Working closely with Special Forces and the CIA, Gray Fox also places operatives inside hostile territory. by Michael Smith Most ISA trainees are from Army Special Forces, meaning many have skills in CQC, sniping, counter-sniping and general tactical engagements. Fort Belvoir, North Virginia, United States. The ACSI, LTG Odom, strongly objected to the authority lines for FOG and asked Meyer to switch the Army portion from DCSOPS to the ACSI. At last, he came back, and, handing me the tools lamented: I couldnt get that fucker!. USSOCOM receives, reviews, coordinates and prioritizes all Defense Department plans that support the global campaign against terrorism. Within these battalions, there is a cyber ops teams, technology ops teams and mission support teams. Both Army and the Agency recognized the changed nature of the world and the requirements of the emerging terrorist/hostage issues. Such as procuring equipment, getting funding for operations/training, and human resources functions. With the expansion, the FOG has renamed the ISA and officially established as a unit on January 29th, 1981. ISA operators were said to be so skilled that they could tell whether a tank needed a tune-up from background noise of transmissions. 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? Codename: Gray Fox - Sicarius (amazon.com), " Veritas Omnia Vincula Vincit Bickering between the CIA and JSOC further complicated matters. Centra Spike was withdrawn in 1993 for a temporary assignment in Somalia to aid US special forces there, but resumed the hunt later in the year. And with that our boss, the Cantor, doled out a mission for a two-man team of mandarins. INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL OPERATIONS - Federation of American Scientists Highly detailed knowledge of an infiltration location is also key. Boss Cantor seemed satisfied with how the mandarins gathered the necessary hardware for the mission and then marched smartly out the door. 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. "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. 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; Deployed together with a small Delta Force contingent, Centra Spike flew over Colombia in their airplanes and continued to track Escobar. non-covert action intelligence activityoften a collection programto be of such sensitivity that 1 Oral notifications shall be followed by a written notification. Spec Ops Profile: Intelligence Support Activity | Military.com 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. The most elite special operations forces in the US Some forces were focused on eliminating Iraqi forces and others focused on deposing the ruling Hussein family. There was a chain barricade that the Serbian police (MUPs) used to block access to a side road that junctioned with highway M4. I pulled out a pick and tension bar and handed them to him. 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. Smith's book lifts the lid of secrecy on the Activity, one of America's least well known Special Ops units. 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. No unit is quite as secretive as the Intelligence Support Activity. . 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. These deployments include Operation Winter Harvest, Operation Queens Hunter and their role in Operation Anaconda. 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. The US military and many of its allies consider DA one of the basic special operations missions. The unit selects operatives for deployments based on their language proficiency and their ability to blend in with the locals. "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. 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(Source), The ISAs selection and training is geared towards intelligence specialisation despite conducting occasional direct engagement. 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. During the operation, a rivalry developed between Centra Spike, and a CIA intelligence unit named Majestic Eagle. 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The unit's history, the politics that have shaped it and the operations it has carried out are recounted in great and fascinating detail. As they soundly slept in the reverie of their grand plan, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy happened by and found the car unlocked. The U.S. Army Intelligence Support Activity (ISA) is a special operations unit that collects "actionable" intelligence in preparation for activities by other special operations units, particularly those related to counter-terrorism missions. Gaining entry into the ISA is not easy; candidates already must be part of a special operations forces group. What was needed was a SOF unit devoted to intelligence gathering and preparing the battlespace for other SOF operators. Landing zones were established, Lebanese militias contacted for help, and plans formulated for a commando force. 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 "Also in 1982, an ISA team was sent to Sudan to provide protection to Sudanese President Gaafar Nimeiry and his vice president. Lawyers for both Titles within the respective DOD and CIA bureaucracies, fought to preserve their interpretations of applications, to prevent one department from intruding into the territory of the other. Additionally, these operative can remotely turn on a cellphone thats been turned off, which allows them to hear everything going on near it. Meyer was determined that no future SOF OP with Army forces would be conducted absent credible quality CIA/DOD/NSA and Army intelligence. They require units with combinations of trained specialized personnel, equipment, and tactics that exceed the routine capabilities of conventional military forces. Get the weekly email from Grey Dynamics that makes reading intel articles and reports actually enjoyable. Royal Cape, Granite Rock and Powder Keg were some, Centra Spike and Torn Victor being other possible cover names. (Source). HUMINT collection cant be done without boots on the ground, so members of the main battalions are likely conducting field operations. These operatives have a cover in the commercial sector, typically as an international businessperson. 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. Human intelligence (HUMINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) are the most common products of their operations. I didnt think a thing of it, as it had taken me a while to throw that lock open on my first few tries. See Intelligence Collection Directive (ICD) 112, . Originally referred to as Task Force Orange, other names have included Centra Spike, Torn Victor and Gray Fox. In Evaluating Immunities before a Special Tribunal for Aggression Against Ukraine, the Type of Tribunal Matters, Chinas Ferry Tale Taiwan Invasion Plan Is A Legal Nightmare, China Maritime Report No. The next morning arrived, but the moping mandarins came empty-handed: Ok, give me a rundown on the entire operation starting from when you arrived at the install site.. The forms of intelligence gathered by the Activity include: HUMINT (HUMan INTellgence) (Source) The US military sought to carry out intelligence operations without the direct need of US intelligence agencies. (Source) Training involves different espionage and intelligence methods that allow ISA members to carry out their essential HUMINT operations. 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'). This Army Special Operations unit, goes by many names, which is indicative of the various activities, functions and environments performed by these operators. Special Recon, Direct Action. 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. Sound Like You? The ISA has gone by many name: Intelligence Support Activity or Mission Support Activity, and nicknamed The Activity, Task Force Orange . 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. National and Joint Intelligence Support - United States Army 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! Bravo and Delta troops utilize commercial or non-official cover. The selection process and training for special operations groups are secret. FOG became permanent and renamed ISA on March 3, 1981. and direct action combat. During the war on terror it was responsible for hunting hunting high value persons. (Source), Outlined as the primary purpose of the ISA since its inception, intelligence gathering is one of its most essential tasks. His elements were being heavily tasked, and a directed intelligence pipeline was established to FOG. ISA members conducted extensive interviews with Special Forces members in the country, Lebanese Army and CIA and embassy officials. The ISA agent was ordered to stop the recording, an order to which he complied. The second rescue force was not going to be affected by the same problem, and the FOG was established in July of 1980, under the control of Colonel Jerry King. Understanding all the following is necessary for successful infiltration: (Source). When Escobar surrendered in 1991, Centra Spike was pulled out, only to return a year later, when Escobar escaped from his comfortable prison. ". 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 was never forthcoming despite the greatest pressure upon the Agency. 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. This time around, travel through the city was a very dangerous endeavour, with roadblocks everywhere. We had a key to that lock that the MUPs did not know about; that is, I could pick the lock with consistency. Intelligence Support Activity - Wikipedia Good enough, I thought. Intelligence picked up reports that the two, along with other Sudanese officials were the targets of Libyan-sponsored terrorist assassinations. The CIA proved unable to provide the critical intelligence Delta Force needed, such as the number of guards, the type of weapons they were using and what kinds of locks were on the doors. One selection exercise involved dropping a candidate off in the desert without food, water or means of communication. 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. 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). Delta was finally given the go-ahead and flew to Sicily and Cyprus along with Task Force 160 and Seaspray helicopters, thus ending the need for ISA's help. "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. Operationally, the ISA is a dedicated intelligence group, doing the intelligence leg work for special operations groups.