During the operation, a rivalry developed between Centra Spike, and a CIA intelligence unit named Majestic Eagle. There are also teams within the ISA who can conduct direct action missions should the need arise. non-covert action intelligence activityoften a collection programto be of such sensitivity that 1 Oral notifications shall be followed by a written notification. The operation went smooth up until the force rolled away. In short order, Langley provided people, training, and a conduit to its various intelligence and planning aspects. Bravo troop tackles the extremely difficult target countries like Syria which had a sophisticated counterintelligence network. The support provided can come in a range of different forms. Along with Queens Hunter, ISA was involved in many operations across Central America, in Panama, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. His elements were being heavily tasked, and a directed intelligence pipeline was established to FOG. All rights reserved. Intelligence Support Activity - Person of Interest Wiki About: Intelligence Support Activity - DBpedia 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. The ISA specializes in gathering human intelligence, signals intelligence and combat. The unit selects operatives for deployments based on their language proficiency and their ability to blend in with the locals. Known as the Confederate Air Force, a joke refencing their title, the Army of Northern Virginia. Cake duty! 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 Headquarters element of ISA is located in Fort Belvoir, VA but the squadrons and supporting elements are scattered across the Maryland/D.C./Virginia area. "In 1982, ISA SIGINT specialists took part in Operation Queens Hunter, a Seaspray operation in the skies above El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. That close-holding of his cards was typical of him. HUMINT collection cant be done without boots on the ground, so members of the main battalions are likely conducting field operations. And now somebody SOMEBODY knows that somebody is recording all the cars turning down that specific road. Primarily acting as enablers for JSOC special mission units. 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 Elite Within the Elite: A Guide to U.S. Special Forces Most ISA trainees are from Army Special Forces, meaning many have skills in CQC, sniping, counter-sniping and general tactical engagements. 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), Or these operatives can clone a cellphone, allowing them to send and receive communications to and from the phone from a remote locations. All Rights Reserved, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). Special Boat Service (SBS) |, Camouflage patterns: Units in Sarajevo tracked Karadzic electronically, while other agents were on the ground in Pale, Karadzic's home. 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. (Source), Additionally, the ISA has acted as a pseudo-security element for the CIA. "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. A key driver for the meeting was the recognition that quality operational intelligence was virtually non-existent. 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.. It was provided with a cover name, Tactical Concept Activity, and would never be acknowledged by the Pentagon. Know a SEAL from a Night Stalker: a breakdown of US Special - SOFREP They require units with combinations of trained specialized personnel, equipment, and tactics that exceed the routine capabilities of conventional military forces. Key to the concept was that there would be a single in-house element (FOG) that either side could use e.g. Everyone in the unit is on on the Department of the Armys Special Roster, which means they dont exist. For obvious reasons, the unit doesnt exactly publicize their makeup. Shadow Warriors: The Ultra-Secret, Special Reconnaissance Regiment 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 mandarins had inexplicably turned and ran south back to our home base leaving no rear guard for the main body. 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. It was Delta Forces first mission and a horrific failure. Operatives can covertly enter enemy buildings to plant cameras. Covert Action and Clandestine Activities of the Intelligence Community He seemed equally satisfied when they reported the next morning that the clandcam was up and recording and that they would have the product with them when they returned the next morning. (Source). The monitoring of guerilla factions allowed the Salvadoran Army to successfully defend against their attacks. ISA would operate under a host of cover names to confuse anyone without the need to know. FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii -- Leaders from the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) G-6/Ground Intelligence Support Activity (GISA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACoE) Honolulu . 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. "During the 1983 American invasion of Grenada, special forces units were plagued by lack of useful and up-to-date intelligence. Its skills 'perfected during missions over El Salvador,' Centra Spike honed in on Escobar's cellular phone calls and relayed the information back to Colombian police forces. 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. 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 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 breakdown of this squadron isnt known either but it likely contains logistical support for the two operational squadrons. Original content is published under aCreative Commons Licenseper ourTerms of Use. ISA operatives are masters of tradecraft. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. (Source). 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 agents prepared contingency plans for a commando force to enter Beirut clandestinely, and to strike at Hizbollah and Syrian targets. Clothing worn by locals, even in specific areas. The web portal tool will maintain a repository of all INSCOM and non -INSCOM The most important thing to know is that intelligence drives "direct action" operations. 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. Dream of Becoming a Navy Seal or Part of Delta Force? Here is the These operatives were responsible for helping take down insurgent networks in Iraq. Distinctive Unit Insignia of the US Army Intelligence Support Activity (USAISA), 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). Part of a Delta-DEVGRU task force, ISA provided intelligence on the whereabouts of Bosnian Serb war crimes suspects. Infiltration relies much less on stealthy engagement, and much more on subtlety and effective tradecraft. Russia's Spetsnaz combines DA and SR units. It was the type of mission ISA was designed for, but no agents were sent in. (Source). This extra length concealed the main eavesdropping antennas, while others could be lowered from the belly while in flight. 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. ISA operators would infiltrate either Beirut or Algiers on commercial flights to avoid tipping off the terrorists or the authorities. The fleet was comprised of 15 different types of aircraft for a combined total of 40 aircraft, all decked out with SIGINT interception technology. ISA was asked to form an Algerian-based plan and a Beirut-based one for rescue. Additionally, ISA recruits from other branches of the US military and potentially elsewhere in the intelligence community. When hostages were taken in the Tehran embassy in 1980, it became clear that FOG needed to become a larger group with more resources. The Intelligence Support Activitys operations in El Salvador, under Operation Queens Hunter, demonstrated the effectiveness of the newly founded squadrons mastery of SIGINT and cross-departmental cooperation. Covert operations are shrouded in plausible deniability. Marpat Camo Test |. 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. Special Recon, Direct Action. The Untold Story of Women in Special Operations, We Are Abandoning the Women of the Special Forces, SOAA Calls for Support of our Afghan Allies in The Hill, SOAA Supports Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret. National and Joint Intelligence Support - United States Army Some of the more well-documented operations of the ISA shed light on the general nature of the ISAs overall operations. Candidates pulled from computer records, or by word of mouth were required to pass a tough selection course, physical and psychological tests. One of their major tasks was to create 'pathfinders'. He scurried off to the barricade. . Zones are prepared, field intelligence is gathered, and targets are laid out for other forces. 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. This includes Clandestine operations, but not those which are Covert. The unit conducts close survelliance with cameras, even going as far as covertly entering terrorists safe houses and planting hidden cameras. "The ISA's origins are in the Foreign Operating Group (FOG), whose origin in turn is in the 1979 overthrow of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. The Cantor said nothing. All information and multimedia on Specwar.info comes from a wide number of sources. 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. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); ISA recommended covert deployment of its operatives to both airports to secure landing zones and infiltration routes. Some forces were focused on eliminating Iraqi forces and others focused on deposing the ruling Hussein family. We provided documents for viewing from both the Agency and DOD lawyers supporting the organization and outlining the rationale. 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. "When TWA Flight 847 was hijacked on June 14, 1985, America's counter-terrorist forces went on full alert. "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. 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. This Intelligence Support Activity All-Inclusive Self-Assessment enables You to be that person. For the four main battalions, numbering in total over 300 operators, there are different roles members could fall into. (Source) At the time, the Salvadoran Army was facing attacks from leftist groups and more lethal right-wing death squads. Cowan traveled the Lebanese countryside pinpointing the locations of Syrian anti-aircraft emplacements. The unit was raised in 1979 as the Foreign Operating Group (FOG), who was created to overthrow the Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. 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 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). by Michael Smith INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL OPERATIONS - Federation of American Scientists 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 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. But it had no effect on me or what I was doing not for now at least. This is especially useful in countries where men and women socializing is frowned upon outside of the family. Delta Force and SEAL Team 6 operators on the loose? When conducting more integrated operations with other parts of the military, the skill of intelligence support comes into play. The capture was to happen as he would be heading south to the city of Vlasenica. 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. This Army Special Operations unit, goes by many names, which is indicative of the various activities, functions and environments performed by these operators. If successful, the candidate would then continue training within ISA in such skills as parachuting, survival, weapons and intelligence gathering. Green Berets are considered unique from other special operators for various reasons, most . 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. The Joint Special Operations Command and the frequently-renamed Intelligence Support Activity are similar units. 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. It is known that the unit has changed its codename over the years. US Army Intelligence Support Activity (ISA) | Specwar.info Intelligence Support Activity-Bragg developed an online tool, the pilot for which was planned to commence on June 1, 2019, to standardize the System Authorization Access Request, Acceptable Use Policy and Privileged Access Agreement for the command.