SFAT Trains the Trainer in Spin Boldac

SFAT 20 trains AUP on "train the trainer"
activities (photo 2LT Jennifer Frazer)

Security Force Assistance (SFA) has become one of the prime engines of transition - where Afghan police and army units are in the lead for security. One of the main aspects of SFA is the deployment of SFAATs - or Security Force Assistance Advisor Teams to align with Afghan police and army units and advise and assist with all aspects of operations. This includes getting the Afghans to the point where they are doing their own training. SFAATs are helping in this regard through "train the trainer" programs. Read of one such program taking place in Spin Boldac, Kandahar where SFAT 20 (RC South calls their SFAATs by the old term of SFATs) provides instruction to the Afghan Uniformed Police on developing training calendars and teaching classes. See "Train the trainer", DVIDS, March 16, 2013.

Photos of 4 BCT 1AD SFAATs

SFAAT team member providing medical training to AUP
at district center near COP McClain, Logar province (2012)

A video of photos of Security Force Assistance Advisor Teams (SFAATs) from 4th Brigade 1 Armor Division during their deployment to Afghanistan.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_au7Za5HidE

The Life of an SFAAT in Afghanistan

A recent online post by RC East provides a glimpse at the life of an SFAAT. An SFAAT is a Security Force Assistance Advisory Team deployed to Afghanistan to advise and assist an Afghan police or army unit. The article is provided by a member of the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 10th Mountain Division at Forward Operating Base Sharana in Paktika province. View the article in "The life of an SFAAT", Regional Command East, March 10, 2013.

Capability Set 13 (CS 13) - a Comms Package to Aid SFAATs in Afghan Mission

A new "on-the-move communications" network will deploy with soon-to deploy SFABs (BCTs) to Afghanistan. The comms package, called Capability Set 13 (CS 13) will allow Security Force Assistance Advisory Teams (SFAATs) to stay in contact with adjacent and higher units while staying mobile across the battlefield with their Afghan units they are advising. The first two BCTs to use the comms network will be 3rd and 4th Brigades of the 10th Mountain Division.

Learn more about CS-17 in "First unit readies for Afghanistan with new network", Army.mil, March 7, 2013. Learn more about the Capability Set 13 here: www.bctmod.army.mil/CS13/index.html.

Patriot Brigade Prepares for SFAB and SFAAT Mission with Intensive Language Training

Patriot Brigade Soldiers in language training class
preparing for SFAAT mission in Afghanistan
(photo SSG Kulani Lakanaria Feb 2013)

The Patriot Brigade - more formally known as 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division - has been taking great steps in providing language training to selected members of its unit. The brigade will soon deploy to Afghanistan in the role of a Security Force Assistance Brigade or SFAB with the mission of supporting Security Forces Assistance Advisor Teams or SFAATs. In advising and assisting Afghan security forces it is widely recognized that a basic proficiency in language (Dari or Pashto) and knowledge of culture goes a long way to understanding the conflict, interacting with Afghan counterparts, and building rapport with the advised Afghan unit. The intensive language and cultural training is in synch with Security Force Assistance Principle Number 11 - "Do not allow cultural differences to divide us".

With the assistance of the Defense Language Institute (DLI) the brigade has been conducting a 16-week long language training course to prepare its Soldiers for the SFAAT mission. Read more in "Patriot soldiers learn critical language skills", DVIDS, March 6, 2013.

Patriot Brigade Trains at Fort Polk - 4/10 Mountain BCT Prepares for SFAB Deployment to Afghanistan

The Patriot Brigade - 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division - has been training at Fort Polk in preparation for its deployment to Afghanistan as a Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB). The brigade's mission in Afghanistan will be to ensure that the SFAATs receive the support they need to advise and assist the Afghan National Security Forces or ANSF. The SFAATs (usually 9, 12, or 18 man teams) work with their Afghan counterparts to improve their logistics, intelligence, maintenance, administration, rule of law, fires support, and training capabilities. Read more in "Training to win", DVIDS, March 5, 2013.

15 Principles of Security Force Assistance (SFA)

General John Allen served as COMISAF for over 18 months in Afghanistan. One of his big achievements was moving the U.S. forces from combat operations to conducting Security Force Assistance or SFA. This involved a mind-set shift for many U.S. company, battalion, and brigade commanders who saw their primary objective as engaging the enemy - not getting the Afghan National Security Forces to start doing combat operations. One tool that Gen Allen used to influence the commanders working at all levels to get into the SFA frame of mind was the issuing of the "Principles of Security Force Assistance". These 15 principles helped put the SFA mission into the proper perspective in the minds of the U.S. commanders. You can read the principles and view videos on the principles at the link below:

http://www.afghanwarnews.info/sfa/15principlesofsfa.htm

SFAATs from 1AD Return from Deployment to Afghanistan

A number of Security Force Assistance Advisor Teams or SFAATs from 1st Armor Division have returned home to the United States after a nine-month long deployment to Afghanistan. Watch a video of their return to their families.

www.dvidshub.net/video/282257/sfaat-1st-ad-homecoming-ceremony

1-89th Cavalry Regiment Now in Afghanistan

1-89th Cav, part of 2nd Brigade 10th Mountain Division, is now deployed to FOB Sharana, Paktika province, Afghanistan. The unit will be supporting Security Force Assistance Advisory Teams (SFAATs) that are providing advice, assistance, and enablers to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). The 1-89th Cav has two deployments to Iraq as well.

SFAAT Team Leaders and Company Commanders in the SFA Mission

A recent magazine article in Army Magazine published in the February 2013 issue entitled "SFAA: Creating New Challenges & Opportunities for Army Units" has captured the ongoing dilemma of fielding SFAAT teams to Afghanistan from standing Brigade Combat Teams or BCTs. The Security Force Assistance Advisor Teams or SFAATs are taken out of a brigade using commanders and staff. For instance, a team leader of an SFAAT advising an ANA kandak (battalion) is supposed to be a major (0-4). Frequently, the 0-4 position is filled with a captain. This captain is usually a company commander. The captain most times hand-picks the remaining 11 members of his SFAAT from within his company. If his team deploys to Afghanistan and his company stays home (Fort Hood, Fort Campbell, or wherever) he is most likely turning his company command and platoon leadership to junior officers and NCOs. If the SFAAT deploys to Afghanistan with the brigade (the bde deploys as an SFAB) then his company is likely to deploy to another location (COP or FOB) than where his SFAAT goes.  Just think of the C2 and support problems either scenario poses (brigade deploys or stays in U.S.). You can read more about the challenges facing company commanders who are assigned as SFAAT team leaders in the magazine article at the link below.

www.ausa.org/publications/armymagazine/...

Gen Allen Prepares to Depart Afghanistan

General Allen, COMISAF
photo by SGT K. Summerhill

After serving almost 19 months as COMISAF, General Allen is leaving Afghanistan. He has accomplished a lot during this tenure and put out a lot of fires while ensuring that the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) are in the lead in the fight against the Taliban. 

Many of his achievements include cutting the size of the ISAF (and U.S.) force, transitioning from ISAF fighting on the battlefield to the Afghans in the lead for combat operations, instituting the Security Force Assistance (SFA) concept with the fielding of Security Force Assistance Advisory Teams or SFAATs.

Along the way he had to constantly develop and repair relationships with the Afghans every time something bad happened that would set back our mission (burning of Korans, Marines urinating on Taliban corpses, a Soldier killing 16 civilians in the Panjwai massacre, etc.). Other challenges he faced was keeping the coalition focused and committed to the effort - a difficult task in the face of events like the Insider Threat problem.

His biggest failure, perhaps, may be the lack of resolve when dealing with Karzai on the issue of Afghan corruption and the failure of ISAF to help establish a more legitimate government that is respected by the Afghan population. But perhaps we are playing a waiting game until the Afghan election to see if they step up and elect a less corrupt and more competent president.

General Allen deserves our thanks for his service and fine job. Read more about his tenure as ISAF commander in a recent news article entitled "For U.S. Leader in Afghan War, Much Time Making Peace", The New York Times, February 6, 2013.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/07/world/asia/general-allen-departing-afghan-war-commander-saw-as-much-diplomacy-as-combat.html

SFAAT Provides Assistance to OCC-R for OCC Foundation Course in Laghman Province (RC East)

Graduates of the OCC Foundation Course
hold the completion certificates.
(Photo Spc. Philip Steiner)

The Security Force Assistance Advisory Team or SFAAT advising the Operation Command Center - Region or OCC-R in Laghman province has successfully assisted the OCC-R in the conduct of a Operation Command Center Foundation Course.  This 21-day course is designed to teach Afghan ANP and ANA students topics such as map reading, computer work, and intelligence fusion. The OCC-R SFAAT is based on FOB Gamberi and works along side the OCC-R Afghan staff on a daily basis.  The foundation course will go a long way to ensure that the Afghan members of the OCC-R (and OCC-Ps) will be able to function independently of U.S. military advisers (SFAATs) at some point in the near future.

You can read more about the OCC-R and the OCCP Foundation Course in "Afghans leading the way in Laghman province", DVIDS, February 6, 2013 at the link below.

http://www.dvidshub.net/news/101541/afghans-leading-way-laghman-province

SFAAT Mission in Afghanistan

A large number of a new type of advisory unit are being deployed to aid in the transition of coalition combat troops out of Afghanistan. The advisory teams are called Security Force Assistance Advisory and Assistance Teams or SFAATs. The concept was developed by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) staff and approved by COMISAF (General John Allen) last fall. The first teams were notified over the winter of 2011 for an upcoming deployment in the spring of 2012.

Most of the teams are being deployed as part of a new concept called Security Force Assistance Brigades or SFABs. These SFABs are understrength brigade combat teams (BCTs) with about half of their authorized manning. The SFAATs are formed into 9, 12, or 18 man teams depending on the type of Afghan unit they are advising.  All SFAATs are assigned interpreters who assist them in the advisory effort.  In addition, those units advising Afghan Uniform Police (AUP) or Afghan Border Police (ABP) are assigned Embedded Police Mentors (EPMs). The EPMs are provided by a DynCorps contract.

For more information on SFAATs visit the link below:

http://www.afghanwarnews.info/units/sfaat.htm

Security Force Assistance Team Training at Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), Fort Polk, LA

As part of the transition of ISAF troops reducing combat operations and assuming the 'advise and assist' mission units preparing to deploy to Afghanistan are undergoing training at Fort Polk, LA. The Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) has adapted its training environment for those units that are forming up the Security Force Assistance Teams (SFAT) that will deploy alongside Afghan ANA units over the next couple of years. Read more on the training in "Security Force Assistance Team nets 'high value' training", DIVIDS, March 25, 2012.

Security Force Assistance Team Mission in Afghanistan

The Army is fielding fourteen teams to assist the Security Force Assistance Teams (SFATs) mission in Afghanistan. The SFATs job is to assist Afghan Security Forces as they assume a greater role in providing security to the Afghan people. The SFATs are assisting Afghan army and police units to improve their logistics, intelligence, maintenance, administration and training capabilities. Read more in "New Army mission partners First Army senior mentors, Afghan Security Forces", DVIDS, March 1, 2012.