1st Security Force Assistance Brigade

The 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade (1st SFAB) is a security force assistance brigade of the United States Army. It is based in Fort Benning, Georgia and is under the command of BG Scott Jackson and Command Sergeant Major Christopher Gunn. On February 8, 2018 the 1st SFAB held its official activation ceremony at the National Infantry Museum at Fort Benning.

Organization
SFABs are brigades whose mission is to train, advise, and assist (TAA) the armed forces of other states. Operationally, an 800-soldier SFAB would free up a 4500-soldier brigade combat team from a TAA mission.

On 23 June 2016 General Mark A. Milley revealed plans for train/advise/assist brigades, consisting of seasoned officers and NCOs with a full chain of command, but no junior soldiers. The SFABs were to consist of 800 senior officers and NCOs, which could act as a cadre to reform a full brigade combat team in a matter of months. In May 2017, the initial SFAB staffing was underway. The officers and non-commissioned officers will have had previous experience in the same positions. Commanders and leaders will have previously led at the same echelon. The remaining personnel, all NCOs, are being recruited from across the Army. Promotable E-4s who volunteer for the SFAB are automatically promoted to Sergeant upon completion of the Combat Advisor Training Course at the Military Advisor Training Academy. In the event of a national emergency SFABs could be augmented with new soldiers from basic training and advanced individual training to form a full brigade combat team.

On 16 October 2017, BG Brian Mennes of Force Management in the Army's G3/5/7 announced accelerated deployment of the first two SFABs. This was approved in early July 2017, by the Secretary of Defense and the Chief of Staff of the Army. These two SFABs would be trained in languages, how to work with interpreters, and equipped with the latest equipment including secure, but unclassified, communications and weapons to support coalition partners, as well as unmanned aircraft systems (UASs). An SFAB could provide up to 58 teams (possibly with additional Soldiers for force protection).

A team of twelve soldiers would include combat arms, a medic, personnel for intelligence support, logistics, maintenance, and air support.

History
By October 2017, the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade was established at Fort Benning.

On January 11, 2018, it was announced that the 1st SFAB would deploy to Afghanistan in Spring 2018.

On 8 February 2018, 1st SFAB held an activation ceremony at Fort Benning, revealing its colors and heraldry for the first time, and then cased its colors for the deployment to Afghanistan. It is made up of the first graduates of the Military Advisor Training Academy (MATA), also located at Fort Benning.

1st SFAB deployed to Afghanistan in February 2018 and returned to Fort Benning in November of the same year.

On 7 July 2018, Corporal Joseph Maciel, Task Force 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, attached to 2nd Battalion 1st SFAB, was killed in an apparent insider attack in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

On 3 September 2018 3rd Squadron, 1st SFAB Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Bolyard was fatally shot in an apparent insider attack while visiting the Afghan army's 4th Brigade, 203rd Corps.

The 1st SFAB conducted hundreds of persistent advising missions and enabled operations with 30+ Kandaks (Afghan battalion), 15+ Brigades, Regional Training Centers, and Division and Corps headquarters. The Afghan partners 1st SFAB worked with are better led, better trained, and better equipped because of their efforts to train, advise, assist, accompany and enable the Afghan National Defense Security Forces.