EP-226 | US Army Special Mission Unit Counterintelligence

Josh is a retired U.S. Army Warrant Officer who began his career enlisted as a counterintelligence soldier. He spent five years in the Special Mission Unit and a total of about fourteen years in the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) community.
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[@davidsandoz2827]

Good interview. Josh I was a 97B4P with the 82nd MID. I was a graduate of Holabird High in Baltimore, MD in 1967. I deployed with the 3rd Brigade to Vietnam in 1968 and returned to Fort Bragg to finish my career as an agent. Your interview stirred up some interesting memories.

[@greystokeassociates1605]

I was a 97B4G9. Graduated class B501 in 1967.

[@armytc86]

I too was stationed at Fort Bragg as well. In 18th ABC Special Troops Battalion, Headquarters Support Company.

[@mr.perfect1er]

Charge you funny little window lickers....Charge! LOL

[@armytc86]

@@mr.perfect1er someone has to lick the windows.....😂😂😂😂

[@mr.perfect1er]

@@armytc86 Roger that....LOL!!!! Much Love, ATW!

[@aapi1253]

great broadcast thanks

[@devinclements2313]

I didn't learn anything but qol seems better for ci

[@Jonathan-fn5dq]

Can't believe I'm just now finding this channel. Great group of individuals providing high quality content. Thank you for your service.

[@Mentors4mil]

Thank you! Be sure to follow our weekly podcast on Apple Podcast, PodBean, Spotify, or SoundCloud each week.

[@COYDOGSBAND]

@@Mentors4mil Hey!! I have a similar story to Josh's!!! Omg...they had me try 3 times, and *I ALSO CONTACTED MY CONGRESSMAN!! lol...Darrel Issa, unfortunately, was the guy we contacted...Listen, my waver got screwed up but I was trying to do the same exact route from 11B (mine was Air Assault) then go to Q Course so I could get to "Orange" (SIGINT)!! How do I find his books?? How do I find his social media so I can reach out as a fellow author?*

[@timkretsch]

@@COYDOGSBAND Are you ultimately trying to be a 35N/P or an 18E? Why not just go 35N/P from the start and try getting to a SOT-A at one of the SFG(A) or getting on a Ranger OST, then after you have some experience in your SIGINT trade you can assess for a more specialized unit.

[@drashawntingram4030]

@@Mentors4mil how do I join the intelligence support activity

[@jasonvanwyk209]

​@@drashawntingram4030just join the army first.

[@darinradz]

What's the name of his book?

[@jasondoe5741]

Didn't really talk much about the actual job.

[@johnwagner308]

Very good interview. CI can be horribly boring until you make rank and even then you need good non-tactical assignments to make it more interesting. The higher level MI schools at Huachuca like BNCOC, ANCOC, WOAC, etc. were nothing but a waste of time especially when they pushed their Hi-Tech boxes of garbage (ASAS, CHIMS) into the courses. But that was a long time ago--hopefully things have changed.

[@F80mthree]

Yup, my dad said the only exciting stuff he got to do was the few years he was with 7th group down in Honduras and Colombia in the early 1990s. After that he was sent to Korea which bored him to the point of leaving the army all together.

[@OR_Wolfhunter]

“Your windshield is bigger than your rearview mirror for a reason” Damn, that hits hard…

[@davewylie654]

That Ft Huachuca near the booming metropolis of Sierra Vista has got to be the worst place to be stationed in the Army period!!! They sent my squad TDY to train Arizona National Guard and Reserves on the SAW when they came out. Mind you I was coming from FT. Polk and couldn't wait to get back there. Lol. That place is brutal

[@jeremytillman3567]

I really like this podcast . Great to listen to at work 👍

[@Mentors4mil]

Thanks, Jeremy!

[@playinem121]

Way too many ads!

[@augustusg857]

I really want this army career.

[@BirdDawg1]

Very interesting interview and individual. What a career!

[@SevenFrom1]

Send me

[@JohnSmith-pj4jv]

Love some of these comments regarding the veracity of his career. I served with Josh at Fort Meade when he was a Master Sergeant and I was a senior warrant team leader. I can assure everyone that everything he discussed is 100% legit. You simply do not know the details of the clandestine/covert world unless you have been behind the curtain.

[@OR_Wolfhunter]

How it’s supposed to be. Imo a lot of problems nowadays is that people are privy to things that they never should have been

[@alb639]

Ahhhh... The ole, "I never accomplished jack shit in my life, so there's no way he did either!". That never gets old. Thanks for your service, user-tl4hr3xx4b...

[@Keithrrr]

JohnSmith-pj4jv, what curtain are you talking about ? The Beef Curtain ?🤣

[@Rebel-Forces-Earth-007]

Why does ACI have that weird square on the front of the badge, right above the seal of the Army? I never seen any other federal or military badge with that kind of addition.

[@steveeuphrates-river7342]

It's hilarious that this guy had a problem with authority and he was an E-8 and then Warrant. :)

[@severedjustice]

97E/35M love working with 35L they got some creative imagination that's all I'll say

[@steveeuphrates-river7342]

I had platoon sergeants who kicked me in the a$$ and kept me on track. Thank you all!

[@jg3_75]

Is this dude in ISA? That’s all I wanna kno? Because the title says ARMY “special military unit” and “Intelligence” so what does that make u think?

[@OR_Wolfhunter]

Sounds more like the Great Skill program to me but what do I know? 😉

[@steveeuphrates-river7342]

In 1983, you needed an 89 to pass the DLAB. I scraped by with a 93. It says nowadays you need a 95 minimum. :/

[@moose2934]

People are also a WHOLE lot dumber nowadays to however! 😭

[@panchovilla7580]

This guy said nothing for over an hour. Impressive.

[@G4x5da]

@AardvarkMitochondria HUMINT/CI operators are very likeable and approachable and master the art of verbosity (without revealing to much) so their interlocutor feels the need to actively participate in the conversation - thus getting intel out of you.

[@G4x5da]

@AardvarkMitochondria no this guy came to a “mentor” podcast to talk about his path and how to make things happen for you cause nobody gonna do it for you. Hey didn’t came here to talk about his job. All of it is classified and he signed NDA’s for that.

[@ChettleRanderson2006]

(Secret) Squirrel gotta guard them nuts 😂

[@amadexmilby7309]

My guy, you know people in intelligence have to keep some things secret, right?

[@tnwhiskey68]

I really can appreciate the whole harder place first is best! It's easier to start hard and go to easy but starting easy and going hard makes life rough!

[@TyBrous03]

Understood this perfectly.

[@jayo1499]

What A&S did he do at Bragg?

[@jasonconley4381]

I thought you couldn’t go straight into counterintelligence, thought you had to have another specialty first

[@rass1288]

nope... it is an MOS you can go straight into as an enlisted individual...

[@G4x5da]

@@rass1288 what can a - straight out of high school - enlisted kid possibly contribute to (counter)intelligence? The US has a massive intel community but most of it are people who are incompetent.

[@rass1288]

@@G4x5da oh I agree lol

[@himehime1629]

@@G4x5da You have to be at least 21 for counter intel but its an entry level from that point

[@littleshopofsawdust1157]

I don't see his name anywhere. Hard to support his company.

[@johnnytrujillo7725]

Task force orange?

[@anthonymsoto]

Go Noles!!

[@g.odonnell2956]

How do we find his book? Or his social media pages?

[@zac3392]

Like so many others here in comments, I too was a SEF (Special Educational Forces), Tier Negative-1, 180th Landborne, Umpteenth Division, Night Force Ninja Ranger Stalker Specialist, but of course I don’t like to talk about it. I have top secret RUMINT (Rumor + Menthol) info about this subject, which is why I’m arguing with GEARDO’s online… you see, I went to different high schools with Jocko Luttrell, therefore have firsthand intel from his mother’s second cousin. Lived next door to my grandpa, who was Delta force in Vietnam. Reminds me of a story from downrange. Well, there we were... I had garnered so much respect and admiration that I was named Col. Fobbit. “GI’s” (General Intestines) would gather round as I dispensed pearls of wisdom, their faces lit up with adoration and smiles, cleaning my H&J&K M&M15-47 Black Ops Special Edition Super Sniper with Scope (4 easy payments & extra magazine!)… sometimes they would cover their faces and have little choking fits… must have been the Moon Dust… but I digress… what was I saying? Ah yes, I definitely know all answers to all aspects of this subject, and can clearly say that REDACTED REDACTED

[@jamesalafayette8255]

Stfu

[@bobhmail7161]

Zac - very constructive genius contribution that likely parallels your military contribution. Now Zac is seen, and yes every one sits around and can't appreciate anything from your military efforts because your EGO overwhelms you because you do not have the capacity to be aware of that. Your EGO blocks your introspection.

[@zac3392]

@@bobhmail7161 Sir, this is a Wendy’s...

[@mohamadsami7131]

🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂

[@JohnSmith-uv4ox]

Sonny's!!!! Man, I loved that when I was a kid!

[@KeyboardWarrior101st]

For people always wondering if CAG is the most secretive SMU this should ease that wondering.

[@joesgotya9930]

I think I read that over the GWOT years, CAGs G Squadron and DevGrus Black Squadron have built up a lot of the same same abilities and roles that the INSCOM SMU does.. I think it was a way bigger deal in the 80s and 90s. Was this dude ISA you think?

[@G4x5da]

@@joesgotya9930 INSCOM doesn’t have a SMU, all the SMU’s are under JSOC. USAISA was under INSCOM till they became a SMU.

[@G4x5da]

CAG is Delta Force and they’re not the most secretive of units. USAISA for example

[@joesgotya9930]

@@G4x5da lol I know man... SEAL team 6 doesn’t “technically” exist anymore either, but I still call them that sometimes....... Relax 😂

[@jamesalafayette8255]

@@G4x5da lol, everyone thinks they’re in the “know”

[@tnwhiskey68]

Sounds like the National Guard and SOF have alot in common. Any of you active guys wanting out of that "prison", look up some Guard or Reserve fulltime slots! AGR is a great way to go!!

[@deiongoldsmith515]

I'm literally watching this because I'm trying to decide which branch to join after college however, the armies 35L and 35M have my heart at the moment but I'm considering joining the navy because of travel and I really am looking at their Expeditionary intelligence rating and i just want to compare if anyone has info on the second please drop some info i graduate college December 2020

[@EarthtoZap]

I travelled quite a bit in the Army. We always got to fly there too! Unless it was stateside, then sometimes we went by bus.

[@deiongoldsmith515]

@@EarthtoZap really? Where all did you travel to outside of the states and do Intel guys travel a lot?

[@EarthtoZap]

@@deiongoldsmith515 You should find a national guard or reserve unit near where you live, they probably have updated info beyond what a recruiter might say. The mos’ are the same on active duty. Don’t accidentally go into the guard or reserves.

[@Mr.Ut21]

Its an hour NORTH of tucson. Near Sierra Vista.

[@zac3392]

Actually it’s the lake 80 miles from Santa Fe...

[@Mr.Ut21]

@@zac3392 which is east. Irrelevant of its longtitudal situation relative to Tucson.

[@zac3392]

@@Mr.Ut21 It’s a joke, there’s a parody country song about it by Donnie Cowboy

[@nicoblaytherealflamingo445]

The feeling of going to a store because certain people own it only seems logical if the strip club gives me the golden dollar to sip and fuck at my table let alone slippery room. Thank you American and all other service members and family's who grow in principle a d pay it forward. May we never loose a life from war. Today is day 3 over in Ukraine, may it be the last.

[@76greenbunnies]

Josh was the first guy I met at my unit at Bragg.

[@Alanthe918mobilemechanic]

What are the security forces and navy girls here for…?

[@MedMikeHawk]

I remember Josh from Ft. Buchanan. I was on another “agency” and met him in a meeting.

[@kananisha]

I can relate I went in as an 11B and then went to 35L.

[@YoungVeteran2023]

USAF BABY! Yeah!

[@drashawntingram4030]

How do I join the intelligence support activity?

[@TheGrimSniper14]

You’re very likely not getting answer to that unless you know some dude that was operating on that level personally

[@ampolcyn1]

On top of what grim sniper said you also have a much higher chance of getting into isa if you get into another sof unit such as the army sf, navy seal etc. you also have to probably get into another smu such as delta or devgru. You probably could get in from the conventional military but that’s probably less likely.

[@G4x5da]

USAPAB does the recruiting for ISA. They post recruiting briefs on certain bases now and then. You might also receive a mail if you met certain rank, MOS, specialties, etc. Depending on the role - you have to go trough a difficult screening/selection/training process.

[@brianmachuca6033]

@@G4x5da Them being a step above delta and dev, all they do is prepare intel for the other tier 1 operators?

[@G4x5da]

@@brianmachuca6033 why do you say they’re a step above Delta. ISA is a Tier 1 unit just like CAG/DG/24. ISA just has a different mission set.

[@lucian9599]

Was he in “The Activity”?

[@iceandale7621]

Clearly not

[@anatolivashkevich3845]

@@iceandale7621 clearly he was

[@iceandale7621]

@@anatolivashkevich3845 I very much doubt that

[@anatolivashkevich3845]

@@iceandale7621 dude..., he went to a USASSOC intelligence position as Ft Belvoir.... that pretty much narrows it down... and mentions it was special operations. He also went to selection at Ft Bragg and you can guess what that was

[@iceandale7621]

@@anatolivashkevich3845 numerous elements within the framework of intelligence are at both Fort Belvoir and Bragg. He wasn’t Activity

[@davidwadsworth8982]

I was a 35-L in the Army. Liked it. Would not even consider enlisting now. I have no trust in the entire D.O.D. and even less in the Army Command Structure. They are not only absolutely incompetent but deeply corrupt and dishonest.

[@frankv7774]

I did 15 years in the infantry 11B3V, 187th Inf Rakkasan 101st Abn, and 74th Inf LRSD, 173rd Airborne Brigade, if your a motivated individual don't let anyone talk you out of going infantry. Get an airborne contract right away. The infantry will allow you any "cool school" I was able to get Ranger School, Pathfinder School, Sniper school, LRSLC, HALO, Jump master school. Ect....don't believe Army Careers convert to Civilian jobs. He asks "So they sent you to airborne school when" answer "right then" WTF? I will agree with him about the snow at Ft Huachuca I did a training in east range with snow on the ground part of Combat Image 1 "Black Tower" listening to this podcast I believe it was mislabeled? Unless this dude was Army ISA or 1st Special Forces Group Detachment Delta (Those are the only two designated Special Mission Units I know)...I don't think he was either. This was the most confusing conversation I ever heard about the military! Serious question was this Dude National Guard or Reserve? Or active duty? Thankfull for your service but I'm still at a loss for what your intial MOS was and what you did exactly as a Warrant Officer?

[@G4x5da]

It is literary his job to make conversation easily with people without revealing what he is/does, so he’s his very vague for a reason without saying obvious things like “I can’t go more into details”, etc. But yeah he probably was in ISA or whatever they’re called nowadays.

[@manuellabor2759]

You really think they'd put him on this podcast w/out vetting him?

[@frankv7774]

@@manuellabor2759 not a matter of vetting I know he served, but the Video is labeled as Special Missions Unit I believe is wrong. It Only applies to "Delta other Tier 1 units and the 75th RRC"

[@valdivia1234567]

@@G4x5da Yeah I believe that's the case. I had to watch parts of it over, but there were certain statements that he made, with subtlety, that if you put 2 and 2 together, I think you can determine that. It was definitely less about what he did in an SMU vs. just how his career went overall. I'm not sure if that was the intent of the interview or not.

[@valdivia1234567]

@@frankv7774 I think he was, but he danced around any specifics. I'm probably like you though, I was expecting him to go into "Hey, when I went through the 6 month selection in West VA and Bragg, then was assigned to a squadron, etc." Also, as his channel grows, he'll probably get better at driving interviews as opposed to allowing it to be meandering. But I completely understand what you're saying about a lot of it. Btw, sounds like you had a pretty cool career.

[@CM-nn5vb]

HUMINT fucking sucks bro

[@D1oyd]

Really? Why’s that?

[@jamestouchstone4]

I'm about 30 years into my CI career and don't know any of these people...just sayn'...

[@CRHE]

What people? The ones in the room?

[@richfrazier8855]

This guy didnt graduate from Ci school as an E-2. You have to be at least E-4 to attend the CI agent course?????

[@76greenbunnies]

I graduated as an E-2 in 1996, requirements have changed over the years.

[@arcticspook]

Rich Frazier - you have no clue what you’re talking about. The Army didn’t change the requirement to SPC(P) or above to graduate CISAC until around 2004. I graduated in September 1998 as a PV2. Due diligence is a lost art. You should try it sometime.

[@coreyxbell]

@@arcticspook off with his head is the new norm I suppose.

[@armytc86]

@@arcticspook I just read what the requirements are for CI Special Agent in the U.S. Army. Currently people do have too be E4 P in order too be considered for the MOS. Once they complete the training they are promoted to E5.

[@garynbeaver]

No true. I graduated with him in 1998