What we realized right up front is that we needed to have a culture of autonomy and accountability.

And those are the kind of the key watchwords that we use as we talk to new soldiers coming into the unit.

And what we have learned is that to new soldiers coming into the unit.

And what we have learned is that great power competition requires long-term competition below the threshold of conflict in the contact layer, meaning those state, stations, partners,

where that competition is most acute.

Hey, welcome to another episode of the Modern War Institute podcast.

I'm John Ambo, editorial director at MWI, and this episode features a conversation I got the

chance to record with Colonel Kurt Taylor.

He is the commander of the fifth Security Force Assistance Brigade, or S-FAB. That is the commander of the 5th Security Force Assistance Brigade, or

ESVAB. That is the final of five active duty SFVs that the army has stood up. It was

formally activated quite recently in May, but he took command a year ago, which means he has a really

interesting perspective on everything that goes into creating such a unique unit. We talk about that process

and about how to recruit and select officers and NCOs for the S-Fabs. We also discuss the role of the

advising mission in an era of great power competition. And Colonel Taylor makes a pretty compelling

case that that mission is especially important in that context.

Before we get to the conversation really quickly, I have just a couple notes.

First, if you aren't subscribed to the MWI podcast, you can find us on Apple Podcast, Stitcher,

Spotify, tune in, literally anywhere you get your podcast so you don't miss an episode.

And if you like what you hear, we would love it if you could take just a moment and give the podcast a rating or leave a review. And lastly, as always,

what you hear in this episode are the views of the participants and don't represent those

of West Point, the Army, or any other agency of the U.S. government. All right, here's my conversation

with Colonel Kurt Taylor.

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