Fort Benning lands more jobs with two new training missions

The Maneuver Center of Excellence has landed 85 new positions in a training academy and assistance force at Fort Benning, members of the Georgia Congressional delegation and the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce announced Thursday.

By Oct. 1, the post will become the U.S. Army’s headquarter element for the Security Force Assistance mission and the Military Advisor Training Academy to train, advise and assist with security forces of other partner militaries, U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue said in a release.

Officials welcomed the boost in jobs at Fort Benning after it lost about 2,800 positions last year when the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team at Kelley Hill was eliminated and left the post with only 1,050 soldiers to create the 28th Infantry Regiment Task Force.

One mission with 15 personnel is from a new Security Force Assistance headquarter element while the second includes 70 people making up the Military Advisor Training Academy. Enlisted soldiers and officers will be trained to perform the Security Force Assistance. Soldiers will rotate to the post from other installations to receive the training.

Gary Jones, vice president of military affairs at the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, said the 85 jobs don’t replace those lost positions, but efforts are made to chip away at the reduction.

“This is a positive in the sense that it recognizes the importance of the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning and it recognizes the role of instruction and doctrine development,” he said. “Secondly, I believe it bodes well for potential at some point to get one of the Security Force Assistance force brigade assigned here.”

Isakson said Fort Benning is well positioned to accept the two new missions.

“I appreciate the confidence the U.S. Army continues to place in our Georgia installations as platforms to project power around the world, and I look forward to more positive announcements as the new administration continues to rebuild our armed forces and strengthen our national security,” he said.

Perdue, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the post continues to prove that it’s the nation’s premier training installation.

“This decision is great news for our Army and for the women and men who live and work in the Chattahoochee Valley Region,” he said. “ I’m proud to see Fort Benning emerge as the center of gravity for the Army’s increasingly vital train, advise, and assist missions.”

Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr., a senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, said placing both missions at the post supports the Army’s preparedness in multinational operations and aligns the military training center with its operational component, which is already housed at the post.

“Fort Benning is a premier installation for force development initiatives, and these added capabilities will further enhance Fort Benning’s national security profile,” said Bishop, whose district covers Fort Benning.

Jones said the new missions will establish the Maneuver Center as the center to prepare units going to various parts of the world to train, advise and assist. As an example, some of the countries may include Africa, Central or South America or even Afghanistan. The Army will form five active-duty force security assistance brigades and one security force assistance brigade.

“All these brigades are going to have to come to Fort Benning to be taught how to do their mission,” he said.

Each of the brigades will have a specific part of the world as its focus.

“We don’t know where they will be assigned yet, but Fort Benning will have the mission to train the brigade to go into designated countries,” Jones said.

Jones said there has been no word yet on where these security force assistance force brigades will be assigned.

More information may be available when the missions are officially announced by the Army. Members of the Georgia Congressional delegation was notified because the state will be impacted.

“With our close working relationship, we were able to receive information pretty fast,” Jones said.

This story was originally published February 9, 2017 at 8:43 PM with the headline "Fort Benning lands more jobs with two new training missions."