Security Frce Assistance Brigade (SFAB) Frequently Asked Questins (V.1) 1. What is a Security Frce Assistance Brigade (SFAB)? - The Army s newest unit designed specifically t cnduct security frce assistance peratins t train, advise, and assist partner natin security frces in supprt f Cmbatant Cmmand requirements wrldwide. 2. What is the eligibility criteria fr assignment t a SFAB? a. Vlunteer b. Maintain a Secret security clearance c. Scre 85 pints n the Defense Language Aptitude Battery (Currently nt required) d. Scre at least 240 pints n the Army Physical Fitness Test with a minimum f 70 pints in each event e. Have a PULHES f 111221 r better f. Maintain yur deplyable status g. Demnstrated exceptinal mral aptitude by uphlding Army values h. All vlunteers must have demnstrated excellence in past perfrmance and be nted fr exceptinal ptential; SSG and abve must have cmpleted a key develpmental assignment in their current grade. i. Successfully pass a backgrund screening with n dergatry infrmatin 3. What MOSs and grades are eligible fr the SFAB? 1
Security Frce Assistance Brigade (SFAB) Frequently Asked Questins (V.1) 4. Hw lng d I have t be n statin befre I can vlunteer fr the SFAB? - CONUS Sldiers typically must serve 36 mnths n statin prir t a CONUS t CONUS mve, and OCONUS Sldiers must serve t their DEROS; hwever, waiver authrity fr CONUS time n statin and OCONUS curtailments resides within HRC and may be cnsidered when a Sldier vlunteers and is fund qualified fr assignment t an SFAB. Cntact yur career branch in HRC t determine if a waiver may be cnsidered. 5. Are there any incentives fr assignment t the SFAB? - AIP. Enlisted SFAB vlunteers will receive a $5,000 lump sum Assignment Incentive Pay (AIP) as lng as they are permanently assigned t a SFAB and serve in the unit fr at least 12 mnths. Additinally, the Sldier must be in gd standing and nt invlved in the UCMJ prcess (t include Article 15s r curt-martial prceedings), investigatins, and must meet Army standards fr retentin (t include Army Physical Fitness Test and Army Bdy Cmpsitin Prgram) at the time f apprval. Once permanently assigned, vlunteers must remain in gd standing thrughut the AIP tur. - Prmtin. The Army has created a SGT Special Prmtin Categry. Crprals (CPL) and Specialists (SPC) wh have been barded and are fully eligible fr prmtin will be awarded 799 pints and prmted t the rank f SGT n the first day f the mnth fllwing graduatin f the Security Frce Assistance Advisr Curse (SFAAC). - PME. The requirement fr cmpletin f Prfessinal Military Educatin (PME) t attain pin-n eligibility fr prmtin t SGT thrugh Master Sergeant (MSG) is suspended fr Sldiers assigned r attached t a SFAB r t its supprting Security Frce (SECFOR). The Sldiers must be therwise fully qualified and meet r exceed a mnthly cutff scre (t SGT/Staff Sergeant (SSG)) r sequence number (t Sergeant First Class (SFC)/MSG). Sldiers prmted under this exceptin will be priritized fr the next available PME training seat upn redeplyment r when therwise available. 6. Wh d we cntact t vlunteer fr assignment t a SFAB? - Sldiers shuld cntact their respective branch manager t vlunteer fr assignment t the SFAB. Branch manager cntact infrmatin can fund at https://www.hrc.army.mil/cntent/5418. CAC r DS Lgin is required fr access. 7. What is the SFAB assessment? - It is a 48 hur physically and mentally demanding bjective and subjective assessment and selectin prcess. Its purpse is t identify the best pssible candidates. The bjective assessments are based n MOS expertise, physical fitness, and mral, ethical and values based decisins. The subjective bard 2
Security Frce Assistance Brigade (SFAB) Frequently Asked Questins (V.1) prcess targets individual leader attributes and character thrugh bard prceedings and discussins. The bard assesses the technical, tactical, ethical, and mral ptential fr the individual t serve in the SFAB. 8. Hw lng is an assignment t the SFAB? - The expectatin is that a SFAB assignment will be apprximately 36 mnths. Hwever, based n career timelines and ptential missins, Sldiers may spend as little as 24 mnths r as much as 48 mnths in the SFAB. 9. If I am accepted t the SFAB, will I PCS r TCS? - If accepted t the SFAB, Sldiers will be placed n assignment and PCS t the SFAB. 10. If accepted, can I chse t leave my family at my lsing installatin and cllect BAH at the lsing installatin rate? - ALARACT 097/2016 lists situatins that will allw a Sldier t leave their Family at the lsing installatin n a temprary basis. Sldiers wh meet ne f the categries and desire t d s must request a BAH waiver submitted thrugh the chain f cmmand. 11. Where will the SFABs be lcated? - The first SFAB is statined at Frt Benning. Lcatin decisins have nt been finalized fr subsequent SFABs. 12. What will the length f deplyments be fr the SFAB? - The prjected length f time fr SFAB deplyments is nine mnths. SFABs will deply IAW decisins made by senir Army leadership. 13. Will an assignment t the SFAB cunt as my Key Develpmental (KD) time as a SSG, SFC, r MSG? - Assignment t the SFAB as an Advisr will cunt as a bradening/develpmental assignment. - Fr questins abut KD time fr persnnel in supprt rles, cntact yur career branch. 14. Is an assignment t the SFAB gd fr my career? - Abslutely! While it is a vlunteer frce, it is still very highly selective. After a thrugh selectin and assessment prcess, individuals chsen as members f the SFAB shuld be cnsidered t be abve peers in their respective MOS and grade. 3
Security Frce Assistance Brigade (SFAB) Frequently Asked Questins (V.1) 15. What will my rle be in the SFAB? - There are many advisry team psitins within each SFAB and will typically be filled with senir NCOs. There are als ther pprtunities within each SFAB. Thse nt serving as advisrs may be asked t perfrm their MOS specific functins r serve in ther supprt rles. 16. Are there different types f SFAB? - Ptentially. The Army wuld like t build a cmbinatin f Infantry and Armr SFABs t prvide flexibility based n missin requirements. Currently, the first tw SFABs are Infantry centric. A future decisin will determine the remaining types and number f types. In additin t SFAB brigades, the Army will be building tw SFAB Divisinal Headquarters and ne SFAB Crps Headquarters. 17. What if my MOS r pay grade is nt authrized in the SFAB? Can I still vlunteer? - Yu shuld stay in tuch with yur career branch t see if r when pprtunities pen up fr yu. Additinally, yu shuld update yur assignment preferences and vlunteer status in the Assignment Satisfactin Key (ASK) at https://www.ask.army.mil/ask/. Yu will be cntacted if subsequent SFABs allw fr yur particular MOS r grade. 18. After vlunteering, what happens? - After a Sldier cntacts their branch manager t vlunteer fr assignment t the SFAB, the fllwing prcess will ccur: Branch manager will cnduct a recrds review t ensure eligibility A backgrund screening will be cnducted fr dergatry infrmatin Once determined eligible and a successful backgrund screening cnducted, yur infrmatin will be prvided t FORSCOM, XVIII ABN Crps, and the SFAB leadership. XVIII ABN Crps will ntify yu and crdinate yur TDY travel in DTS fr the 2 day SFAB assessment. XVIII ABN Crps will review yur medical status t ensure yu meet deplyment criteria IAW the CENTCOM AOR. Upn cmpletin f the SFAB assessment, SFAB leadership will infrm yu as t whether yu are accepted r nt. If accepted, SFAB leadership and yu will determine an agreed upn reprt date fr assignment t the SFAB. Once agreed upn, EPMD will be ntified by the SFAB leadership f acceptance t the SFAB. Enlisted Persnnel Management Divisin (EPMD) will then place yu n assignment. 4
Security Frce Assistance Brigade (SFAB) Frequently Asked Questins (V.1) 19. What is the time perid between vlunteering and ging t the assessment? - Sldiers shuld anticipate between 2-4 weeks befre being cntacted. 20. Wh publishes the TDY rder t attend the SFAB assessment? - Sldiers will be cntacted by XVIII ABN Crps in regards t attending the SFAB assessment. XVIII ABN Crps will crdinate the travel in DTS. 21. If I am selected, when will I be placed n assignment and when will I reprt? - Sldiers will be placed n assignment within 72 hurs f HRC being ntified f their SFAB acceptance. Hwever, based n assignment cycles, it culd take 1-2 weeks befre the assignment is transmitted t the lcal installatin Military Persnnel Divisin. Reprt dates will be agreed upn by the SFAB leadership and the Sldier during the assessment. The SFAB leadership will relay that reprt date t HRC. 22. If I am nt selected after an assessment, can I still be cnsidered fr later SFABs? - Yes, as lng as yu meet the requirements. 5