Who could collect the needed information and conduct the required analyses, and through what processes? Prior to Saddams capture, over 40 members of his family were captured and interrogated to determine his whereabouts with little success. Highlights include one year as the G-2 of Task Force Eagle in Bosnia where he provided multi- disciplined intelligence support to high visibility peace enforcement operations in the Balkans and as the G-2 of Task . Centra Spike agents operated all around Colombia, as well as neighbouring countries where the cartels influence extended. (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. Ultimately, Operation Credible Sport was cancelled but the FOG had proven its usefulness. Intelligence leadership should assign primary responsibility for analysis of the IE to a single organization, which would establish a foundation for institutionalizing capability integration and raise awareness of the associated challenges. 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 . The Intelligence Support Activity conducts its operations during and in advance of US military operations. Colonel John Lackey served as unit commander from 1986 to 1989. 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? [21], Since 2005 onward, the ISA has not always operated under a two-worded Special Access Program (SAP) name (GRAY FOX, CENTRA SPIKE, etc.). Every component of the US military was involved in the Invasion of Afghanistan, including the ISA. In 1989, the then USAISA commander John G. Lackey sent a telex "terminating" the USAISA term and his special access program GRANTOR SHADOW. (Source). Both information operations (IO) and intelligence have long been core components of U.S. military operations, and information is the essence of both communities. Infiltration relies much less on stealthy engagement, and much more on subtlety and effective tradecraft. Contents hide 1 Capabilities 2 Selection and training 3 History and engagement Capabilities The unit HQ is at Pope Field, North Carolina. Intelligence consumers (e.g. It must also be digitized so that it is readily discoverable, retrievable, and usable by our many users. TRADOC G-2 supports the Armys Combat Training Centers, deployed forces, all of the Armys educational institutions and capability development activities. The ISAs HUMINT collectors gather information from human sources via coercion and interrogation depending on the asset. Editor's Note: The following text is from FM 2-0, Intelligence, 6 July 2018, Chapter 4, "Intelligence Staffs and Units." National and Joint Intelligence Support National intelligence organizations employ specialized re-sources and dedicated personnel to gain information about potential adversaries, events, and other worldwide intel- The ISA comprises 5 primary elements: administration, training, SIGINT, HUMINT and direct action. What does your signature ensure? When operatives are in less restrictive environments they can often be seen carrying weapons used by locals, most often in the form of AKs. US intelligence gathering methods centre around the US intelligence process, composed of the phases Plan, Prepare, Collect, Process, and Produce. It is tasked to collect actionable intelligence in advance of . They must maintain a demeanour of trustworthiness and calmness, so any approached HUMINT sources feel safe and trusted. 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. Schwille, Michael, Anthony Atler, Jonathan Welch, Christopher Paul, and Richard C. 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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. HUMINT collection cant be done without boots on the ground, so members of the main battalions are likely conducting field operations. 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. The US wanted a team to covertly survey the situation on the ground and provide officials with a survey of the US embassy. This research was sponsored by U.S. European Command and conducted within the International Security and Defense Policy Center of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD), which operates the National Defense Research Institute (NDRI). However, through OSINT collection we know that there are three primary squadrons: Sometimes referred to as HUMINT or Ground squadron, Operations Squadron functions as ISAs HUMINT collection squadron. Notably, from 2007 to 2008, Mr. Greco deployed to Iraq where he served as the Assistant CJ2 in Iraq, ensuring intelligence support to the entire Combined Joint Task Force during the highly successful Sunni Awakening that changed the course of the war there. 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. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2020. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR3161.html. ISA operatives often work in disguise and undercover. Museum of failures. IO personnel should receive instruction in targeting processes, which should extend to nonlethal effects. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. 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). In planning for a conflict involving the PRC, the United States should . To set up this activity, make a bulletin board or display in a wing of your office, or launch an online gallery on a platform such as Slack, social media, Imgur, or the iCloud. programs offered at an independent public policy research organizationthe RAND Corporation. Intelligence Support Activity - Operations The ISA has been at the forefront (although very much in the background) of most of America's special operations since the early 80s. [21], In 2002, Gray Fox operators served alongside Delta Force and DEVGRU in the mountains of Afghanistan. ACE Futures Directorate studies the OE and threats through 2050 to inform concepts, capability development and testing via the Capability Development & Experimentation Branch, Wargaming and Concepts Branch, Capabilities Development Scenario and Studies Directorate (CDSSD), and the Mad Scientist Program. 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 (Source). In the 1980s, extremist parties on both sides of the political spectrum plagued Italy. In 2009, the unit was referred to as INTREPID SPEAR, until this was revealed to have been leaked in an email to the Pentagon. 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. This is a Tier Two Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service (DISES) position. The search for General Dozier saw a massive deployment of Italian and U.S. forces, including thousands of Italian national police, the Carabinieri. (Source). The CIA would talk directly to the warlords while the ISA provided SIGINT support and ground security for them. 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. What are the barriers or challenges to doing so? 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. It later took on other roles like SIGINT as battlefield requirements changed over time. Bravo troop tackles the extremely difficult target countries like Syria which had a sophisticated counterintelligence network. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Also available in print form. 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. Sound Like You? The selection process for the ISA prioritizes both a physical skill for field operations and a skill for intelligence operations. In 1979, U.S. intelligence thought it had located a POW camp in Laos using aerial and satellite photographs. All RAND reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity. Get the weekly email from Grey Dynamics that makes reading intel articles and reports actually enjoyable. 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. However, the ISA intercepted Iraqi communications that corroborated intelligence collected from his family members. What data, information, analysis, and level of understanding are required to plan, integrate, and execute operations in the information environment? The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. 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. Such as procuring equipment, getting funding for operations/training, and human resources functions. People know ISA mostly for its involvement in Operation Anaconda. They also have direct action elements within their battalions, alongside specialists in HUMINT and SIGINT. Originally referred to as Task Force Orange, other names have included Centra Spike, Torn Victor and Gray Fox. In effect, the ISAs exploitation of signal intelligence saved the lives of 100s of US soldiers from the 10th Mountain and 101st Airborne divisions. 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 theory, all decisions made by AI are data driven. I&A's State and Local Partner Engagement . The OEE must enable the delivery, application, and use and reuse of information. The Italian police and intelligence agencies have never officially disclosed how they located General Dozier in late January 1982. These techniques include intelligence gathering, infiltration and intelligence support. The Network Engagement Team trains members of the joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational (JIIM) community focusing on integration of social network analysis to improve understanding of the friendly, neutral, and adversarial networks that exist within the OE. Intelligence oversight is a way to ensure that the IC works with the law and balances collecting essential information and protecting individuals' interests and privacy. (Source), Under the operational codename Centra Spike, the Intelligence Support Activity operated alongside CIA and local police elements to track down Escobar. 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. 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. Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO) researches, discovers, and describes open source, foreign perspective insights of understudied and unconsidered aspects of the operational environment. Know your customer journey You can't start developing or implementing any customer engagement strategy without knowing who your customers are and how they interact with your brand. ISA members are often multilingual. ISA operatives were sent to Laos and located an armed encampment there that had at least two captured men, believed to be either US military personnel or covert operatives. cooperation (SC) activities coordinated by, with, or through ASCCs. These intelligence gathering methods outline how intelligence is gathered and what is done with it afterwards. Operationally, the ISA is a dedicated intelligence group, doing the intelligence leg work for special operations groups. (. 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 ). Operating from a Beechcraft model 100 King Air flown by SEASPRAY (a clandestine military aviation unit) based in Honduras, ISA SIGINT specialists monitored communications from Salvadoran leftist guerrillas and fascist death squads, providing intelligence which helped the Salvadoran Army defend against guerrilla attacks. (Source). In the aftermath, the FOG was hard at work gathering intelligence in Iran in preparation for Operation Credible Sport, the second attempt to rescue the hostages. 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), Tactical Concept Activity, Tactical Support Team, and Tactical Coordination Detachment,[1] and also nicknamed The Activity and the Army of Northern Virginia,[2] is a United States Army Special Operations unit which serves as the intelligence gathering component of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). Delta troop is tasked with countries that are a softer target for infiltration such as the Philippines or Morocco. Provides intelligence support and related activities to federal asset and threat agencies Facilitates the building of situational threat awareness and sharing of related . (Source). US Army intelligence defines HUMINT as including: The sources of this information can come from enemy combatants, including regular armed forces, and civilian sources. DPC/RSU - West. . The Intelligence Support Activity (ISA) is also under JSOC. It is a Tier 1 unit under the direct supervision of the Department of Defense along with SEAL Team 6, 24th Special Tactics Squadron, and . Samuel is a King's College graduate with an MA in War Studies. The ISA performed several operations mainly in Latin America and the Middle East during the 1980s, but also in East Africa, South-East Asia, and Europe. 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. The ACE Chief leads one of three TRADOC G-2 lines of effort, Maintaining Continuity of the OE Narrative and ensures OE support to the Army, TRADOC, and Army Futures Command. This was detailed in two books, "BOHICA" by Scott Barnes an ISA operative on this mission and "Kiss the Boys Goodbye" by Monika Jensen-Stevenson and William Stevenson both detailed the covert mission of Operation Grand Eagle. The intelligence and IO communities lack shared processes and an understanding of one another's requirements, impeding coordination and collaboration. PLA Engagement with Latin America in Support of PRC Strategic Objectives. ACE Fusion Directorate integrates research and analysis efforts from across the ACE with those of the Intelligence Community to produce tailored assessments for senior leaders within the Army and Department of Defense and provides direct support to TRADOC G-2 Operational Environment Center (OEC) training and exercises. Operatives can covertly enter enemy buildings to plant cameras. One approach is to assign IO liaison officers to intelligence organizations. [citation needed]. [11] The current organization of ISA is classified but does contain at least three squadrons (Operations, SIGINT and Mission Support/Communications). Afghanistan: The Fox and The Anaconda. As a result, intelligence organizations do not understand intelligence needs for OIE or routinely provide OIE-specific intelligence products, and related requests for intelligence support are not prioritized. tactical _____, despite being an evolving concept, supports tactical action, including counterinsurgency, Theater Army country support plans 3-2, page 7 . While the nerdiest Green Berets and special operators comprise the bulk of ISA, there are also non-traditional operatives who have not passed the selection course. Whereabouts with little success without boots on the asset retrievable, and much on! 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