Originally referred to as Task Force Orange, other names have included Centra Spike, Torn Victor and Gray Fox. ISA has been known to utlizes signal skimmers to pick up enemy radio transmissions and zero in on their location. Spec Ops Profile: Intelligence Support Activity, Paris Davis, Black Green Beret in Vietnam, Finally Awarded Medal of Honor at White House, Navy SEAL Dies in Parachute Mishap, 4th Training Death in 14 Months, Special Operations Commander Fired After Being Arrested for Alleged Drunk Driving, Hit and Run, 8 Fun Facts About the USO to Celebrate Its Birthday. 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 Failed Clandestine operations, usually result in some form of USG explanation. _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-21361708-1']); 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. . As an ancillary, but crucial action during this period, LTC Bruce Mauldin and I, with the CSAs concurrence and support, visited the Hill and had several closed-door sessions with appropriate committee Chairs and Ranking Members regarding the unit's establishment, roles and missions, and funding lines. "ISA was also rumoured to be operating in Bosnia in the last few years under the code-name Torn Victor. "These commands and white Special Forces like the Green Berets, as well as Air Force combat controllers and commandos of eight different nations report to a mind-boggling array of new command cells and coordination units set up after Sept. The ISA has gone by many name: Intelligence Support Activity or Mission Support Activity, and nicknamed The Activity, Task Force Orange . 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 negotiations were going so well that Iraq decided to throw in a Mil Mi-24 Hind D helicopter and a MiG-25 fighter-interceptor. "Also in 1989, ISA was rumoured to have taken part in the hunt for the richest drug trafficker in the world, Pablo Escobar, operating under the code-name Centra Spike. There's a lot of fascinating special operation history in the Netflix thriller "Lou," but going into details would reveal Jason McCarthy of goruck.com and Stew Smith discuss his journey to, through, and after Army Special Forces and being Copyright 2023 Military.com. Ultimately, Operation Credible Sport was cancelled but the FOG had proven its usefulness. More technical training on SIGINT, such as transmission and signals interpretation is also a component of the training. These intelligence gathering methods outline how intelligence is gathered and what is done with it afterwards. 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 2e Rgiment tranger de Parachutistes | The unit is organized into several elements. The monitoring of guerilla factions allowed the Salvadoran Army to successfully defend against their attacks. 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. 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If some elements (especially photos) were originally yours please consider Specwar.info to host for free. The Intelligence Support Activity conducts its operations during and in advance of US military operations. The terrain was extremely rugged, the enemy was far more entrenched than anticipated, and Murphys Law was in full effect. Since its inception, the Activity has been providing invaluable intelligence and support to many United States operations. Infiltration relies much less on stealthy engagement, and much more on subtlety and effective tradecraft. "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. For the four main battalions, numbering in total over 300 operators, there are different roles members could fall into. They began forming their own plan for storming the airplane and liberating the hostages. In addition to covert operations, it provides the war on terrorism with the kind of so-called 'close-in' signals monitoring -- including the interception of cell phone conversations -- that helped bring down Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. Eliciting information from select sources, The exploitation of documents, media and materials. ISA would operate under a host of cover names to confuse anyone without the need to know. All rights reserved. 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. Unless you plan to body-check those cars I would junk up.. Additionally, ISA gathers SIGINT primarily by intercepting enemy communications or sending an agent to physically bug a target. A much more classified component was a solely-US effort codenamed Green Light, focusing specifically on former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. 160th SOAR | Are you one of them? They are called upon to perform the toughest duties in the armed forces, and their actions directly affect the protection of America's freedom. The forms of intelligence gathered by the Activity include: HUMINT (HUMan INTellgence) US Army Rangers | But what if I dont need signal intercept and intelligence gathering support for my mission?, Look, Geo theyre here, theyre queer, and theyd like so say hello just deal with it because theyre not going away. This is directed from , waaay above my pay grade yeah, I get it.. 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. 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. I didnt think a thing of it, as it had taken me a while to throw that lock open on my first few tries. 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. (Source). 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. Two task forces of JSOC took part in the search and rescue operations, Delta Force and a detachment of the ISA. The ISA consistently attaches itself to other units, either as a temporary or more permanent component. By continuing to use this site you consent to our use of cookies. Highly recommended. The planners in DAMO-ODSO were acutely aware of the different legal authorities contained in Title 10 and Title 50 statutes. Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden Bickering between the CIA and JSOC further complicated matters. The intelligence gathering part was named "Buckeye" and consisted of CIA, NSA and Torn Victor operatives. 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 Intelligence Support Activity (ISA), the 1st Capabilities Integration Group (Airborne), or simply The Activity is a component of the US Army and acts as a dedicated intelligence group for SOCOM. 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. Each of these groups achieves different specialised tasks for their assigned mission. 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. 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! Sound Like You? The DCS, G-2 is the Director of the Operational Environment Enterprise (OEE) and author of the Army's approved current Operational Environment (OE). The SEALs, SAS, and SBS added additional capabilities over time, responding to the needs of modern conflict. Its purpose is unlike many other special operations forces of the US military, not dedicated to direct combat, and more towards secretive and clandestine actions necessary to support other military operations. Zones are prepared, field intelligence is gathered, and targets are laid out for other forces. US Army Special Forces | Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States. 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 with both the establishment of JSOC, TF160/SOAR and Ranger SOF, the task was not easy. Russia's Spetsnaz combines DA and SR units. For instance, while US Army Special Forces were originally created for unconventional warfare (UW) missions and gradually added other capabilities, the US Navy SEALs, and the UK Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS) continue to perform a primary DA role with special reconnaissance (SR) as original missions. (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. by Michael Smith The CIA was leading extraordinary rendition operations in Somalia in conjunction with the ISA and the help of local warlords. "In 1984, political instability swept through the Seychelles, a group of islands off the coast of Africa. find out more ISA intelligence specialists, K9 units, security experts and demolition experts were sent to the country undercover as military advisers. 11.". (Source), Under the operational codename Centra Spike, the Intelligence Support Activity operated alongside CIA and local police elements to track down Escobar. The Intelligence Support Activity conducts its operations during and in advance of US military operations. 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. Meyer was determined that no future SOF OP with Army forces would be conducted absent credible quality CIA/DOD/NSA and Army intelligence. LTG Odom acquiesced but took every opportunity to oppose actions engaging his traditional intelligence elements. The vast majority of the ISAs operations in Afghanistan are still classified. Additionally, these operative can remotely turn on a cellphone thats been turned off, which allows them to hear everything going on near it. (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. I pulled out a pick and tension bar and handed them to him. Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Operations Response Team (SORT), " Veritas Omnia Vincula Vincit The agents prepared contingency plans for a commando force to enter Beirut clandestinely, and to strike at Hizbollah and Syrian targets. ISA operators would infiltrate either Beirut or Algiers on commercial flights to avoid tipping off the terrorists or the authorities. Later that same year, Delta Force and ISA operators were sent to Saudi Arabia to help organize and train a Special Purpose Detachment of the Saudi National Guard. >Develops and . Royal Cape, Granite Rock and Powder Keg were some, Centra Spike and Torn Victor being other possible cover names. 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. 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. 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. Unfortunately, the hostages were dispersed throughout the country, and the chance never came for a second attempt, but the seeds were planted for the Intelligence Support Activity. 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 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. It's a Special Mission Unit and conducts highly classified operations. These techniques include intelligence gathering, infiltration and intelligence support. and direct action combat. Title 10 is the broad statute regarding what DOD is authorized to do. When operatives are in less restrictive environments they can often be seen carrying weapons used by locals, most often in the form of AKs. Small Wars Journal is published by Small Wars Foundation - a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. FOG became permanent and renamed ISA on March 3, 1981. 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. These are primarily preparation intelligence and tactical/ strategic intelligence for active operations. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. If an operative is in a country with an official cover, possessing a firearm can mean being sent to prison or death. Russia and Ukraine battle daily in the sky. 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. It is unclear how often the ISA interrogates subjects, though given their covert operations they likely at least interrogate high-value targets. With it, they had a unit of military spies able to covertly infiltrate a country and provide hands-on, critical intelligence, as well as to raise logistical support for counter-terrorist commandos in case of a crisis. 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. Both the CSA and the Director understood that each offered something the other did not and that together, a much better response capability could be generateda point that POTUS emphasized through the National Security Council to both. However, his several interventions and temporary blockage of many initiatives, showed that his primary intent was to arrest the development and contain the capability. During Anaconda, ISA intelligence helped save both the 10th Mountain Division and 101st Airborne Division at Takur Ghar. During the operations training course, candidates are taught infiltration techniques, advanced air operations, offensive and off-road driving, personal defensive measures and communications. US Air Force Pararescue | The vast majority of their operations are clouded not just in shadow, but in complete darkness. Unfortunately, the police were either heavily corrupted or unwilling to arrest Escobar, and the intelligence went to waste. Original content is published under aCreative Commons Licenseper ourTerms of Use. Afghanistan: The Fox and The Anaconda. 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. 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). 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; (Source) Training involves different espionage and intelligence methods that allow ISA members to carry out their essential HUMINT operations. Kay-Kay and I sat at a table jamming some 12 magazines and chatting over our actions at our blocking position. On December 2, 1993, with help from Centra Spike and a mobile Colombian surveillance team, Escobar's hideout was pinpointed, and Colombian police moved in. "In and around Afghanistan, Gray Fox was part of a secret sphere that included the CIA's paramilitary Special Activities Division and the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations Command. An investigation by journalist Mark Bowden (author of Blackhawk Down) revealed that in 1989, the Colombian government asked for US help in tracking down Escobar. Smith's book lifts the lid of secrecy on the Activity, one of America's least well known Special Ops units. In sum, Uniforms do Clandestine, Civvies do Covert. The ISA is perhaps the most major outlier doctrinally from its other, better known, counterparts within JSOC and SOCOM as a whole. When conducting more integrated operations with other parts of the military, the skill of intelligence support comes into play. The Cantor, busy writing, asked me how it went. By November 1993, the noose was tightening around Escobar, and Centra Spike managed to track him down to a suburb of Medellin called Los Olivos. Special Boat Service (SBS) |, Camouflage patterns: Since that time the unit reports to Special Operations Command or SOCOM in Tampa Florida, United States. During the operation, a rivalry developed between Centra Spike, and a CIA intelligence unit named Majestic Eagle. "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. It is not certain that ISA operators were on the scene at the moment of his capture, but the operational intelligence provided was critical to the success of the operation. "Known as the Intelligence Support Activity, or ISA, when it was established in . "In late 1981, ISA agents were involved in the attempt to acquire a Soviet T-72 tank, which had obsessed intelligence analysts. The rapidly deteriorating situation in the country prompted the United States to create a small Special Forces unit with the purpose of surveying the US embassy. Primarily acting as enablers for JSOC special mission units. However, Operation Anaconda is one of few of the ISAs Afghanistan operations known to the public. During the war on terror it was responsible for hunting hunting high value persons. Subsequent, Task Force 121, a collection of special mission units and conventional forces organized a raid on a small farming compound in rural Iraq. Sadly, the team's evaluation did not serve to upgrade American security standards, and a truck bomb exploded from within 40 feet of the embassy entrance later that year. 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. 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). 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. 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. In line with their proficiency in infiltration, they had an array of passports, credit cards and falsified documents to allow easy movement between territories. This extra length concealed the main eavesdropping antennas, while others could be lowered from the belly while in flight. Talk about close target recce. Thats pretty frickin ballsy. Two people with a lockpick kit and a camera. 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. ODSO/FOG overcame much of this through replication of capability generously funded and supported by CIA. _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); This Intelligence Support Activity All-Inclusive Self-Assessment enables You to be that person. Funding was to be a joint undertaking. Originally the unit was known as the Field Operations Group or FOG and was designed to fill the Armys need for clandestine intelligence collection. It built a reputation for daring, flexibility and a degree of lawlessness. The whole force drove north as planned, putting Kay and me upfront to clear ahead and report back to the assault force. 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. 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. 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. 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? 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. Be sure to get the latest news about the U.S. military, as well as critical info about how to join and all the benefits of service. The ISAs HUMINT collectors gather information from human sources via coercion and interrogation depending on the asset. However, the ISA intercepted Iraqi communications that corroborated intelligence collected from his family members. (Source) This allowed the forces involved in the surrounding Shahikot Valley to be more informed of enemy movements and positions. Retired Army Col. Paris Davis stood in the White House as President Biden draped the Medal of Honor around his neck, nearly Chief Special Warfare Operator Michael T. Ernst died following a "military freefall training accident" on Feb. 19 in Marana Lt. Col. Collin Charlie Christopherson, the commander of the 1st Special Operations Maintenance Squadron, was arrested How much do you know about the morale machine that's been deploying with U.S. troops since WWII?