Military intelligence Soldiers train for deployment

by Spc. Steve Brannelly
49th PAD

	photo by by Spc. Steve Brannelly/49th PAD Soldiers from Company A, 519th Military Intelligence Battalion detain suspects for interrogation during an exercise Nov. 13 at Fort Bragg.

It was a chilly, quiet morning, and the streets of the village were relatively still. Here and there women in headscarves and men in long robes walked along in deep conversation. Suddenly, the stillness was broken by the sound of nearly a dozen military vehicles speeding into the center of town, weapons blazing as their trucks were fired on from windows and rooftops by hidden assailants.

But this was not a scene from the mountains of Afghanistan or the crowded cities of Iraq. This village sits among the training ranges of Fort Bragg, and it was populated this day by actors in colorful dress, including 22 native Afghan speakers.

The week-long exercise was held Nov. 9 through 13 and included Company A, 519th Military Intelligence Battalion and members of 4th Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group. 
The morning’s activities had two parts: infiltrate and secure the town, then gather any available intelligence.

The green berets took charge during the initial assault. They secured the village quickly, losing only one vehicle to a mock suicide bomber. 

Suspected insurgents were brought to a secured building to await questioning. Any and all computers, cell phones, documents and other media were collected for further review.
Next, the Soldiers’ of the 519th MI Bn. went to work.

Capt. Benjamin Smith of Monticello, Fla., Co. A commander, described the job with an acronym that also serves as the name of the exercise: F3EAD. The three F’s stand for “find, fix and finish,” and refer to the target of intelligence gathering. The next step is “exploitation,” which is the actual gathering of intelligence. Finally, Smith explained, the teams “analyze” the data and “disseminate” their findings to battlefield commanders.

“The better the intelligence that we can provide to our maneuver commanders, the better able they’ll be to make the decisions they need to make to fight the war,” Smith said.

Part of that intelligence is known as human intelligence, and most of that is gained by detaining and interrogating suspects. None of the actors in the exercise are allowed to speak English, so intel collectors like Sgt. James Barnes of Jacksonville, Fla., must use interpreters. 

A working relationship with the interpreters is important for getting the most information from an interrogation, Barnes explained.

“A good interpreter can alert you to things you might not understand, little things that may not come across in a literal translation,” Barnes said.

Working with Special Forces on a large-scale operation was a great learning experience for both units. 

“I hope they understand a little better what intel can do for them, and it shows us that we’re not generally in the lead; we’re there to support another unit,” Smith said.

Although the military intelligence Soldiers proved proficient at their jobs, there is always room for improvement. 

“Some of the MI guys need to get used to working in actual combat,” Barnes said. “When a lot of things are going on, we have to stay organized.”

Smith said these Soldiers understand their skills are vital to the military’s efforts overseas. 
“I really see military intelligence as a combat multiplier,” Smith said. “If you have good intelligence, you don’t need as many ground forces to do a mission.”