Updated June 12, 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 a BCT. These newly manned and equipped BCTs
action to generate, employ, and sustain local, host nation or
would then be trained up to conduct their respective combat
regional security forces in support of a legitimate
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
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
June 2020 for a four-month period to train Colombian
It is not known if subsequent SFAB activations and
forces in counter drug trafficking operations. According to
deployments have had similar personnel-related
U.S. Southern Command:
experiences.
The team will work with host units in areas
SFAB Training
designated by the Colombian government as
In addition to training at the Military Advisor Training
“priority areas,” where they will focus on logistics,
Academy, many SFAB members are to receive language
services and intelligence capabilities directly
training—as much as 16 weeks in some cases. Soldiers are
supporting
U.S.-Colombia
counter-narcotics
to also receive training on foreign weapons, advanced
collaboration and information sharing.
medical training, driver training, and survival, evasion,
resistance, and escape (SERE) techniques.
Potential Colombian Opposition to
SFAB Deployment
Equipping SFABs
Reportedly, there is potential opposition from some in the
Soldiers in SFABs are to be issued standard personal
Colombian government who accuse President Iván Duque
equipment (weapons, protective masks, etc.) and a variety
“of contravening the constitution by taking the decision to
of tactical wheeled vehicles armed with crew-served
invite a foreign military force on to Colombian soil.” It is
weapons (.50 caliber and 7.62 mm machine guns) for force
not known at this time if this alleged political opposition
protection. In addition, SFABs are to have command,
will have an operational impact on the SFAB’s planned
control, communications, computer, and intelligence,
deployment.
surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities.
SFAB Regional Alignment
Potential Issues for Congress
The Army plans to regionally align SFABs, allocating an
SFAB to each Geographic Combatant Command. The
Are SFABs, with their limited presence, the right
Army notes that even though an SFAB is to be regionally
solution for SFA in highly contested regions?
aligned, it can be deployed outside their assigned regions if
required.
What is the Army’s regional alignment plan for the
SFABs?
SFAB Personnel Considerations
Initially, the Army planned to man SFABs with volunteers
What is the potential political and operational impact of
only, with the Army paying a $5,000 incentive for enlisted
elements of the Colombian government objecting to the
SFAB volunteers. Leaders at brigade and battalion levels
recent SFAB deployment to Colombia?
must have already successfully served in a commensurate
position in a BCT before being selected to serve in an
What is the organization and mission of the Security
SFAB. The Army also wants officers and NCOs who have
Force Assistance Command (SFAC)?
previously served as company commanders and first
sergeants for SFAB duty as well.
What are the equipment, vehicular, and military
construction (MILCON) requirements associated with
Early Recruiting and Retention Problems
activating six SFABs and the SFAC?
The 1st SFAB’s 2018 deployment to Afghanistan reportedly
revealed a number of personnel-related shortfalls.
Are there enough qualified volunteers for the SFABs or
According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan
are soldiers being assigned to these units in a similar
Reconstruction (SIGAR):
manner as soldiers are routinely assigned to
conventional Army units?
Staffing of the SFABs is based on recruiting active-
duty Army and National Guard volunteers, but
What steps has the Army taken to address SFAB
personnel-related issues?
while advisory experience is preferred, about 20
percent of the 1st SFAB had never previously
Based on previous SFAB deployments and associated
deployed. Even though the Army offered a number
lessons learned, what types of modifications have been
of incentives for volunteers, the 1st SFAB was
made to SFAB organization, equipping, and training?
filling billets right up to the day that they departed.
In addition:
In the event SFABs are to be regenerated into BCTs,
how long would it take to man, equip, and train them so
The 1st SFAB didn't just suffer from recruitment
they are capable of performing combat mission?
challenges, but retention issues as well. The reason
is simple ... advisor roles continue to be seen as not
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
career enhancing in the military, which contributes
IF10675
to high attrition rates—up to 70 percent for the 1st
SFAB.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10675 · VERSION 10 · UPDATED