intelligence support activity direct action
ISA operatives are highly skilled in the various arts of HUMINT gathering including: (Source). And with that our boss, the Cantor, doled out a mission for a two-man team of mandarins. The US wanted a team to covertly survey the situation on the ground and provide officials with a survey of the US embassy. 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'). A critical component of clandestine activity is the ability to infiltrate enemy territory ahead of more formal military action. (Source), The ISAs selection and training is geared towards intelligence specialisation despite conducting occasional direct engagement. 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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. 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? Immediately after, he would be dropped off in a city, and asked to perform clandestine activities. Title 10 is the broad statute regarding what DOD is authorized to do. (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. Access to that road saved a considerable amount of travel time for support for an ongoing mission. ISA members are often multilingual. 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'). 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. Since that time the unit reports to Special Operations Command or SOCOM in Tampa Florida, United States. 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. It built a reputation for daring, flexibility and a degree of lawlessness. Originally referred to as Task Force Orange, other names have included Centra Spike, Torn Victor and Gray Fox. The U.S. Army's Special Operations Forces Explained Typically the ISA pulls from the Green Berets due to their prior special operations experience, language skills, and autonomy. PDF (U) Results in Brief - U.S. Department of Defense The unit is organized into several elements. 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. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The web portal tool will maintain a repository of all INSCOM and non -INSCOM 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. 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! It was the type of mission ISA was designed for, but no agents were sent in. This extends beyond knowledge of things like general location, language and culture. We locked the chain back up behind it and returned to base. "During the 1983 American invasion of Grenada, special forces units were plagued by lack of useful and up-to-date intelligence. 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. This intelligence then triangulated the possible location of Dozier. by Michael Smith Nonetheless, it is known that these operators have shown their indispensable worth to both the intelligence and SOF communities in matters of national security, supporting Delta and SEAL Team Six operations by hitting the ground first to prep the environment: gathering actionable intelligence, pathfinding, and performing a broad range of operational support. Since incorporating under JSOC in 2003, Gray Fox has expanded into direct action and hostage rescue, showing that they may be the most diversely equipped, trained and adaptable Special Missions Unit in the SOF community. The most important thing to know is that intelligence drives "direct action" operations. However, his several interventions and temporary blockage of many initiatives, showed that his primary intent was to arrest the development and contain the capability. Such as procuring equipment, getting funding for operations/training, and human resources functions. Most officials disliked the unit's head, Jerry King, and thus, JSOC did not send the unit in. Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden by Michael Smith Unfortunately, the police were either heavily corrupted or unwilling to arrest Escobar, and the intelligence went to waste. Italian forces conducted the raid itself; rescuing Dozier and returning him to the US without a single casualty. Highly recommended. US Army Rangers | "Gray Fox's low-profile eavesdropping planes also fly without military markings. The breakdown of this squadron isnt known either but it likely contains logistical support for the two operational squadrons. Gen Meyer, Gen Vaught (DAMO-OD), and LTC Jim Longhofer (DAMO-ODSO), traveled to Langley and met with the new Director and his operational elements director. 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. 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. 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. 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 most elite special operations forces in the US Jose Solano - Intelligence Analyst - CACI International Inc | LinkedIn There was a chain barricade that the Serbian police (MUPs) used to block access to a side road that junctioned with highway M4. 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. Wickham did transfer authority to the ACSI with predictable and less than beneficial results. However, Operation Anaconda is one of few of the ISAs Afghanistan operations known to the public. (Source). 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. The ISA also has a direct action arm comprised of men and women recruited from the US Army Delta . "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. Small Wars Journal is published by Small Wars Foundation - a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. PDF National and Joint Intelligence Support - United States Army Key was the requirement to develop a competent counter resolution force. FOG was developed because of a perceived need for greater intelligence-gathering capabilities for the U.S. military. 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. 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. 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. Intelligence Support Activity > Service branch: Army > Also known as: Gray Fox, ISA, USISA, The Activity . (Source) These collectively will compose some of the roles within a primary battalion of the ISA. Intelligence Support Activity - SourceWatch Tracking dummy targets over Medellin, Centra Spike managed to pinpoint their locations within 200 meters, while Majestic Eagle came no closer than four miles. " (Source), Additionally, the ISA has acted as a pseudo-security element for the CIA. ", Sources: US ARMY INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT ACTIVITY - YouTube 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 mandarins had inexplicably turned and ran south back to our home base leaving no rear guard for the main body. 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. ISA operators were said to be so skilled that they could tell whether a tank needed a tune-up from background noise of transmissions. That close-holding of his cards was typical of him. (Source). While driving through northern Lebanon, Cowan and his mates suffered several close calls with Syrian roadblocks and patrols. 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. Additionally, ISA gathers SIGINT primarily by intercepting enemy communications or sending an agent to physically bug a target. 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. Under Operation Winter Harvest, a small team of Delta Force technicians was dispatched to Italy to provide assistance with the search for Dozier. Now, shes a third-term Virginia congresswoman. 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. There was a task I did for the Cantor routinely and at a moments notice. And now somebody SOMEBODY knows that somebody is recording all the cars turning down that specific road. Additionally, these operative can remotely turn on a cellphone thats been turned off, which allows them to hear everything going on near it. This Intelligence Support Activity All-Inclusive Self-Assessment enables You to be that person. Operationally, the ISA is a dedicated intelligence group, doing the intelligence leg work for special operations groups. One of their major tasks was to create 'pathfinders'. Operatives must also go unnoticed, being able to blend into crowds and not draw attention. Some of ISA's most recent deployments was in 1993 in Somalia. He had literally tried to muscle open the lock with tools designed for a sincerely delicate operation. 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. Intelligence Support Activity | The Activity | Gray Fox 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. The unit was raised in 1979 as the Foreign Operating Group (FOG), who was created to overthrow the Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. To operatorsnot so much. 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. Cowan and another ISA agent managed to drive through every sector of Beirut, even the Shiite suburb, a dangerous practice at the time. During the period leading up to the engagement, as well as potentially during the infamous Battle of Takur Ghar (aka the Battle of Roberts Ridge), ISA operators conducted aggressive SIGINT operations, intercepting enemy communications and feeding them to allied forces. Secret Warriors: Inside the Covert Military Operations of the Reagan Era by Steven Emerson This was the birth of the Field Operations Group (FOG)-later ISA/Secret Army of Northern Virginia. They set up protection for the president and installed a security system. These techniques include intelligence gathering, infiltration and intelligence support. This has been more visible in their operations in Afghanistan, Operation Winter Harvest and Operation Queens Hunter. For the four main battalions, numbering in total over 300 operators, there are different roles members could fall into. This time around, travel through the city was a very dangerous endeavour, with roadblocks everywhere. Things became more complicated though, as the airplane took on more terrorists and weapons on one of its hops to Beirut, and Algerian authorities refused Delta permission to mount a rescue on their soil. 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). A Congressional hearing was held, and the media revealed the existence of a 'classified military intelligence unit'. The specialists, nicknamed 'knob turners' operated sophisticated electronic eavesdropping equipment located in the back cabin of specially-outfitted Seaspray Beechcraft 100 airplanes. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ COL Nightingale is a retired Army Colonel who served two tours in Vietnam with Airborne and Ranger (American and Vietnamese) units. Plus, they wouldnt have to load the car back up again the next day what a grand and magnanimous plan that proved to be. geo sends. ". A much more classified component was a solely-US effort codenamed Green Light, focusing specifically on former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. As they soundly slept in the reverie of their grand plan, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy happened by and found the car unlocked. . The following article on the Intelligence Support Activity was copied from Specwarnet.net online. The order never came; a secret arms-for-hostages deal was cut by the American government. . Parsing one from the other can be quite difficult and largely determined by the location and nature of the target. Task Force Orange: Supporting Delta Force | SOFREP A vehicle on time and on target rolled through the barricade. America's Most Elite Special Forces - msn.com Electronic specialists and SIGINT operators comprised part of the 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. "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 was asked to form an Algerian-based plan and a Beirut-based one for rescue. A simultaneous raid on the targets was to be made. 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. As with any clandestine unit, only so much can be known about any of the JSOC special mission units. 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. By the time though, the situation had begun to subside. 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. Well, say that was certainly good news. The Intelligence Support Activity conducts its operations during and in advance of US military operations. (Source), The failure of Operation Eagle Claw was a turning point for US special operations. Stew Smith and Jeff Nichols discuss the new testosterone to epitestosterone ratio (T/E) used at BUDS to deter use Abigail Spanberger spent almost a decade as a CIA operations officer.
