Why Security Force Assistance Only Sometimes Works
Jan 24, 2025
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Will Reno, a political science professor at Northwestern University, and Franky Matisek, an active-duty Air Force lieutenant colonel, delve into the complexities of Security Force Assistance (SFA). They discuss the historical challenges faced in Iraq and Afghanistan, stressing the need for a nuanced understanding of local contexts. The duo also explores ethical dilemmas in military support and highlights successful SFA examples from Colombia and Sierra Leone. Their insights underscore the crucial balance between humanitarian concerns and effective military partnerships.
Security force assistance (SFA) requires a nuanced and well-defined approach to effectively build partner nations' military capabilities.
The divide between academic research and military practitioners highlights a gap in understanding the challenges faced in security force assistance.
Developing sustained personal relationships with host nation forces is essential for fostering trust and achieving better military assistance outcomes.
Deep dives
Understanding Security Force Assistance
Security force assistance (SFA) involves building the military capabilities of partner nations to enhance their effectiveness. There's a challenge in defining SFA, as different countries and organizations have varying concepts and language surrounding it. Despite these discrepancies, the core objective remains the same: to strengthen another nation's military to achieve mutual national interests. The discussion highlights historical parallels, indicating that SFA may increasingly resemble Cold War strategies as geopolitical dynamics evolve.
Evaluating the Investment in Military Assistance
Since 2000, the U.S. government has invested over $340 billion in training and equipping foreign militaries, with a considerable portion allocated to Afghanistan. The substantial financial commitment raises questions about effectiveness and outcomes, as the desired results have not consistently materialized. Researchers propose examining when military assistance succeeds or fails, aiming to understand the complex dynamics involved, particularly in weak states. This reflects a recognition that military aid is not just about financial input but requires a nuanced approach to achieve sustainable, effective security forces.
The Disconnect Between Theory and Practice
There are often discrepancies between academic research on SFA and the practical experiences of military personnel in the field. Academic perspectives tend to assess long-term historical contexts, while practitioners focus on immediate operational challenges. This divide can lead to misunderstandings about the realities faced on the ground, as military advisers report a frequent gap between strategic directives and actionable capabilities. Interviews with personnel often reveal a sentiment of having only partially completed missions, underscoring a lack of continuity and accountability in SFA efforts.
The Importance of Long-term Relationships
Developing personal relationships with host nation forces is crucial for effective SFA operations. The narrative emphasizes that advisors who rotate frequently may lack the necessary depth of understanding required to influence complicated political environments successfully. Such relationships foster trust and engagement, ultimately facilitating better outcomes in military assistance. Successful cases like the British in Sierra Leone underscore the value of sustained engagement and regional expertise over short, transactional interactions.
Navigating Geopolitical Realities
As global competition intensifies, the U.S. must reevaluate its approach to security force assistance, balancing national interests with ethical considerations. Although there have been failures, such as in Iraq and Afghanistan, the need for military assistance in weak states persists. The conversation draws parallels with historical models of foreign intervention, suggesting that strategic pragmatism may sometimes necessitate collaboration with less-than-ideal partners. Ultimately, defining clear objectives and understanding the political landscape will be paramount for effective future engagements.
After twenty years of America’s post-9/11 wars and the US military’s struggle to build capable and effective security forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is an important discussion taking place about what role security force assistance should play for the United States in the very different strategic environment that is taking shape. Will it be a mission that we'll be required to do in order to compete with Russia and China? Or will it become tangential to our preparations for large-scale combat operations? And given the challenges we faced over the past two decades, what needs to happen to achieve better outcomes in the future? Will Reno, a professor of political science at Northwestern University, and Franky Matisek, a military professor of national security affairs at the US Naval War College, have researched the topic deeply, including conducting hundreds of interviews in the field. They join this episode to discuss their findings.
The MWI Podcast is produced with the generous support of the West Point Class of 1974.
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