Intelligence Support Activity

Intelligence Support Activity
Intelligence Support Activity Match
Active	1981
Country	United States of America
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, Quiet Enable, Cemetery Wind, and Gray Fox.

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.