- Pronouns
- He/Him
Re-emergence of the Light Infantry in the War on Terror
December 4th 2017
By Olde Delaware
Historically, the role of the Light Infantry soldier has been to harass the enemy, draw them close so that the bulk of the fighting force can engage them. To act as screens, to disrupt the ability of an opposing force to gain insight on the size of the fight men they were to face off against on the field of battle.
In the ancient times Roman Velites, some armed only with darts the size of your finger, engaged the enemies of Rome by harassing enemy skirmishers, disrupting enemy formations and assaulting war elephants and chariots. In the modern age, the Light Infantryman evolved into a commando who was called upon for everything from sharpshooting to scouting, skirmishing to front line detail. Light Infantry units distinguished themselves in the American Revolution, against and for Napoleon in post revolution Europe and into World War 1 where British Light Infantry made up 7 front line divisions of the British Expeditionary Force.
But what about today? Is there still a role on an ever changing battlefield for a Light Infantryman?
In my opinion, the answer is yes and one only needs to look at two conflicts which make the case for them; the Falklands War and Operation Just Cause.
During the Cold War, it became essential for NATO and the Soviet Union to move away from stand alone infantry and toward armored and mechanized infantry, lessons learned during World War II. Infantry alone in the field could be cut to ribbons by withering machine gun fire but by carrying them in halftracks or armored cars, you offer additional firepower plus the ability to deploy assets at greater speed and distance than by just using foot soldiers.
Thus the birth of Mechanized Infantry/Cavalry, but what would become of the Light Infantryman? The belief of the US Army was that by using parachute infantry such as the 101st or 82nd, a force which could be rapidly deployed and who already train to fight lightly could take up the mantle. In the United Kingdom, the push was on to recruit more Commando and Para Regiments to take on the light role as Light Infantry were now the elite force, the backbone of the regular army's basic Special Operations regiments. In the Falklands, the UK's mantra would be proven correct.
In 1982, both Argentina and 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 the use of light infantry because the use of mechanized infantry or armor 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 in three days carrying 80 pound loads after disembarking from ships at San Carlos on East Falkland on May 21st 1982.
Easier to transport L118 Light Guns of 3 Commando Brigade and 97 Battery Royal Artillery, flown into position by Commando aviation assets coupled with light infantry forces turned the tide against Argentinian forces at the Battle of Goose Green and allowed for the eventual capture of Port Stanley. The successes against Argentina in the Falklands with smaller, lighter infantry trained forces proved that the Light Infantryman could still operate effectively without the use of heavy mechanized transports.
Such lessons would be learned by the United States 7 years later in Panama where the bulk of the 82nd Airborne which had distinguished itself in battle in Grenada just a year after the Falklands was not deployed in favor of the 7th Infantry Division (Light) who deployed in 48 hours in support of the 75th Ranger Regiment and 7th Special Forces Group. Utilizing the combined forces of the 7th Infantry Division, the United States was able to secure the Panama Canal and reopen it to normal traffic within one week and secure the bulk of the Canal Zone from Noreiga's forces. Assuring the safety of neutrally flagged vessels and civilians who had taken shelter aboard vessels there and reassuring American civilians who were under threat that help was on the way.
Today, the successes of the Light Infantry in both Panama and the Falklands have been felt on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. The 10th Mountain Division (Light) has served along side the U.S. Army Rangers and Green Berets both in the mountains of Afghanistan searching for the Taliban and in Iraq, securing airfields and conducting counterinsurgency operations against terrorism. As the only aviation brigade in the theater, the brigade provided air support for all US Army units operating in the country. The brigade's mission at that time focused on close air support, medevac missions, and other duties involving combat with Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces in the country. The 10th Mountain Division was the first unit to introduce contract working dogs into southern Afghanistan and the Task Force provided logistical and combat support for International Security Assistance Force forces throughout the country.
While time and technology has helped to limit the need for full scale deployment of military assets; it has helped the Light Infantry role blossom from a small role on the battlefield to an elite fighting force capable of rapid deployment in a hostile world or to act in a humanitarian role and assist after a natural disaster. As the need for specialized ground forces evolve, so too will the need for a capable light infantry soldier and they are ready for whatever comes their way.
December 4th 2017
By Olde Delaware
Historically, the role of the Light Infantry soldier has been to harass the enemy, draw them close so that the bulk of the fighting force can engage them. To act as screens, to disrupt the ability of an opposing force to gain insight on the size of the fight men they were to face off against on the field of battle.
In the ancient times Roman Velites, some armed only with darts the size of your finger, engaged the enemies of Rome by harassing enemy skirmishers, disrupting enemy formations and assaulting war elephants and chariots. In the modern age, the Light Infantryman evolved into a commando who was called upon for everything from sharpshooting to scouting, skirmishing to front line detail. Light Infantry units distinguished themselves in the American Revolution, against and for Napoleon in post revolution Europe and into World War 1 where British Light Infantry made up 7 front line divisions of the British Expeditionary Force.
But what about today? Is there still a role on an ever changing battlefield for a Light Infantryman?
In my opinion, the answer is yes and one only needs to look at two conflicts which make the case for them; the Falklands War and Operation Just Cause.
During the Cold War, it became essential for NATO and the Soviet Union to move away from stand alone infantry and toward armored and mechanized infantry, lessons learned during World War II. Infantry alone in the field could be cut to ribbons by withering machine gun fire but by carrying them in halftracks or armored cars, you offer additional firepower plus the ability to deploy assets at greater speed and distance than by just using foot soldiers.
Thus the birth of Mechanized Infantry/Cavalry, but what would become of the Light Infantryman? The belief of the US Army was that by using parachute infantry such as the 101st or 82nd, a force which could be rapidly deployed and who already train to fight lightly could take up the mantle. In the United Kingdom, the push was on to recruit more Commando and Para Regiments to take on the light role as Light Infantry were now the elite force, the backbone of the regular army's basic Special Operations regiments. In the Falklands, the UK's mantra would be proven correct.
In 1982, both Argentina and 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 the use of light infantry because the use of mechanized infantry or armor 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 in three days carrying 80 pound loads after disembarking from ships at San Carlos on East Falkland on May 21st 1982.
Easier to transport L118 Light Guns of 3 Commando Brigade and 97 Battery Royal Artillery, flown into position by Commando aviation assets coupled with light infantry forces turned the tide against Argentinian forces at the Battle of Goose Green and allowed for the eventual capture of Port Stanley. The successes against Argentina in the Falklands with smaller, lighter infantry trained forces proved that the Light Infantryman could still operate effectively without the use of heavy mechanized transports.
Such lessons would be learned by the United States 7 years later in Panama where the bulk of the 82nd Airborne which had distinguished itself in battle in Grenada just a year after the Falklands was not deployed in favor of the 7th Infantry Division (Light) who deployed in 48 hours in support of the 75th Ranger Regiment and 7th Special Forces Group. Utilizing the combined forces of the 7th Infantry Division, the United States was able to secure the Panama Canal and reopen it to normal traffic within one week and secure the bulk of the Canal Zone from Noreiga's forces. Assuring the safety of neutrally flagged vessels and civilians who had taken shelter aboard vessels there and reassuring American civilians who were under threat that help was on the way.
Today, the successes of the Light Infantry in both Panama and the Falklands have been felt on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. The 10th Mountain Division (Light) has served along side the U.S. Army Rangers and Green Berets both in the mountains of Afghanistan searching for the Taliban and in Iraq, securing airfields and conducting counterinsurgency operations against terrorism. As the only aviation brigade in the theater, the brigade provided air support for all US Army units operating in the country. The brigade's mission at that time focused on close air support, medevac missions, and other duties involving combat with Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces in the country. The 10th Mountain Division was the first unit to introduce contract working dogs into southern Afghanistan and the Task Force provided logistical and combat support for International Security Assistance Force forces throughout the country.
While time and technology has helped to limit the need for full scale deployment of military assets; it has helped the Light Infantry role blossom from a small role on the battlefield to an elite fighting force capable of rapid deployment in a hostile world or to act in a humanitarian role and assist after a natural disaster. As the need for specialized ground forces evolve, so too will the need for a capable light infantry soldier and they are ready for whatever comes their way.
