Special Activities Division

The Special Activities Division (SAD) is a division in the United States Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) National Clandestine Service (NCS) responsible for covert operations known as "special activities". Within SAD there are two separate groups, one for tactical paramilitary operations and another for covert political action. The Political Action Group within SAD is responsible for covert activities related to political influence, psychological and economic warfare. The rapid development of technology has added cyberwarfare to their mission. Tactical units within SAD are also capable of carrying out covert political action. A large covert operation usually has components that involve many, or all, of these categories, as well as paramilitary operations.

Special Operations Group (SOG) is the department within SAD responsible for operations which include the collection of intelligence in hostile countries and regions, and all high threat military or intelligence operations with which the U.S. government does not wish to be overtly associated. As such, members of the unit (called Paramilitary Operations Officers and Specialized Skills Officers) normally do not carry any objects or clothing (e.g., military uniforms) that would associate them with the United States government. If they are compromised during a mission, the government of the United States may deny all knowledge.

The SOG is generally considered the most secretive special operations force in the United States. The group selects operatives from Delta Force, DEVGRU, 24th STS and other special operations forces from within the U.S. military.

SOG Paramilitary Operations Officers account for a healthy majority of Distinguished Intelligence Cross and Intelligence Star recipients during any given conflict or incident which elicits CIA involvement. An award bestowing either of these citations represents the highest honors awarded within the CIA organization in recognition of distinguished valor and excellence in the line of duty. Given the microcosm complex that CIA service tends to cultivate and develop within the organization's comparatively small ranks in combination with the military background of such a large contingency of the agency's active members; receipt of either of these awards is viewed with utmost admiration almost universally across the "family" of US intelligence services. SAD/SOG operatives also account for the majority of the names displayed on the Memorial Wall at CIA headquarters indicating that the agent died while on active duty, most likely during the execution of a covert operation or other high-risk assignment in accordance with the founding principals of Special Activities Division.