Once inside, Centra Spike agents would plug in laptops into the airplane's power and could simultaneously track four frequencies. 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. Well, say that was certainly good news. (Source) The US military sought to carry out intelligence operations without the direct need of US intelligence agencies. 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'). When conducting more integrated operations with other parts of the military, the skill of intelligence support comes into play. Few special operations forces are clad in as much secrecy as the Intelligence Support Activity. US Army intelligence defines HUMINT as including: The sources of this information can come from enemy combatants, including regular armed forces, and civilian sources. This is a potentially significant compromise. the Cantor lamented in earnest. This page was last edited on 1 April 2008, at 06:57. PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States, P.O. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. Each chapter of the book brings a new chapter of the Activity's operations like Lebanon, where its efforts to rescue US hostages was stymied by its own government or Bosnia where it hunted down war criminals. The intelligence gathering part was named "Buckeye" and consisted of CIA, NSA and Torn Victor operatives. The unit is organized into several elements. Along with reviewing the security and organization again, ISA was also tasked with formulating plans for reprisals against the Syrians who had shot down two US fighters. We locked the chain back up behind it and returned to base. Access to that road saved a considerable amount of travel time for support for an ongoing mission. Some forces were focused on eliminating Iraqi forces and others focused on deposing the ruling Hussein family. Deployed together with a small Delta Force contingent, Centra Spike flew over Colombia in their airplanes and continued to track 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. In the summer of 1980, FOG agents were infiltrated into Teheran to report back on the hostages' whereabouts, movements of the Iranians, as well as to recruit local agents. a Title 10 operation or a Title 50 operation. By the time though, the situation had begun to subside. Highly recommended. They set up protection for the president and installed a security system. (function() { The survey was successful, which led defense officials to create ad hoc Special Forces units to survey US embassies in hotspots around the world. 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. Candidates then are put through a battery of assessment and selection courses as well as background checks and psychological testing. (Source) Operatives must not look out of placeor easily recognizable. ISA operatives are highly skilled in the various arts of HUMINT gathering including: (Source). The forms of intelligence gathered by the Activity include: HUMINT (HUMan INTellgence) Both Army and the Agency recognized the changed nature of the world and the requirements of the emerging terrorist/hostage issues. "Currently, ISA is believed to be under control of JSOC, and published accounts have it organized into administration, training, SIGINT, HUMINT and direct action elements. The debris revealed a spider hole and as an operator prepared a grenade, Saddam poked his head out of the hole. An ISA technician with a SATCOM was provided for the operation to aid in the tracking. Intelligence Support Activity > Service branch: Army > Also known as: Gray Fox, ISA, USISA, The Activity . Its members often use disguises to avoid detection and if they are compromised they can quickly disappear from sight and completely change their appearance. 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. 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. Additionally, ISA gathers SIGINT primarily by intercepting enemy communications or sending an agent to physically bug a target. Had the force been aware of the actual hostage location and situation, the force could have continued past Desert One and probably succeeded. (Source). It is known that the unit has changed its codename over the years. And now somebody SOMEBODY knows that somebody is recording all the cars turning down that specific road. 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. They also have direct action elements within their battalions, alongside specialists in HUMINT and SIGINT. 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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. by Michael Smith 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. World conditions in the early 1980s suggested that some capability was required to address the ambiguous conflicts of each Title authority into some form of credible operational capability. Initially, the raid appeared to be a bust until a Delta operator kicked some debris on exfil. . 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. 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. Electronic specialists and SIGINT operators comprised part of the force. Subsequently, theyre protected by diplomatic immunity if theyre compromised during an espionage operation. I delivered the unemotional skinny to the Cantor who neither commented nor looked up from his work. So where are the pilots? Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States. Dozier was taken hostage and mistreated, with the Red Brigades viewing him as an ideological foe that needed to be made an example of. This includes Clandestine operations, but not those which are Covert. 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. ISA has been known to utlizes signal skimmers to pick up enemy radio transmissions and zero in on their location. The ACSI, LTG Odom, strongly objected to the authority lines for FOG and asked Meyer to switch the Army portion from DCSOPS to the ACSI. The specialists, nicknamed 'knob turners' operated sophisticated electronic eavesdropping equipment located in the back cabin of specially-outfitted Seaspray Beechcraft 100 airplanes. (Source). 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). 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. When government officials found out, they were horrified, they seemed to have a rogue agency within its ranks. Since that time the unit reports to Special Operations Command or SOCOM in Tampa Florida, United States. The operation, code-named Great Falcon, made a deal with the Iraqi government for a T-72, in exchange for 175mm cannons. Working closely with Special Forces and the CIA, Gray Fox also places operatives inside hostile territory. Understanding all the following is necessary for successful infiltration: (Source). 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, due to the nature of ISAs mission, its operators are rarely likely to carry weapons into the field. The unit conducts close survelliance with cameras, even going as far as covertly entering terrorists safe houses and planting hidden cameras. 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. (Source) At the time, the Salvadoran Army was facing attacks from leftist groups and more lethal right-wing death squads. When hostages were taken in the Tehran embassy in 1980, it became clear that FOG needed to become a larger group with more resources. We provided documents for viewing from both the Agency and DOD lawyers supporting the organization and outlining the rationale. and other specialized capabilities to support Army, joint, unified action partners, and the U.S. intelligence commu-nity. By Almighty God and with honor, Both sides would work together on developing the intel, and then a decision would be made regarding a specific operational tasking to avoid statutory conflict. 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'). (Source) These collectively will compose some of the roles within a primary battalion of the ISA. "During the 1983 American invasion of Grenada, special forces units were plagued by lack of useful and up-to-date intelligence. They began forming their own plan for storming the airplane and liberating the hostages. It built a reputation for daring, flexibility and a degree of lawlessness. It later took on other roles like SIGINT as battlefield requirements changed over time. 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. During the war on terror it was responsible for hunting hunting high value persons. 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. 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. The US wanted a team to covertly survey the situation on the ground and provide officials with a survey of the US embassy. by Michael Smith The Cantor finally said something, and he said it very very loudly when the mandarins lost control of some weapons and encrypted radios. During the 1990's the unit was known as Capacity Gear. ISA was asked to form an Algerian-based plan and a Beirut-based one for rescue. 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. 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 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. 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). ISA would operate under a host of cover names to confuse anyone without the need to know. 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. During these operations, the ISA operated alongside other combat groups, providing them with signals intelligence support and field intelligence, including HUMINT. 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. The support provided can come in a range of different forms. The ISA also has likely integrated other new intelligence fields into its scope. A much more classified component was a solely-US effort codenamed Green Light, focusing specifically on former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. Lgion trangre (French Foreign Legion) | See Intelligence Collection Directive (ICD) 112, . During the operation, a rivalry developed between Centra Spike, and a CIA intelligence unit named Majestic Eagle. The "Pakistani cook" piece, delivered as Delta boarded the aircraft, was viewed as an implausible source though subsequent inquiry revealed that the crucial info was available much earlier, but intentionally not shared for several reasons. 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. 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! 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. As they soundly slept in the reverie of their grand plan, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy happened by and found the car unlocked. 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. "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. 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. 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. The US military and many of its allies consider DA one of the basic special operations missions. There was a chain barricade that the Serbian police (MUPs) used to block access to a side road that junctioned with highway M4. Delta Force and SEAL Team Six were scrambled in preparation to liberate the hostages if needed, as the airplane hopped back and forth from Beirut to Algiers. Most ISA trainees are from Army Special Forces, meaning many have skills in CQC, sniping, counter-sniping and general tactical engagements. They marked secret infiltration routes and bases American forces could use if they were ever sent into the country. The US recognized the usefulness of this unit and began surveying embassies across the world. 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. 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. Most officials disliked the unit's head, Jerry King, and thus, JSOC did not send the unit in. 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! (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. The aim of the operation was to monitor cross-border raids and movements of Sandinista forces and rebels in El Salvador. It was so simple that we didnt even need to create a nursery rhyme to recite to help us remember all the steps. Delta Force and SEAL Team 6 operators on the loose? Kay-Kay and I sat at a table jamming some 12 magazines and chatting over our actions at our blocking position. In 1979 the need for a dedicated special operations intelligence unit was solidified following the overthrowing of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza.