intelligence support activity direct action

The eventual shootout that ended Pablos life may not have directly involved the ISA, however, its efforts certainly aided in the eventual locating and killing of the cartel boss. ISA agents even managed to obtain Lebanese license plates, which would allow Delta to be parachuted in with their own cars, then 'legitimized' with the plates. ISA operators were said to be so skilled that they could tell whether a tank needed a tune-up from background noise of transmissions. Part of a Delta-DEVGRU task force, ISA provided intelligence on the whereabouts of Bosnian Serb war crimes suspects. They must maintain a demeanour of trustworthiness and calmness, so any approached HUMINT sources feel safe and trusted. (Source) Operatives must not look out of placeor easily recognizable. More technical training on SIGINT, such as transmission and signals interpretation is also a component of the training. The ISA comprises 5 primary elements: administration, training, SIGINT, HUMINT and direct action. The mission support teams help actualize the other major goal of supporting other forces in a battlespace. Reconnaissance overflights revealed a possible location where POWs, still believed to be held by the Vietnamese early in the year. 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'). During these operations, the ISA operated alongside other combat groups, providing them with signals intelligence support and field intelligence, including HUMINT. 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. It is known that the unit has changed its codename over the years. 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. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. Some of the more well-documented operations of the ISA shed light on the general nature of the ISAs overall operations. The Beechcrafts were made to appear normal from the outside, save for a wingspan six inches longer. (function() { 160th SOAR | 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. With dramatis personae that include the CIA, Delta Force, DEVGRU, the Intelligence Support Activity, Pakistani Commandos, the Taliban, and spies from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI), this story has the makings of a future Brad Thor bestseller. Establishing cover as husband and wife to live in and conduct intelligence collection missions within a target country. . In line with their proficiency in infiltration, they had an array of passports, credit cards and falsified documents to allow easy movement between territories. a Title 10 operation or a Title 50 operation. A much more classified component was a solely-US effort codenamed Green Light, focusing specifically on former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. One selection exercise involved dropping a candidate off in the desert without food, water or means of communication. When operatives are in less restrictive environments they can often be seen carrying weapons used by locals, most often in the form of AKs. It was provided with a cover name, Tactical Concept Activity, and would never be acknowledged by the Pentagon. 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. Rather than disbanding the unit, it was expanded. Access to that road saved a considerable amount of travel time for support for an ongoing mission. find out more There was a task I did for the Cantor routinely and at a moments notice. (Source). From 5 miles away and 4,575m above the ground, operatives could target insurgents communications via cellphone. The US wanted a team to covertly survey the situation on the ground and provide officials with a survey of the US embassy. > Role: HUMINT (human intelligence), SIGINT (signals intelligence), direct action. 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With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! 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. Initially, Delta Force turned to the CIA for information regarding the number of guards, how they were armed and what security measures they had in place. and direct action combat. "In 1984, political instability swept through the Seychelles, a group of islands off the coast of Africa. The DCS, G-2 is the Director of the Operational Environment Enterprise (OEE) and author of the Army's approved current Operational Environment (OE). by Michael Smith ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? Well, say that was certainly good news. They began forming their own plan for storming the airplane and liberating the hostages. (Dominique Sumner and Peter Tomich). Fort Belvoir, North Virginia, United States. Both Army and the Agency recognized the changed nature of the world and the requirements of the emerging terrorist/hostage issues. A case officer is someone who handles a foreign asset by giving them collection requirements and ensuring their safety. (Source), Under the operational codename Centra Spike, the Intelligence Support Activity operated alongside CIA and local police elements to track down Escobar. However, due to the nature of ISAs mission, its operators are rarely likely to carry weapons into the field. This is especially useful in countries where men and women socializing is frowned upon outside of the family. 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. Good enough, I thought. Cake duty! (Source), Outlined as the primary purpose of the ISA since its inception, intelligence gathering is one of its most essential tasks. This has been more visible in their operations in Afghanistan, Operation Winter Harvest and Operation Queens Hunter. However, our personal favorite is a toss-up between Cemetery Wind and Gray Fox. And with that our boss, the Cantor, doled out a mission for a two-man team of mandarins. Candidates pulled from computer records, or by word of mouth were required to pass a tough selection course, physical and psychological tests. These operatives have a cover in the commercial sector, typically as an international businessperson. The planners in DAMO-ODSO were acutely aware of the different legal authorities contained in Title 10 and Title 50 statutes. When conducting more integrated operations with other parts of the military, the skill of intelligence support comes into play. 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. US Army Rangers | The southern blocking force team of mystified mandarins meandered in where we were stacking mags and: What are you guys doing with all the hardware?, Mission prep for the Klandanj takedown., Well were a blocking force; were supposed to block cars keep them from getting around us to the ambush site. Understanding all the following is necessary for successful infiltration: (Source). . Stationed in the fifth floor of the American embassy, and operating from specially outfitted Beechcraft 300 and 350 aircraft, Centra Spike tracked Escobar around the country. Most ISA trainees are from Army Special Forces, meaning many have skills in CQC, sniping, counter-sniping and general tactical engagements. If an operative is in a country with an official cover, possessing a firearm can mean being sent to prison or death. When the CIA took credit for Centra Spike's work, the Army became furious and a competition was arranged between the two units. Along with Queens Hunter, ISA was involved in many operations across Central America, in Panama, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. All Rights Reserved, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window). 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. If successful, the candidate would then continue training within ISA in such skills as parachuting, survival, weapons and intelligence gathering. Highly recommended. "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. Centra Spike was known to operate under several cover names, including Torn Victor, Cemetery Wind, Capacity Gear and Robin Court, and closely matched ISA's description. Both were doing the same thing in Colombia, except Centra Spike was doing a better job, at a much lower cost. The unit was raised in 1979 as the Foreign Operating Group (FOG), who was created to overthrow the Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza. However, Operation Anaconda is one of few of the ISAs Afghanistan operations known to the public. The debris revealed a spider hole and as an operator prepared a grenade, Saddam poked his head out of the hole. The ISA's HUMINT collectors gather information from human sources via coercion and interrogation depending on the asset. While Delta and DEVGRU focus on direct engagement and specialized combat tactics, the ISA conducts intelligence and espionage operations at a tactical level. 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. 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. International Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Interview with Dr. Niamh Gaynor, Transnistria and Russian Tensions: Moldova 12-month Forecast, Terrorist Threat in Senegal: A 12-month Forecast, Terrorist Threat in Guinea: A 12-Month Forecast, 7.3. FOG was developed because of a perceived need for greater intelligence-gathering capabilities for the U.S. military. The Untold Story of Women in Special Operations, We Are Abandoning the Women of the Special Forces, SOAA Calls for Support of our Afghan Allies in The Hill, SOAA Supports Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret. 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). On October 23, 1983, a truck bomb slammed into the US Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 Americans, and injuring scores more. The simple plan called for pipe-hitters to deploy from the states and set up an ambush at a blind S-curve along the generals route. Working closely with Special Forces and the CIA, Gray Fox also places operatives inside hostile territory. Before it operated under the name ISA, the group was referred to as the Field Operations Group (FOG). 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