Intelligence Support Battalion
Encyclopedia
The Intelligence Support Battalion (ISB) is the battalion in the United States Marine Corps
which provides military intelligence for the Marine Forces Reserve
. 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
.
(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
(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.
Each of the lettered companies is broken down into varying numbers of platoons which may include an All Source Fusion Platoon, Intelligence Production Team, Imagery Interpretation Platoon, Signal Intelligence Platoon, Human Intelligence Platoon and Counter-Intelligence Platoon.
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
/Human Source Intelligence (CI/HUMINT
) Marines.
ISB maintains twelve General Military Intelligence (GMI) production elements at Joint Reserve Intelligence Centers (JRICs) across the United States, as well as an Imagery Interpretation Platoon
(IIP) at Buckley Air Force Base
in Colorado
. The GMI production elements are aligned for production along the following five geographic divisions: Eurasia
, Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
which provides military intelligence for the Marine Forces Reserve
United States Marine Corps Reserve
The Marine Forces Reserve is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. It is the largest command in the U.S...
. 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
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
.
Mission
Provide a larger force intelligence capability within the Marine Corps reserves in accordance with the Department of DefenseUnited States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
(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 Activity
The Marine Corps Intelligence Activity , is a field activity of Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps and a member of both the Defense Intelligence Enterprise and the United States Intelligence Community...
(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.
Subordinate units
- H&S Company – New OrleansNew Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, Louisiana - A Company – San Diego, California
- B Company – Aurora, ColoradoBuckley Air Force BaseBuckley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Aurora, Colorado, that was established by the U.S. Army in 1943. The base was named in honor of the World War I Army pilot 1LT John Harold Buckley.-Overview:...
- C Company – Quantico, VirginiaMarine Corps Base QuanticoMarine Corps Base Quantico, sometimes abbreviated MCB Quantico, is a major United States Marine Corps training base located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly in southern Prince William County, northern Stafford County, and southeastern Fauquier County...
- 4th Ground Sensor Platoon – MobileMobile, AlabamaMobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, Alabama
Each of the lettered companies is broken down into varying numbers of platoons which may include an All Source Fusion Platoon, Intelligence Production Team, Imagery Interpretation Platoon, Signal Intelligence Platoon, Human Intelligence Platoon and Counter-Intelligence Platoon.
History
On 23 December 2004, the Marine CorpsMarine corps
A marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...
published MCBUL 5400 and officially established ISB as an operational unit. For this to occur, the Marine Corps
Marine corps
A marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...
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
Counter-intelligence
Counterintelligence or counter-intelligence refers to efforts made by intelligence organizations to prevent hostile or enemy intelligence organizations from successfully gathering and collecting intelligence against them. National intelligence programs, and, by extension, the overall defenses of...
/Human Source Intelligence (CI/HUMINT
HUMINT
HUMINT, a syllabic abbreviation of the words HUMan INTelligence, refers to intelligence gathering by means of interpersonal contact, as opposed to the more technical intelligence gathering disciplines such as SIGINT, IMINT and MASINT...
) Marines.
ISB maintains twelve General Military Intelligence (GMI) production elements at Joint Reserve Intelligence Centers (JRICs) across the United States, as well as an Imagery Interpretation Platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
(IIP) at Buckley Air Force Base
Buckley Air Force Base
Buckley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Aurora, Colorado, that was established by the U.S. Army in 1943. The base was named in honor of the World War I Army pilot 1LT John Harold Buckley.-Overview:...
in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The GMI production elements are aligned for production along the following five geographic divisions: Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
, Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America.