The Appropriate Army Organization to Conduct Security Force Assistance
Abstract
During the past decade, combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have caused shifts in National Security priorities. Senior leaders have identified the strategic requirement to build viable partner forces capable of maintaining internal stability, defending against external threats, and assisting in the fight against violent global extremists. The Army has translated this strategy into the security force assistance (SFA) doctrine. However, since the creation of SFA, there has been debate as to which organization is best suited to train, advise, and assist foreign security forces (FSF). In the past, Special Operations Forces (SOF) conducting foreign internal defense (FID) were the primary force of choice to accomplish this mission set. But recently this paradigm has shifted. Conventional forces have been reorganized and augmented, allowing them to take the lead role in training both Iraqi and Afghan security forces. This project will analyze and compare the capabilities of Army Special Forces units and Brigade Combat Teams-Stability, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of their use in SFA, and recommend the means to attain the national end-state.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 22, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA561991
Entities
People
- John S. Prairie
Organizations
- United States Army War College