Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)

Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)

Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)

Updated January 13, 2026 (IF10675)

What Is Security Force Assistance (SFA)?

Security Force Assistance (SFA) is defined as "unified action to generate, employ, and sustain local, host-nation, or regional security forces in support of a legitimate authority." By definition "security forces include not only military forces, but also police, border forces, and other paramilitary organizations, as well as other local and regional forces." SFA involves organizing, training, equipping, rebuilding, and advising foreign security forces (FSF).

Title 10, Chapter 16, of the U.S. Code, Security Cooperation, governs the U.S. military's SFA activities. Each year, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) modifies, eliminates, or creates new SFA authorities and authorizes funding for Geographic Combatant Commands (GCCs) to conduct SFA activities.

Background

In the past, Army Special Forces units handled the majority of SFA missions, but the growing requirement for SFA over time resulted in conventional forces assuming a more active role in conducting SFA missions. Conventional forces SFA missions were normally assigned to a Brigade Combat Team (BCT), the Army's principal warfighting organization. Because of the nature of SFA missions, BCT leadership—officers and senior and mid-grade noncommissioned officers (NCOs)—were typically deployed to conduct SFA missions, while most junior NCOs and soldiers remained at their home station. This situation, while practical from a resource perspective, created a number of readiness concerns for the nondeployed BCT soldiers remaining at home station, as well as the home station units who were responsible for these junior soldiers while their leadership was deployed on SFA missions. One such concern was with leadership stripped out of the BCTs for SFAB mission, the remaining soldiers were limited to training at individual and squad level only, resulting in a lower level of unit readiness.

Establishment of SFABs

As originally designed, SFABs were to be capable of conducting SFA from the strategic (such as Ministry of Defense) to tactical (brigade and below) level. In May 2018, the Army announced it would establish six SFABs—five in the Active Component and one in the Army National Guard. SFABs were originally intended to consist of about 500 soldiers (BCTs consist of between 4,400 to 4,700 soldiers depending on type), primarily in senior grades and encompassing a range of Military Operational Specialties (MOSs). The Army also planned to establish a Military Advisor Training Academy (MATA) at Fort Benning, GA, to conduct a six-week course on relevant topics and skills.

The Army also established a two-star level command element—the Security Force Assistance Command (SFAC)—within U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) at Fort Bragg, NC, to conduct training and readiness oversight of the SFABs. According to FY2026 Army Budget documents, the Army intended to consolidate FORSCOM, U.S. Army South, and U.S. Army North into one command known as the Western Hemisphere Command during FY2026. In December 2026, the Army activated U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command (USAWHC) at Fort Bragg, NC.

SFAB Organization

According to the SFAC Information Book, Volume Seven, 2021, provided to CRS by the SFAC, SFAC Headquarters consists of 82 soldiers and Department of the Army Civilians. Each SFAB is commanded by either a Colonel or a Brigadier General (some Colonels are promoted to Brigadier Generals while serving as SFAB Commanders and remain in command) and is composed of approximately 816 soldiers. SFABs are broken down into 60 multifunctional teams consisting of four to eight soldiers each, with teams categorized as either

Maneuver Advising Teams,

Field Artillery Advising Teams,

Engineer Advising Teams, or

Logistics Advising Teams.

The SFAC noted SFAB soldiers are volunteers recruited from other Army units, much in the manner Army Special Forces recruits personnel. Individuals designated for key SFAB leadership and staff positions must have previously successfully commanded or served at the level they are being recruited for. Those recruited for SFAB leadership positions are also subject to a Selection and Assessment evaluation to determine if they are suitable for SFAB service.

Equipping SFABs

Soldiers in SFABs are issued standard personal equipment (weapons, protective masks, etc.) and a variety of tactical wheeled vehicles armed with crew-served weapons (.50 caliber and 7.62 mm machine guns) for force protection. In addition, SFABs are to have command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities. The SFAC noted that the SFAC and the SFABs are incorporated into the Army's Modernization program and are modernized in the same manner as BCTs and other Army combat formations.

SFAB Stationing

According to the Army, SFABs were originally based at

1st SFAB—Fort Benning, GA;

2nd SFAB—Fort Bragg, NC;

3rd SFAB—Fort Hood, TX;

4th SFAB—Fort Carson, CO;

5th SFAB—Joint Base Lewis–McChord, WA; and

54th SFAB (Army National Guard)—battalions in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Texas.

Current SFAB Mission and Role in Operations

According to the Army and discussions with the SFAC, SFABs are uniquely capable of advancing America's relationships across the globe. During competition, SFABs build trust, interoperability, and partner capacity. In crisis, SFABs enable the Joint Force and interagency team to quickly respond by enhancing coordination efforts.

Originally, SFABs were operating across all GCCs. SFABs serve to professionalize security assistance and cooperation missions. As permanent organizations with a standing mission, SFABs focus on the advise, support, liaise, and assess aspects of SFA, which frees up Army Special Forces, BCTs, and other conventional units from conducting these operations on an ad-hoc basis.

SFAB Regional Alignment

According to the Army, SFABs were originally regionally aligned to GCCs as follows:

1st SFAB—U.S. Southern Command;

2nd SFAB—U.S. Africa Command;

3rd SFAB—U.S. Central Command;

4th SFAB—U.S. European Command;

5th SFAB—U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; and

54th SFAB (Army National Guard)—globally focused.

Elimination of Active Duty SFAB Positions

On February 26, 2024, the Secretary of the Army announced a "significant force structure transformation that will build on the modernization and organizational shifts of recent years." Among other things, this transformation plans to eliminate "some positions across Regular Army security force assistance brigades representing a decrement to capacity at minimal risk." No additional information was provided on what "representing a decrement to capacity at minimal risk" actually means in practical terms.

Army to Eliminate Two SFABs

On May 1, 2025, Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and Chief of Staff of the Army General Randy A. George published "Letter to the Force: Army Transformation Initiative." This letter was in response to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's April 30, 2025, memorandum for senior Pentagon leadership titled "Army Transformation and Acquisition Reform." The Army Transformation Initiative directive stated, among other things, that the Army would "optimize force structure."

Reportedly, the Army intended to deactivate the 4th and 54th SFABs in order to "free up seasoned soldiers from SFAB duty to be reassigned to traditional line units like infantry and armor." The article further noted that there was no timetable for these deactivations and there were no plans to stand down additional SFABs.

2nd SFAB Deactivated

Reportedly, on November 26, 2025, the 2nd SFAB was deactivated at Ft. Bragg, NC, during a formal ceremony. The brigade had been aligned to U.S. Africa Command and focused primarily on training partners in the Middle East and Africa.

1st SFAC Deactivation, Further SFAB Deactivations, and Reorganization

Reportedly, on January 8, 2026, the Army deactivated the 1st SFAC at Ft. Bragg, NC. In addition, the Army plans to retain only two SFABs beyond 2026. The 1st SFAB, aligned to U.S. Southern Command, is to remain at Fort Benning, GA, and the 5th SFAB, aligned to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, is to remain at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA. Reportedly, the 4th SFAB is to deactivate in late January 2026 at Fort Carson, CO, and the 3rd SFAB at Fort Hood, TX, is to inactivate in late 2026. The 3rd SFAB had previously been aligned with U.S. Central Command but is to serve under U.S. Army Pacific until inactivation. As part of SFAB reorganization, the 1st SFAB is to be assigned to the Army's new U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command and the 5th SFAB is to be placed under U.S. Army Pacific's command.

Potential Oversight Considerations for Congress

The Army's reported decision to eliminate four SFABs and the 1st SFAC raises potential oversight issues for Congress, including the following:

Before Army leadership made the decision to eliminate SFABs, to what extent did they coordinate this action with Combatant Commanders?

Will Combatant Commanders no longer having aligned SFABs need to modify current and future SFA activities to compensate for the elimination of their SFABs?

How will this decision affect U.S. Army Special Forces who, in the past, handled the majority of SFA missions? In particular, how could this affect the operational tempo of U.S Army Special Forces if they are asked to take on additional SFA activities previously conducted by the deactivated SFABs?

Will the elimination of four SFABs affect the operational tempo of the remaining two SFABs?

Will BCTs and other non-SFAB units now be expected to perform more SFA missions to compensate for the deactivated SFABs?

To what extent will the reallocation of SFAB personnel from deactivated units to line units improve those units' readiness?