They were never used. So where are the pilots? (Source). Special Recon, Direct Action. Get the weekly email from Grey Dynamics that makes reading intel articles and reports actually enjoyable. 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. "In late 1981, ISA agents were involved in the attempt to acquire a Soviet T-72 tank, which had obsessed intelligence analysts. The operation went smooth up until the force rolled away. (Source), Under the operational codename Centra Spike, the Intelligence Support Activity operated alongside CIA and local police elements to track down Escobar. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 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. On the ground, these operatives can use a directional antenna programmed to pick up a specific cellphones signal, even if it was turned off, providing Delta Force with a target building to raid. There are also teams within the ISA who can conduct direct action missions should the need arise. Since its inception, the Activity has been providing invaluable intelligence and support to many United States operations. In 2003 the CIA and ISA conducted a joint operation in Somalia. WOAH, WOAH, WOAH! the Cantor interrupted, youre telling me you put in the camera in daylight hours, and now everyone is supposed to be surprised and sympathetic that its gone?. They acquainted themselves with the layout and landmarks of the city for future reference. Additionally, these operative can remotely turn on a cellphone thats been turned off, which allows them to hear everything going on near it. The ISA wasn't popular within JSOC. Along with Queens Hunter, ISA was involved in many operations across Central America, in Panama, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. 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. "Cowan put together another five-man team, but their deployment was stalled for three weeks. ISA has gone by many names over the years but its current one is not public knowledge. And now somebody SOMEBODY knows that somebody is recording all the cars turning down that specific road. The CIA was leading extraordinary rendition operations in Somalia in conjunction with the ISA and the help of local warlords. 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. By Almighty God and with honor, 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. 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. Some units specialize in it, such as the Navy SEALs and 75th Ranger Regiment, and other units, such as US Army Special Forces, have DA capabilities but focus more on other operations. 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). 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. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. If an operative is in a country with an official cover, possessing a firearm can mean being sent to prison or death. Support Veteran Journalism . 160th SOAR | Case officers also target and recruit potential assets. The cyber operations team extends into other offsets of intelligence gathering, including OSINT, cyber threat intelligence and cyber warfare. Its budget would be carefully concealed so that it never made a paper trail, and only a dozen officials would know the names and locations of all of ISA's agents and safehouses. 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. When Escobar surrendered in 1991, Centra Spike was pulled out, only to return a year later, when Escobar escaped from his comfortable prison. That close-holding of his cards was typical of him. (Source) This allowed the forces involved in the surrounding Shahikot Valley to be more informed of enemy movements and positions. Mission. 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. It is unclear how often the ISA interrogates subjects, though given their covert operations they likely at least interrogate high-value targets. The CIA would talk directly to the warlords while the ISA provided SIGINT support and ground security for them. The third known squadron is the Mission Support Squadron. (Source) Once the safe house was located, using a mixture of SIGINT, GEOINT and HUMINT, a raid was initiated. In effect, the ISAs exploitation of signal intelligence saved the lives of 100s of US soldiers from the 10th Mountain and 101st Airborne divisions. In short order, Langley provided people, training, and a conduit to its various intelligence and planning aspects. Green Berets are considered unique from other special operators for various reasons, most . Operatives must also go unnoticed, being able to blend into crowds and not draw attention. Featuring 931 new and updated case-based questions, organized into seven core areas of process design, this Self-Assessment will help you identify areas in which . (Source). The raid was cancelled over fears that the French and Italians tipped Karadzic off. Under the US Central Intelligence Agency's National Clandestine Service, there is a Special Activities Division to operate without apparent national identification for plausible deniability. "The government realized the importance of the FOG. Some of the more well-documented operations of the ISA shed light on the general nature of the ISAs overall operations. The debris revealed a spider hole and as an operator prepared a grenade, Saddam poked his head out of the hole. 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. 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 unit is organized into several elements. (Source). ", Sources: The breakdown of this squadron isnt known either but it likely contains logistical support for the two operational squadrons. USSOCOM receives, reviews, coordinates and prioritizes all Defense Department plans that support the global campaign against terrorism. The unit has been under command of the US Army but some time after September 11th 2001 command was placed under direct control of the Joint Special Operations Command or JSOC at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, United States. Failed Clandestine operations, usually result in some form of USG explanation. He commanded airborne battalions in both the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division. 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. 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. The ISA considers ethnicity of agents when they are deployed. ISA focuses on gathering human intelligence based on contact with field agents, and signals intelligence (intercepted communications) to support Delta Force and DEVGRU operations. Under the guiding hand of JSOC, the ISA operated alongside other JSOC and CIA elements, under the codename Gray Fox. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. I delivered the unemotional skinny to the Cantor who neither commented nor looked up from his work. Bravo troop tackles the extremely difficult target countries like Syria which had a sophisticated counterintelligence network. The examples and perspective in this article, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Joint Publication 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms", United States Army Special Operations Command, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Direct_action_(military)&oldid=1081847487, This page was last edited on 10 April 2022, at 01:40. "ISA was divided into branches of signals intelligence (SIGINT) specialists, human intelligence (HUMINT) specialists, and a highly compartmentalized direct action element, the 'shooters'. Meyer was incensed at the lack of CIA interest/dedication/support to the rescue task and believed that was a major factor in the failure. 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A top-secret 'Army electronic surveillance team', was sent to aid the Colombians in August of 1989, as a part of Operation Heavy Shadow. The Department of Defense in 1965 outlined its need to be more involved with collecting intelligence, supported by Robert McNamara. "During the 1983 American invasion of Grenada, special forces units were plagued by lack of useful and up-to-date intelligence. While Delta and DEVGRU focus on direct engagement and specialized combat tactics, the ISA conducts intelligence and espionage operations at a tactical level. Special Operations (SO) encompass the use of small units in direct or indirect military actions focused on strategic or operational objectives. var _gaq = _gaq || []; To operatorsnot so much. It was settled, and Majestic Eagle withdrew from the operation. They must maintain a demeanour of trustworthiness and calmness, so any approached HUMINT sources feel safe and trusted. Kay-Kay and I sat at a table jamming some 12 magazines and chatting over our actions at our blocking position. Since that time the unit reports to Special Operations Command or SOCOM in Tampa Florida, United States. Working closely with Special Forces and the CIA, Gray Fox also places operatives inside hostile territory. "Perhaps the least known, and most classified unit within the realm of US special operations is the Intelligence Support Activity (ISA), a small, highly trained and capable intelligence unit. Smith's book lifts the lid of secrecy on the Activity, one of America's least well known Special Ops units. On Gen Meyer's departure, his successor, John Wickham, attempted to disband the unit, but Jack Marsh, in his role as ASD SO/LIC prevented it, and required it be retained, and resourced. . During the 1990's the unit was known as Capacity Gear. 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. Here, Ive got it, offered the mandarin with hand extended to my lock pick set. Boss Cantor seemed satisfied with how the mandarins gathered the necessary hardware for the mission and then marched smartly out the door. ISA members conducted extensive interviews with Special Forces members in the country, Lebanese Army and CIA and embassy officials. The FOG was able to clandestinely enter Tehran and gather the required intelligence. The Intelligence Support Activity, commonly called "The Activity" . Before it operated under the name ISA, the group was referred to as the Field Operations Group (FOG). ISA operatives often work in disguise and undercover. It was so simple that we didnt even need to create a nursery rhyme to recite to help us remember all the steps. non-covert action intelligence activityoften a collection programto be of such sensitivity that 1 Oral notifications shall be followed by a written notification. As a result, ISA was almost disbanded, but Army officials succeeded in ensuring its survival, albeit on a much tighter leash. Direct action differs from conventional offensive actions in the level of physical and political risk, operational techniques, and the degree of discriminate and precise use of force to achieve specific objectives."[1]. 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