Security Force Assistance Brigade

During the War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) and the War in Iraq (2003-2010) the Department of Defense attempted to build foreign armies, other military forces, police forces, and other security forces.

United States MiTTs trained the Iraqi Army and National Police and ETTs did the same in Afghanistan. Training over 350,000 Soldiers and Police between the two nations MiTTs and ETTs were heavily employed but suffered from a lack of standardization in programs of instructions, force structure, and selection criteria. Trying to draw lessons from these experiences the U.S. Army utilized portions of Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) as Regionally Aligned Forces (RAF). Utilizing BCTs as RAF as the primary mechanism to deliver training and assistance did improve performance. However, as the primary role of brigade combat teams were seen as winning in conventional regular warfare, rather than irregular operations, RAFs were not seen as sufficient. Therefore, Security Force Assistance Brigades were created as a dedicated answer from 2017.

From August 2017 to May 2020 the Army established six Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs). Originally designed to provide advice, assist, and accompany capabilities to Afghan, Iraqi, and Peshmerga Security Forces, the Army reorganized SFABs in 2019 to meet the global challenges inherent to strategic competition. With the completion of global alignment in summer 2021, SFABs transitioned and assumed a role the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Army described as “the Army’s leading edge of campaigning.” In addition to providing Combatant Commands’ persistent, predictable, and effective capabilities during competition, SFABs help marshal United States allies and partners. SFABs’ role in crisis and conflict has not only been tested during Combat Training Center rotations and Warfighter Exercises, it was put to use as part of EUCOM and NATO's assure and deter operations during Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.[3][4][5]

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  Security Force Assistance Command
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  4th Security Force Assistance Brigade
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  4th Security Force Assistance Brigade

The mission of the SFAB is to carry out training, advise, and assist (TAA) missions overseas with foreign nation military partners. SFABs are the United States Army's latest solution to providing dedicated and trained personnel to relieve the Brigade Combat Teams from performing combat advisory missions and enable them to focus on their primary combat mission. [6] Before SFABs, the combat advisory role was filled by non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers detailed from the Brigade Combat Teams to train host nation military forces, leaving critical leadership billets unfilled. Operating in units with roughly 800 personnel, SFABs are designed to be versatile and deployable worldwide and are made up exclusively of NCOs and officers, however E-4s with promotable status are accepted and receive promotion to sergeant (E-5) upon graduation of MATA.[7]

SFABs are conventional units composed of volunteers recruited from units across the Regular Army. Volunteers undergo a five-day assessment at Fort Moore which evaluates a candidate's physical fitness, decision-making, problem solving, and communications skills as well as their ethics and morals.[8] All SFAB volunteers then attend MATA training. Trainees may receive additional language training, culture training, foreign weapons training and medical training, among other topics.[9][10] The SFABs are equipped with secure, but unclassified communications gear, utilizing T2C2 (Transportable Tactical Command Communications) systems, a novel type of backpack satellite voice and data terminals.[11][12] CECOM is augmenting this gear with vehicle-mounted, and hand-carried radios.[13]

In March 2020, Logistics Advisor Team 1610, 6th Battalion, 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade delivered a Vehicle Maintenance and Recovery Course to the Senegalese Army in Dakar, Senegal. This was 1st SFAB's first mission in USARAF's area of responsibility.[14]

The existence of SFABs are part of a broader trend by the US military to specialize in the provision of military aid and assistance to "weak states" in trying to stand up capable security institutions in the host-nation. However, it is unclear if the SFABs will be able to overcome the "three SFA traps" of trying to create an effective military in a recipient state that cannot afford an army, views their army as a threat, or uses that army to consolidate power and settle scores with rivals.[15]

The SFAB Recruiting and Retention Team[29] was formed to provide SFAB leader development briefs and recruit Army-wide Soldiers and leaders for SFAB opportunities. Eligible Soldiers volunteer for SFAB assignments by completing two SFAB Volunteer forms[30] DA Form 4187 (Personnel Request) and SF 600 (Medical Screening) and e-mailing both to the Human Resources Command (HRC) SFAB Team for screening. On May 15, 2018, Army officials released new guidance on the Army's Selective Retention Bonus (SRB) Program, which includes first-ever bonuses up to $52,000 for those who reenlist for critical Security Forces Assistance Brigade positions.[31]

• 11th Security Force Assistance Brigade - British Army equivalent.