Updated June 11, 2020
Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
What Is Security Force Assistance (SFA)?
personnel and equipment required to transform the SFAB
Security Force Assistance (SFA) is defined as “unified
into either a BCT. These newly manned and equipped
action to generate, employ, and sustain local, host nation or
BCTs would then be trained up to conduct their respective
regional security forces in support of a legitimate
combat missions.
authority.” By definition “security forces include not only
military forces, but also police, border forces, and other
SFAB Force Structure
paramilitary organizations, as well as other local and
The Army’s Fort Benning, GA-based 1st SFAB was
regional forces.” SFA involves organizing, training,
deployed to Afghanistan in March 2018. The Fort Bragg,
equipping, rebuilding, and advising foreign security forces
NC-based 2nd SFAB replaced the 1st SFAB in Afghanistan
(FSF).
in the spring of 2019. The 3rd SFAB is based at Fort Hood,
TX. The 4th SFAB was activated April 28, 2020, and
Background
stationed at Fort Carson, CO. The 5th SFAB, which was
The Department of Defense notes “military operations in
activated May 28, 2020, will be at Joint Base Lewis-
Iraq and Afghanistan, and many future operations will
McChord, WA. Activated in March 2020, the Army
center on developing capability and capacity of host nation
National Guard’s 54th SFAB plans to recruit qualified Army
(HN) or other FSFs.” SFA activities have and are occurring
National Guard soldiers to create subordinate units in
in Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America. In the past,
Indiana, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois.
Special Forces units handled the majority of SFA missions,
but the growing requirement for SFA over time has resulted
The Army has also established a command element—the
in conventional forces assuming a more active role in
Security Force Assistance Command (SFAC)—within U.S.
conducting these missions. Conventional forces SFA
Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) at Fort Bragg, NC, to
missions were normally assigned to a Brigade Combat
conduct training and readiness oversight of the SFABs.
Team (BCT), the Army’s principal warfighting
organization. Because of the nature of SFA missions, BCT
SFAB Organization
leadership—officers and senior and mid-grade
According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan
noncommissioned officers (NCOs)—were typically
Reconstruction
deployed to conduct SFA missions, with most junior NCOs
and soldiers remaining at their home station. This situation,
SFABs consist of about 800 personnel organized in
while practical from a resource perspective, created a
36 multifunctional advisor teams each composed of
number of readiness concerns for the BCT soldiers
12 advisors and eight security personnel assigned to
remaining at home station. One such concern is with
support the development of a partner nation’s
leadership stripped out of the BCTs for the SFAB mission,
military. According to the U.S. Army, each advisor
the remaining soldiers were limited to training at individual
team would be staffed with a commander, NCO in
and squad level only, resulting in a low level of unit
charge, two maneuver advisors, a medic, a joint
readiness.
force operator, a communications officer, a
The Army’s Plan to Establish SFABs
mechanic, an intelligence analyst, and specialists in
logistics, operations, and explosives—all tasked
SFABs are to be capable of conducting SFA at the tactical
with advising their Afghan counterparts while also
(brigade and below) level. In May 2018, the Army
providing sustainment for the SFAB. An SFAB can
announced it would establish six SFABs—five in the
also employ 18 functional advising teams
Active Component and one in the Army National Guard
(ARNG). SFABs were originally planned to consist of
specializing in logistics, engineering, or field
about 500 soldiers (BCTs consist of between 4,400 to 4,700
artillery. Each SFAB is led by a one-star general
soldiers depending on type: Armored BCT [ABCT],
responsible for coordinating all SFAB operations in
Infantry BCT [IBCT], or Stryker BCT [SBCT]), primarily in
a partner nation.
senior grades and encompassing a range of Military
Operational Specialties (MOSs). The Army also planned to
Recent and Current SFAB Activities
establish a Military Advisor Training Academy at Fort
The Army notes that since 2018, SFABs have deployed to
Benning, GA, to conduct a six-week course on relevant
assist foreign partners in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa. In
topics and skills.
February 2020, elements of the 1st SFAB were designated
for deployment to Africa. In June 2020, the 4th SFAB is
The Army also plans for SFABs to be expanded, if the need
slated to conduct a training rotation at the Joint Readiness
arises, into fully operational BCTs capable of conducting
Training Center (JRTC) in Fort Polk, LA. The 4th SFAB is
major combat operations. In this case, SFAB personnel
then scheduled to replace the 3rd SFAB in Afghanistan in
would serve as cadres who would accept the expansion of
late summer 2020. Reportedly, a company-sized element
from the 1st SFAB will be deployed to Colombia in early
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Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
June 2020 for a four-month period to train Colombian
training—as much as 16 weeks in some cases. Soldiers are
forces in counter drug trafficking operations.
to also receive training on foreign weapons, advanced
medical training, driver training, and survival, evasion,
SFAB Regional Alignment
resistance, and escape (SERE) techniques.
The Army plans to regionally align SFABs, allocating an
SFAB to each Geographic Combatant Command. The
Equipping SFABs
Army notes that even though an SFAB is to be regionally
Soldiers in SFABs are to be issued standard personal
aligned, it can be deployed outside their assigned regions if
equipment (weapons, protective masks, etc.) and a variety
required.
of tactical wheeled vehicles armed with crew-served
weapons (.50 caliber and 7.62 mm machine guns) for force
SFAB Personnel Considerations
protection. In addition, SFABs are to have command,
Initially, the Army planned to man SFABs with volunteers
control, communications, computer, and intelligence,
only, with the Army paying a $5,000 incentive for enlisted
surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities.
SFAB volunteers. Leaders at brigade and battalion levels
must have already successfully served in a commensurate
Potential Issues for Congress
position in a BCT before being selected to serve in a SFAB.
Are SFABs, with their limited presence, the right
The Army also wants officers and NCOs who have
solution for SFA in highly contested regions?
previously served as company commanders and first
sergeants for SFAB duty.
What is the Army’s regional alignment plan for the
Early Recruiting and Retention Problems
SFABs?
The 1st SFAB’s 2018 deployment to Afghanistan reportedly
What is the organization and mission of the Security
revealed a number of personnel-related shortfalls.
Force Assistance Command (SFAC)?
According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan
Reconstruction (SIGAR)
What are the equipment, vehicular, and military
construction (MILCON) requirements associated with
Staffing of the SFABs is based on recruiting active-
activating six SFABs and the SFAC?
duty Army and National Guard volunteers, but
while advisory experience is preferred, about 20
Are there enough qualified volunteers for the SFABs or
percent of the 1st SFAB had never previously
are soldiers being assigned to these units in a similar
deployed. Even though the Army offered a number
manner as soldiers are routinely assigned to
of incentives for volunteers, the 1st SFAB was
conventional Army units?
filling billets right up to the day that they departed.
In addition
What steps has the Army taken to address SFAB
personnel-related issues?
The 1st SFAB didn't just suffer from recruitment
Based on previous SFAB deployments and associated
challenges, but retention issues as well. The reason
lessons learned, what types of modifications have been
is simple ... advisor roles continue to be seen as not
made to SFAB organization, equipping, and training?
career enhancing in the military, which contributes
to high attrition rates—up to 70 percent for the 1st
In the event SFABs are to be regenerated into BCTs,
SFAB.
how long would it take to man, equip, and train them so
It is not known if subsequent SFAB activations and
they are capable of performing combat mission?
deployments have had similar personnel-related
experiences.
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
SFAB Training
IF10675
In addition to training at the Military Advisor Training
Academy, many SFAB members are to receive language
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Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10675 · VERSION 9 · UPDATED