Updated March 25, 2021
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 Stationing
paramilitary organizations, as well as other local and
According to the Army, SFABs are stationed at
regional forces.” SFA involves organizing, training,
equipping, rebuilding, and advising foreign security forces
1st SFAB—Fort Benning, GA;
(FSF).
2nd SFAB—Fort Bragg, NC;
Background
3rd SFAB—Fort Hood, TX;
The Department of Defense notes “military operations in
Iraq and Afghanistan and many future operations will
4th SFAB—Fort Carson, CO;
center on developing capability and capacity of host nation
5th SFAB—Joint Base Lewis –McChord, WA; and
(HN) or other FSFs.” SFA activities have and are occurring
in Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America. In the past,
54th SFAB (Army National Guard)—battalions in
Special Forces units handled the majority of SFA missions,
Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Texas .
but the growing requirement for SFA over time has resulted
in conventional forces assuming a more active role in
The Army has als o established a command element—the
conducting these missions. Conventional forces SFA
Security Force Assistance Command (SFAC)—within U.S.
missions were normally assigned to a Brigade Combat
Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) at Fort Bragg, NC, to
Team (BCT), the Army’s principal warfighting
conduct training and readiness oversight of the SFABs.
organization. Because of the nature of SFA missions, BCT
leadership—officers and senior and mid-grade
SFAB Organization
noncommissioned officers (NCOs)—were typically
According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan
deployed to conduct SFA missions, with most junior NCOs
Reconstruction:
and soldiers remaining at their home station. This situation,
while practical from a resource perspective, created a
SFABs consist of about 800 personnel organized in
number of readiness concerns for the BCT soldiers
36 multifunctional advisor teams each composed of
remaining at home station. One such concern is with
12 advisors and eight security personnel assigned to
leadership stripped out of the BCTs for the SFAB mission,
support the development of a partner nation’s
the remaining soldiers were limited to training at individual
military. According to the U.S. Army, each advisor
and squad level only, resulting in a low level of unit
team would be staffed with a commander, NCO in
readiness.
charge, two maneuver advisors, a medic, a joint
force operator, a communications officer, a
The Army’s Plan to Establish SFABs
mechanic, an intelligence analyst, and specialists in
SFABs are to be capable of conducting SFA at the tactical
logistics, operations, and explosives—all tasked
(brigade and below) level. In May 2018, the Army
with advising their Afghan counterparts while also
announced it would establish six SFABs —five in the
providing sustainment for the SFAB. An SFAB can
Active Component and one in the Army National Guard
also employ 18 functional advising teams
(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
Current SFAB Mission and Role in Operations
establish a Military Advisor Training Academy at Fort
According to the Army:
Benning, GA, to conduct a six-week course on relevant
topics and skills.
SFABs are uniquely capable of advancing
America’s relationships across the globe. During
The Army also plans for SFABs to be expanded, if the need
competition, SFABs build trust, interoperability,
arises, into fully operational BCTs capable of conducting
major combat operations. In this case, SFAB personnel
and partner capacity. In crisis, SFABs enable the
would serve as cadres who would accept the expansion of
Joint Force and interagency team to quickly
respond by enhancing coordination efforts. In
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Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
conflict, SFABs enhance coordination with partners
In addition:
and can expand to full mission capable brigades.
The 1st SFAB didn't just suffer from recruitment
Today, SFABs are operating across Africa and
challenges, but retention issues as well. The reason
Asia. In the future, SFABs will rotate smaller
is simple ... advisor roles continue to be seen as not
teams, as small as 12-members, into different
career enhancing in the military, which contributes
countries and replace them as needed to establish a
to high attrition rates—up to 70 percent for the 1st
sustained military to military presence.
SFAB.
SFABs professionalize security assistance and
It is not known if subsequent SFAB activations and
cooperation missions. As permanent organizations
deployments have had similar personnel-related
with a standing mission, the units demonstrate a
experiences.
more concerted commitment than previous ad-hoc
“advise and assist” formations, while also freeing
SFAB Training
up conventional brigade combat teams and Special
In addition to training at the Military Advisor Training
Forces units. SFABs enable the Joint Force’s
Academy, many SFAB members are to receive language
presence, to build trust and generate the ability to
training—as much as 16 weeks in some cases. Soldiers are
react to future crises.
to also receive training on foreign weapons, advanced
medical training, driver training, and survival, evasion,
SFAB Regional Alignment
resistance, and escape (SERE) techniques.
According to the Army, SFABs are to be regionally aligned
as follows:
Equipping SFABs
Soldiers in SFABs are to be issued standard personal
1st SFAB—U.S. Southern Command;
equipment (weapons, protective masks, etc.) and a variety
of tactical wheeled vehicles armed with crew-served
2nd SFAB—U.S. Africa Command;
weapons (.50 caliber and 7.62 mm machine guns) for force
3rd SFAB—U.S. Central Command;
protection. In addition, SFABs are to have command,
control, communications, computer, and intelligence,
4th SFAB—U.S. European Command;
surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities.
5th SFAB—U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; and
Potential Issues for Congress
54th SFAB (Army National Guard)—to be determined.
Are SFABs, with their limited presence, the right
The Army notes that even though SFABs are regionally
solution for SFA in highly contested regions?
aligned, they can be deployed outside their assigned regions
What is the organization and mission of the Security
if required.
Force Assistance Command (SFAC)?
SFAB Personnel Considerations
What are the equipment, vehicular, and military
Initially, the Army planned to man SFABs with volunteers
construction (MILCON) requirements associated with
only, with the Army paying a $5,000 incentive for enlisted
activating six SFABs and the SFAC?
SFAB volunteers. Leaders at brigade and battalion levels
Are there enough qualified volunteers for the SFABs or
must have already successfully served in a commensurate
are soldiers being assigned to these units in a similar
position in a BCT before being selected to serve in an
manner as soldiers are routinely assigned to
SFAB. The Army also wants officers and NCOs who have
conventional Army units?
previously served as company commanders and first
sergeants for SFAB duty as well.
What steps has the Army taken to address SFAB
personnel-related issues?
Early Recruiting and Retention Problems
Based on previous SFAB deployments and associated
The 1st SFAB’s 2018 deployment to Afghanistan reportedly
lessons learned, what types of modifications have been
revealed a number of personnel-related shortfalls.
made to SFAB organization, equipment, and training?
According to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan
Reconstruction (SIGAR):
In the event SFABs are to be regenerated into BCTs,
how long would it take to man, equip, and train them so
Staffing of the SFABs is based on recruiting active-
they are capable of performing combat mission?
duty Army and National Guard volunteers, but
while advisory experience is preferred, about 20
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
percent of the 1st SFAB had never previously
deployed. Even though the Army offered a number
IF10675
of incentives for volunteers, the 1st SFAB was
filling billets right up to the day that they departed.
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Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10675 · VERSION 12 · UPDATED