A Security Force Assistance Brigade is coming to Carson

[CS1983]

FORT CARSON, Colo. (The Gazette) - Fort Carson will get more than 800 new troops in the coming months as the Army adds a brigade with expertise in training foreign militaries.
The move will elevate troop numbers on Fort Carson above 25,000 - the most soldiers in Colorado Springs since the Vietnam War. It also will give the post the Army's newest kind of unit, dubbed a security force assistance brigade, designed to train, advise and assist U.S. allies.
"It's a win for national security," said U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, who for months has lobbied Army leaders to bring the troops to Colorado Springs.
The first of the 816 soldiers in the unit and the 1,200 family members expected to accompany them will be on the way to Fort Carson as soon as this summer. An exact timeline hasn't been released.
Colorado's Republican U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner said he also leaned on the Army to get the new unit to Fort Carson.
"I'm thrilled that this is becoming a reality," Gardner said in an email. "It further demonstrates the important role Fort Carson has for our national security and military readiness as the men and women of this brigade will contribute to missions with allied nations and partners around the world."
Fort Carson Maj. Gen. Randy George said the new unit is a good fit for the post.
"It just makes sense when you consider Fort Carson's premier training range areas, excellent high-altitude location and extremely supportive community," George said in an email.
The Army said the new brigade's troops will be "among the most highly trained tactical leaders in the Army."
The soldiers, who will be equipped with the Army's latest gear, will be trained in language, foreign weapons, and artillery and aerial combat coordination.
While the brigade's primary mission is training foreign troops, it also will be ready to serve as the cadre for a new, 4,000-soldier combat brigade if the Army has to expand to meet a crisis, the Army said.
Colorado's Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet issued a statement praising the Army move.
"Fort Carson leadership and the surrounding communities have made Colorado the best place to train, live, and work," he said. "We're confident the Army's security force assistance mission will benefit from the superb soldiers who call Colorado home."

http://www.kktv.com/content/news/Fort-Carson-adding-new-brigade-800-more-troops-483064141.html

Here's the wiki on this type of unit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_Force_Assistance_Brigade_(SFAB)
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What I don't understand is why they are spinning up this sort of unit. It seems to directly piss in SF's Wheaties and begin relegation of them to losing the FID aspect of their mission.

If you go to the Wiki, the flash is an SF ripoff. They'll be wearing brown (not tan) berets. I just don't get it.

[Martinjmpr]

http://www.kktv.com/content/news/Fort-Carson-adding-new-brigade-800-more-troops-483064141.html

Here's the wiki on this type of unit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security_Force_Assistance_Brigade_(SFAB)
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What I don't understand is why they are spinning up this sort of unit. It seems to directly piss in SF's Wheaties and begin relegation of them to losing the FID aspect of their mission.

If you go to the Wiki, the flash is an SF ripoff. They'll be wearing brown (not tan) berets. I just don't get it.

Yeah, this has been all over the various Army related facebook pages and web sites (This Ain't Hell and others.)

First off, full disclosure, I was an SF support guy for about 9 of the 23 years I was in. I served in 3/1 (Fort Lewis), 3/3 (Fort Bragg) and 5/19 (CO ARNG) SF Groups as an MI analyst.

WRT the crossover between SFAB and SF, I'm not sure if this is necessarily pissing in SF's face as much as it's a recognition of three things:

First that while SF is very good at training foreign light or special operations forces (that is, forces that are most similar to SF's own mission) , SF soldiers rarely have much expertise in training or advising heavy forces, armored forces, or artillery, since they don't draw very many of their own from the ranks of the Army's heavy forces (SF soldiers overwhelmingly come from Airborne, Light Infantry, and Ranger infantry units. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing isn't at issue, it's a thing, and that's signficiant.)

Second, as desirable as it might be to have all your Foreign Internal Defense (FID) trainers be super-special, high-speed airborne commandos like the SF, the reality is that you don't need to have that skill set in order to teach armored tactics, mechanized infantry, base security or field artillery. What you need is expertise in your particular field, language and cultural skills, and the maturity and experience to teach. Those skills are "special" but not nearly as "special" as the skills that true SF troopers need (and they also can be acquired much more quickly than the time it takes to train a true SF operator - which takes a minimum of about 8 months to a year and can take multiple years.)

And third, that after 17 years of non-stop war where SF are consistently involved, the current SF units are running on empty and could use a break from back-to-back deployments on FID missions.

And really, isn't it a waste to take an SF ODA (12 man A-team) or ODB (Company HQ with up to 6 ODA's under it) to Bumfuckistan to teach basic soldiering skills, rifle marksmanship and the like, when that SF unit could be conducting missions that actually require all their special skills? Sending foreign soldiers through the equivalent of basic training or Armor AIT should not, and does not, require the skills of an SF operator.

If anything, it seems like these SFAB units are an echo of the old MAAG (Military Assistance Advisory Groups) that used to be dispatched to 3rd world hot spots like Laos, Thailand and the Philippines back in the 1950's and 60's when SF was still becoming the FID experts.

So I think that perhaps the thought behind this.

EDIT: I should add that WRT to the beret and the patch I'm 100% in agreement with you. IMO while I don't mind them having a unique patch, there's no reason for them to rate a different type of beret or flash. They're soldiers, they should wear the same headgear as every other leg unit in the Army (what that is this week I'm not sure. The soldiers I see at Buckley AFB all seem to wear patrol caps with their OCP duty uniforms.) Airborne units have earned the right to wear their unique colored berets, but there's no reason a non-airborne unit should be wearing anything other than the basic black beret (and don't even get me started on THAT fiasco! [Rant1])

[eddiememphis]

I'm glad I have rental properties in the Springs.

[CS1983]

I'm glad I have rental properties in the Springs.

My wife liked the prospect of 800 potential homebuyers moving here.

[eddiememphis]

My wife liked the prospect of 800 potential homebuyers moving here.

Are they buyers or renters? Is this a long term assignment for them?

[CS1983]

Are they buyers or renters? Is this a long term assignment for them?

I'd say more likely to buy for the following reasons:

Supposed to be staffed with NCOs and Officers -- if they have lower enlisted, I'd imagine they will be support elements.

New unit being stood up = stabilization in all likelihood; I cannot imagine this being a 1-2 year assignment as the Army rolls this out.

Being higher level NCOs and Officers, their BAH will allow them to buy and they would be dumb not to since rent will only continue to increase
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It would make more sense to buy in their position, if able. I'm sure not all will. Some will opt for on-post housing, some will rent, some will buy.

[Joe_K]

I'd say more likely to buy for the following reasons:

Supposed to be staffed with NCOs and Officers -- if they have lower enlisted, I'd imagine they will be support elements.

New unit being stood up = stabilization in all likelihood; I cannot imagine this being a 1-2 year assignment as the Army rolls this out.

Being higher level NCOs and Officers, their BAH will allow them to buy and they would be dumb not to since rent will only continue to increase
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It would make more sense to buy in their position, if able. I'm sure not all will. Some will opt for on-post housing, some will rent, some will buy.

Some will live in a van down by the river. Under a bridge. With a guy named Carlos.


“Don’t go slow, be careful” Jedi

[CS1983]

Some will live in a van down by the river. Under a bridge. With a guy named Carlos.


“Don’t go slow, be careful” Jedi

The last thing we need in COS is the homeless learning the fine art of basic soldiering. They're already prone to setting their barracks on fire, getting drunk, starting fights. They don't need actual skills too.

[Zundfolge]

My wife liked the prospect of 800 potential homebuyers moving here.

I like the idea of people moving here for reasons OTHER than fucking pot. Maybe these folk will offset some of the stoner Californians messing the place up.

[Gman]

I like the idea of people moving here for reasons OTHER than fucking pot. Maybe these folk will offset some of the stoner Californians messing the place up.
They seem to be coming from everywhere. California, Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio, South Dakota, New Jersey, Florida...those are just the ones I remember from my short commute in the past week.

[kidicarus13]

I like the idea of people moving here

That's part of the problem.

[eddiememphis]

I like the idea of people moving here for reasons OTHER than fucking pot.

There may be a lot of people moving here for legal marijuana, but there are many more showing up for the dynamic job market. Stoners generally don't have the employment opportunities that will allow them to rent in this market, let alone buy. So they try the Springs and see that rent there is increasing and end up in the armpit of the front range... Pueblo.

There is a booming population of drug abusers in Pueblo, much of which can be attributed to stoners seeking legal weed and being unable to afford both the dope and housing.

[kidicarus13]

There may be a lot of people moving here for legal marijuana, but there are many more showing up for the dynamic job market. Stoners generally don't have the employment opportunities that will allow them to rent in this market, let alone buy.

I know, right?
https://youtu.be/FnD5A_Un1Jc

[Irving]

Man, I was in a good mood.