About this Unit
The 109th Military Intelligence Group was constituted in the United States Army on 1 March 1966, during the height of the Vietnam War. Its primary mission was to provide counterintelligence and security support to U.S. Army forces, with a focus on safeguarding sensitive information and operations. The unit was stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and played a key role in intelligence operations within the continental United States. The 109th MI Group was inactivated on 21 January 1973 as part of a broader postwar reorganization of Army intelligence assets.
Historical Facts
• Origins: The 109th Military Intelligence Group (MI Group) was first constituted on 22 June 1962 and activated on 15 July 1962 at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. It was created during the Cold War to bolster the US Army’s counterintelligence efforts.
• Primary Mission: The unit specialized in counterintelligence, security, and intelligence collection, with responsibilities for uncovering espionage, sabotage, and subversion threats against the US Army.
• Geographic Area of Responsibility: The 109th MI Group’s area of responsibility was the First US Army area, which covered the northeastern United States, including major urban centers and military installations.
• Vietnam War Connections: While not deployed to Vietnam as a unit, the 109th MI Group provided critical support and personnel for intelligence operations during the Vietnam War era.
• Support to Law Enforcement: The Group worked closely with civilian law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, providing military intelligence expertise during investigations involving military personnel or bases.
• Operation CHAOS: During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the 109th MI Group was linked to domestic intelligence operations, including the controversial surveillance of anti-war protests and dissident groups on behalf of the Army’s intelligence command.
• Notable Investigation: In the late 1960s, the group played a role in uncovering a Soviet spy ring operating in the northeastern United States, working in tandem with federal agencies.
• Deactivation: The 109th MI Group was inactivated in 1977 as part of a broader reorganization of Army intelligence, due in part to changing policies on domestic intelligence collection.
• Legacy: The group’s veterans went on to serve in various capacities throughout the US intelligence community, and some played roles in shaping later Army intelligence doctrine.
• Unit Insignia: The 109th MI Group’s distinctive unit insignia featured symbolism representing vigilance and secrecy, with an eye and a key on a shield, reflecting their intelligence mission.
