About SAC
INTRODUCTION
The Special Activities Center (SAC) is a division of the United States Central Intelligence Agency responsible for covert and paramilitary operations. The unit was named Special Activities Division (SAD) prior to 2015. Within SAC there are two separate groups: SAC/SOG (Special Operations Group) for tactical paramilitary operations and SAC/PAG (Political Action Group) for covert political action. The Special Operations Group is responsible for operations that include clandestine or covert operations with which the US government does not want to be overtly associated.
While not a military unit, the SAC is considered an active Special Missions Unit and is responsible for a range of activities, including long-range surveillance, bomb-damage assessments, prisoner snatches, material recovery, and sabotage. They are tasked with carrying out clandestine or covert operations that the U.S. government does not want to be openly associated with.
ORGANIZATION
While not a military unit, the SAC is considered an active Special Missions Unit and is responsible for a range of activities, including long-range surveillance, bomb-damage assessments, prisoner snatches, material recovery, and sabotage. They are tasked with carrying out clandestine or covert operations that the U.S. government does not want to be openly associated with.
The Special Activities Center (SAC) is one of the most secretive covert units operating on behalf of the U.S. Government. It consists of teams ranging in size from one to twelve individuals and is considered among the world’s top special operations units. The SAC’s personnel are highly skilled in counterterrorist and hostage rescue operations and are capable of neutralizing any type of vehicle, aircraft, ship, building, or facility. Despite its reputation, the SAC remains largely unknown to the public.
SELECTIONS AND TRAINING
The SAC is a source of trained personnel for the various divisions within the CIA to draw from and form a Special Operations Group (SOG). SOGs are temporary teams that carry out paramilitary operations such as sabotage, friendly personnel/material recovery, threat personnel/material snatches, bomb damage assessment, counterterrorism operations, raids, hostage rescues, and other activities as directed by the President. They may be called upon to respond to short-term needs and challenges.
Candidates for the SAC are primarily recruited from two sources. The first of these is the U.S. military’s Special Mission Units (SMUs), such as the Army’s Combat Applications Group (CAG), also known as “Delta Force,” and the U.S. Navy’s Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU, formerly known as SEAL Team SIX). Other potential candidates are drawn from former members of elite military units, such as the USMC’s Force Reconnaissance units, the U.S. Army Special Forces, and the Navy’s SEAL teams, or from within the ranks of the CIA itself. A SOG detachment would be made up of members from one or more of the SAC’s three branches (Ground, Air, and Maritime), depending on the needs of the SOG and its mission tasking. Once organized, a SOG would travel to its designated Area of Operations (AO) and carry out its mission as directed by the DDO through the local Chief of Station or other designated individual.
MISSION
One successful operation carried out by the SAS took place during Operation Desert Shield. During the operation, a single SAS operative repeatedly penetrated Iraqi defenses in and around Kuwait City to deliver and retrieve intelligence material from the besieged U.S. Embassy. In another operation, SAS operators and U.S. Navy SEALs were involved in the covert mining of Nicaraguan harbors in the 1980s.
CONTACT SAC
Needs to verify someone's employment at SAC? The Employment Verification Office handles such requests by mail