Discourse on MWI Podcast: Strategies for Establishing a Successful Joint Military Force, and Pitfalls to Avoid
In a recent episode of the MWI Podcast, hosts Will Reno and Franky Matisek delve into the critical role of security force assistance (SFA) in the United States' current strategic environment. The podcast, first released in 2021, explores how SFA plays an indispensable role in building, advising, and strengthening foreign military partners across the competition–crisis–conflict continuum.
Reno and Matisek, who have conducted hundreds of interviews in the field, discuss how SFA enables the U.S. to shape the battlespace before, during, and after conflicts by partnering with other nations’ security forces. This strategic approach advances U.S. interests without committing large-scale American forces directly.
However, the podcast also highlights challenges that undermine SFA effectiveness. Pentagon plans to downsize or shutter two of the Army’s six Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) risk weakening capacity and institutional commitment to these missions. Historically, a focus on "train-and-pray" approaches has prioritized numbers trained over sustained combat effectiveness, leading to partner forces failing under real conflict pressure, as seen in Afghanistan and Iraq. Institutional ambivalence and resource constraints further hamper long-term investment in professionalized advising.
To achieve better future outcomes, the podcast suggests treating SFABs and Security Force Assistance as core military capabilities central to joint campaigning. It emphasizes the need for institutionalizing professional advising cadres with specialized training and adequate personnel authorizations to ensure quality assistance and long-term partner readiness. The podcast also encourages learning from operational and doctrinal evidence to inform future doctrine and resourcing.
The current strategic environment demands robust, institutionalized SFA capabilities to strengthen partner militaries, deter adversaries, and shape conflict dynamics indirectly. However, recent force reductions and underinvestment pose a threat to this goal. Addressing these challenges requires renewed institutional commitment, dedicated professional forces, and doctrinal clarity on SFA’s critical role in U.S. strategic posture.
Listeners can tune into the MWI Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or their favourite podcast app to learn more about the role of SFA in the U.S. strategic environment. The image credit for this episode is Kay M. Nissen, NATO. The podcast encourages listeners to rate or leave a review for the podcast to help spread the word about its valuable insights.
- The critical role of Security Force Assistance (SFA) in shaping the battlespace, often achieved through partnering with other nations’ security forces, is a key topic in politics and general-news, as it directly impacts national security and defense.
- Special operations, such as Security Force Assistance, play an indispensable role in building, advising, and strengthening foreign military partners across the competition–crisis–conflict continuum, but face challenges that undermine their effectiveness, like the focus on "train-and-pray" approaches or resource constraints.
- The podcast discussion on SFA highlights the need for a renewed commitment to institutionalizing professional advising cadres with specialized training and adequate personnel authorizations as a crucial step in advancing U.S. interests in special operations, while ensuring quality assistance and long-term partner readiness.
