94-801: Danie Theron Combat School was a light infantry training regiment of the South African Army . It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve. Danie Theron Combat School was established near Kimberley around 1967, aimed at primary infantry training for the Commando system. The school was initially called the Commando Combat School, but by 1968
188-502: A combat support company . With all these components, a battalion is the smallest military unit capable of "limited independent operations". The battalion must have a source of resupply to enable it to sustain operations for more than a few days. This is because a battalion's complement of ammunition, expendable weapons (e.g., hand grenades and disposable rocket launchers ), water, rations, fuel, lubricants, replacement parts, batteries, and medical supplies normally consists of only what
282-426: A light company as an integral part of its composition. Its members were often smaller, more agile men with high shooting ability and capability of using initiative. They did not usually fight in disciplined ranks as did the ordinary infantry but often in widely dispersed groups, necessitating an understanding of skirmish warfare. They were expected to avoid melee engagements unless necessary and would fight ahead of
376-506: A battalion headquarters mounted in a command tank and a headquarters and service platoon, for a total of 165 personnel and 40 tanks; battalions using the older T-54 , T-55 or T-62s tanks had 31 or 40 additional enlisted personnel. However, forces in Eastern Europe began to standardise to a smaller formation with 135 personnel and 31 tanks total, with each tank company consisting of 10 tanks total. A Soviet artillery battalion in
470-1009: A beret in a darker shade of green than other regiments. Two paramilitary forces—the Assam Rifles and the Eastern Frontier Rifles —also follow the traditions of a rifle regiment. The Irish famously employed "Cethernacht" or Kern as light infantry. These usually made up the bulk of Gaelic and even later Anglo Norman Irish armies during the Middle Ages to renaissance era's. Traditionally armed with javelins and swords while wearing no armour, in later periods they were equipped with caliver muskets while still using little to no armour. They were notably effective while employed in tandem with heavily armed "Galloglaich" or anglicised Gallowglass. They could provide effective support to heavily armed troops as well as endlessly harassing enemies in difficult terrain. Today, all infantry battalions of
564-419: A combat logistics element (a Marine combat logistics regiment, which includes naval construction forces [Seabees] and naval medical elements). In the U.S. Marine Corps, an infantry or "rifle" battalion typically consists of a headquarters and service company, three rifle or "line" companies (designated alphabetically A through M depending upon which battalion of the parent regiment to which they are attached) and
658-626: A corps of light infantry, under the command of General Lafayette . The light infantry participated in several major battles of the southern states in 1781, including the Battle of Yorktown . The entire Continental Army was dismissed after the war, with all regiments disbanded in 1784. In 1808, the United States Army created its first Regiment of Riflemen . During the War of 1812 three more Rifle Regiments were raised but disbanded after
752-585: A headquarters company, support company and three rifle companies (usually, but not always, A, B and C companies). Each company is commanded by a major , the officer commanding (OC), with a captain or senior lieutenant as second-in-command (2IC). The HQ company contains signals , quartermaster , catering, intelligence , administration, pay, training, operations and medical elements. The support company usually contains anti-tank , machine gun , mortar , pioneer and reconnaissance platoons. Mechanised units usually have an attached light aid detachment (LAD) of
846-420: A headquarters company, two mechanized infantry companies, two tank companies and a forward support company attached from the battalion's parent brigade support battalion. This new structure eliminated the need to task-organize companies between battalions; each combined arms battalion was organically composed of the requisite companies. At a higher level, each armored brigade (formerly designated 'heavy brigade')
940-422: A heavy weapons company. That is, rifle companies A, B, C along with heavy weapons Company D were part of the 1st battalion, rifle companies E, F, G and heavy weapons Company H constituted the 2nd battalion, and rifle companies I, K, L and heavy weapons Company M were in the 3rd. There was no J Company: the letter J was traditionally not used because in 18th- and 19th-century old-style type,
1034-469: A legacy of a Finnish volunteer Jäger battalion formed in Germany during World War I to fight for the liberation of Finland from Russia. The Chasseur designation was given to certain regiments of French light infantry ( Chasseurs à pied ) or light cavalry ( Chasseurs à cheval ). The Chasseurs à pied (light infantry) were originally recruited from hunters or woodsmen . The Chasseurs à Pied , as
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#17327810746671128-412: A limited capability to plan and conduct independent operations and are normally organic components of brigades, groups, or regiments. A U.S. Army battalion includes the battalion commander ( lieutenant colonel ), executive officer ( major ), command sergeant major (CSM), headquarters staff and usually three to five companies, with a total of 300 to 1,000 (but typically 500 to 600) soldiers. During
1222-646: A major), the sergeant major and the executive staff (S-1 through S-4 and S-6). The battalion headquarters is supported by a headquarters and service company (battery). A battalion usually contains two to five organic companies (batteries in the artillery), with a total of 500 to 1,200 Marines in the battalion. A regiment consists of a regimental headquarters, a headquarters company (or battery) and two to five organic battalions (Marine infantry regiments – three battalions of infantry; Marine artillery regiments – three to five battalions of artillery; Marine combat logistics regiments – one to three combat logistics battalions). In
1316-513: A mechanised infantry battalion usually consists of one command- and medical company, three mechanised infantry companies and one support company, which has three platoons with heavy mortars and three platoons with anti-tank missiles ( TOW ). With the Dutch artillery units, the equivalent of a battalion is called an afdeling (which translates to "section"). Combat companies consist of (usually mechanised) infantry, combat engineers , or tanks . In
1410-455: A more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry . Historically, light infantry often fought as scouts , raiders , and skirmishers . These are loose formations that fight ahead of the main army to harass, delay, disrupt supply lines, engage the enemy's own skirmishing forces, and generally "soften up" an enemy before the main battle. Light infantrymen were also often responsible for screening
1504-647: A number of combat support units: a mortar battery consisting of eight 120 mm 120-PM-43 mortars or automatic 82 mm 2B9 Vasileks , an air defence platoon with nine MANPADs , either the SA-7 Grail , SA-14 Gremlin or SA-16 Gimlet and an automatic grenade launcher platoon with six 30 mm AGS-17 launchers. The BTR battalion also featured an anti-tank platoon with four AT-3 Sagger or AT-4 Spigot launchers and two 73 mm SPG-9 recoilless guns ; BTR units on high-readiness status sometimes had six missile launchers and three recoilless guns. Both featured
1598-722: A parade drill which involved carrying rifles parallel to the ground ("at the trail") and dark green cloth helmets instead of dark blue. Light infantry badges always incorporated bugle horns as a central feature. In the Second World War , the use of light infantry was revived in what became the British Commandos and the Parachute Regiment . Because of the nature of their role and deployment, they were more lightly equipped than most infantry battalions. The Parachute Regiment has survived to this day, while
1692-495: A reduced vehicle footprint. Light infantry units lack the greater firepower, operational mobility and protection of mechanized or armored units, but possess greater tactical mobility and the ability to execute missions in severely restrictive terrain and in areas where weather makes vehicular mobility difficult. Light infantry forces typically rely on their ability to operate under restrictive conditions, surprise, violence of action, training, stealth, field craft, and fitness levels of
1786-441: A total of 255 personnel. A Swedish battalion during the mid 17th century up to the mid 18th century was the smallest tactical unit in combat. The 600 man unit was formed, temporarily, at the inception of a battle by joining four foot companies from a foot regiment of eight companies. The commander of the regiment, an överste ( colonel ), led the first battalion and his deputy, an överstelöjtnant ( lieutenant colonel ),
1880-565: A true "light infantry" unit, (they were assigned their own artillery, carried double load of everything, and had a slower marching pace of 45 steps per minute), the Alpini were trained as jagers and skirmishers, introducing the use of skis and climbing training for all of their recruits. Those two corps still exist today, but in recent years the Bersaglieri have become a mechanised infantry unit, working closely with armoured units, and up until
1974-437: A weapons company. Weapons companies do not receive a letter designation. Marine infantry regiments use battalion and company designations as described above under World War II, with company letters D, H and M not normally used but rather held in reserve for use in augmenting a fourth rifle company into each battalion as needed. United States Marine Corps infantry battalions are task organised into Battalion Landing Teams (BLTs) as
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#17327810746672068-570: Is a very old one and was already well-established in Ancient Greece and Roman times in the form, for example, of the Greek peltast and psiloi , and the Roman velites . As with the so-called "light infantry" of later periods, the term more adequately describes the role of such infantry rather than the actual weight of their equipment. Peltast equipment, for example, grew steadily heavier at
2162-614: Is composed of units capable of rapidly engaging in combat anywhere in Brazil. Each of the three regular army regiments ( Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry , Royal Canadian Regiment and Royal 22 Régiment ) maintains their third battalion as light infantry capable in airborne, mountain, and amphibious operations, with varying degrees of capability. All reserve infantry units are classed as light infantry, all with varying degrees of capability. Finnish infantry units are also known as Jäger (Finnish pl. Jääkärit , Swedish pl. Jägarna ),
2256-501: Is for command elements. According to some observers, the average manpower of the battalions has substantially declined: from 670 plus in 1988, 350 plus in 1998, and 250 plus in 2008. A leaked document reported in the international media revealed that in late 2006, the Tatmadaw had 284 battalions with fewer than 200 personnel, and 220 battalions with between 200 and 300 personnel. As of January 2024 , most battalions/regiments of
2350-435: Is now composed of three CABs (versus the two CABs of a former heavy brigade), one reconnaissance squadron, one artillery battalion, one brigade engineer battalion (BEB) and one brigade support battalion (BSB). A United States Marine Corps battalion includes the battalion headquarters, consisting of the commanding officer (usually a lieutenant colonel, sometimes a colonel), an executive officer (the second-in-command, usually
2444-533: Is often cited as proof of concept. Almost 30,000 U.S. Forces, mostly light, deployed to Panama within a 48-hour period to execute combat operations. On 30 September 1985, the 29th Infantry Division (Maryland and Virginia Army National Guard) was reactivated at Fort Belvoir, Virginia as the only light Infantry Division in the US Army's reserve components. During the Falklands War in 1982, both Argentina and
2538-727: Is used in the British Army Infantry and some corps including the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and Intelligence Corps . It was formerly used in the Royal Engineers (before they switched to regiments), and was also used in the now defunct Royal Army Ordnance Corps and Royal Pioneer Corps . Other corps usually use the term "regiment" instead. An infantry battalion is numbered ordinarily within its regiment (e.g., 1st Battalion, The Rifles , usually referred to as 1 Rifles). It normally has
2632-525: The 60th Royal Americans (later the King's Royal Rifle Corps ) was raised in 1797, and an "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" (later the 95th Rifles and then the Rifle Brigade ) in 1800. Both were equipped with green jackets and Baker rifles . Some extant regiments began to be designated "Light Infantry" at this point, receiving skirmishing training but generally still equipped with red coats and muskets. In
2726-574: The 80th Regiment of Light-Armed Foot ), though most if not all had been disbanded by the middle of the 1760s. From 1770, all regular battalions were required to designate one of their ten companies a "Light Company", though their training in skirmishing was poor and inconsistent. Dedicated rifle and light infantry regiments began to be formed or converted in the Napoleonic Wars , to counter the French Chasseurs . A new battalion of
2820-806: The American Civil War , an infantry or cavalry battalion was an ad hoc grouping of companies from the parent regiment (which had ten companies, A through K, minus J as described below), except for certain regular infantry regiments, which were formally organized into three battalions of six companies each (numbered 1–6 per battalion vice sequential letter designations). After 1882, cavalry battalions were renamed squadrons and cavalry companies were renamed troops. Artillery battalions typically comprised four or more batteries, although this number fluctuated considerably. During World War II, most infantry regiments consisted of three battalions (1st, 2nd and 3rd) with each battalion consisting of three rifle companies and
2914-657: The Ancien Régime' s Chasseur battalions were merged with volunteer battalions in new units called Light Infantry half-brigades ( demi-brigades d’infanterie légère ). In 1803, the half-brigades were renamed regiments. These units had three battalions of three regular Chasseurs companies, one elite Carabiniers company and one reconnaissance voltigeurs company. In Napoléon's Imperial Guard , many units used names linked to light infantry: In Bourbon royalist The Napoleonic light infantry regiments existed until 1854, but there were very few differences between them and
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3008-460: The Napoleonic Wars , light infantry were called voltigeurs and chasseurs and the sharpshooters tirailleurs . The Austrian army had Grenzer regiments from the middle of the 18th century, who originally served as irregular militia skirmishers recruited from frontier areas. They were gradually absorbed into the line infantry becoming a hybrid type that proved successful against the French, to
3102-606: The Netherlands Marine Corps all have a battalion structure. Each battalion usually consists of the following: In the Soviet Armed Forces , a motorised rifle battalion could be mounted in either BTR armoured personnel carriers or BMP infantry fighting vehicles , with the former being more numerous into the late 1980s. Both consisted of a battalion headquarters of 12 personnel and three motorised rifle companies of 110 personnel each, along with
3196-539: The Peninsular War , a Light Brigade and later a Light Division were formed, at some points incorporating Portuguese Caçadores . By the Crimean War , rifles had become universal and tactics had substantially changed. This meant that the distinctions between light and line infantry were effectively limited to details such as name, a rapid march of 140 steps per minute, buglers instead of drummers and fifers,
3290-542: The Royal Anglian Regiment ). Important figures in a battalion headquarters include: Battalions of other corps are given separate cardinal numbers within their corps (e.g., 101 Battalion REME). A battle group consists of an infantry battalion or armoured regiment with sub-units detached from other military units acting under the command of the battalion commander. In the Canadian Army ,
3384-615: The Royal Marine Commandos are directly descended from those units formed in the Second World War. Most of the old light infantry and rifle regiments were administratively grouped in a new Light Division in 1968. The British Army ordered regimental amalgamations in 1957 , 1966 , 1990 and 2003 . The Rifles (the largest infantry regiment in the British Army) was formed in 2007 from the amalgamation of
3478-528: The line infantry regiments, so the 25 remaining light infantry regiments were transformed to line infantry in 1854. Although the traditions of these different branches of the French Army are very different, there is still a tendency to confuse one with the other. For example, when World War I veteran Léon Weil died, the AFP press agency stated that he was a member of the 5th "Regiment de Chasseurs Alpins". It
3572-415: The marksmen of the French army, were considered an elite. The first unit raised was Jean Chrétien Fischer 's Free Hunter Company in 1743. Early units were often a mix of cavalry and infantry. In 1776, all Chasseurs units were re-organized into six battalions, each linked to a cavalry regiment ( Chasseurs à cheval ). In 1788, the link between infantry battalions and cavalry regiments was broken. In 1793,
3666-453: The 1580s. A battalion is composed of two or more primary mission companies, which are often of a common type (e.g., infantry, tank, or maintenance), although there are exceptions, such as combined arms battalions in the U.S. Army. In addition to the primary mission companies, a battalion typically includes a headquarters staff and combat service support , which may be combined into a headquarters and service company . A battalion may contain
3760-497: The 1960s through the early 1980s, a typical maneuver (infantry or tank) battalion had five companies: headquarters and headquarters company (HHC) and A, B and C Companies, plus a combat support company (CSC), with a scout platoon, 107 mm (4.2 inch) heavy mortar platoon, along with other elements that varied between organisations. These included heavy anti-tank TOW missile platoons, ground surveillance radar sections and man-portable air-defense system sections. Beginning in
3854-550: The 1980s, the United States Army increased light forces to address contingencies and increased threats requiring a more deployable force able to operate in restrictive environments for limited periods. At its height, this included the 6th Infantry Division (light), 7th Infantry Division (light), 10th Mountain Division (light infantry), 25th Infantry Division , and the 75th Ranger Regiment . Operation Just Cause
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3948-632: The 1990s, the concept of purely light forces in the US military came under scrutiny due to their decreased lethality and survivability. This scrutiny has resulted in the Stryker Brigade Combat Team , a greater focus on task organized units (such as Marine Expeditionary Units ) and a reduction of purely light forces. Despite their reduction, light forces have proven successful in Afghanistan ( Operation Enduring Freedom ), underlining
4042-552: The Army reorganization of 1911, but were recreated in 1926 as high readiness units, responsible for defending the border and other strategic points of the Country until the line units could be mobilized. In the 1950s, the designation caçadores started to be also given to the expeditionary provisional light infantry battalions and independent companies responsible for reinforcing the overseas territories garrisons. These units constituted
4136-459: The Canadian battalion forms the core of the infantry battle group, which also includes various supporting elements such as armour, artillery , combat engineers and combat service support . An infantry battle group will typically be commanded by the commander of the core infantry battalion around which it is formed and can range in size from 300 to 1,500 or more soldiers, depending on the nature of
4230-742: The English language in the 16th century from the French bataillon , meaning "battle squadron" (similar to the Italian battaglione meaning the same thing) and the Spanish batallón , derived from the Vulgar Latin noun battalia ("battle") and ultimately from the Classical Latin verb battuere ("to beat" or "to strike"). The first use of the word in English is attested in
4324-759: The Irish Army are light infantry soldiers. Most of the states of the Italian peninsula had their own units of skirmishers before Italian unification . One of the few that survived it were the Sardinian Bersaglieri , who were formed in 1836. They became some of the most iconic soldiers in Italian Army and were its "quick reaction force". The Alpini are the Italian Army's elite mountain troops, founded in 1875. Although they may not seem
4418-500: The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) to perform field repairs on vehicles and equipment. A British battalion in theatre during World War II had around 845 men; as of 2012, a British battalion had around 650 soldiers. With successive rounds of cutbacks after the war, many infantry regiments were reduced to a single battalion (others were amalgamated to form large regiments that maintained multiple battalions, e.g.,
4512-468: The U.S. Marine Corps, the brigade designation is used only in " Marine Expeditionary Brigade " (MEB). An MEB is one of the standard Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (MAGTF), is commanded by a brigadier general or major general , and consists of command element, a ground combat element (usually one reinforced Marine infantry regiment), an aviation combat element (a reinforced Marine aircraft group including rotary wing, fixed wing and tiltrotor aircraft) and
4606-672: The United Kingdom made heavy use of light infantry and its doctrines during the campaign, most notably the Argentine 5th Naval Infantry Battalion (Argentina) and 25th Infantry Regiment (Argentina) and the British Parachute Regiment and Royal Marines of 3 Commando Brigade . Due to the rocky and mountainous terrain of the Falkland Islands , operations on the ground were only made possible with
4700-765: The battalion is the standard unit organisation for infantry and combat service support and each battalion is divided into one or more sub-units referred to as companies. In the Canadian Forces , most battalions are reserve units of between 100 and 200 soldiers that include an operationally ready, field-deployable component of approximately a half-company apiece. The nine regular force infantry battalions each contain three or four rifle companies and one or two support companies. Canadian battalions are generally commanded by lieutenant-colonels , though smaller reserve battalions may be commanded by majors . Those regiments consisting of more than one battalion are: Tactically,
4794-413: The battalion's soldiers and the battalion's vehicles can carry. The commander's staff coordinates and plans operations. A battalion's subordinate companies and their platoons are dependent upon the battalion headquarters for command, control, communications and intelligence, and the battalion's service and support structure. The battalion is usually part of a regiment , group , or brigade , depending on
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#17327810746674888-411: The battalion, to coordinate naval gunfire support . The United States Navy has construction battalions and navy cargo handling battalions . They are structured roughly analogous to an Army or Marine Corps battalion with staff and commanding officers of similar grade and experience. In Myanmar (Army, People's Defence Force and various EAOs), battalions (or Regiments), called Tat Yinn (တပ်ရင်း), are
4982-542: The beginning of the 1960s, Portuguese Army raised special forces companies of that were named caçadores especiais (special huntsmen). The caçadores especiais wore a brown beret in the colour of the uniforms of the caçadores of the Peninsular War. These units were later abolished and the brown beret started to be used by most of the units of the Portuguese Army. In 1975, the designation " caçadores "
5076-442: The branch of service. NATO defines a battalion as being "larger than a company, but smaller than a regiment" while "consisting of two or more company-, battery-, or troop-sized units along with a headquarters." The standard NATO symbol for a battalion represented by a pair of vertical lines above a framed unit icon. Member nations have specified the various names they will use for organisations of this size. The term battalion
5170-767: The bulk of the Portuguese forces engaged in the several theatres of the Portuguese Overseas War , from 1961 to 1975. Colonial troops with this title also existed, being recruited among both Portuguese European settlers and from indigenous populations. In the 1950s, the Portuguese Air Force formed a unit of paratroopers called caçadores paraquedistas ("parachutist hunters"). Additional battalions of caçadores paraquedistas were later created in Angola , Mozambique and Portuguese Guinea . At
5264-705: The capital letters I and J looked alike and were therefore easily confused with one another. It was common for a battalion to become temporarily attached to a different regiment. For example, during the confusion and high casualty rates of both the Normandy Landings and the Battle of the Bulge , in order to bolster the strength of a depleted infantry regiment, companies and even battalions were moved around as necessary. The U.S. Army also created independent tank battalions to attach to infantry divisions during World War II in order to give them fire support. From
5358-1108: The command structure, LIDs are directly answerable to the Commander in Chief of Army whereas MOCs are subordinate to their respective Regional Military Command. As for unit patches, LIDs have their own division patches where MOCs do not have distinctive patches and wear RMC's patch instead. LIDs in Burmese are called ခြေမြန်တပ်မဌာနချုပ် (တမခ) whereas MOCs are called စစ်ဆင်ရေးကွပ်ကဲမှုဌာနချုပ် (စကခ). Both Light Infantry Divisions and MOCs are have an officer ranked Brigadier General as their General Officer Commanding, Colonel as Second in Command and Lieutenant Colonel as Division Chief of Staff (informally Division G/A/Q). Units designated as " Light Infantry Divisions " are Military Operation Commands: Units designated as " Military Operation Commands " are Since No. (11) Light Infantry Division has already been reformed, No. (11) Military Operation Command
5452-560: The continued need for light infantry. There are three light infantry brigades, (4ª Brigada de Infantaria Leve de Montanha, 11ª Brigada de Infantaria Leve and 12ª Brigada de Infantaria Leve Aeromóvel), and an airborne infantry brigade (Brigada de Infantaria Paraquedista). The 12º Light Infantry Brigade and the Airborne Infantry Brigade both belong to the Força de Ação Rápida Estratégica (Quick Strategic Action Force), which
5546-458: The core of the battalion structure remains roughly the same with Battalion/Regimental HQ housing command elements (OC, 2IC, Adjutant, Quartermaster, RSM, RQMS, R.P Sergeant and etc.), HQ Company (Support Platoons like Engineer, Signal, Medical and etc.) and 4 Rifle Companies. 4 Rifle Companies (No. (1) Rifle Company, No. (2) Rifle Company, No. (3) Rifle Company and No. (4) Rifle Company) and HQ Company are combat troops whereas Battalion/Regimental HQ
5640-573: The early 1930s. Until 2006 the modern Spanish Army maintained a Brigada de Cazadores de Montaña "Aragón I" (Mountain Huntsmen Brigade "Aragón I") The British Army first experimented with light infantry in the French and Indian War , to counter the tactics used by the French-allied Native Americans . Along with secondment of regular infantry, several specialised units were raised (including Rogers' Rangers and
5734-412: The early 1980s, some elements of the combat support companies (the mortar and scout platoons) were merged into the headquarters company with the staff and support elements, others were moved to their parent type organisation (ground surveillance radar and air defence), and in infantry battalions the heavy anti-tank missile platoon was organized as a separate company (E Company). In the late 1980s, there
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#17327810746675828-560: The eve of World War I, the British Army included seven light infantry regiments. These differed from other infantry only in maintaining such traditional distinctions as badges that included a bugle-horn, dark green home service helmets for full dress , and a fast-stepping parade ground march. Today the term "light" denotes, in the United States table of organization and equipment , units lacking heavy weapons and armor or with
5922-669: The extent that Napoleon recruited several units of Austrian army Grenzer to his own army after victory over Austria in 1809 compelled the Austrians to cede territories from which they were traditionally recruited. In Portugal, 1797, companies of Caçadores (Hunters) were created in the Portuguese Army, and in 1808 led to the formation of independent "Caçador" battalions that became known for their ability to perform precision shooting at long distances. Light infantry officers sometimes carried muskets or rifles , rather than pistols , and their swords were light curved sabres ; as opposed to
6016-533: The ground combat element (GCE) of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). A standard U.S. Marine infantry battalion is typically supported by an artillery battery and a platoon each of tanks, amphibious assault vehicles, light armoured reconnaissance vehicles, reconnaissance Marines and combat engineers. The battalion structure is designed to readily expand to include a fourth rifle company, if required, as described above under battalion organisation. Often Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO) officers are assigned to
6110-547: The heavy, straighter swords of other infantry officers. Orders were sent by bugle or whistle instead of drums (since the sound of a bugle carries further and it is difficult to move fast when carrying a drum). Some armies, including the British and French , recruited whole regiments (or converted existing ones) of light infantry. These were considered elite units , since they required specialised training with emphasis on self-discipline , manoeuvre and initiative to carry out
6204-425: The historic Light Infantry regiments now survive as separate entities within the modern British Army. Today, "Light role infantry" is a designation that can be applied to an infantry battalion of any regiment. Light role infantry are not (by default) equipped with armoured vehicles (unlike Armoured Infantry or Mechanised Infantry ). In 1780, General George Washington published an order of battle which included
6298-468: The individual soldiers to compensate for their reduced lethality. Despite the usage of the term "light", forces in a light unit will normally carry heavier individual loads vis-à-vis other forces; they must carry everything they require to fight, survive and win due to lack of vehicles. Although units like the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) and the 82nd Airborne Division are categorized as Air Assault Infantry and Airborne Infantry respectively, they fall under
6392-473: The late 1980s consisted of a battalion headquarters, a headquarters platoon, a maintenance and supply platoon and three firing batteries, each with six artillery pieces, whether the self-propelled 2S1 Gvozdikas or the towed D-30 howitzers , and numbering 260 personnel or 240 personnel respectively. Rocket launcher artillery battalions consisted of a headquarters and headquarters platoon, a service battery and three firing batteries equipped with BM-21 Grads for
6486-565: The latter case, the unit is called an eskadron , which translates roughly to "squadron". There are also support battalions in the Dutch Army, which specialise on a specific task: for example, supplies and transport or communications. The Netherlands have four battalions that are permanently reserved for the United Nations , for the purpose of peacekeeping duties. An infantry battalion, logistical battalion, combat battalion and
6580-411: The main body of a military formation. Post- World War II , the term "light infantry" evolved to include rapid-deployment units (including commando and airborne units) that emphasized speed and mobility over armor and firepower. Some units or battalions that historically held a skirmishing role have kept their designation "light infantry" for the sake of tradition. The concept of a skirmishing screen
6674-614: The main difference in term of organisational structure is that LIDs' 10 battalions are all Light Infantry whereas for MOC, it's 7 Infantry Battalions (Motorised) and 3 Infantry Battalions (Mechanised). Both have an intermediate layer between the Battalions and Division HQ called Tactical Operation Command . A TOC is a unit that commands up to 3 battalions. Essentially, LIDs are made up of 3 TOC and 1 battalion under HQ as reserve whereas MOCs are made up of 2 TOC (Motorised) and 1 TOC (Mechanised) with an IB (Motorised) under HQ as reserve. As for
6768-406: The main maneuver units. As for structure, an Infantry Battalion was structured with 27 Officers and 750 other ranks back in 1966 under a structure organisation named of ကဖ/၇၀(၈)/၆၆ . This was revised in 1988 to 814 men and then revised again in 2001 as 31 Officers and 826 other ranks under a structure organisation named ကဖ/၇၀-ဆ/၂၀၀၁ . Even though authorised strength of the structure changed,
6862-858: The mainline to harass the enemy before falling back to the main position. During the period 1777–1781, the Continental Army of the United States adopted the British Army practice of seasonally drafting light infantry regiments as temporary units during active field operations, by combining existing light infantry companies detached from their parent regiments. Light infantry sometimes carried lighter muskets than ordinary infantrymen while others carried rifles and wore rifle green uniforms. These became designated as rifle regiments in Britain and Jäger and Schützen (sharpshooter) regiments in German-speaking Europe. In France, during
6956-581: The majority of the Danie Theron Combat School training/recruit wing staff were transferred to a new unit 11 Commando (South African) . Promotional and Corp specific Training was eventually transferred to other Infantry schools by the mid 1980s. 11 Field Postal Unit This South African military article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Light infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have
7050-543: The mid-1990s had their own tank and artillery units. Other units that can be classified as light infantry are: As of current, it's reported that Myanmar Army has total of 10 units designated as a "Light Infantry Division" and 20 units designated as "Military Operation Command". Two units are mostly similar in term of organisational structure. One of the main differences is that LIDs are mostly numbered in double digits like 11, 22, 33, 44 whereas MOCs are numbered sequelly. Both commands 10 battalions . While not that obvious, one of
7144-597: The mission assigned. A battalion in the Indian Army consists of four rifle companies. In turn each rifle company consists three platoons . A battalion in the Indian Army is commanded by a colonel . Normally a battalion is attached to a regiment of infantry, which is organised, as a general rule, of a number of battalions and the regimental centre battalion. In the Royal Netherlands Army ,
7238-581: The old regimental system and adopted a combat team approach centred on battalions as the building blocks of mission-oriented task forces. Battalion sizes vary between branches. In the United States Army , a battalion is a unit composed of a headquarters and two to six batteries, companies, or troops. They are normally identified by ordinal numbers (1st Battalion, 2nd Squadron, etc.) and normally have subordinate units that are identified by single letters (Battery A, Company A, Troop A, etc.). Battalions are tactical and administrative organizations with
7332-477: The operations of his regiment and first battalion, command of his company was delegated to a kaptenlöjtnant . During battle, each officer, except the fänrikar , was in charge of a portion of his company. Underofficer (NCO) ranks consisted of furir , förare , fältväbel , sergeant and rustmästare . With the major reform of its armed forces in 2004, the Swiss Army abandoned
7426-448: The overall concept of light infantry. They are typically infantry intended for difficult terrain such as mountains or arctic conditions (US Marines) ( Royal Marines , United States Army 10th Mountain Division , United States Army 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain) , Italian Army Alpini , French Army 27ème bataillon de chasseurs alpins ) or jungle (1st Scout Ranger Regiment, Brazilian Army Jungle Infantry Brigades). In
7520-633: The regiments of the Light Division. The Rifles maintain the traditional quick parade march of all British light infantry, the Rifle Brigade 's " rifle green " No 1 dress with blackened buttons and black leather belts, and many other traditions and "golden threads" of its parent regiments. The only rifle regiment not to become part of the Rifles was the Royal Gurkha Rifles . Following a series of amalgamations and one disbandment, none of
7614-462: The roles of light infantry as well as those of ordinary infantry. By the late 19th century, the concept of fighting in formation was on the wane due to advancements in weaponry and the distinctions between light and heavy infantry began to disappear. Essentially, all infantry became light infantry in operational practice. Some regiments retained the name and customs, but there was in effect little difference between them and other infantry regiments. On
7708-472: The rough country until a permanent corps of Mountain Fusiliers ( Fusiliers des Montagnes ) was raised in the 1740s. In the 17th century, dragoons were sometimes employed as the skirmishers of their day, as mounted infantrymen who rode into battle but dismounted to fight, giving them a mobility lacking to regular foot soldiers. In the 18th and 19th centuries most infantry regiments or battalions had
7802-492: The same support units as well, with a signal platoon, supply platoon, repair workshop and medical aid station. The addition of the antitank platoon meant that a BTR battalion at full strength was 525 personnel and 60 BTRs, including three command variants, while a BMP battalion consisted of 497 personnel and 45 BMPs, including three command variants. Prior to the late 1980s, Soviet tank battalions consisted of three tank companies of 13 T-64 , T-72 or T-80 tanks each, along with
7896-483: The same time as hoplite equipment grew lighter. It was the fact that peltasts fought in open order as skirmishers that made them light infantry and that hoplites fought in the battle line in a phalanx formation that made them heavy infantry. Early regular armies of the modern era frequently relied on irregulars to perform the duties of light infantry skirmishers. In particular, the French Army employed detachments of German and Balkan mercenaries to serve as patrols in
7990-481: The same training; including skirmishing. At the same time strelkovyi [стрелковый] battalions were introduced. These undertook light infantry functions when the skirmishing skills of line infantry were insufficient. Historically the Spanish infantry included several battalions of light infantry that were designated as Cazadores . These units were incorporated into the ordinary infantry following army reorganization in
8084-424: The second battalion. Battalion commanders and all other officers marched in front of the formation. Non-commissioned officers ( underofficers ) marched beside and behind to prevent desertion , and to replace officers who were killed. In addition to his principal duties, senior officers, such as majorer , the överstelöjtnant and överste , also commanded a company. So that the överste could focus on
8178-484: The use of light infantry because the use of mechanized infantry or armour was severely limited by of the terrain, leading to the " Yomp " across the Falklands, in which Royal Marines and Paras yomped (and tabbed) with their equipment across the islands, covering 56 miles (90 km) in three days carrying 80-pound (36 kg) loads after disembarking from ships at San Carlos on East Falkland , on 21 May 1982. During
8272-557: The war. The Rifle Regiment was disbanded in 1821. Battalion A battalion is a military unit , typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. Commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several companies , each typically commanded by a major or a captain . The typical battalion is built from three operational companies, one weapons company and one headquarters company. In some countries, battalions are exclusively infantry , while in others battalions are unit-level organizations. The word "battalion" came into
8366-556: Was a fourth "line" company added (D Company) in most infantry and tank battalions. In this older structure, U.S. Army mechanised infantry battalions and tank battalions, for tactical purposes, task-organised companies to each other, forming a battalion-sized task force (TF). Starting in 2005–2006, the U.S. Army's mechanised and tank battalions were reorganised into combined arms battalions (CABs). Tank battalions and mechanised infantry battalions no longer exist. These new combined arms battalions are modular units, each consisting of
8460-683: Was a regular regiment of the Rhodesian Army, unique in having the traditions of light infantry while serving as a modern Commando regiment. The Imperial Russian Army , which was heavily influenced by the Prussian and Austrian military systems, included fifty Jäger or yegerskii [егерский] regiments in its organisation by 1812, including the Egersky Guards Regiment . They were mostly united with line infantry regiments in 1833, when almost all Russian infantry began to receive
8554-607: Was discontinued in the Portuguese Armed Forces . All former units of caçadores were redesigned as "infantry". Currently, every infantry soldier of the Portuguese Army is known as atirador . Today, the Portuguese Army uses the designation "light infantry" as a generic collective classification of the Paratroopers, Commandos and Special Operations troops, while the remaining infantry is classified as "motorized/mechanized infantry". The Rhodesian Light Infantry
8648-686: Was in fact the 5th Bataillon. The Indian Army of 1914 included ten regiments with "Light Infantry" in their titles. These were the: Most of these regiments lost their separate identity as a result of extensive amalgamations in 1922. The modern Indian Army retains the Maratha Light Infantry and the Sikh Light Infantry . Of the 28 infantry regiments of the modern Indian Army, the following ten are designated as "Rifles". They are distinguished by their black rank badges, black buttons on their service and ceremonial uniforms and
8742-653: Was not formed Portuguese light infantry soldiers were known as caçadores (literally "huntsmen"). Initially organized as a light company in each of the line infantry regiments, the caçadores were later organized as independent battalions. They constituted the elite light infantry of the Portuguese Army during the Peninsular War , being considered by the Duke of Wellington as the " fighting cocks of his army". They wore distinctive brown uniforms as an early form of camouflage . The caçadores units were disbanded by
8836-534: Was renamed in honour of Danie Theron , a renowned Boer war soldier. The School was initially responsible for basic military training. The majority of the recruits were area bound farmers, business owners, or essentials services). These recruits were to be allocated to regional commandos after their initial training. The school was also responsible for promotional training of Civilian Force officers and non-commissioned officers. Other training modules include conventional and rural counter insurgency training. By 1973,
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