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. These operatives were responsible for helping take down insurgent networks in Iraq. Featured Book: (Source). Its scope is quite large, and it often works in support of JSOC, SOCOM and even other intelligence agencies. The cover of these operatives is typically much harder to develop since it requires a reason to be in and out of the target country on a frequent basis, and to have inauspicious ties to the target country. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ . Establishing cover as husband and wife to live in and conduct intelligence collection missions within a target country. Intelligence Support Activity provides US special forces with intelligence gatherers, man hunters, assassins and deep penetration agents. (Source), Outlined as the primary purpose of the ISA since its inception, intelligence gathering is one of its most essential tasks. The Cantor said nothing. It built a reputation for daring, flexibility and a degree of lawlessness. 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. ODSO/FOG overcame much of this through replication of capability generously funded and supported by CIA. 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. From 5 miles away and 4,575m above the ground, operatives could target insurgents communications via cellphone. "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. 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). 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. A key driver for the meeting was the recognition that quality operational intelligence was virtually non-existent. Geo, take a mandarin with you, the Cantor directed without looking at me. SIGINT operations extended to areas with overlapping guerrilla operations, such as Nicaragua, which was facing the increased foe of the Contras. "ISA's existence became public in 1982 as a result of a scandal involving US POWs in Vietnam. Their unique abilities are called upon when other special operations forces have not been able to complete their mission due to a gap in intelligence. Cake duty! This time, the manhunt for Escobar was being led by Col. Hugo Martinez, who did not intend to let Escobar get away, and who operated with ruthless efficiency, aided by Centra Spike's intelligence. The unit was raised in 1979 as the Foreign Operating Group (FOG), who was created to overthrow the Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. When government officials found out, they were horrified, they seemed to have a rogue agency within its ranks. An operation was planned for their rescue, with Seaspray, Delta Force and the ISA all playing a role. (Source). This extends beyond knowledge of things like general location, language and culture. ISA. Codename: Gray Fox - Sicarius 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). How do you guys block?, I dont know how you guys operate. 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. (Source), The tactics and techniques of the ISA are some of the most unique among all the JSOC special operations groups. The force is supposedly around 250-275 operators, who excel in intelligence gathering, languages and electronic surveillance. Though its history is relatively brief and known missions it has undertaken even briefer, it has become one of the most interesting and influential special operations groups at the disposal of JSOC and the US military. find out more The CIA would talk directly to the warlords while the ISA provided SIGINT support and ground security for them. Afghanistan: The Fox and The Anaconda. The ISAs HUMINT collectors gather information from human sources via coercion and interrogation depending on the asset. The ISA has gone by many name: Intelligence Support Activity or Mission Support Activity, and nicknamed The Activity, Task Force Orange . "When TWA Flight 847 was hijacked on June 14, 1985, America's counter-terrorist forces went on full alert. There are four primary battalions with various responsibilities being spread across them. Under the guiding hand of JSOC, the ISA operated alongside other JSOC and CIA elements, under the codename Gray Fox. Special Recon, Direct Action. PDF (U) Results in Brief - U.S. Department of Defense Traditions (religious, political, societal). The web portal tool will maintain a repository of all INSCOM and non -INSCOM 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. 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. With the expansion, the FOG has renamed the ISA and officially established as a unit on January 29th, 1981. Join our mailing list to stay in the loop for free! (function() { (amazon.com). Access to that road saved a considerable amount of travel time for support for an ongoing mission. . The selection process for the ISA prioritizes both a physical skill for field operations and a skill for intelligence operations. Gaining entry into the ISA is not easy; candidates already must be part of a special operations forces group. and other specialized capabilities to support Army, joint, unified action partners, and the U.S. intelligence commu-nity. We locked the chain back up behind it and returned to base. (Source) These collectively will compose some of the roles within a primary battalion of the ISA. Special Air Service (SAS) | 11.". It was the type of mission ISA was designed for, but no agents were sent in. 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). 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. The ISA wasn't popular within JSOC. Army did likewise through DAMO-ODSO. (Source). The trials of the ISA in Queens Hunter were not the only time the team was tested in South America. But if the copyright owners want to get in touch to have them immediately removed from this site then please contact our webmaster. 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. Then, Delta and SEAL Team 6 operators would make their way into the city in small groups and wait at safe-houses until the time was right. Samuel is a King's College graduate with an MA in War Studies. This is how we block. Operation Anaconda was, by most standards, a very difficult engagement. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 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. The Intelligence Support Activitys operations in El Salvador, under Operation Queens Hunter, demonstrated the effectiveness of the newly founded squadrons mastery of SIGINT and cross-departmental cooperation. a Title 10 operation or a Title 50 operation. America's Most Elite Special Forces - msn.com Working alongside SEASPRAY, a specialized aviation unit that would later form a part of Delta Force, the ISA would conduct aerial SIGINT operations to assist the Salvadoran Army against guerrillas. These intelligence gathering methods outline how intelligence is gathered and what is done with it afterwards. Almost simultaneously, another truck bomb exploded in the French barracks, killing 56. 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. A Congressional hearing was held, and the media revealed the existence of a 'classified military intelligence unit'. ISA operators were said to be so skilled that they could tell whether a tank needed a tune-up from background noise of transmissions. They also provided protection for numerous Arabian princes, and established good contacts while down there. "Also in 1982, an ISA team was sent to Sudan to provide protection to Sudanese President Gaafar Nimeiry and his vice president. These are primarily preparation intelligence and tactical/ strategic intelligence for active operations. The ISA comprises 5 primary elements: administration, training, SIGINT, HUMINT and direct action. The forms of intelligence gathered by the Activity include: HUMINT (HUMan INTellgence) FOG became permanent and renamed ISA on March 3, 1981. Unfortunately, the police were either heavily corrupted or unwilling to arrest Escobar, and the intelligence went to waste. 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. 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),[citation needed]Mission Support Activity (MSA), Office of Military Support (OMS), Field Operations Group (FOG), Studies and Analysis Activity (SAA), These techniques include intelligence gathering, infiltration and intelligence support. Initially, the raid appeared to be a bust until a Delta operator kicked some debris on exfil. The direct action element reportedly trains with Delta Force and DEVGRU to maintain their skills. The mandarins decided they were much too tired and sleepy to unload their car to safekeep all of their sensitive items in the house with them. Distinctive Unit Insignia of the US Army Intelligence Support Activity (USAISA), 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). 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. FOG was developed because of a perceived need for greater intelligence-gathering capabilities for the U.S. military. By continuing to use this site you consent to our use of cookies. I delivered the unemotional skinny to the Cantor who neither commented nor looked up from his work. There was a chain barricade that the Serbian police (MUPs) used to block access to a side road that junctioned with highway M4. "ISA was divided into branches of signals intelligence (SIGINT) specialists, human intelligence (HUMINT) specialists, and a highly compartmentalized direct action element, the 'shooters'. 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. 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. 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? 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.
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