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| Infantry (United States Army) | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | Infantry |
| Caption | Soldiers from an infantry squad conducting a patrol |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Close combat, maneuver, reconnaissance |
| Garrison | Fort Benning, Fort Moore |
| Motto | "Follow Me" |
| Notable commanders | George S. Patton, Douglas MacArthur, Omar Bradley |
Infantry (United States Army)
The United States Army infantry is the principal land combat force responsible for close combat, seizing and holding terrain, and engaging hostile forces using small arms, crew-served weapons, and maneuver, integrating with aviation, armor, and artillery. The infantry traces its lineage through colonial militias, Revolutionary War regiments, Regular Army formations active in the War of 1812, Mexican–American War, American Civil War, Spanish–American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq War, and Afghanistan, and continues to evolve under contemporary force modernization initiatives.
From colonial militias engaging at Lexington and Concord and the Continental Army under George Washington to the Regular Army regiments of the War of 1812, infantry formations have adapted through the Mexican–American War, Civil War, and Indian Wars. The transformation continued with the Spanish–American War, Philippine–American War, and the mobilization for World War I under commanders such as John J. Pershing, then into combined arms operations in World War II with figures like Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, and Omar Bradley. Cold War-era conflicts including the Korean War under Douglas MacArthur and the Vietnam War with William Westmoreland prompted doctrinal changes that influenced AirLand Battle concepts championed by Donn A. Starry and Edward C. Meyer, while the post–Cold War period saw infantry operations in Panama, Grenada, the Gulf War under Norman Schwarzkopf, peacekeeping in Somalia and the Balkans, and 21st-century counterinsurgency campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan influenced by David Petraeus and Stanley McChrystal. Recent reforms driven by Congress, the Department of Defense, and the Army Futures Command emphasize modernization programs linked to the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle, Future Vertical Lift, and long-range precision fires.
Infantry units are organized into squads, platoons, companies, battalions, brigades, divisions, and corps within force structures such as Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs), Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCTs), and Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs), aligned under divisions like the 1st Infantry Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, and XVIII Airborne Corps. Leadership and staff roles follow Army regulations from the Office of the Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff, with doctrine codified by the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and published in field manuals that integrate with joint doctrine from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Specialized elements include Ranger units under the 75th Ranger Regiment, Special Forces coordination with United States Special Operations Command, airborne units trained at Fort Bragg, light infantry at Fort Moore, and mechanized infantry integrated with armor brigades such as those at Fort Hood.
Infantry training begins with Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at installations like Fort Moore, Fort Benning, Fort Jackson, and Fort Knox, followed by leader development courses at the United States Army Maneuver Center of Excellence and Ranger School, Airborne School, and the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course. Doctrine developed by TRADOC and the Maneuver Center draws on historical lessons from Antietam, Normandy, Guadalcanal, Chosin Reservoir, Ia Drang, Fallujah, and Kandahar, and is coordinated with joint concepts from the Pentagon, the Joint Staff, and combatant commands such as CENTCOM and AFRICOM. The institution collaborates with academic centers including the United States Army War College, the Naval War College, and civilian research by RAND Corporation to refine counterinsurgency, combined arms maneuver, urban operations, and networked warfare tactics.
Infantry weapons range from individual arms like the M4 carbine, M249 SAW, M240 machine gun, M17 pistol, and Mk 19 grenade launcher to crew-served and support systems including the Javelin and TOW anti-tank guided missiles, Carl Gustaf, shoulder-fired rockets, and tube artillery support from the M777 and HIMARS. Vehicles supporting infantry include the M1 Abrams, M2/M3 Bradley, Stryker variants, MRAPs, and rotary-wing platforms such as the UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook, while ISR and strike integration involve MQ-1/9 Predators, MQ-9 Reapers, AH-64 Apache, F-35 Lightning II, and precision munitions coordinated through Army Futures Command acquisition programs. Soldier systems incorporate protective gear from Program Executive Office Soldier, night vision devices, communications from Network Enterprise Technology Command, battle management software, and power solutions aligned with modernization efforts like Next Generation Squad Weapon.
Infantry tactics emphasize squad- and platoon-level maneuver, bounding overwatch, fire and movement, combined arms integration with armor, artillery, aviation, engineers, intelligence, and cyber/electronic warfare support. Operations range from air assault, airborne insertion, amphibious landings, patrolling, raid, ambush, defensive operations, and urban clearing, informed by case studies such as Belleau Wood, Stalingrad, Market Garden, Khe Sanh, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Anaconda, and the Battle of Fallujah. Coordination with joint and multinational partners includes NATO interoperability standards, combined exercises like Defender Europe, and expeditionary deployments under Unified Combatant Commands conducting stability, deterrence, and high-intensity conflict preparations.
Prominent infantry units include the 1st Infantry Division, 3rd Infantry Division, 10th Mountain Division, 25th Infantry Division, 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, 75th Ranger Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, 2nd Infantry Division, and the 7th Infantry Division. Historic campaigns featuring infantry actions encompass the Revolutionary War campaigns, Saratoga, Antietam, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Normandy (Operation Overlord), Sicily (Operation Husky), the Italian Campaign, Pacific island campaigns including Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, the Korean War's Pusan Perimeter and Inchon, the Vietnam War's Ia Drang and Tet Offensive, Desert Storm's 1991 ground campaign, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Battle of Ramadi, and operations in Helmand and Kandahar Provinces during the Afghanistan campaign. Decorations and traditions are reflected in unit citations, the Medal of Honor recipients across conflicts, regimental histories, and lineages preserved by the United States Army Center of Military History.
Category:United States Army Category:Infantry units and formations