Regional Basing of Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs)

In a recent Small Wars Journal article by Renee Novakoff titled Irregular Warfare: Back to Basics, Novakoff cites regional expertise as one of the areas irregular warfare (IW) practitioners need to reinvigorate. While IW experts certainly need this experience, the US Army’s Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFAB) also require this expertise. The SFABs are regionally aligned brigades born out of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) and the demand that the GWOT placed on the Army for security force assistance (SFA) and combat advisors. Nevertheless, the SFABs can gain and maintain regional expertise by permanently basing each of the brigades in their respective regions of alignment.

Novakoff points out that one of the ways in which forces can achieve IW success is through “knowledge of a people’s attitudes, beliefs, frustrations, and geopolitical culture.” SFAB troopers, like their IW counterparts in the Army’s unconventional units, are combat advisors who partner with friendly foreign militaries, and non-state security forces. SFAB soldiers, just as their Special Operations Forces (SOF) counterparts, can enhance Army readiness and the Army’s capacity for SFA and combat advising by being culturally immersed as residents in their particular country or region of alignment. 

Recommendations

Considering the potential benefit to Army readiness and the Army’s capacity for SFA and combat advising, the following recommendations for regional alignment and basing are suggested. 1st SFAB should be remain aligned to US SOUTHCOM, but be relocated from Fort Moore, Georgia to Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. 2nd SFAB should maintain its alignment with US AFRICACOM and remain located at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. 3rd SFAB should stay regionally aligned to US CENTCOM and remain at Fort Cavazos, Texas. 4th SFAB should maintain aligned to US EUCOM, but relocate from Fort Carson, Colorado to Camp Kościuszko, Poland. Finally, 5th SFAB should remain regionally aligned to US INDO-PACOM, but relocate from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, to either Fort Shafter, Hawaii or Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Justifications for each recommendation are required. For 1st, 4th, and 5th SFABs, relocating to the proposed locations would help with cultural emersion and regional expertise by putting SFAB soldiers and their families in the areas in which they work. By virtue of being emersed in those places, the soldiers would gain valuable regional and cultural expertise. 

For 1st SFAB members, they could live in and around San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico. This would enable them to strengthen their understanding of the culture pervasive throughout parts of the Caribbean and much of Central and South America. Furthermore, this would also reinforce their language skills which, despite some dialect differences, will be applicable throughout the region.

For 4th SFAB, they could live in proximity to the vibrant and culturally rich city of Poznan. This would afford the soldiers, and their families, the ability to immerse themselves in the Polish culture and language. This stationing would also provide a springboard for 4th SFAB soldiers to quickly and easily access other European destinations, particularly Central and Eastern Europe, helping further round out their regional expertise. Additionally, positing 4th SFAB here would align with the Poland-United States Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) which supports the goals of developing defense capabilities, defense planning, and defense cooperation, areas that SFABs are suitable to reinforce.

Basing 5th SFAB would afford unit members a degree of immersion in their regionally-aligned cultures and languages, yet not to the same level as the SFABs previously mentioned. But given the prevalence of various communities of East Asian descent located in Hawaii, particularly on Oahu, SFAB members should find it fairly easy to experience a higher degree of cultural and linguistic authenticity in this location as well as opportunities to pursue language proficiency.  

Depending on the steadily increasing levels of cooperation between the US and The Philippines, opportunities may arise to allow 5th SFAB, or its subordinate units, the Security Force Assistance Teams (SFAT), to be permanently based here. Additionally, growing concerns about activities in the South China Sea may find other countries in the region open to stationing SFABs, or the SFATs, within their countries. Considering that an SFAB or SFAT would represent a rather small US footprint, US allies and partners, and their respective citizens, may find this option more agreeable than allowing the permanent assignment of a large US contingent, like an Army division or naval base. These opportunities would reinforce US support to allies and partners within this region and should be seriously considered if presented.

Currently, basing SFABs and their family members in the CENTCOM and AFRICOM areas presents security-related challenges that outweigh the benefits of the idea being presented.  Hence 2nd and 3rd SFABs should remain stationed in the continental US, though some degree of cultural immersion could be pursued. As mentioned in an older Small Wars Journal article, this can be accomplished by placing unit members in ethnical diverse areas within the US for extended periods of time to improve their culture familiarity. For example, areas around Dearborn, Michigan and the Twin Cities area in Minnesota have sizeable communities of people with Middle Eastern, North African, and eastern African origin. Time spent in those areas might not be as authentic as other alternatives, but it is better than doing nothing and it is a cheaper alternative.

Conclusion

Renee Novakoff’s article focuses on the IW practitioner and what the Army should do to develop and refine their skills, including regional expertise. Though the SFABs’ combat advisors are not IW specialists, their tasks and purpose often rhyme with those of SOF personnel. This includes the requirements for language proficiency and cultural knowledge. Basing SFABs in the regions in which they are aligned can build a cadre of regional aces. Doing so can provide insight into areas of the world that the Army needs to unlock its potential when working with regional allies and partners. 

Furthermore, this cadre of regional aces, armed with their understanding of their particular region or country, could reinforce the efforts of IW practitioners and other SOF regional experts.  Additionally, the Army has Foreign Area Officers (FAO) stationed at US embassies around the world. These FAOs should be leveraged in coordination with SFAB specialists, and SOF personnel to enhance host-nation defense and host-nation security capabilities. Personnel with regional expertise, whether they come from a conventional or SOF background, can only serve to enhance our understanding of key areas of the globe as we continue to engage in those areas as well as plan for more robust forms of engagement. It’s an idea worth considering. 

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