I spend a lot of time doing research, both combing through books, old newspapers, and internet articles as well as interviewing primary sources.  Some of this information finds its way into my fictional work, some of it ends up on SOFREP, and some just gets set aside for the time being.  I’ll try to do a better job about sharing some of this information with our readers.

Today I want to draw your attention to a white paper titled Truth Conquers All Chains: The U.S. Army Intelligence Support Activity, 1981-1989 by Jeffrey T. Richelson.  This unit is so secretive that I don’t comment on it regarding my personal experiences, but I will point you guys towards some open source information.  In addition to this paper, which first appeared in the International Journal of Intelligence and Counter Intelligence, you should also take a look at the books Killing Pablo and Killer Elite, the former being one giant OPSEC violation, but damn…it’s amazing what the author turned up via the Freedom of Information Act.

When it comes to intra-politics within our own military and government, these books have some great information.  Killing Pablo mentions at one point how when one Presidential administration steps down, that sometimes SOCOM will start freelancing to a certain extent, knowing that it will take the new administration months to play catch up.  Killer Elite contains information about how ISA was getting tailed around DC because of Pentagon petty jealousies.  As the story goes, one ISA operator cornered his tail in a the bathroom of a fast food joint and put the screws to him until he started to sing like a canary.  They had no idea whether they were being shadowed by their own people or if it was a terrorist group!

Image courtesy of DOD. Green Berets of the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) train with Soldiers from 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division during Exercise Bayonet Focus 2017 at Yakima training center, WA, June 19, 2017. ( U.S Army photo by Sgt. Brandon Welsh.)