In 2017, the U.S. Army established Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) to organize, train, equip, and advise foreign security forces. Tom Spahr spoke with two former SFAB commanders, Dustin Blair and Jon Post, to discuss the development of these brigades, their role in great power competition, and their potential use in future large-scale combat operations. Blair and Post emphasized the importance of SFABs in building relationships with partner nations and enhancing interoperability. They also stressed the need for continued investment to ensure the SFABs’ long-term success.
They’re looking for leaders that demonstrate a level of comfort with dealing with ambiguity, leaders that express strategic empathy, that are humble leaders that can see the big picture, and that are proven in their functional areas or branches.
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Dustin Blair is a colonel in the U.S. Army. He was commissioned from the University of Central Oklahoma in May 2002. He is a graduate of the Field Artillery Basic and Advanced Courses, and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He has served in multiple duty positions within the Field Artillery Branch from Company Fire Support Officer to Battalion Commander as well as in staff billets at the Joint Staff, and Headquarters, Department of the Army level. His most recent assignment was Commander, 4th Battalion, 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, where he sustained a third of his battalion forward advising partner nations in the INDOPACOM AOR.
Jonathan Post is a colonel in the U.S. Army. He was commissioned from the United States Military Academy in 2002 and served as a Field Artillery officer in the 173rd Airborne Brigade before being selected for Special Forces training in 2006. He earned his Green Beret in 2008 and served in various command and staff positions with 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) from 2008 – 2017. He was then assigned to the Joint Special Operations Command’s Interagency Task Force – National Capital Region, where he served as a liaison to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York City, as the Director of Operation Gallant Phoenix, and as the Commanding General’s representative to the Department of State. His most recent assignment was Commander, 1st Infantry Battalion, 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade in Fort Cavazos, Texas.
Thomas W. Spahr is the DeSerio Chair of Theater and Strategic Intelligence at the U.S. Army War College. He is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army and holds a Ph.D. in History from The Ohio State University. He teaches courses at the Army War College on Military Campaigning and Intelligence.
The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense.
Photo Description: U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Steve McNeil, an explosive ordnance disposal advisor, with 5th Security Forces Assistance Brigade (SFAB), conducts training on improvised explosive device detection with members of the Maldives National Defense Forces in Malé, Maldives, May 25, 2022. The SFAB trains and advises foreign security forces to improve partner capabilities and facilitate achievement of U.S. strategic objectives.
Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Keion Jackson