On the sandy training grounds of Kelley Hill at Fort Benning, Georgia—soon to be Fort Moore—a quiet but pivotal ceremony unfolded on January 27, 2026, marking the official stand-up of the Army Security Cooperation Group-South (ASCG-S). This isn’t just a rebrand; it’s the first of its kind, evolving from the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade (1st SFAB) into a powerhouse focused on security cooperation, with Panama as its initial hub. Picture elite advisors embedding with partner nations, training forces, and building interoperability without the full boot-on-the-ground combat footprint. It’s the Army’s nod to great-power competition, shifting from kinetic ops to persistent presence in Latin America and beyond, where threats like narco-terrorists and Chinese influence loom large.
For the 2A community, this evolution screams strategic foresight that aligns perfectly with our core ethos of armed self-reliance and deterrence. The 1st SFAB was already a trailblazer, deploying small teams of battle-hardened captains and sergeants—often carrying the same M4s, M320 grenade launchers, and precision optics you’d see in civilian hands at high-end 2A training—to advise foreign militaries. Now as ASCG-S, they’re doubling down on that model, emphasizing partner capacity-building in regions where weak states invite chaos. Think about it: in a post-Afghanistan world, the U.S. is pivoting to advise and assist over nation-building, mirroring how armed citizens deter threats at home. This validates the small-unit tactics, marksmanship, and firearms proficiency that 2A enthusiasts hone at ranges nationwide—skills Uncle Sam now institutionalizes for global stability.
The implications? A win for deterrence without endless wars, freeing resources for domestic readiness while underscoring why civilian access to military-grade training and tools matters. As ASCG-S fans out from Georgia’s red-dirt heartland, it reminds us that a well-armed populace and professional military aren’t rivals—they’re symbiotic forces against tyranny and aggression. Pro-2A patriots should watch closely; this could inspire more public-private training synergies, proving that the rifleman’s ethos scales from Kelley Hill to your backyard range. Stay vigilant, stay armed.