driving, personal defensive measures and communications. Samuel is a King's College graduate with an MA in War Studies. An operation was planned for their rescue, with Seaspray, Delta Force and the ISA all playing a role. 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. Originally the ISA operated as a tactical arm of the National Security Agency. It was settled, and Majestic Eagle withdrew from the operation. The unit is organized into several elements. 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The Chiefs planning element determined that DOD/Army needed to create a Joint Army-CIA force that would both develop quality intelligence abroad, but also provide site support for direct action operations. This has been more visible in their operations in Afghanistan, Operation Winter Harvest and Operation Queens Hunter. 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. ISA members are often multilingual. Additionally, ISA operates a number of fixed and rotary wing aircraft and these pilots fit somewhere into the puzzle that is ISA. (Source). It is unclear how often the ISA interrogates subjects, though given their covert operations they likely at least interrogate high-value targets. Candidates pulled from computer records, or by word of mouth were required to pass a tough selection course, physical and psychological tests. Direct action (military) - Wikipedia Killer Elite 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. 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. Featured Book: All information and multimedia on Specwar.info comes from a wide number of sources. 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 FOG was able to clandestinely enter Tehran and gather the required intelligence.