Large Scale Security Force Assistance: A Measured Approach

摘要

The role of advising foreign security forces, now known doctrinally as Security Force Assistance (SFA), is increasingly executed by U.S. Army general purpose forces. The scale of assistance required in the Afghanistan and Iraq theaters of operation caused this shift for SFA conduct from Special Operations Forces (SOF). The methodology for the selection and fielding of conventional forces to execute this nonstandard requirement has been challenging. The Army has vacillated from fielding ad hoc teams to the creation of specialized training intended to prepare existing maneuver units for its conduct. Furthermore, there appears to be no approved plan for incorporation of a permanent capability within the Army for the execution of future SFA missions of a similar scale should the need arise. This manuscript analyzes various options for preparing for future large scale SFA by conventional forces and proposes a practical solution for adoption by the U.S. Army.