Army: 6 New Security Force Assistance Brigades

[104TN]

The author is spot on. In my experience conventional forces trained the Iraqi and Afghani armies while SOF trained commandos and conducted raids. We, the Marine Corps and the Army, deployed hundreds, if not thousands, of embedded training teams to both countries that were cobbled together out of voluntold personnel with minimal training. I can't speak for the Army but I noticed a trend where the "least strongest" company commander got picked to be the training team leader, often after a dismal performance at an evaluated exercise. This wasn't always the case but not uncommon. 15 years of war and we couldn't figure out how to staff those training teams in a better fashion. These security assistance brigades are a bit late to the party but they are a good idea given the tasks the conventional Army and Marine Corps have been tasked with in the past.

My hope is that Big Green standing up an academy means the soldiers manning these units will have a baseline level of competency that's grounded in doctrine vs just winging it.

What'll be interesting is how relevant/effective that doctrine is.

 

[Totentanz]

My hope is that Big Green standing up an academy means the soldiers manning these units will have a baseline level of competency that's grounded in doctrine vs just winging it.

What'll be interesting is how relevant/effective that doctrine is.

And what the competence standards will be (and how they differ across the six SFABs)

 

[AWP]

How long will they spend in these units? A 3 year tour (or whatever) and out is a huge mistake.

 

[CDG]

Perspective on this from a Special Forces Colonel. I don't have a dog in this fight, but what he's saying makes sense to me.

A Green Beret’s Ode to Big Army’s New Security Force Assistance Brigades

 

[Teufel]

Maybe I'm ignorant but I thought the whole point of the SF originally was to produce conventional forces, not indigenous SOF. You don't need indig SOF if the indig can't provide basic security and essential services.

 

[Marauder06]

Perspective on this from a Special Forces Colonel. I don't have a dog in this fight, but what he's saying makes sense to me.

A Green Beret’s Ode to Big Army’s New Security Force Assistance Brigades

That was a thoughtful, well-argued piece.

 

[ThunderHorse]

Interesting that he downplayed SF's role to push how many conventional forces advised during Vietnam. There are a lot of books out there, Tobias Wolf wrote about his time as an advisor to an ARVN Artillery Battalion during "In Pharaoh's Army."

 

[AWP]

Soldier Systems just did a write up on the unit. I kind of gagged a little, but this isn't on SoldierSystems (one of my daily visits on the web).

Forces Focus - 1st Security Forces Assistance Brigade - Soldier Systems Daily

Nicknamed “The Legion”, the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade is one of the US Army’s newest units.

The United States Army | Fort Benning | Tenant | 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade

Uhhh...5th SFG(A) has used "the Legion" for about ever. I'm sure Big Army isn't trying to take anything else that resembles SF.

Nice tab....

 

[Marauder06]

I guess it makes sense, if they're adopting one of SF's core mission they should adapt SF's unit insignia and outright steal one of their unit nicknames.

 

[ThunderHorse]

Gosh it is certainly a weird time in the Army.

 

[Topkick]

The good idea fairy seems to be running rampant again.The mission statement sounds very familiar....ETA: Sounds like a more long term approach to the use of MIT.

 

[AWP]

I'm sure this is a joke, right? 1st Degree Trolling for the win?

Ask SSD - "Is There A New SF Group?" - Soldier Systems Daily

 

[ThunderHorse]

We could just be like the British Army or the Air Force and have beret colors for trades.

 

[CDG]

I'm sure this is a joke, right? 1st Degree Trolling for the win?

Ask SSD - "Is There A New SF Group?" - Soldier Systems Daily

Just pathetic. Some very insecure people making decisions. "Well Jim, what I want is to make people think we're SF, but I don't want to have to PT, stay up late, be uncomfortable, or do anything else that's hard."

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

That's pretty fucked up, first the whole steal the black beret from the Rangers, now this bullshit. It's about time to just do away with that stupid head gear altogether. Which obviously nobody will go for and everyone will have a drama filled bitch session for the next 15 years over it.

Really not sure why they are building brigade level advisory units. I mean I'm sure it will stream line things, but without the language and cultural skills, it's going to be no different than any other brigades doing the same. Idk, not my problem anymore.

 

[Gunz]

WTF would the Army do without patches and berets?

 

[Marauder06]

I'm sure this is a joke, right? 1st Degree Trolling for the win?

Ask SSD - "Is There A New SF Group?" - Soldier Systems Daily

So when I first saw it I thought, "No big deal, probably an SF-qual'd guy assigned to the new brigade, and they let him were his green beret. We did the same thing in the 160th and JSOC."

But then I read the article and it says that this is an "olive" beret (vs. SF's "hunter green") and it's a real thing in this unit?

 

[Topkick]

WTF would the Army do without patches and berets?

Hated wearing a beret...fuckin impractical and many troops looked stupid like a pizza maker. Would've saved a lot of time and money without the patches.

 

[Topkick]

WTF would the Army do without patches and berets?

Everybody wants to be special. This era of warfare has spotlighted the importance of SOF. Just look at all the beards and operator caps in the civilian world. Conventional units have taken a backseat.

 

[Il Duce]

Everybody wants to be special. This era of warfare has spotlighted the importance of SOF. Just look at all the beards and operator caps in the civilian world. Conventional units have taken a backseat.

I agree, and I guess if you're a boss it's a cheap way to give it to them - uniform changes. Setting standards and resourcing 'special' units is extraordinarily expensive - this is a way to make a unit 'elite' without spending much. Makes me think of the 'an elite infantry' discussion.

I listened to a podcast (spycast from 25 July 2017) the other day interviewing James Stejskal, who served in and wrote a book about detachment Berlin - the SF unit assigned to stay behind and organize/conduct sabotage/insurgency in the event of a Soviet invasion. The unit is really interesting and a lot of what they did in terms of tradecraft has served other SMU elements well (even though they were not an SMU). One of the things he talked about was the hardest for some members - causing them to leave - was having to forgo wearing their SF tab, green beret, and special skill badges - instead having to wear the uniform and pretend to be MPs. That esprit shit can cut both ways.