The Department of the Army announced today the stationing of an active-duty security force assistance brigades at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

"We are honored that the Army has chosen Joint Base Lewis-McChord to host one of the active-duty SFABs here," said Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky, I Corps and JBLM commander. "JBLM is the premier military installation in the Pacific Northwest, and possesses the needed facilities and strategic location that enables rapid deployment to quickly dominate an environment."

The decision to station the SFABs at JBLM was based on strategic considerations including projected time to activate and train an SFAB, presence of senior grade personnel to man the unit and required facility costs. 

SFABs are specialized units whose core mission is to conduct advise-and-assist operations with allied and partner nations.

"There will always be a need to help build allied or partnered forces, and the SFAB will take on this critical mission and allow brigade combat teams to concentrate on preparing for potential full-spectrum combat operations against a near-peer adversary," said Secretary of the Army Mark T. Esper.

The JBLM SFAB joins two active-duty SFABs stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and two other announced active-duty units projected for Fort Carson, Colorado, and Fort Hood, Texas; the National Guard will round-out the SFAB with its location to be announced.