The Military Intelligence Corps is the intelligence branch of the United States Army. The primary mission of military intelligence in the U.S. Army is to provide timely, relevant, accurate, and synchronized intelligence and electronic warfare support to tactical, operational and strategic-level commanders. The Army's intelligence components produce intelligence both for Army use and for sharing across the national intelligence community.United States Intelligence Community Official Website
History Intelligence personnel were a part of the Continental Army since its initial founding in 1776.
In 1776, General George Washington directed that a reconnaissance unit be created for the Continental Army. Knowlton's Rangers, named after its leader Colonel Thomas Knowlton, became the first organized elite force, a predecessor to modern special operations forces units such as the Army Rangers, Delta Force, and others. The "1776" on the United States Army Intelligence Service seal refers to the formation of Knowlton's Rangers.
In January 1863, Major General Joseph Hooker established the Bureau of Military Information for the Union Army during the Civil War, headed by George H. Sharpe. Allan Pinkerton and Lafayette C. Baker handled similar operations for their respective regional commanders. All of those operations were shut down at the end of the Civil War in 1865.
In 1885, the Army established the Military Intelligence Division. In 1903, it was placed under the new general staff in an elevated position.
In March 1942, the Military Intelligence Division was reorganized as the Military Intelligence Service. Originally consisting of just 26 people, 16 of them officers, it was quickly expanded to include 342 officers and 1,000 enlisted personnel and civilians. It was tasked with collecting, analyzing, and disseminating intelligence. Initially it included: an Administrative Group an Intelligence Group a Counter-intelligence Group an Operations Group a Language School
In May 1942, Alfred McCormack established the Special Branch of the Military Intelligence Service, which specialized in communications intelligence.
On 1 January 1942, the U.S. Army Corps of Intelligence Police, founded in World War I, was re-designated as the U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps. In 1945, the Special Branch became the Army Security Agency.
On June 19, 1942, the Military Intelligence Training Center at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, was formed. This group is now widely known as the Ritchie Boys and are credited with gathering over half of the actionable intelligence in the European Theatre. Most Ritchie Boys were fluent in European languages and could easily interrogate prisoners of war and civilians who knew vital information.
At its peak in early 1946, the MIS Language School had 160 instructors and 3,000 students studying in more than 125 classrooms, graduating more than 6,000 students by the end of the war. What began as an experimental military intelligence language-training program launched on a budget of $2,000 eventually became the forerunner of today's Defense Language Institute for the tens of thousands of linguists who serve American interests throughout the world.
The school moved to the Presidio of Monterey in 1946. Renamed the Army Language School, it expanded rapidly in 1947–48 during the Cold War. Instructors, including native speakers of more than thirty languages and dialects, were recruited from all over the world. Russian became the largest language program, followed by Chinese, Korean, and German.
On 1 September 1954, the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence (ACSI) officially redesignated the CIC Center, Fort Holabird, Maryland, as the United States Army Intelligence Center, and the Chief of the Counter Intelligence Corps became its Commanding General. The following year, the Intelligence Center expanded further with the addition of the Photo Interpretation Center. Additionally, combat intelligence training (including order of battle techniques, photo interpretation, prisoner of war interrogation, and censorship) was transferred from the Army General School at Fort Riley, Kansas, to Fort Holabird, giving the commanding general the additional title of commandant, U.S. Army Intelligence School. This arrangement centralized nearly all intelligence training at the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and School, Fort Holabird.
The Intelligence Center and School remained at Fort Holabird until overcrowding during the Vietnam War forced its relocation to Fort Huachuca, Arizona. Fort Huachuca became the "Home of Military Intelligence" on 23 March 1971, and the last class graduated from Fort Holabird on 2 September 1971, almost 17 years to the day after the Army Intelligence Center was established there. USAINTCS Established at Fort. Holabird, MD
On 1 July 1962, the Army Intelligence and Security Branch was established as a basic Army branch to meet the increased need for national and tactical intelligence. The redesignated branch came with the creation of a new dagger and sun branch insignia, replacing the sphinx insignia that had been in place since 1923.
A number of intelligence and security organizations were combined in July 1967 to form the military intelligence branch. In 1977, they recombined with the Army Intelligence Agency and Army Security Agency to become the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command.
On 1 July 1987, the Military Intelligence Corps was activated as a regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System.Welcome To the Intelligence Center Online Network All United States Army Military Intelligence personnel are members of the Military Intelligence Corps.
Structure Approximately 28,000 military personnel and 3,800 civilian personnel are assigned to intelligence duties, comprising the Military Intelligence Corps. Some of the key components include:
Name Insignia Function GarrisonOffice of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence (G-2)As the Army's Chief Intelligence Officer, the responsibilities of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence include policy formulation, planning, programming, budgeting, management, staff supervision, evaluation, and oversight for intelligence activities, as well as overall coordination of the major intelligence disciplines.Fort Belvoir U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM)INSCOM is the U.S. Army's major intelligence command.Fort Belvoir U.S. Army Military Intelligence Readiness Command (MIRC)MIRC is the U.S. Army Reserve's intelligence command.Fort Belvoir U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence (USAICoE)USAICoE is the U.S. Army's school for professional training of military intelligence personnel.Fort Huachuca
Major military intelligence units Name Insignia Supports Garrison 58th Military Intelligence Brigade (Expeditionary) (Maryland Army National Guard) Headquarters and Headquarters Company 110th Information Operations Battalion (Maryland Army National Guard) 629th Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion (Maryland Army National Guard) Maryland Army National Guard Maryland 66th Military Intelligence Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company 2nd Military Intelligence Battalion 24th Military Intelligence Battalion United States Army Europe Wiesbaden (Germany) 71st Military Intelligence Brigade (Expeditionary) (Texas Army National Guard) Headquarters & Headquarters Company 250th Military Intelligence Battalion (California Army National Guard) 636th Military Intelligence Battalion (Texas Army National Guard) Texas Army National Guard Texas 111th Military Intelligence Brigade Headquarters & Headquarters Company 304th Military Intelligence Battalion 305th Military Intelligence Battalion 309th Military Intelligence Battalion 344th Military Intelligence Battalion Army Intelligence Center Fort Huachuca (AZ) 116th Military Intelligence Brigade (Aerial Intelligence) Headquarters & Headquarters Company 15th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), at Fort Hood (TX) 204th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), at Fort Bliss (TX) 206th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), at Fort Hood (TX) 224th Military Intelligence Battalion (Aerial Exploitation), at Hunter Army Airfield (GA) 138th Military Intelligence Company (JSTARS-Army element), at Robins Air Force Base (TX) DCGS-Army Operations and Exploitation Unit Army Intelligence and Security Command Fort Hood (TX)"116th Military Intelligence Brigade Cases Colors", US Army, by SSG Jarell Hernandez and SGT Dereck Burgos, dated 10 July 2026, last accessed 10 July 2026 201st Military Intelligence Brigade (Expeditionary) Headquarters and Headquarters Company 109th Military Intelligence Battalion 502nd Military Intelligence Battalion I Corps Joint Base Lewis–McChord (WA) 207th Military Intelligence Brigade (Theater) Headquarters & Headquarters Company 307th Military Intelligence Battalion 522nd Military Intelligence Battalion United States Army Africa Vicenza (Italy) 259th Military Intelligence Brigade (Expeditionary) (Army Reserve) Headquarters & Headquarters Company 301st Military Intelligence Battalion (Theater Support), in Phoenix (AZ) 321st Military Intelligence Battalion (General Support), in Orlando (FL) 368th Military Intelligence Battalion (Theater Support), at Camp Parks (CA) 373rd Military Intelligence Battalion (General Support), at Joint Base Lewis–McChord (WA) Military Intelligence Readiness Command Joint Base Lewis–McChord (WA) 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguist) (Utah Army National Guard) Headquarters & Headquarters Company 141st Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist) (Utah Army National Guard) 142nd Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist) (Utah Army National Guard) 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist) (California Army National Guard) 260th Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist) (Florida Army National Guard) 341st Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist) (Washington Army National Guard) Army Intelligence and Security Command Draper (UT) 336th Military Intelligence Brigade (Expeditionary) (Army Reserve) Headquarters & Headquarters Company 323rd Military Intelligence Battalion (Theater Support), at Fort Meade (MD) 325th Military Intelligence Battalion (General Support), at Fort Devens (MA) 337th Military Intelligence Battalion (Theater Support), at Fort Sheridan (IL) 345th Military Intelligence Battalion (Theater Support), at Fort Gordon (GA) 378th Military Intelligence Battalion (General Support), in Blackwood (NJ) Military Intelligence Readiness Command Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst (NJ) 470th Military Intelligence Brigade Headquarters & Headquarters Company 312th Military Intelligence Battalion 717th Military Intelligence Battalion United States Army South Joint Base San Antonio (TX) 500th Military Intelligence Brigade Headquarters & Headquarters Company 205th Military Intelligence Battalion 311th Military Intelligence Battalion 715th Military Intelligence Battalion United States Army Pacific Schofield Barracks (HI) 501st Military Intelligence Brigade Headquarters & Headquarters Company 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion 524th Military Intelligence Battalion 532nd Military Intelligence Battalion 719th Military Intelligence Battalion Eighth United States Army Camp Humphreys (South Korea) 504th Military Intelligence Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company 163rd Military Intelligence Battalion 303rd Military Intelligence Battalion III Armored Corps Fort Hood (TX) 505th Military Intelligence Brigade (Theater) (Army Reserve) Headquarters & Headquarters Company 377th Military Intelligence Battalion (Theater Support), in Austin (TX) 383rd Military Intelligence Battalion (Theater Support), in Kansas City (MO) 549th Military Intelligence Battalion (Operations), at Camp Bullis (TX) Military Intelligence Readiness Command Camp Bullis (TX) 513th Military Intelligence Brigade