Updated March 23, 2023
Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
What Is Security Force Assistance
Specialties (MOSs). The Army also planned to establish a
(SFA)?
Military Advisor Training Academy at Fort Benning, GA,
Security Force Assistance (SFA) is defined as “unified
to 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 arose, into 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. The 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, the Army is
In the past, Special Forces units handled the majority of
placing less emphasis on the SFAB’s secondary mission—
SFA missions, but the growing requirement for SFA over
to serve as a cadre to create new BCTs—and instead
time resulted in conventional forces assuming a more active
intends for SFABs to actively participate in SFA operations
role in conducting SFA missions. Conventional forces SFA
during conflict, thereby potentially making SFABs
missions were normally assigned to a Brigade Combat
unavailable to serve as cadre for newly created BCTs. If
Team (BCT), the Army’s principal warfighting
this is the case, it could prove impractical to use SFABs as
organization. Because of the nature of SFA missions, BCT
a means to create new BCTs, which calls into question the
leadership—officers and senior and mid-grade
Army’s ability to rapidly expand in the event of crisis.
noncommissioned officers (NCOs)—were typically
deployed to conduct SFA missions, while most junior
SFAB Organization
NCOs and soldiers remained at their home station. This
According to the SFAC Information Book, Volume Seven,
situation, while practical from a resource perspective,
2021, provided to CRS by the SFAC, SFAC Headquarters
created a number of readiness concerns for the nondeployed
consists of 82 soldiers and Department of the Army
BCT soldiers remaining at home station, as well as the
Civilians. Each SFAB is commanded by either a Colonel or
home station units who were responsible for these junior
Brigadier General (some Colonels are promoted to
soldiers while their leadership was deployed on SFA
Brigadier Generals while serving as SFAB Commanders
missions. One such concern is with leadership stripped out
and remain in command) and is composed of approximately
of the BCTs for the SFAB mission, the remaining soldiers
816 soldiers. SFABs are broken down into 60
were limited to training at individual and squad level only,
multifunctional teams consisting of four to eight soldiers
resulting in a lower level of unit readiness. In addition,
each, with teams categorized as either
nondeploying units who were temporarily assigned the
Maneuver Advising Teams;
nondeployed soldiers were required to make
accommodations for these soldiers, which had residual
Field Artillery Advising Teams;
readiness impacts on hosting units.
Engineer Advising Teams; and
Establishment of SFABs
Logistics Advising Teams.
As originally designed, SFABs are to be capable of
conducting SFA from the strategic (such as Ministry of
The SFAC notes that all SFAB soldiers are volunteers
Defense) to tactical (brigade and below) level. In May
recruited from other Army units, much in the manner Army
2018, the Army announced it would establish six SFABs—
Special Forces recruits personnel. Individuals designated
five in the Active Component and one in the Army National
for key SFAB leadership and staff positions must have
Guard (ARNG). SFABs were originally intended to consist
previously successfully commanded or served at the level
of about 500 soldiers (BCTs consist of between 4,400 to
they are being recruited for. Those recruited for SFAB
4,700 soldiers depending on type), primarily in senior
leadership positions are also subject to a Selection and
grades and encompassing a range of Military Operational
Assessment evaluation to determine if they are suitable for
SFAB service.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
SFAB Stationing
and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities. The SFAC noted
According to the Army, SFABs are based at
the SFAC and the SFABs are incorporated into the Army’s
Modernization program and are modernized in the same
1st SFAB—Fort Benning, GA;
manner as BCTs and other Army combat formations.
2nd SFAB—Fort Bragg, NC;
Selected SFAB Activities
3rd SFAB—Fort Hood, TX;
4th SFAB—Fort Carson, CO;
SFABs Refocusing on Large-Scale Combat
The Army has recently begun to shift SFAB focus to large-
5th SFAB—Joint Base Lewis –McChord, WA; and
scale combat operations. To support this shift, SFABs are
54th SFAB (Army National Guard)—battalions in
conducting validation exercises, evaluating if SFABs can
Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Texas.
operate with partners and allies in conflict situations.
Reportedly, the 1st SFAB completed an exercise at Ft.
Current SFAB Mission and Role in
Benning, GA, in February 2023 to ensure SFAB soldiers
Operations
could “carry out their mission with foreign security forces
According to the Army and discussions with the SFAC
in conflict.”
SFABs are uniquely capable of advancing
4th SFAB
America’s relationships across the globe. During
Reportedly, the 4th SFAB maintains a presence from the
competition, SFABs build trust, interoperability,
“Baltics to the Black Sea,” focusing on interoperability with
and partner capacity. In crisis, SFABs enable the
NATO allies designed to build capability and capacity. As
Joint Force and interagency team to quickly
of September 2022, the 4th SFAB had 19 teams of military
respond by enhancing coordination efforts. In
advisers operating in 10 European counties. Reportedly, 4th
conflict, SFABs enhance coordination with partners
SFAB advisers are involved in training the Ukrainian
and can expand to full mission capable brigades.
Armed Forces outside of Ukraine and plan to continue to do
so for the foreseeable future.
Presently, SFABs are operating across all Geographic
Combatant Commands (GCCs). SFABs serve to
5th SFAB
professionalize security assistance and cooperation
Reportedly, since the unit was first activated in 2020, the 5th
missions. As permanent organizations with a standing
SFAB has established “partnerships with six nations in U.S.
mission, SFABs focus on the advise, support, liaise, and
Indo-Pacific Command, including Japan, Indonesia,
assess aspects of SFA, which frees up BCTs and other
Mongolia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines.” In
conventional units from conducting these operations on an
Mongolia, SFAB NCOs helped to establish an NCO
ad-hoc basis.
education system and SFAB soldiers also worked with the
SFAB Regional Alignment
Royal Thai Army on combined arms training with Stryker
infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs). The 5th SFAB is also said
According to the Army, SFABs are regionally-aligned to
to be working with partner nations to support their training
GCCs as follows
at the Joint Pacific Multi-National Readiness Center in
1st SFAB—U.S. Southern Command;
Hawaii.
2nd SFAB—U.S. Africa Command;
54th SFAB
3rd SFAB—U.S. Central Command;
Reportedly, the Army National Guard’s 54th SFAB,
activated in March 2020, conducted its first ever combatant
4th SFAB—U.S. European Command;
command mission by deploying to Honduras to support
SFA activities.
5th SFAB—U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; and
54th SFAB (Army National Guard)—globally focused.
Potential Issues for Congress
SFAB Training
If the SFAB’s original secondary mission to serve as
cadre to form new BCTs is no longer practical, how
In addition to training at the Military Advisor Training
does this affect the Army’s ability to generate additional
Academy, many SFAB members receive cultural training
forces in the event of a crisis?
and language familiarity training. Soldiers also receive
training on foreign weapons, advanced medical training,
Are SFABs able to meet current and predicted GCC
driver training, and survival, evasion, resistance, and escape
SFA-related operational demands and are GCCs
(SERE) techniques.
sufficiently funded to conduct SFA operations?
Equipping SFABs
Based on previous SFAB deployments and associated
lessons learned, what types of modifications have been
Soldiers in SFABs are issued standard personal equipment
(weapons, protective masks, etc.) and a variety of tactical
made to the SFAB’s organization, equipment, and
wheeled vehicles armed with crew-served weapons (.50
training?
caliber and 7.62 mm machine guns) for force protection. In
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
addition, SFABs are to have command, control,
communications, computer, and intelligence, surveillance,
IF10675
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Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
Disclaimer
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