Intelligence Support Activity

Intelligence Support Activity
Intelligence Support Activity patch
Active	1981
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	United States Special Operations Forces
Role	Operational preparation of the battlefield, provides HUMINT and SIGINT
Garrison/HQ	Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Nickname(s)	"The Activity"
Motto(s)	"Send Me" or Veritas Omnia Vincula Vincit ("Truth Overcomes All Bonds")
Engagements	Operation Winter Harvest Operation Desert Storm Operation Gothic Serpent Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom

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, especially 1st SFOD-D and DEVGRU in counter-terrorist operations.

USAISA was the official name of the unit from 1981 to 1989; previously it was known as the Field Operations Group (FOG), created in September 1980. In 1989, the then USAISA commander sent a telex "terminating" the USAISA term and his Special Access Program GRANTOR SHADOW, but the unit continued under a series of different codenames which are changed every two years; known codenames include CENTRA SPIKE, TORN VICTOR, CEMETERY WIND, and GRAY FOX.

History

The Field Operations Group

Colonel Jerry King, founder and first commander of the FOG and eventually the ISA

The Field Operations Group (FOG) was created in summer 1980 in order to take part in a second attempt to rescue the U.S. hostages held in the Tehran embassy after the failure of the Operation Eagle Claw. That operation had highlighted the U.S. shortfall in intelligence gathering, in spite of the attempts by Major Richard J. Meadows, who operated undercover in Tehran during the operation.

The Field Operations Group was under command of Colonel Jerry King, and operated in Iran, accomplishing various covert intelligence-gathering missions. The work accomplished by the FOG was successful, however the second attempt (called Operation Credible Sport), never took place because the air assets needed were not available.

After the cancellation of Operation Credible Sport, the FOG was not disbanded, but enlarged. The administration saw that ground intelligence contingencies needed to be improved upon if future special operations were to be successful (the CIA did not always provide all the information needed). So, on 3 March 1981, the FOG was established as a permanent unit and renamed US Army Intelligence Support Activity. This activity should not be confused with a later activity known as the Ground Intelligence Support Activity (GISA), as subordinated to the Army G2.

Badge and insignia

The current badge depicts an American Bald Eagle grasping a claymore, surrounded by a kilt belt, inscribed with Latin translation of 'Truth Overcomes All Bonds'. In the original crest, the claymore was wrapped in a chain with one of the links broken as a reminder of those killed during the failed DESERT CLAW mission. This symbol of failure was later deemed no longer appropriate.

The badge was deliberately designed by Jerry King and other founding members of the unit because of their shared Scottish heritage. The claymore is a greatsword originating from the Scottish Highlands, and the belt surrounding the badge is in the same style as many Scottish clan's badges.

Organisation

The ISA comprises 5 primary elements: administration, training, SIGINT, HUMINT and direct action. There are four primary battalions with various responsibilities being spread across them. Within these battalions, there is a cyber ops teams, technology ops teams and mission support teams. Each of these groups achieves different specialised tasks for their assigned mission. For the four main battalions, numbering in total over 300 operators, there are different roles members could fall into. HUMINT collection can’t be done without boots on the ground, so members of the main battalions are likely conducting field operations. They also have direct action elements within their battalions, alongside specialists in HUMINT and SIGINT. (Source) These collectively will compose some of the roles within a primary battalion of the ISA.

Additional Components

The cyber operations team extends into other offsets of intelligence gathering, including OSINT, cyber threat intelligence and cyber warfare. The ISA initially had only support activity and HUMINT gathering functions. (Source). It later took on other roles like SIGINT as battlefield requirements changed over time. The ISA also has likely integrated other new intelligence fields into its scope.

The mission support teams help actualize the other major goal of supporting other forces in a battlespace. The ISA consistently attaches itself to other units, either as a temporary or more permanent component. Due to their specialization in intelligence, they can operate as vanguard teams to support another unit’s operations. Zones are prepared, field intelligence is gathered, and targets are laid out for other forces.

Selection and Training

The selection process and training for special operations groups are secret. The training processes of other military groups however grant general insight into the selection and training of the ISA.

The selection process for the ISA prioritizes both a physical skill for field operations and a skill for intelligence operations. Typically the ISA pulls from the Green Berets due to their prior special operations experience, language skills, and autonomy. ISA members are often multilingual. The unit selects operatives for deployments based on their language proficiency and their ability to blend in with the locals. Additionally, ISA recruits from other branches of the US military and potentially elsewhere in the intelligence community. (Source) The ISA’s selection and training is geared towards intelligence specialisation despite conducting occasional direct engagement. During the operations training course, candidates are taught infiltration techniques, advanced air operations, offensive and off-road driving, personal defensive measures and communications. (Source)

Once a member of the ISA passes the initial selection, it trains alongside different intelligence specialists, including members of the CIA. (Source) Training involves different espionage and intelligence methods that allow ISA members to carry out their essential HUMINT operations. More technical training on SIGINT, such as transmission and signals interpretation is also a component of the training.

ISA Case Officers

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. These members function as case officers. A case officer is someone who handles a foreign asset by giving them collection requirements and ensuring their safety. Case officers also target and recruit potential assets. These operatives mirror the function of CIA case officers and even go through CIA training at the Farm in Virginia. (Source)

Organization

The exact makeup of ISA’s force structure is hard to determine. Everyone in the unit is on on the Department of the Army’s Special Roster, “which means they don’t exist.” For obvious reasons, the unit doesn’t exactly publicize their makeup. However, through OSINT collection we know that there are three primary squadrons:

Operations Squadron

Sometimes referred to as HUMINT or Ground squadron, Operations Squadron functions as ISA”s HUMINT collection squadron. In 2003 four troops: A,B,C, and D made up the squadron. Alpha and Charlie troops utilize official cover to collect human intelligence. Meaning that the government of the country these troops are operating in known that they work for the US government, however they don’t necessarily know that they’re a spy. Subsequently, they’re protected by diplomatic immunity if they’re compromised during an espionage operation.

Bravo and Delta troops utilize commercial or non-official cover. These operatives have a cover in the commercial sector, typically as an international businessperson. 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. Delta troop is tasked with countries that are a softer target for infiltration such as the Philippines or Morocco. Bravo troop tackles the extremely difficult target countries like Syria which had a sophisticated counterintelligence network. It’s worth noting that Bravo troop was never compromised while conducting espionage against the Assad regime in Syria. (Source)

SIGINT Squadron

As the name implies, SIGINT Squadron is responsible for ISA’s signals intelligence mission. These operatives were responsible for helping take down insurgent networks in Iraq. Operatives infiltrated internet cafes in Baghdad and conducted flyover operations in aircraft filled with signal interception gear. From 5 miles away and 4,575m above the ground, operatives could target insurgents communications via cellphone. On the ground, these operatives can use a directional antenna programmed to pick up a specific cellphone’s signal, even if it was turned off, providing Delta Force with a target building to raid.

Additionally, these operative can remotely turn on a cellphone that’s been turned off, which allows them to hear everything going on near it. Or these operatives can clone a cellphone, allowing them to send and receive communications to and from the phone from a remote locations. The exact breakdown of this squadron isn’t known, however it is a reasonable assumption that it’s divided into troops based on the specific mission, such as airborne SIGINT or ground SIGINT. (Source)

Mission Support and Other Elements

The third known squadron is the Mission Support Squadron. The breakdown of this squadron isn’t known either but it likely contains logistical support for the two operational squadrons. Such as procuring equipment, getting funding for operations/training, and human resources functions.

Additionally, ISA operates a number of fixed and rotary wing aircraft and these pilots fit somewhere into the puzzle that is ISA. The Headquarters element of ISA is located in Fort Belvoir, VA but the squadrons and supporting elements are scattered across the Maryland/D.C./Virginia area. (Source)

The US Army Intelligence Support Activity

Build-up

In 1981 the Intelligence Support Activity began to immediately select new operators, growing from FOG's 50 people to about 100. The ISA remained extremely secret; all of its records were classified under a Special Access Program (at first named OPTIMIZE TALENT). The ISA was given its classified budget of $7 million, a secret headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and cover name, the Tactical Concept Activity. ISA included three main operations branches (Command, SIGINT and Operations), and an analysis branch, whose name changed over the years (i.e. Directorate of Intelligence, Directorate of Intelligence and Security). Colonel Jerry King became ISA's first commander.

ISA mission was to support top-tier Special Operations Forces (primarily Delta Force and SEAL Team Six) in counter-terrorist operations and other special missions. The ISA would provide actionable intelligence collection, pathfinding, and operational support. The ISA performed several operations mainly in Latin America and Middle East, but also in East Africa, South-East Asia, and Europe.

First missions

The ISA conducted various missions, including giving protection to the Lebanese leader Bachir Gemayel and attempting to buy a Soviet T-72 tank from Iraq (a deal that was finally stopped by the Iraqis).

The Dozier kidnapping

On December 17, 1981, the senior U.S. Army officer in NATO Land Forces Southern European Command, Brigadier General James L. Dozier, was kidnapped from his apartment in Verona, Italy, by Italian Red Brigades terrorists. The search for General Dozier saw a massive deployment of Italian and U.S. forces, including thousands of Italian national police, the Carabinieri. The search also featured some unconventional participants, including "remote viewers" from Project Stargate and an international cast of psychics, largely orchestrated by General Albert Stubblebine, then-Commander of U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command INSCOM, and a great believer in the use of unconventional intelligence-gathering methods. An ISA SIGINT team was sent to Italy, 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. ISA and the other Army elements provided useful intelligence, helping Italian police to arrest several Red Brigades terrorists in mid-January 1982. The Italian police and intelligence agencies have never officially disclosed how they located General Dozier in late January 1982. However, U.S. Army participants in the operation have hinted that the mid-January arrests, the interrogation of those arrested, and follow-on investigations led to the eventual location of the Red Brigades hideout where Dozier was being held, in an apartment over a store in Padova. 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. General Dozier was freed unharmed by NOCS operators, also known as "The Leatherheads" for their unique headgear, on January 28, 1982.

Operation Queens Hunter

In early-1982, the ISA was needed to support a SIGINT mission in El Salvador, a mission that the CIA, the NSA and INSCOM were not able to accomplish. The task was submitted to the U.S. Army Special Operations Division (SOD), which started Operation Queens Hunter. 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. The success was such that the operation, planned to last a month, ran for more than three years. More aircraft were deployed, and eventually included eavesdropping on Honduran guerrillas too, as well as Nicaraguan Army units fighting against the Contras.

The POW/MIA affair

The ISA has also conducted an operation to search for U.S. MIAs (soldiers reported as Missing In Action) allegedly held in South-East Asia in secret POWs camps in the 1980s. In 1979, U.S. intelligence thought it had located a POW camp in Laos using aerial and satellite photographs. A ground reconnaissance was needed to determine if people seen on photographs were really American POWs. At the same time, former Special Forces Major James G. “Bo” Gritz planned a private rescue mission with other S.F. veterans. Having informed U.S. government officials about the mission, Bo Gritz was first told to abort his "mission", but was eventually approached by the ISA. Nonetheless, Gritz was not believed to be doing serious work, and Pentagon officials ordered the ISA to terminate their relationship with him when they discovered that ISA had provided him with money and equipment.

Gray Fox

Gray Fox was the codename used by the ISA at the beginning of the War in Afghanistan. Its members often work closely with Tier 1 Special Operation Forces.

In 2002, Gray Fox fought alongside Delta Force and DEVGRU in the mountains of Afghanistan. Gray Fox operatives intercepted enemy communications and trekked to observation posts with special operations units. Their efforts may have saved more than a hundred 10th Mountain Division and 101st Airborne Division soldiers fighting near Takur Ghar in Afghanistan's Shahikot Valley during Operation Anaconda.

The unit helped spearhead the search for Saddam Hussein and his family after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Gray Fox operatives sometimes work under the broader umbrella of "Joint Special Operations Task Force 20," which also includes DEVGRU, the Army's Delta Force, and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Saddam Hussein was eventually captured during Operation Red Dawn.

Task Force 20 has changed its name several times (known or suspected names include Task Force 11, Task Force 20, Task Force 121, Task Force 6-26 Task Force 145, Task Force 77, and Task Force 88).

Before the standard naming convention of task forces using numbers, Task Force 20 was, and is sometimes still identified, as their original task force name: Task Force Orange.

Under Joint Special Operations Command

In 2003, the Intelligence Support Activity was transferred from the Army to Joint Special Operations Command, where it was renamed the Mission Support Activity.

Since 2005 onward, the ISA does not always operate under a two-worded Special Access Program (SAP) name (Grey Fox, Centra Spike, etc.) In 2009, the unit was referred to as INTREPID SPEAR, until this was revealed to have been leaked in an email to the Pentagon. In 2010 it was referred to as the United States Army Studies and Analysis Activity.

Elements of the former ISA assisted in intelligence collection and analysis operations prior to and during the 2 May 2011 U.S. Special Operations Forces mission which resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Elements of DEVGRU, along with the ISA, members of the 160th SOAR, the CIA Special Activities Division, DIA and the NSA combined to execute a raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan, which ultimately killed bin Laden and resulted in the deaths of several family members and associates.

Recruitment & training

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. Candidates go through a rigorous selection process, then once admitted, receive further training in deep surveillance, signals intelligence, etc. Like all units, this special missions unit contains operational detachments as well as support detachments.

HUMINT & SIGINT

Candidates must have previous training in tactics, such as CQB, sniper, counter-sniper, and Source development. Foreign language skills, although highly desired, are not a prerequisite to becoming an ISA operator. Like all special operation team assignments, candidates must pass a rigorous assessment and selection course, as well as a lengthy background investigation and psychological testing. After passing assessment and selection, candidates attend and pass Operations Training Course (OTC).

Some of the disciplines focused on in the training course are: infiltration techniques, advanced air operations, professional driving (offensive and off-road), personal defensive measures, and state-of-the-art communications.

Popular culture

ISA remains a very poorly known force to the public. Some rare mentions of the ISA exist, including:

“Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team” by Michael Smith: This book offers an in-depth look at covert operations conducted by the ISA, from the attempted hostage rescue in Iran to more recent missions in Iraq and Afghanistan .

“The US Intelligence Community” by Jeffrey T. Richelson: Although not exclusively focused on the ISA, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the various US intelligence agencies, including the ISA, and their operations.

“Intelligence Support Activity” by Frederic P. Miller, Agnes F. Vandome and John McBrewster: This book offers an overview of the history and operations of the ISA, ideal for anyone who wants to better understand this secret unit.

The Robert Littell's novel An Agent in Place.

The Presidential Agent Series, especially its first book By Order of the President, features Gray Fox in a large role. In the book, however; they are portrayed as a top secret unit within Delta Force.

In Dale Brown's "Patrick MacLanahan" novels, the ISA operates on the high seas in support of MacLanahan's operations. One such was the recovery of Col. David Luger, who was listed as KIA after the events of "Flight of the Old Dog" but was actually captured and interrogated by Russian forces.

A single reference, referring only to "ISA cell phone snipers," is present in the computer game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. This strongly suggests that the ISA provided the technical intelligence on the location of the daughter of the President of the Russian Federation—as well as the means to communicate with her—when she unsuccessfully tried to escape pursuers in Germany. Members of the ISA only acted in support: they did not actually participate in either of the two rescue attempts.

In Mark Bowden's book, "Killing Pablo", ISA (under the codename "Centra Spike") operators play a significant role in the hunt for fugitive drug lord Pablo Escobar of the Medellin cocaine cartel leading to his death in December 1993.

In Daniel Suarez's 2012 novel Kill Decision, an Intelligence Support Activity team of operators is trying to unravel a conspiracy involving autonomous (unmanned) aerial drones.

In the television series Person of Interest, the ISA is mentioned as "an obscure U.S. Army unit that does black ops so dark, technically they don't exist," by former U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier and CIA officer John Reese (Jim Caviezel). Three operators from the unit serve as antagonists in an episode in which they attempt to assassinate a National Security Agency employee under John's protection. ISA operators are later revealed to be Indigo assets, hunting Relevant threats the Machine has identified. Sameen Shaw (Sarah Shahi) is a former U.S. Marine, Physician (Emergency Medicine) and a US Army ISA operative, first seen as an assassin working for "The Program", the section of the Government dealing with the "relevant" numbers found by The Machine (S2 Ep16, "Relevance").

ISA are a playable faction in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 multiplayer.

Nathan Edmonson's and Mitch Gerads' comic The Activity.

Ed Schroeder's Duty, Honor, Country: Kill, Capture or do Nothing, fictional account of the "Activity."

Former intelligence professional and thriller author, J.T. Patten's Task Force Orange novels are based on the Intelligence Support Activity with accolades and book reviews by Nathan Edmondson, Mitch Gerads, Michael Smith, and Sean Naylor. Patten's Task Force Orange series underwent pre-publication reviews by the CIA, NSA, and DOD.

"Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command" by Sean Naylor

"Shadow Warriors: Inside the Special Forces" by Tom Clancy

"The Perfect Kill: 21 Laws for Assassins" by Robert B. Baer

"Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror" by Robert Young Pelton

"Special Ops: America's Elite Forces in 21st Century Combat" by Fred Pushies.

See also

• Joint Special Operations Command.
  • United States Army 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment - Delta (Delta Force, The Unit)
  • United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU, Seal Team Six)
  • SEASPRAY (Joint CIA/US Army Operation).
• 14 Intelligence Company a similar unit in the United Kingdom Special Forces.
• Special Reconnaissance Regiment a similar unit in the United Kingdom Special Forces.

References

Bibliography

• Secret Warriors: Inside the Covert Military Operations of the Reagan Era, by Steven Emerson, G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 1988 ISBN 0-399-13360-7
• Truth Conquers All Chains: The U.S. Army Intelligence Support Activity, 1981–1989, by Jeffrey T. Richelson, article of the International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, Vol. 12, No. 2, 1999, pp. 168–200, ISSN 0885-0607, available on the InformaWorld
• The Pentagon's Spies: Documents Detail Histories of Once Secret Spy Units, electronic book by Jeffrey T. Richelson, 23 May 2001, on the National Security Archive website. The article collects duplicates of declassified documents about covert US military intelligence units, including the ISA :
  • Memorandum for Director, Defense Intelligence Agency, by Lt. Gen. Philip C. Gast, USAF, 10 December 1980
  • Memorandum to the Deputy Under Secretary for Policy, by Frank Carlucci, 26 May 1982
  • 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
• Killing Pablo: the hunt for the world's greatest outlaw, by Mark Bowden, Atlantic Monthly Press, New York, 2001 ISBN 0-87113-783-6
• Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Force Unit, by Michael Smith, Orion Publishing Co, 2005 ISBN 0-304-36727-3 online presentation (several editions from 2006 to 2011 with additional material)

External links

• StateCraft.org
• SpecWarNet.net : this site obviously confused the Field Operations Group with a covert Special Forces Unit called the Foreign Operating Group, which operated in Nicaragua in 1979.
• SourceWatch's article about the ISA.
• A National Security Archive's report about DoD-made HUMINT, including ISA.