FORSCOM 1st SFAB’s first rotation at JRTC

The US Army Forces Command’s (FORSCOM) newest unit, the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB), headquartered at Fort Benning, Georgia, is completing its first rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC).

Security Force Assistance Brigade units are specially trained and built to enable combatant commanders to accomplish theatre security objectives by advising, training, accompanying, assisting  and enabling allied and partnered indigenous security forces.

Lt. Col. J.D. Pritchett, chief of plans and exercise manoeuvre control for JRTC's operations group, said: ‘The scenario used during rotation 18-03 was like no other scenario we have ever done here at JRTC. Typically, brigade combat teams (BCTS) come through JRTC and execute a decisive action training exercise cantered around a joint forcible entry, a defensive phase, an offensive phase, as well as a brigade live fire phase.’

For this novel rotation, the 1st SFAB soldiers are tasked with working with Afghan National Army role players. While most scenarios are consistent, this rotation has been broken down into several events designed to train the 1st SFAB soldiers in combat advising and enabling partner host nations.

The SFABs were created to lessen the advice and assist load for BCTs - which traditionally carried out this function - in order to allow them to focus on conventional warfighting functions.

The 1st SFAB's rotation at JRTC is to certify the unit prior to an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan, slated

for spring of 2018.The army said that this rotation will act as a litmus test for the subsequent SFAB rotations to come -  the fielding of five more SFAB has been authorised.