525th Military Intelligence Brigade (Airborne)
The 525th Military Intelligence Brigade (Airborne) provides intelligence analysis and collection support to the XVIII Airborne Corps, America's Contingency Corps.
The 525th Military Intelligence Brigade (Airborne) is the only rapidly deployable Military Intelligence Brigade in the United States Army. It provides direct and general support the XVIII Airborne Corps.
The Brigade headquarters and two airborne Battalions (the 319th Military Intelligence Battalion (Operations) (Airborne) and the 519th Military Intelligence Battalion (Tactical Exploitation) (Airborne)) are stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and a third, the 224th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), is at Hunter Army Airfield, GA. The 325th Military Intelligence Battalion (U.S. Army Reserve) headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut is wartraced to the Brigade.
The Brigade's capabilities include a full range of advanced intelligence analysis and intelligence collection that includes Counterintelligence, Long Range Surveillance, Aerial Signals Intelligence, and Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities (TENCAP). It's soldiers come from across the range of Military Occupational Specialties in the Army to include Military Intelligence disciplines, Infantry, Aviation, Signal, and the full range of critical Combat Support and Combat Service Support experts.
As with other XVIII Airborne Corps units, the Brigade can employ soldiers, along with equipment, to anywhere in the world in 18 hours.
The mission of the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade is to provide rapidly deployable all-source predictive intelligence, electronic warfare intelligence, communications support, reconnaissance and surveillance, target acquisition, battle damage assessment, and command and control warfare support to the XVIII Airborne Corps in support of world-wide contingency operations.
The 525th Military Intelligence Brigade traces its lineage to World War II: the 218th Counterintelligence Corps Detachment and the 525th Interrogation Team. These units were deactivated after World War II.
On 21 February 1948, the 525th Headquarters Intelligence Detachment was reactivated and assigned to Fort Bragg, NC. It was later redesignated the 525th Military Intelligence Service Group, in December 1950.
During the Korean War, elements of the Group participated in seven campaigns and earned a Meritorious Unit Commendation and two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations.
In December 1953, the Unit was redesignated again as the 525th Military Intelligence Group, and was transferred from Fort Bragg to Fort George G. Meade , MD.
Upon arrival in Vietnam, in November 1965, the 525th Military Intelligence Group was assigned to the U.S. Army, Vietnam. There, the Group provided advisor and intelligence support to include; aerial reconnaissance and surveillance, counterintelligence, interrogation, technical intelligence, and area intelligence.
After Vietnam, the Group moved several times. On 16 September 1978, it returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina where it was redesignated as the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade (Airborne).
In December 1989, the Brigade participated, once again, in a rapid deployment operation, providing critical intelligence support to Joint Task Force (JTF) during Operation Just Cause. Brigade soldiers interrogated key Panamanian Defense Force members, screened documents, and served as the nucleus of the JTF Panama J2. The soldiers who served with JTF Panama, J2, received the Joint Meritorious Unit Commendation award.
Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm deployments began in early August 1990. The Brigade sent over 1,600 soldiers in support of XVIII Airborne Corps. Missions included all source analysis to Corps Headquarters and subordinate units, interrogating over 5,000 enemy prisoners of war, flying over 550 combat intelligence collection missions, collecting signals intelligence, providing communications jamming support, conducting long range surveillance operations, and augmenting the 6th French Light Armored Division.
The brigade also deployed to Haiti in support of Operation Uphold Democracy. The brigade task force conducted split-based operations which provided signals intelligence and direct support teams to the maneuver brigades. The brigade also provided imagery support, intelligence analysis support, signals intelligence analysis, and national imagery support to the headquarters of both Joint Task Forces (JTF) 180 and 190. The task force also utilized its counter-intelligence/human intelligence teams and established and ran the joint detainee facility in support of JTF-190.
