Updated July 1, 2021
Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
What Is Security Force Assistance (SFA)?
Advisor Training Academy at Fort Benning, GA, to
Security Force Assistance (SFA) is defined as “unified
conduct a six-week course on relevant topics and skills.
action to generate, employ, and sustain local, host nation or
regional security forces in support of a legitimate
The Army has also established a command element—the
authority.” By definition “security forces include not only
Security Force Assistance Command (SFAC)—within U.S.
military forces, but also police, border forces, and other
Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) at Fort Bragg, NC, to
paramilitary organizations, as well as other local and
conduct training and readiness oversight of the SFABs. The
regional forces.” SFA involves organizing, training,
SFAC is commanded by a Major General.
equipping, rebuilding, and advising foreign security forces
(FSF).
Originally, the Army planned for SFABs to be expanded, if
the need arises, into fully operational BCTs capable of
Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 16, governs the Department of
conducting major combat operations. In this case, SFAB
Defense’s (DOD’s) SFA activities. Each year, the National
personnel would serve as cadres who would accept the
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) modifies, eliminates,
expansion of personnel and equipment required to
or creates new SFA authorities and authorizes funding for
transform the SFAB into a BCT. These newly manned and
Geographic Combatant Commands (GCCs) to conduct SFA
equipped BCTs would then be trained up to conduct their
activities.
respective combat missions.
Background
Based on CRS discussions with the SFAC, this may no
In the past, Special Forces units handled the majority of
longer be the case. According to the SFAC, the Army is
SFA missions, but the growing requirement for SFA over
now considering placing less emphasis on the SFAB’s
time resulted in conventional forces assuming a more active
secondary mission—to serve as a cadre to create new
role in conducting SFA missions. Conventional forces SFA
BCTs—to actively participating in SFA operations during
missions were normally assigned to a Brigade Combat
conflict, thereby making them unavailable to serve as cadre
Team (BCT), the Army’s principal warfighting
for newly created BCTs. If this new proposal is adopted, it
organization. Because of the nature of SFA missions, BCT
could prove impractical to use SFABs as a means to create
leadership—officers and senior and mid-grade
new BCTs, which calls the Army’s ability to rapidly expand
noncommissioned officers (NCOs)—were typically
in the event of crisis into question.
deployed to conduct SFA missions, while most junior
NCOs and soldiers remained at their home station. This
SFAB Organization
situation, while practical from a resource perspective,
According to the SFAC Information Book, Volume Seven,
created a number of readiness concerns for the nondeployed
2021, provided to CRS by the SFAC, SFAC Headquarters
BCT soldiers remaining at home station, as well as the
consists of 82 soldiers and Department of the Army
other home station units who were responsible for these
Civilians. Each SFAB is commanded by either a Colonel or
junior soldiers while their leadership was deployed on SFA
Brigadier General (some Colonels are promoted to
missions. One such concern is with leadership stripped out
Brigadier Generals while serving as SFAB Commanders
of the BCTs for the SFAB mission, the remaining soldiers
and remain in command) and comprises 816 soldiers.
were limited to training at individual and squad level only,
SFABs are broken down into 60 multifunctional teams
resulting in a lower level of unit readiness. In addition,
consisting of four to eight soldiers, which are categorized as
nondeploying units who were temporarily assigned the
nondeployed soldiers were required to make
Maneuver Advising Teams;
accommodations for these soldiers, which had residual
Field Artillery Advising Teams;
readiness impacts on hosting units.
Engineer Advising Teams; and
The Army’s Plan to Establish SFABs
As envisioned, SFABs are to be capable of conducting SFA
Logistics Advising Teams.
from the strategic (such as Ministry of Defense) to tactical
(brigade and below) level. In May 2018, the Army
The SFAC notes that all SFAB soldiers are volunteers
announced it would establish six SFABs —five in the
recruited from other Army units, much in the manner Army
Active Component and one in the Army National Guard
Special Forces recruits personnel. Individuals designated
(ARNG). SFABs were originally planned to consist of
for key SFAB leadership and staff positions must have
about 500 soldiers (BCTs consist of between 4,400 to 4,700
previously successfully commanded or served at the level
soldiers depending on type), primarily in senior grades and
they are being recruited for. Those recruited for SFAB
encompassing a range of Military Operational Specialties
leadership positions are also subject to a Selection and
(MOSs). The Army also planned to establish a Military
Assessment evaluation to determine if they are suitable for
service in the SFAB.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
SFAB Stationing
SFAB Training
According to the Army, SFABs are stationed at
In addition to training at the Military Advisor Training
Academy, many SFAB members receive cultural training
1st SFAB—Fort Benning, GA;
and language familiarity training. Soldiers are to also
receive training on foreign weapons, advanced medical
2nd SFAB—Fort Bragg, NC;
training, driver training, and survival, evasion, resistance,
3rd SFAB—Fort Hood, TX;
and escape (SERE) techniques.
4th SFAB—Fort Carson, CO;
Equipping SFABs
5th SFAB—Joint Base Lewis –McChord, WA; and
Soldiers in SFABs are to be issued standard personal
equipment (weapons, protective masks, etc.) and a variety
54th SFAB (Army National Guard)—battalions in
of tactical wheeled vehicles armed with crew-served
Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Texas.
weapons (.50 caliber and 7.62 mm machine guns) for force
protection. In addition, SFABs are to have command,
Current SFAB Mission and Role in Operations
control, communications, computer, and intelligence,
According to the Army and discussions with the SFAC:
surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities.
SFABs are uniquely capable of advancing
Army Modernization
America’s relationships across the globe. During
The SFAC noted that the SFAC and the SFABs are
competition, SFABs build trust, interoperability,
incorporated into the Army’s Modernization program and
and partner capacity. In crisis, SFABs enable the
will be modernized in the same manner as BCTs and other
Joint Force and interagency team to quickly
Army combat formations.
respond by enhancing coordination efforts. In
conflict, SFABs enhance coordination with partners
Potential Issues for Congress
and can expand to full mission capable brigades.
Are SFABs, with limited combat power, the right
Today, SFABs are operating across all Geographic
solution for SFA in highly contested regions?
Combatant Commands (GCCs). SFABs serve to
If the SFAB’s original secondary mission to serve as
professionalize security assistance and cooperation
cadre to form new BCTs is no longer practical, how
missions. As permanent organizations with a standing
does this affect the Army’s ability to generate additional
mission, SFABs focus on the advise, support, liaise, and
forces?
assess aspects of SFA, which frees up BCTs and other
conventional units from conducting these operations on an
With NATO and U.S. military forces leaving
ad-hoc basis.
Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, will SFABs have a
future SFA mission in relation to Afghanistan?
SFAB Regional Alignment
With the U.S. National Security Strategy focused on
According to the Army, SFABs are to be regionally aligned
great power competition, how do SFABs specifically
to GCCs as follows:
support military efforts in relation to Russia and China?
1st SFAB—U.S. Southern Command;
Are SFABs able to meet current and predicted GCC
SFA-related operational demands and are GCCs
2nd SFAB—U.S. Africa Command;
sufficiently funded to conduct SFA operations?
3rd SFAB—U.S. Central Command;
Based on previous SFAB deployments and associated
4th SFAB—U.S. European Command;
lessons learned, what types of modifications have been
made to the SFAB’s organization, equipment, and
5th SFAB—U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; and
training?
54th SFAB (Army National Guard)—globally focused.
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
IF10675
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
Disclaimer
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