First military intelligence branch of the United States Army (1885-1903)
The Military Information Division (MID) was the first military intelligence branch of the United States Army and the United States Department of War, operating from 1885 to 1903.[1]
History
The MID was established by
in 1865.
The original duties of the MID consisted of collecting military data on foreign nations. Drum also asked senior Army commanders to have their officers to submit intelligence reports from their travels to foreign nations. "Initially, the division acted as a relatively passive repository for military related information."Secretary of War,
Redfield Proctor, required all information from the attachés to be analysed by the MID. "By 1898, the MID had 16 attaché posts in Europe, Mexico, and Japan. Until the early 1940s, the attaché system constituted the foundation of the Army’s strategic collection effort."
[3]
Spanish–American War
With the beginning of the
the Caribbean and had consequently produced detailed maps of likely
theaters of operation. Such intelligence was assisted by the reports of the United States Army attaché in Madrid, Captain
Tasker H. Bliss who became the
Chief of Staff of the United States Army, on Spanish deployments in the region. In April 1898, the Chief of MID, Major
Arthur L. Wagner ordered two experienced military observers of MID to be deployed to the region to collect specific information on Spanish defence capabilities before the deployment of American forces. First Lieutenant
Andrew S. Rowan was deployed to Cuba and First Lieutenant Henry H. Whitney was deployed to
Puerto Rico. "As the war progressed, the MID published comprehensive handbooks for both Caribbean countries."
[4] The Spanish–American War ended in August 1898 with an American victory.
Philippine–American War
After the American naval victory in the
American Military Governor of the Philippines formed the Bureau of Insurgent Records (BIR) to translate and collate captured documents and to provide information about the Filipino forces beyond tactical reconnaissance. In December 1900, the bureau became the Division of Military Information (DMI) under the United States Military Government of the Philippines and was responsible for
military intelligence and
counterinsurgency capabilities. The Chief of DMI, Captain
Ralph Van Deman who had served on the staff of the Chief of MID Major Arthur L. Wagner and was later called the "Father of American Military Intelligence", expanded the capabilities of the DMI to include a mapping section, improved liaison with other agencies, relayed intelligence to the field commanders, provided photographs and descriptions of known Filipino insurgents, and coordinated localised intelligence officers to gather information on the surrounding terrain, attitudes of local villagers, and the dispositions of Filipino insurgent groups. In 1902, the DMI became a branch the MID with the end of the Philippine–American War in July 1902.
Reorganisation into Army General Staff
In 1903,
Secretary of War
Elihu Root reorganised the
United States Department of War and also established the
United States Army General Staff to coordinate and perform administrative, planning and intelligence functions. The
Second Division of the
United States Army General Staff consequently acquired the MID from the Adjutant General's Office. The Second Division was given four major duties: collecting and disseminating information on foreign countries; directing the work of the attaché system; supervising mapping, and maintaining a reference collection. "For the moment, the intelligence function had achieved equal standing with other staff missions."
[5]
See also
References
Further reading