This publication sets forth recommendations for the joint activities and performance of the Armed Forces of the United States in SFA operations. It discusses the basis for interagency coordination and for U.S. Military involvement in multinational operations while conducting or supporting SFA. It provides military recommendations for use by the Armed Forces in preparing their appropriate plans.

The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) Advisor Guide serves as a reference for currently serving or deploying U.S. and coalition partners. As a reference, it describes and illustrates the historical context, forces, and force structures of the ANSF across DOTMLPF-P domains. Likewise, this guide provides perspective and relationships of the Security Force Assistance (SFA) structure that exists within the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and its subordinate organizations like NATO Training Mission Afghanistan (NTM-A) and the ISAF Joint Command (IJC).

The ICT advisory framework document provides building partner capacity lessons and operating experiences for senior planners and senior advisors in support of requirements for partner nation ministries and institutional domain development. Although not prescriptive, the reference brings together lessons and analysis to offer current and future senior advisors a lens from which to expand and improve upon their professional knowledge base, their skill levels, and their abilities.

This document provides core observations related to Village Stability Operations and Afghan Local Police (VSO-ALP) lessons and operating experiences from key leaders within the 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 1st Infantry Division (1 ID) from their 2011 VSO-ALP mission in Afghanistan.

This guide provides perspectives into the roles and functions of senior advisors to include cultural and environmental considerations for advisors operating at the highest levels in support of developing partner nation ministries. Although not prescriptive, the reference brings together lessons and analysis to offer current and future senior advisors a lens from which to expand and improve upon their professional knowledge base, their skill levels, and their abilities.

The U.S. Army Military Police School recently published the Security Force Assistance Advisor Team (SFAAT) Police Mentoring Training Support Package(TSP). This TSP seeks to fill gaps in pre-deployment training of advisors and advisor teams aligned to support Security Force Assistance (SFA) goals and objectives related to the Afghan National Police (ANP).

The Warrior Knowledge Support Tool provides single access to SFA lessons and operational experiences. As an information resource, JCISFA provides the widget in partnership with the US Army CALL, and PKSOI. Users can install via Iframe or Webpart in their information sharing environments for easy access to SFA related information.

SFA is a top priority for both Conventional Forces and Special Operations Forces and is an enduring theme that will demand sustained focus and innovative solutions to ensure effectiveness, while maintaining our strengths in other DoD-directed core competencies. SFA will posture the Force to succeed in an evolving and complex strategic environment, by focusing available tools and resources toward specific foreign security forces. While it does not replace traditional security cooperation activities, it shifts the primary focus from access and influence to developing the capacities and capability of FSF.

In partnership with LTC Potter and the US Army’s Combat Studies Institute (CSI), JCISFA publishes the American Advisors manuscript that provides unique insights to the full spectrum of advising partner forces. The manuscript specifically captures the author’s experience gained through advising and partnering with the Commanding General of the 17th Iraqi Army Division during 2009-2010.

The JCISFA has published a Police COI, to better support Advisors in the development of partner nation police forces from the national to local levels. This COI will provide information relative to current lessons and operating experiences as well as archived historical information related to organizing, training, equipping, rebuilding, and advising (OTERA) police security forces. The intent of the Police COI is to build knowledge capacity across joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational (JIIM) police and ministry level Advisors. Core areas of interest within the Police COI are: investigation, forensics, apprehension, incarceration, incident command, port of entry (PoE), and more.

This guide is a JCISFA publication on mentoring the Afghan National Army and is applicable to advisors, mentors and partner forces executing Security Force Assistance (SFA) operations. The guide is a companion to the May 2009 JCISFA Afghan National Police Mentor Guide and addresses identified gaps in mentoring Afghan National Security Forces. The guide offers cultural background information, partner security force challenges, advisor/mentor best practices, and challenges.