The Intelligence Support Battalion (ISB) is the battalion in the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through ...
which provides military intelligence for the
Marine Forces Reserve
The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command, by assigned p ...
. It is part of the
Force Headquarters Group
Force Headquarters Group (FHG) is a major subordinate command (MSC) of the United States Marine Corps based in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was established as a part of the command element for Marine Forces Reserve. It was activated on July 18, 2012 ...
. They have detachments located throughout the United States and Marines from this unit have deployed all over the world in numerous billets supporting the
War on Terror
The war on terror, officially the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), is an ongoing international counterterrorism military campaign initiated by the United States following the September 11 attacks. The main targets of the campaign are militant ...
.
Mission
Provide a larger force intelligence capability within the Marine Corps reserves in accordance with the
Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philippin ...
(DoD) initiative to reshape the total force. The ISB provides over 200 new Select Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR) intelligence Marines through three companies of trained intelligence specialists to support
Marine Corps Intelligence Activity
Marine Corps Intelligence is an element of the United States Intelligence Community. The Director of Intelligence supervises the Intelligence Department of HQMC and is responsible for policy, plans, programming, budgets, and staff supervision of ...
(MCIA) in DoD Intelligence Production Program (DoDIPP) requirements. During peace time, reservists from the ISB drill at 12 of the 27 Joint Reserve Intelligence Centers (JRICs). During times of contingencies or crises, these Marines can be activated in place, providing reach-back capability, or can be deployed with their active duty counterparts.
Mobile
Mobile may refer to:
Places
* Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city
* Mobile County, Alabama
* Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S.
* Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Mobile ...
, Alabama
* Company A– San Diego, California
* Company B–
Aurora, Colorado
Aurora (, ) is a home rule municipality located in Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties, Colorado, United States. The city's population was 386,261 at the 2020 United States Census with 336,035 residing in Arapahoe County, 47,720 residing in A ...
* Company C–
Quantico, Virginia
Quantico ( or ; formerly Potomac) is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 480 at the 2010 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, DC, bordered by the Potomac River to the east a ...
History
4th Sensor Control and Management Platoon
The 4th Sensor Control and Management Platoon (SCAMP) was activated on 1 October 1986 and co-located in Mobile with 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company. In 1990, 4th SCAMP was mobilized in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and in 1991 was demobilized.
Formation
On 23 December 2004, the
Marine Corps
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
published MCBUL 5400 and officially established ISB as an operational unit. For this to occur, the Marine Corps created 286 new Active Component, Active Reserve (AR), and Reserve Component intelligence billets and added them to the original 161 Reserve Component billets, resulting in a completely transformed intelligence organization of 459 Marines.
Since its operational establishment, ISB has provided intelligence production support to a variety of customers throughout the Intelligence Community (IC) and supported numerous operational manning requirements overseas with intelligence analysts, Ground Sensor Marines, and
Counterintelligence
Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or o ...
/Human Source Intelligence (CI/
HUMINT
Human intelligence (abbreviated HUMINT and pronounced as ''hyoo-mint'') is intelligence gathered by means of interpersonal contact, as opposed to the more technical intelligence gathering disciplines such as signals intelligence (SIGINT), image ...
) Marines.
On 1 October 2019, the Marine Corps published MCBUL 5400 that designated ISB into six functioning companies to align with its active-duty component. Those companies include Alpha Company, Bravo Company, Battlespace Surveillance Company, Headquarters Company, Direct Support and Operations Company.