Historical Dictionary of United States Intelligence

staff established on 26 August 1918 to oversee intelligence production

and counterintelligenceactivities. Prior to that date, the army had an as-

sistant chief of staff, G-2, who was charged with intelligence matters. A

larger organization, the Military Intelligence Branch (MIB), was organ-

ized on 9 February 1918, assuming functions formerly exercised by the

military intelligence section of the general staff. All these intelligence

units became part of the MID, and the MID was designated G-2 on 16

August 1921.

The Military Intelligence Service (MIS) was established as the op-

erating arm of the MID on 9 March 1942, and on 19 April 1947, the

MID and the MIS were incorporated into the Military Intelligence Ser-

vice. On 27 December 1955, the Pentagon leadership transformed the

MIS into the assistant chief of staff for intelligence. On 1 May 1987,

this intelligence position received a promotion in rank and was incor-

porated into the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence.

MILITARY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE (MIS). SeeMILITARY

INTELLIGENCE DIVISION.

MILSTAR (SYSTEM).Milstar is a series of advanced U.S. military

communications satellites. The original Milstar program, initiated in

the early 1980s, was designed to provide secure communications for

strategic and tactical military forces during a nuclear conflict. The

first set of satellites was launched in 1995, with replacements fol-

lowing into space beginning in 1999. The latest iterations have im-

proved the original design.

Milstar is the most advanced military communications satellite

system to date. The operational Milstar satellite constellation consists

of five satellites positioned around the earth in geosynchronous or-

bits, which are linked to highly mobile ground terminals installed on

ships, submarines, vehicles, and aircraft. Because the system is mo-

bile and geographically dispersed, planners believe Milstar can sur-

vive a nuclear conflict.

MKULTRA (OPERATION).Operation MKULTRAwas a joint Cen-

tral Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Department of Defense(DOD)

program, initiated in April 1953 to determine the usefulness of mind-

control techniques, particularly of drugs, on human behavior by con-

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