Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)



Updated February 29, 2024
Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
What Is Security Force Assistance
The 3-353rd Regiment stationed at Fort Johnson (formerly
(SFA)?
Fort Polk), LA provides customized advisor and advisor
Security Force Assistance (SFA) is defined as “unified
team training for regionally aligned forces tasked to
action to generate, employ, and sustain local, host nation or
conduct or support Security Cooperation and Security Force
regional security forces in support of a legitimate
Assistance operations.
authority.” By definition “security forces include not only
military forces, but also police, border forces, and other
The Army also established a command element—the
paramilitary organizations, as well as other local and
Security Force Assistance Command (SFAC)—within U.S.
regional forces.” SFA involves organizing, training,
Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) at Fort Liberty
equipping, rebuilding, and advising foreign security forces
(formerly Fort Bragg), NC, to conduct training and
(FSF).
readiness oversight of the SFABs. The SFAC is
commanded by a Major General.
Title 10, U.S. Code (USC), Chapter 16, Security
Cooperation,
governs the Department of Defense’s
SFAB Organization
(DOD’s) SFA activities. Each year, the National Defense
According to the SFAC Information Book, Volume Seven,
Authorization Act (NDAA) modifies, eliminates, or creates
2021, provided to CRS by the SFAC, SFAC Headquarters
new SFA authorities and authorizes funding for Geographic
consists of 82 soldiers and Department of the Army
Combatant Commands (GCCs) to conduct SFA activities.
Civilians. Each SFAB is commanded by either a Colonel or
Brigadier General (some Colonels are promoted to
Background
Brigadier Generals while serving as SFAB Commanders
In the past, Special Forces units handled the majority of
and remain in command) and is composed of approximately
SFA missions, but the growing requirement for SFA over
816 soldiers. SFABs are broken down into 60
time resulted in conventional forces assuming a more active
multifunctional teams consisting of four to eight soldiers
role in conducting SFA missions. Conventional forces SFA
each, with teams categorized as either
missions were normally assigned to a Brigade Combat
• Maneuver Advising Teams;
Team (BCT), the Army’s principal warfighting
organization. Because of the nature of SFA missions, BCT
• Field Artillery Advising Teams;
leadership—officers and senior and mid-grade

noncommissioned officers (NCOs)—were typically
Engineer Advising Teams; or
deployed to conduct SFA missions while most junior NCOs
• Logistics Advising Teams.
and soldiers remained at their home station. This situation,
while practical from a resource perspective, created a
The SFAC noted SFAB soldiers are volunteers recruited
number of readiness concerns for the nondeployed BCT
from other Army units, much in the manner Army Special
soldiers remaining at home station, as well as the home
Forces recruits personnel. Individuals designated for key
station units who were responsible for these junior soldiers
SFAB leadership and staff positions must have previously
while their leadership was deployed on SFA missions. One
successfully commanded or served at the level they are
such concern was with leadership stripped out of the BCTs
being recruited for. Those recruited for SFAB leadership
for SFAB mission, the remaining soldiers were limited to
positions are also subject to a Selection and Assessment
training at individual and squad level only, resulting in a
evaluation to determine if they are suitable for SFAB
lower level of unit readiness.
service.
Establishment of SFABs
Equipping SFABs
As originally designed, SFABs are to be capable of
Soldiers in SFABs are issued standard personal equipment
conducting SFA from the strategic (such as Ministry of
(weapons, protective masks, etc.) and a variety of tactical
Defense) to tactical (brigade and below) level. In May
wheeled vehicles armed with crew-served weapons (.50
2018, the Army announced it would establish six SFABs—
caliber and 7.62 mm machine guns) for force protection. In
five in the Active Component and one in the Army National
addition, SFABs are to have command, control,
Guard (ARNG). SFABs were originally intended to consist
communications, computer, and intelligence, surveillance,
of about 500 soldiers (BCTs consist of between 4,400 to
and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities. The SFAC noted
4,700 soldiers depending on type), primarily in senior
the SFAC and the SFABs are incorporated into the Army’s
grades and encompassing a range of Military Operational
Modernization program and are modernized in the same
Specialties (MOSs). The Army also planned to establish a
manner as BCTs and other Army combat formations.
Military Advisor Training Academy (MATA) at Fort
SFAB Stationing
Moore (formerly Fort Benning), GA, to conduct a six-week
course on relevant topics and skills.
According to the Army, SFABs are based at
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Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)
• 1st SFAB—Fort Moore, GA;
additional countries, including Egypt, Oman, Tajikistan,

Bahrain, and Israel.
2nd SFAB—Fort Liberty, NC;
• 3rd SFAB—Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood), TX;
4th SFAB

Since 2021, the 4th SFAB has deployed advisor teams in 19
4th SFAB—Fort Carson, CO;
European nations including Poland, Romania, Germany,
• 5th SFAB—Joint Base Lewis–McChord, WA; and
Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Hungary,

Georgia, Moldova, Bulgaria, Kosovo, North Macedonia,
54th SFAB (Army National Guard)—battalions in
Slovakia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and
Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Texas.
Albania through a combination of persistent and episodic
Current SFAB Mission and Role in
missions. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February
Operations
2022, advisor teams have enhanced deterrence across
Eastern Europe by working with allied forces and NATO
According to the Army and discussions with the SFAC
Battle Groups.
SFABs are uniquely capable of advancing
America’s relationships across the globe. During
5th SFAB
In 2023, the 5th SFAB participated in combined
competition, SFABs build trust, interoperability,
interoperability training with numerous strategic allies and
and partner capacity. In crisis, SFABs enable the
partners in the region to include, Japan, Thailand,
Joint Force and interagency team to quickly
Bangladesh, Malaysia, the Philippines, the Republic of
respond by enhancing coordination efforts.
Korea, Mongolia, Maldives, Indonesia, and Papua New
Presently, SFABs are operating across all Geographic
Guinea.
Combatant Commands (GCCs). SFABs serve to
professionalize security assistance and cooperation
54th SFAB
missions. As permanent organizations with a standing
In 2023, 54th SFAB advisors operated in five GCs, with
mission, SFABs focus on the advise, support, liaise, and
forces in Honduras, Columbia, Kenya, Tunisia, Latvia,
assess aspects of SFA, which frees up Army Special Forces,
Indonesia, and UAE.
BCTs and other conventional units from conducting these
operations on an ad-hoc basis.
Elimination of Active Duty
SFAB Positions
SFAB Regional Alignment
On February 26, 2024, the Secretary of the Army
According to the Army, SFABs are regionally aligned to
announced a “significant force structure transformation that
GCCs as follows:
will build on the modernization and organizational shifts of

recent years.” Among other things, this transformation
1st SFAB—U.S. Southern Command;
plans to eliminate “some positions across Regular Army
• 2nd SFAB—U.S. Africa Command;
security force assistance brigades representing a decrement
to capacity at minimal risk.” No additional information was
• 3rd SFAB—U.S. Central Command;
provided on what “representing a decrement to capacity at
• 4th SFAB—U.S. European Command;
minimal risk” actually means in practical terms.
• 5th SFAB—U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; and
Potential Considerations for Congress
• 54th SFAB (Army National Guard)—globally focused.
• The Army’s February 2024 announcement eliminating
certain Active Duty SFAB positions provides little
Selected SFAB Activities
context or detail. Potential questions could include,
According to the 2023 SFAC Factbook, selected activities
What specific positions will be eliminated and how
for 2023 include
many soldiers are associated with the reductions? How
will eliminations affect the SFAB’s ability to perform its
1st SFAB
mission? Will eliminations have a negative impact on
The 1st SFAB maintains a persistent presence in Colombia,
SFAB operational tempo (OPTEMPO) and place undue
Honduras and Panama, while also expanding episodically to
stress on Active Duty SFABs?
Peru, Ecuador, and Uruguay.
• Are SFABs able to meet current and predicted GCC
2nd SFAB
SFA-related operational demands and are GCCs
The 2nd SFAB maintained a periodic presence in up to 15
sufficiently funded to conduct SFA operations?
countries and provided U.S. Africa Command with access

and influence to key strategic partners throughout Africa.
Based on previous SFAB deployments and associated
lessons learned, what types of modifications have been
3rd SFAB
made to the SFAB’s organization, equipment, and
The 3rd SFAB expanded advisor operations in U.S. Central
training?
Command from one (Kuwait) to five persistent-partner
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
nations (Kuwait, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab
Emirates (UAE) and Iraq). 3rd SFAB advisors also deployed
IF10675
in support of exercises and expert exchanges with
https://crsreports.congress.gov

Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)


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