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(Source) Training involves different espionage and intelligence methods that allow ISA members to carry out their essential HUMINT operations. The strategists decided the best option would be to send an ISA team in to provide accurate intelligence on the situation, and to prepare to secure landing zones for a Delta rescue force. 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Lets just settle on Gray Fox for now, as these operators fill in the gray area between Title 50 intelligence gathering and Title 10 unconventional warfare operations. That close-holding of his cards was typical of him. 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. Original content is published under aCreative Commons Licenseper ourTerms of Use. Cowan traveled the Lebanese countryside pinpointing the locations of Syrian anti-aircraft emplacements. But if the copyright owners want to get in touch to have them immediately removed from this site then please contact our webmaster. Two task forces of JSOC took part in the search and rescue operations, Delta Force and a detachment of the ISA. 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. 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. "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. Key to the concept was that there would be a single in-house element (FOG) that either side could use e.g. (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. In all cases, the Congressional members voiced support. 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. Understanding all the following is necessary for successful infiltration: (Source). Delta's deployment was stalled by bureaucratic dealings, so ISA mobilized its most compartmentalized unit, the direct action element, the shooters. Clothing worn by locals, even in specific areas. The ISAs execution of SIGINT monitoring was so successful that the month-long operation was extended to three years. They also have direct action elements within their battalions, alongside specialists in HUMINT and SIGINT. Members of FOG infiltrated Nicaragua using false passports. ISA has gone by many names over the years but its current one is not public knowledge. Officially formed in 1980 as FOG then transitioning to the USAISA from 1981 to 1989, this unit now operates under changing names like Capacity Gear or Quiet Enable. Fort Belvoir, North Virginia, United States. 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. "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. 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. It was settled, and Majestic Eagle withdrew from the operation. In short order, Langley provided people, training, and a conduit to its various intelligence and planning aspects. ISA operators would infiltrate either Beirut or Algiers on commercial flights to avoid tipping off the terrorists or the authorities. ISA was asked to develop a plan of action. I didnt think a thing of it, as it had taken me a while to throw that lock open on my first few tries. He commanded airborne battalions in both the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division. (amazon.com), " Veritas Omnia Vincula Vincit The survey was successful, which led defense officials to create ad hoc Special Forces units to survey US embassies in hotspots around the world. If successful, the candidate would then continue training within ISA in such skills as parachuting, survival, weapons and intelligence gathering. 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. Marpat Camo Test |. This site uses cookies. He scurried off to the barricade. Landing zones were established, Lebanese militias contacted for help, and plans formulated for a commando force. They acquainted themselves with the layout and landmarks of the city for future reference. Unit Profile. The intelligence gathering part was named "Buckeye" and consisted of CIA, NSA and Torn Victor operatives. 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). During these operations, the ISA operated alongside other combat groups, providing them with signals intelligence support and field intelligence, including HUMINT. Secret Warriors: Inside the Covert Military Operations of the Reagan Era by Steven Emerson THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ They must maintain a demeanour of trustworthiness and calmness, so any approached HUMINT sources feel safe and trusted. The ISA also has a direct action arm comprised of men and women recruited from the US Army Delta . 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. His areas of focus are extremism in the Western world, military privatization and the impact of climate change on global security. He tasked them to install a clandestine video camera (clandcam) framed such that it would record all the license plates of all vehicles turning down a specifically designated road. Under the guiding hand of JSOC, the ISA operated alongside other JSOC and CIA elements, under the codename Gray Fox. Along with Queens Hunter, ISA was involved in many operations across Central America, in Panama, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. ISA was asked to form an Algerian-based plan and a Beirut-based one for rescue. An ISA agent was secretly infiltrated into Beirut where he provided real-time intelligence on the location of the hostages. All Rights Reserved. Join our mailing list to stay in the loop for free! 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. Upon return to the Pentagon, he re-assigned the ACSI POC out of FOG-related issues. A key driver for the meeting was the recognition that quality operational intelligence was virtually non-existent. Not wishing to be a dire critic, I found it rather novice of him, but drew another pick from my kit and threw open the lock. At last, he came back, and, handing me the tools lamented: I couldnt get that fucker!. It built a reputation for daring, flexibility and a degree of lawlessness. Operation Anaconda highlights how vital of a role the ISA plays in the battlespace. The FOG was re-named the Intelligence Support Activity (ISA), and given an initial budget of $7 million. Bravo and Delta troops utilize commercial or non-official cover. 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. Deployed together with a small Delta Force contingent, Centra Spike flew over Colombia in their airplanes and continued to track Escobar. They discovered there was no co-ordination between them, and vital information regarding terrorist attacks was not being shared. I could tell by her skunk-eye that she had a dagger in the pipe ready to launch, so I lightened up. Im telling you, they are packed parachutes for you; all you have to do is jump they dont need any training or preparation they can do it all!. (Source). Here, Ive got it, offered the mandarin with hand extended to my lock pick set. The planners in DAMO-ODSO were acutely aware of the different legal authorities contained in Title 10 and Title 50 statutes. ISA members are often multilingual. Zones are prepared, field intelligence is gathered, and targets are laid out for other forces. 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This was the birth of the Field Operations Group (FOG)-later ISA/Secret Army of Northern Virginia. In 1979 the need for a dedicated special operations intelligence unit was solidified following the overthrowing of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. "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. Covert operations are shrouded in plausible deniability. 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). Plus, they wouldnt have to load the car back up again the next day what a grand and magnanimous plan that proved to be. This is a potentially significant compromise. the Cantor lamented in earnest. Afghanistan: The Fox and The Anaconda. October 16, 2020 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). The agents prepared contingency plans for a commando force to enter Beirut clandestinely, and to strike at Hizbollah and Syrian targets. ISA would operate under a host of cover names to confuse anyone without the need to know. 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. Few special operations forces are clad in as much secrecy as the Intelligence Support Activity. Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States. Alpha and Charlie troops utilize official cover to collect human intelligence. Smith's book lifts the lid of secrecy on the Activity, one of America's least well known Special Ops units. The CIA would talk directly to the warlords while the ISA provided SIGINT support and ground security for them. When the CIA took credit for Centra Spike's work, the Army became furious and a competition was arranged between the two units. var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; The unit is organized into several elements. In the 1980s, extremist parties on both sides of the political spectrum plagued Italy. These members function as case officers. (Source), Outlined as the primary purpose of the ISA since its inception, intelligence gathering is one of its most essential tasks. Few special operations forces are clad in as much secrecy as the Intelligence Support Activity. ISA was highly classified. US Army Rangers | Talk about close target recce. Thats pretty frickin ballsy. Two people with a lockpick kit and a camera. The selection process for the ISA prioritizes both a physical skill for field operations and a skill for intelligence operations. ISA members conducted extensive interviews with Special Forces members in the country, Lebanese Army and CIA and embassy officials. US Army Intelligence Support Activity (USAISA), also known as ISA, The Activity, GREY FOX and, in recent times, the Mission Support Activity (MSA), is a top secret Army intelligence unit. Army did likewise through DAMO-ODSO. Under the umbrella group of Joint Special Operations Task Force 20, the Intelligence Support Activity helped track down and locate Saddam Hussein. During Anaconda, ISA intelligence helped save both the 10th Mountain Division and 101st Airborne Division at Takur Ghar. The Department of Defense in 1965 outlined its need to be more involved with collecting intelligence, supported by Robert McNamara. Task Force Mandarin [better known as Task Force Orange or the Intelligence Support Activity (ISA)] was a support organization formed to provide signal intercept and intelligence gathering capabilities to Tier One organizations. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world. Initially, Delta Force turned to the CIA for information regarding the number of guards, how they were armed and what security measures they had in place. It's a Special Mission Unit and conducts highly classified operations. Direct action (DA) is a term used in the context of military special operations for small-scale raids, ambushes, sabotage or similar actions. If an operative is in a country with an official cover, possessing a firearm can mean being sent to prison or death. It is unclear how often the ISA interrogates subjects, though given their covert operations they likely at least interrogate high-value targets. (Source) Operatives must not look out of placeor easily recognizable. 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. . Some of ISA's most recent deployments was in 1993 in Somalia. 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. The JTF was largely dependent upon the CIA to provide the vital confirming HUMINT as to the hostage location. Killer Elite But the poor Cantor had to suffer through the mandarin menace sure enough. The Pentagon frequently disavows knowledge regarding their activities or even their existence, and they've been given different names multiple times to misdirect any probes into their identity or activities. An operation was planned for their rescue, with Seaspray, Delta Force and the ISA all playing a role. 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. ISA operatives are highly skilled in the various arts of HUMINT gathering including: (Source). One of their major tasks was to create 'pathfinders'. They also noted the specific funding line and agreed to manage it as a priority classified line absent committee discussion. 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. The cyber operations team extends into other offsets of intelligence gathering, including OSINT, cyber threat intelligence and cyber warfare. Additionally, ISA recruits from other branches of the US military and potentially elsewhere in the intelligence community. The operation was codenamed Amber Star, and was a joint US-British-French-Dutch effort to apprehend the suspects. Ultimately, Operation Credible Sport was cancelled but the FOG had proven its usefulness. 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. Small Wars Journal is published by Small Wars Foundation - a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. During the operation, a rivalry developed between Centra Spike, and a CIA intelligence unit named Majestic Eagle. The mission support teams help actualize the other major goal of supporting other forces in a battlespace. 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. A goodly amount of minutes went by. These intelligence gathering methods outline how intelligence is gathered and what is done with it afterwards. 25: More Chinese Ferry Tales: China's Use of Civilian Shipping in Military Activities, 2021-2022, Hospital Ships: A Vital Asset for SOUTHCOM and South American Navies, The Goshen Massacre and the Specter of Cartel Spillover Into the US, Dangerous Alliances: Russias Strategic Inroads in Latin America, Year Ahead Emerging Technologies and the Collection of Battlefield Evidence, How Does Matter Matter In International Conflict and Security?