Soldiers from 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade fired Mark 19 40 mm grenade machine gun qualification range at Fort Hood Sept. 10, 2020. SFAB Troops, who recently returned from a deployment in Afghanistan, were there to zero and qualify with both the Mark 19 and the M2 .50 caliber machine gun systems in order to hone their weapons skills and build the necessary confidence to advise and assist allied and partnered nations across the globe.
Sgt. Jaime Ramos, a mechanic with the 3rd SFAB, said “The experience of working with their counterparts in Afghanistan was rewarding and that they learned things they could bring home and implement as well. In Afghanistan we advised our counterparts not only on our own jobs, but on everything. It was the entire brigade‒ logistics, maintenance, medical… even tactics. It was everything. We had to be able to help and advise on everything. It definitely made me better. Everyone needs to be familiarized and qualified to shoot any weapons system here, because, as an advisor, you need to have that confidence and be comfortable enough to help our counterparts”
While Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) Soldiers are highly trained and among the top tactical leaders in the Army, the group stressed that it is still important to work on the basics and continue to practice and improve. Designed on the model of a standard infantry brigade combat team, SFABs are composed of roughly 800 personnel, primarily commissioned and non-commissioned officers selected from regular Army units and given additional training at the Military Advisor Training Academy (MATA) at Fort Benning, Georgia.
