The U.S. Army's Evolving Role in Security Force Assistance (Sfa)

The U.S. Army's Evolving Role in Security Force Assistance (Sfa) PDF Author: U. S. Mlitary
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781093895001
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 92

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Book Description
This study examines one central issue: How has the U.S. Army improved security force assistance (SFA) design with the implementation of the SFA Brigade (SFAB)? Secondarily, it investigates whether failures at the strategic policy level inhibited the accomplishment of enduring security objectives related to the establishment of the new unit. To address this question, the study will briefly describe concepts of U.S. strategic thought that underlie the policy consensus to conduct SFA activities in fragile regions. This study will evaluate the innovation and adaption of the Army's SFA organizations/doctrine, so as to determine how well it fits into a greater U.S. strategy. It will also critically analyze SFA policy and procedures in order to identify areas for improvement. Two hypotheses are proposed with a research-based evidence chain suggesting both are confirmed. First, this study suggests SFABs are being established to increase the warfighting readiness of the Army, reduce SFA burdens on U.S. special forces, and secure resources to meet enduring security requirements. Second, ad-hoc approaches to SFA by the U.S. Army up to this point were in fact a by-product of disjointed policy, large resource disparities at the departmental level, and an overreliance on military solutions. As such, this study concludes with policy recommendations to rebalance and integrate various security programs that focus on institutional capacity in order to secure gains made by SFA.This compilation includes a reproduction of the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.I. Introduction * A. Major Research Question * B. Significance of the Research Question * C. Literature Review * D. Potential Explanations and Hypotheses * E. Research Design * F. Study Overview and Chapter Outline * II. The Strategic Context of Security Force Assistance * A. Introduction * B. How SFA Fits into U.S. Grand Strategy * C. How SFA Fits into U.S. Strategic Guidance * D. SFA and Fragile States * E. Conclusion * III. Security Force Assistance Policy and Plans * A. Introduction * B. Assumptions Made During SFA Planning * C. Constraints Overlooked During SFA Planning * D. Implications of Assumptions and Constraints * E. Critical Analysis of Current SFA Policy * F. Conclusion * IV. The U.S. Army's Role In Security Force Assistance * A. Introduction * B. Innovation and Adaption - The U.S. Army's SFA Growing Pains * C. Innovation and Adaption of SFA Doctrine * D. Innovation and Adaption of SFA Organizations * E. Balancing Operational Requirements to Increase Readiness and Meet Mission * F. Conclusion * V. Conclusion * A. Findings * B. RecommendationsThe U.S. Army has been the primary Military Department (MILDEP) utilized to build foreign militaries and defense institutions in order to establish long term stability, prevent attacks on the homeland, and promote peace in regions thought to be critical to U.S. interests. The U.S. Army has routinely turned to its general-purpose forces (GPF) and brigade combat teams (BCT) to accomplish these missions; this study will investigate conventional military readiness shortfalls and training challenges due in large part to the overutilization of GPF for SFA purposes. To be sure, the U.S. Army's methods at SFA have evolved over time and have been exceedingly ad hoc in nature--arguably leading to unintended policy outcomes and undermining the Army's war-fighting readiness.

The U.S. Army's Evolving Role in Security Force Assistance (Sfa)

The U.S. Army's Evolving Role in Security Force Assistance (Sfa) PDF Author: U. S. Mlitary
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9781093895001
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 92

Get Book Here

Book Description
This study examines one central issue: How has the U.S. Army improved security force assistance (SFA) design with the implementation of the SFA Brigade (SFAB)? Secondarily, it investigates whether failures at the strategic policy level inhibited the accomplishment of enduring security objectives related to the establishment of the new unit. To address this question, the study will briefly describe concepts of U.S. strategic thought that underlie the policy consensus to conduct SFA activities in fragile regions. This study will evaluate the innovation and adaption of the Army's SFA organizations/doctrine, so as to determine how well it fits into a greater U.S. strategy. It will also critically analyze SFA policy and procedures in order to identify areas for improvement. Two hypotheses are proposed with a research-based evidence chain suggesting both are confirmed. First, this study suggests SFABs are being established to increase the warfighting readiness of the Army, reduce SFA burdens on U.S. special forces, and secure resources to meet enduring security requirements. Second, ad-hoc approaches to SFA by the U.S. Army up to this point were in fact a by-product of disjointed policy, large resource disparities at the departmental level, and an overreliance on military solutions. As such, this study concludes with policy recommendations to rebalance and integrate various security programs that focus on institutional capacity in order to secure gains made by SFA.This compilation includes a reproduction of the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.I. Introduction * A. Major Research Question * B. Significance of the Research Question * C. Literature Review * D. Potential Explanations and Hypotheses * E. Research Design * F. Study Overview and Chapter Outline * II. The Strategic Context of Security Force Assistance * A. Introduction * B. How SFA Fits into U.S. Grand Strategy * C. How SFA Fits into U.S. Strategic Guidance * D. SFA and Fragile States * E. Conclusion * III. Security Force Assistance Policy and Plans * A. Introduction * B. Assumptions Made During SFA Planning * C. Constraints Overlooked During SFA Planning * D. Implications of Assumptions and Constraints * E. Critical Analysis of Current SFA Policy * F. Conclusion * IV. The U.S. Army's Role In Security Force Assistance * A. Introduction * B. Innovation and Adaption - The U.S. Army's SFA Growing Pains * C. Innovation and Adaption of SFA Doctrine * D. Innovation and Adaption of SFA Organizations * E. Balancing Operational Requirements to Increase Readiness and Meet Mission * F. Conclusion * V. Conclusion * A. Findings * B. RecommendationsThe U.S. Army has been the primary Military Department (MILDEP) utilized to build foreign militaries and defense institutions in order to establish long term stability, prevent attacks on the homeland, and promote peace in regions thought to be critical to U.S. interests. The U.S. Army has routinely turned to its general-purpose forces (GPF) and brigade combat teams (BCT) to accomplish these missions; this study will investigate conventional military readiness shortfalls and training challenges due in large part to the overutilization of GPF for SFA purposes. To be sure, the U.S. Army's methods at SFA have evolved over time and have been exceedingly ad hoc in nature--arguably leading to unintended policy outcomes and undermining the Army's war-fighting readiness.

Improving Security Force Assistance Capability in the Army's Advise and Assist Brigade

Improving Security Force Assistance Capability in the Army's Advise and Assist Brigade PDF Author: Major Brennan, Brennan Cook, US Army
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781480029903
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 62

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Book Description
The U.S. Army's renewed emphasis on developing organizations to conduct Security Force Assistance (SFA), particularly the Advise and Assist Brigades, is indicative of both increased operational requirements in Iraq and Afghanistan and renewed interest in developing defense capacity in allied and partner nations. With over 255,000 soldiers deployed worldwide in 2009, the Army needs to develop a more effective conventional SFA apparatus to train indigenous forces to manage their own internal security requirements. By properly selecting, training, and utilizing quality conventional force personnel to fulfill SFA requirements, the Army can meet its current operational commitments while improving its ability to respond to emerging needs. Previous attempts by the French in Algeria and the U.S. Army in Vietnam and Korea to incorporate advisory missions into conventional operations highlight the need for developing highly skilled advisors capable of managing SFA tasks within Full Spectrum Operations. Current selection, training, and utilization models used by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) program, the U.S. Marine Corps' Training and Advisor Group (MCTAG), and the U.S. Army's transition teams provide comparative analysis tools for developing a way forward. What is missing from each of these programs is a centralized identification and selection process, robust yet efficient training regimen, and a utilization mechanism to ensure highly skilled and trained advisors are serving where the Army needs them most, at the brigade. Historical precedents and current training programs suggest that though the U.S. Army has vastly improved its conventional advisory efforts since the Korean War, it still requires a new approach to Security Force Assistance. The 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review reemphasized the importance of assisting partners and allies with their own internal defense. By creating a functional area for advisors, the Army could better enable Advise and Assist Brigades to manage Full Spectrum Operations by providing the commander with advisors specifically selected, trained, and educated for SFA missions. The U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps will bear the brunt of providing such assistance, and the advisor functional area program could better prepare brigade-sized units for conducting those operations in both combat and non-combat environments.

Security Force Assistance

Security Force Assistance PDF Author: Department of the Army
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781480188303
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
In an era of persistent conflict, the United States supports the internal defense and development of international partners, regardless of whether those partners are highly developed and stable or less developed and emerging. While many of these partners are nations, they can also include alliances, coalitions, and regional organizations. U.S. support to these partners ranges from providing humanitarian assistance to major combat operations. U.S. support includes conducting conflict transformation, bolstering partner legitimacy, and building partner capacity. A vital part of these three aspects of U.S. support is assisting partner security forces. Security force assistance (SFA) is not new for Army forces. In fact, General George Washington's Inspector General of the Army acted as an advisor for Army forces. Baron Friedrick Wilhelm von Steuben instilled discipline and professionalism into an army that previously lacked formalized training. His 1779 Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, adapted from the Prussian army, formed the doctrinal backbone of the Continental Army throughout the Revolutionary War. Additionally, the lineage of the Army's operations field manual, FM 3-0, can be traced to this document. As a benefactor of advisors such as von Steuben, the Army has since undertaken what is called SFA several times throughout its history. Army doctrine defines security force assistance as the unified action to generate, employ, and sustain local, host-nation, or regional security forces in support of a legitimate authority (FM 3-07). SFA is part of the FM 3- 0 construct of full spectrum operations. Similarly, it is conducted across the spectrum of conflict or in any of the operational themes. SFA is normally part of a larger security sector reform effort, while in other instances, SFA is not tied to reform but to building partner capacity. Three general situations exist in which SFA may occur: an internally focused bilateral relationship, an externally focused bilateral relationship, and a multilateral relationship. Consequently, SFA supports the appropriate partner's plans. When SFA supports a host nation, it also supports that host nation's strategy. If SFA supports a host nation's externally focused efforts, it must support the host nation's national security strategy. SFA may support regional security forces, such as those of the African Union or the Organization of American States. In these cases, SFA supports that organization's plans. This field manual (FM) is the Army's doctrinal publication for security force assistance (SFA). It provides doctrinal guidance and direction for how U.S. forces contribute to SFA. It focuses on the brigade combat team (BCT) conducting SFA and advising foreign security forces. It is based on lessons learned from previous advising efforts and recent combat operations with a view to the future. It supports the Army Education System instruction on the theory and conduct of SFA. The two primary audiences for this manual are leaders in BCTs conducting SFA and Soldiers assigned as advisors. The BCT is the largest fixed tactical organization and the key formation of the Army's modular organization. Army modularity allows commanders to add selective units to assist the BCT as it conducts SFA. The BCT and higher echelons provide the framework for advisors to function and accomplish the mission—developing foreign security forces and, when appropriate, working by, with, and through foreign security forces to achieve the desired end state of the host nation's internal defense and development. Thus, Soldiers assigned as advisors are the key element of SFA. This FM provides the conceptual framework for conventional forces to conduct SFA within the construct of full spectrum operations, across the spectrum of conflict. It addresses SFA at operational and tactical levels.

American Advisors

American Advisors PDF Author: Lieutenant Colonel Joshua J., Lieutenant Joshua Potter, US Army
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781494437640
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 126

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Book Description
This manuscript describes how US military advisors prepare for and conduct operations in war. Through two separate year-long combat tours as a military advisor in Iraq, the author brings true vignettes into modern military strategy and operational art. Further, the author provides multiple perspectives in command relationships. Through years of personal experience, direct interviews, and Warfighting knowledge, the author challenges conventionally accepted truths and establishes a new standard for understanding the impact of American advisors on the modern battleground.

Adaptive Support

Adaptive Support PDF Author: U S Military
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781704833583
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 82

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Book Description
This study investigates the creation of the Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFAB) and analyzes how the Army can provide effective support to the unit's mission. This is significant due to the absence of current academic research pertaining to the SFAB. The intent of this research is to identify the sustainment challenges that the SFAB may encounter and present possible solutions for the Army to overcome them. In order to understand how to provide effective support, this study explains the SFAB mission, force structure, and the operational environments where SFA forces will doctrinally be employed. A qualitative research methodology is used to analyze this data through a collective case study design. The two case studies selected for this research represent the two types of operational environments where the SFAB will be employed and uses an embedded analysis to identify the sustainment challenges in each. The end result is a comprehensive understanding of the SFAB, the sustainment challenges that the unit will encounter, and possible solutions for overcoming them.This compilation also includes a reproduction of the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.The American people expect the military to be ready to respond to future challenges while being stewards of the resources given to them. Because of this, military leaders are constantly balancing "what they want to do" with "what they must do." The Budget Control Act of 2011 significantly reduced the force structure of the Army (U.S. Congress 2011). Leaders have to think critically in order to ensure that the Army is effectively and efficiently using its limited resources. According to the Atlantic Council, a U.S. policy think tank, "an adverse effect [of using Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) for Security Force Assistance (SFA), is that] it creates temporary makeshift organization with limited skills for this vital and complex long-term missions, and it destroys the readiness of the entire BCT by breaking it apart, making it unavailable for other combat operations". In order to save resources, the Army is creating the Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFAB) to assume the responsibilities of conducting SFA operations around the globe. The SFAB is an emerging force structure model that creates a brigade specializing in training and equipping foreign security forces. The SFAB concept is one of the top priorities for the Chief of Staff of the Army. This new force structure has the potential to be a resource-saving capability for the military; however, leaders must ensure that this new organization is properly resourced to succeed at accomplishing the SFA mission. The military continually trains to operate in uncertain environments with complex problems. One of the major challenges of creating a new organization is ensuring that it has the resources to succeed. The Army must balance each unit's resource requirements with its capabilities in order to create an effective unit capable of accomplishing its mission. The challenge is finding the balance. The unit must be able to adapt and overcome any shortfalls without hindering the mission.

Security Force Assistance

Security Force Assistance PDF Author: Sharon Pickup
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781457846342
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 34

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Book Description
The International Security Assistance Force’s (ISAF’s) mission in Afghanistan has shifted from a combat role to focus more on preparing Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) units to assume lead security responsibility by the end of 2014. A key element in advising and assisting the ANSF is Security Force Assistance (SFA) advisor teams, provided by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. This report evaluated the extent to which (1) the Department of Defense (DOD), in conjunction with ISAF, has defined SFA advisor team missions, goals, and objectives; (2) the Army and Marine Corps have been able to provide teams; and (3) the Army and Marine Corps have developed programs to train teams for their specific missions. This is a print on demand report.

Security Force Assistance in Afghanistan

Security Force Assistance in Afghanistan PDF Author: Terrence K. Kelly
Publisher: RAND Corporation
ISBN: 9780833052117
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
Security force assistance (SFA) is a central pillar of the counterinsurgency campaign being waged by U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. This monograph analyzes SFA efforts in Afghanistan over time, documents U.S. and international approaches to building the Afghan force from 2001 to 2009, and provides observations and recommendations that emerged from extensive fieldwork in Afghanistan in 2009 and their implications for the U.S. Army.

A Look at the Evolution of U.S. Army Participation in Security Assistance

A Look at the Evolution of U.S. Army Participation in Security Assistance PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 43

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Book Description
The intent of this paper is to document the evolution of security assistance within the United States Army. I envision the results of this effort would provide an initial basis to place informational items of historical significance on the security assistance charts within the greater project known as the United States Army Force Management School "Mother of All Charts". To accomplish this I must identify the following: the origins of security assistance, the various types of programs under the overarching label of security assistance, any major events or legislative bills strongly influencing security assistance, some of the nations involved in the larger programs, and the commanders of the United States Army Security Assistance Command.

Security Force Assistance and the Brigade Combat Team

Security Force Assistance and the Brigade Combat Team PDF Author: Gary A. Rosenberg
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Nation-building
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
The US Army is in the process of making choices regarding how to efficiently provide a wide array of options to the US President for dealing with current and future security concerns. A key issues related to this choice concerns the method used to establish and maintain a Security Force Assistance (or train, advise, and assist) capability in Army General Purpose Forces. The focus of this research was to answer a question. Do modular Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) and the supporting force structure have the capability to effectively cover the full spectrum of operations, specifically SFA missions in both phase IV (Stabilize) and Phase 0 (Shape) environments? The answer to the primary question indicated that a BCT, with augmentation can be effective in conducting SFA missions in phase IV (Stabilize) environments, however, unless the Army is willing to change its culture and adopt certain recommendations, significant challenges to effectively accomplishing SFA missions in Phase 0 (Shape) environments using the BCT approach are likely to be encountered.

Security Force Assistance

Security Force Assistance PDF Author: U.s. Government Accountability Office
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781973961475
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 36

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Book Description
" SFA-DOD activities that contribute to supporting the development of foreign security forces and their supporting institutions-is a key component of U.S. efforts to create sustainable security around the world. These activities are carried out by DOD personnel serving as advisors who may have SFA-related training, education, and prior experience to conduct the advising mission. GAO was mandated to review the Army's and Marine Corps' approaches to the SFA mission. GAO assessed the extent to which the Army and Marine Corps (1) identify and track personnel with SFA-related training, education, and experience and (2) consider SFA-related training, education, and experience in the promotion process. This report also describes the Army's process for preparing units to perform their core mission while some members are deployed to support SFA activities. GAO reviewed DOD policies, directives, and other documents and interviewed cognizant DOD and service officials. "