The United States Army Intelligence Support Activity (USAISA), frequently shortened to Intelligence Support Activity or Mission Support Activity, and nicknamed The Activity or Office of Military Support, is a United States Army Special Operations unit originally subordinated to the US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) but now part of the Joint Special Operations Command. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. Intelligence consumers (e.g. [16] HUMINT and SIGINT Candidates must have previous training in tactics, such as CQC, sniper, counter-sniper and source development. However, the CIA couldnt provide these answers so Delta turned to the FOG. You respond to one of the recruitment opportunities that pop up a few times a year from one of the units that performs these types of selections. ACE Threats Directorate is the Armys lead to study, design, document, validate, and apply Hybrid Threat and Operational Environment Conditions in support of LDT&E via the Threats Integration Branch (ACE-TI) and the Global Cultural Knowledge Network (GCKN). Are you one of them? There are also teams within the ISA who can conduct direct action missions should the need arise. A review of guidance, doctrine, and documentation on the information requirements for OIE, along with interviews with subject-matter experts, highlighted 40 challenges to effective intelligence support to OIE, along with 67 potential solutions to address them. Close the tab and proceed to set up email engagement. Two task forces of JSOC took part in the search and rescue operations, Delta Force and a detachment of the ISA. The ISA would provide actionable intelligence collection, pathfinding, and operational support. Mr. Thomas F. Greco serves as the Director of Intelligence, Deputy Chief of Staff, G-2 for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC G-2). There is little doubt that the successful outcome resulted in part from the contributions of ISA's SIGINT specialists and the other supporting Army intelligence elements. The data has a broader significance for the management of institutions, students and academic programmes. His areas of focus are extremism in the Western world, military privatization and the impact of climate change on global security. The ISA's HUMINT collectors gather information from human sources via coercion and interrogation depending on the asset. Once admitted, candidates must pass the operations training course, which teaches infiltration techniques, advanced air operations, offensive and off-road driving, personal defensive measures and communications. 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. 6th ANGLICO. [21] In 2010 it was referred to as the United States Army Studies and Analysis Activity.[21]. Memorandum for Director, Defense Intelligence Agency, by Lt. Gen. Philip C. Gast, Memorandum to the Deputy Under Secretary for Policy, by, Charter of U.S. Army Intelligence Support Activity, circa mid-1983, After Action Report for Operation CANVAS SHIELD, by 902nd Military Intelligence Group, 30 July 1985, Brief History of Unit (ISA), circa mid-1986 (presumed), United States Army Intelligence Support Activity 1986 Historical Report, United States Army Intelligence Support Activity 1987 Historical Report, Termination of USAISA and "GRANTOR SHADOW", by Commander, USAISA, 31 March 1989, Update - now 1st Capabilities Integration Group, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 04:50. The IC regularly briefs the groups listed below on its activities and, where appropriate, coordinates . 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. Intelligence assets are rarely sufficient to satisfy every requirement. Now, shes a third-term Virginia congresswoman. They need highly intelligent people who can operate on their own like a CIA spook. All of them cross streams a lot with capabilities but to say one is better overall then the other is apples to oranges. Exactly who would execute the direct-action operations, would be determined after the intelligence determine the situational necessities. A case officer is someone who handles a foreign asset by giving them collection requirements and ensuring their safety. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. As the name implies, SIGINT Squadron is responsible for ISAs signals intelligence mission. The Intelligence Support Activity (ISA) is also under JSOC. 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).It is tasked to collect actionable intelligence in advance of missions by other US special operations forces . James M. Lose, USMC Introduction In the early and mid-1990s, even as the US Department of Defense worked to reduce its Cold War-size budgets, it found its military forces becoming embroiled in numerous "low-intensity conflicts" around the world. The USD (I&S): Principal Staff Assistant and Advisor to the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense on intelligence, counterintelligence, security, sensitive activities, and other intelligence-related matters. This intelligence then triangulated the possible location of Dozier. [11] The current organization of ISA is classified but does contain at least three squadrons (Operations, SIGINT and Mission Support/Communications). Unconventional warfare is defined as "activities that are conducted to enable a resistance movement or insurgency to coerce, disrupt, or overthrow a government or occupying power by operating through or with an underground, auxiliary, and guerrilla force in a denied area." [6], The unit is known by many names. (Source) This allowed the forces involved in the surrounding Shahikot Valley to be more informed of enemy movements and positions. This is especially useful in countries where men and women socializing is frowned upon outside of the family. 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. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. Intelligence support to sustainment does not "conduct lethal targeting, nor do they own any organic intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets." [9] Additionally, they are not responsible for securing computer networks from cyber-attack, negating the impact of enemy counterspace systems, or countering adversary EW. The ISA was given its classified budget of $7million, a secret headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and cover name, the Tactical Concept Activity. However, this coordination is hindered by a lack of understanding of each community's roles and responsibilities, a lack of shared processes, and low priority across the joint force, prompting a review of these challenges and the development of a comprehensive set of solutions to address them. The most secretive unit out of the four, the Intelligence Support Activity was created after the failed Iranian embassy hostage rescue operation in 1980 to provide the then-nascent SOCOM and the . Enable email engagement. The US wanted a team to covertly survey the situation on the ground and provide officials with a survey of the US embassy. According to Sean Naylor in Not a Good Day to Die, most (but certainly not all) Activity operatives come from United States Army Special Forces, due to their self-reliance and specialized skill-set. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Intelligence Support Activity conducts its operations during and in advance of US military operations. 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), Mission Support Activity (MSA), Office of Military Support (OMS), Field Operations Group (FOG), Studies and Analysis Activity (SAA), Tactical It is after all, not a strictly combat-oriented role like its other Tier 1 operators. Gray Fox operatives sometimes work under the broader umbrella of "Joint Special Operations Task Force 20", which also included DEVGRU, the Army's Delta Force, and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Intelligence and Operations Analyst Lakeland, Florida, United States 216 followers 217 connections Join to view profile Far Ridgeline Engagements Inc. University of Central Florida About. (Source). No unit is quite as secretive as the Intelligence Support Activity. (Source). Known codenames included CAPACITY GEAR, CENTRA SPIKE, TORN VICTOR, QUIET ENABLE, CEMETERY WIND, and GRAY FOX. In 1989, the then USAISA commander John G. Lackey sent a telex "terminating" the USAISA term and his special access program GRANTOR SHADOW. Prepare operational pre-briefs and act as a gate keeper for future engagements. (Source). (Source) The US military sought to carry out intelligence operations without the direct need of US intelligence agencies. Originally the ISA operated as a tactical arm of the National Security Agency. In 2003, the Intelligence Support Activity was transferred from the Army INSCOM to Joint Special Operations Command, where it was renamed the Mission Support Activity. However, due to the nature of ISAs mission, its operators are rarely likely to carry weapons into the field. BS 8-10, MS 6-8, PhD 3-5. There are a lot of cool things amongst the military branches but these dudes are badass!. Information may be released to federal agencies based on formal accreditation as specified in official directives, regulations, and demonstrated need-to-know; to federal, state, local, and foreign law enforcement, intelligence, or security agencies in connection with a lawful investigation under their jurisdiction; and to commanders/agency . Under the umbrella group of Joint Special Operations Task Force 20, the Intelligence Support Activity helped track down and locate Saddam Hussein. US Army intelligence defines HUMINT as including: The sources of this information can come from enemy combatants, including regular armed forces, and civilian sources. Clothing worn by locals, even in specific areas. In theory, all decisions made by AI are data driven. Some of the more well-documented operations of the ISA shed light on the general nature of the ISAs overall operations. [6][7][8] Originally subordinated to the US Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), it is one of the least known intelligence components of the United States military,[6] tasked with clandestine HUMINT operations and collecting actionable intelligence during or prior to JSOC missions. The terrain was extremely rugged, the enemy was far more entrenched than anticipated, and Murphys Law was in full effect. The DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) has a strong state and local engagement program, whose mission is to make sure that state and local partners can quickly access the capabilities, resources, and expertise necessary to share information and intelligence and serve as full participants in the homeland security intelligence enterprise. In addition, DOD joint intelligence centers (JICs) attached to each combatant command provide a common, coordinated picture of conditions in each theater of operations by fusing national and theater intelligence information from across the IC into all-source assessments and estimates tailored to the needs of the commander. Subsequently, theyre protected by diplomatic immunity if theyre compromised during an espionage operation. More aircraft were deployed, and eventually included eavesdropping on Honduran guerrillas too, as well as Nicaraguan Army units fighting against the Contras. 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. As a military officer, he was awarded the Legion of Merit and multiple awards of the Defense and Army Meritorious Service Medals. The debris revealed a spider hole and as an operator prepared a grenade, Saddam poked his head out of the hole. Or these operatives can clone a cellphone, allowing them to send and receive communications to and from the phone from a remote locations. An ISA SIGINT team was sent to Italy as part of Operation Winter Harvest and in conjunction with other Army SIGINT and counter-intelligence units, employed aerial and ground-based SIGINT systems to monitor and geo-locate terrorist communications. during those mission. 1st Civil Affairs Group. Through their mastery of SIGINT, the ISA quickly got on the task of intercepting radio and telephone transmissions. 122 . The US recognized the usefulness of this unit and began surveying embassies across the world. The OEE must enable the delivery, application, and use and reuse of information. 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. Like all units, the Intelligence Support Activity contains operational detachments as well as support detachments such as intelligence analysis, medical, logistics.[16]. The SIGINT group of the ISA gathered signal intelligence via aircraft, that was then passed on to NSA analysts. In effect, the ISAs exploitation of signal intelligence saved the lives of 100s of US soldiers from the 10th Mountain and 101st Airborne divisions. Zones are prepared, field intelligence is gathered, and targets are laid out for other forces. Special Recon, Direct Action. Groups inside and outside of the IC conduct oversight. [2], Gray Fox was the codename used by the ISA at the beginning of the War in Afghanistan. What are the barriers or challenges to doing so? cooperation (SC) activities coordinated by, with, or through ASCCs. Colonel John Lackey served as unit commander from 1986 to 1989. Primarily acting as enablers for JSOC special mission units. Foreign language skills, although highly desired, are not a prerequisite to becoming a member of the ISA, though to be a SIGINT/HUMINT operator in the field with other Special Mission Units, working clandestine operations in non-permissive environments, knowing a minimum of several languages is usually indispensable (e.g. intelligence support. Each of these groups achieves different specialised tasks for their assigned mission. Operatives can covertly enter enemy buildings to plant cameras. Synchronizes intelligence activities to support organization objectives in cyberspace. Sound Like You? It is common for the appearance and demeanour of an agent to be the key to their success as an infiltrator. 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 . The CTE trains Army leaders to think critically about the OE and reaches out to academia, industry, and government. (Source) Training involves different espionage and intelligence methods that allow ISA members to carry out their essential HUMINT operations. This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. 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. More technical training on SIGINT, such as transmission and signals interpretation is also a component of the training. (Source) Gray Fox operators and intelligence specialists operated alongside other special operations units, including Delta Force and DEVGRU, as well as other components of the US Army. The Chief's planning element determined that DOD/Army needed to create a Joint Army-CIA force that would both develop quality intelligence abroad, but also provide site support for direct action operations. Typically the ISA pulls from the Green Berets due to their prior special operations experience, language skills, and autonomy. "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" will tell the story of the inventive team that brought espionage into the 20th 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. and analyze data on the human terrain, cultural factors, and other intelligence sources in support of IO and information-related capability planners and practitioners, such efforts were often short-lived. programs offered at an independent public policy research organizationthe RAND Corporation. I will support business intelligence engagements for multiple clients across various solution . According to The Secret War by William M. 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