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| Infantry Board | |
|---|---|
| Unit name | Infantry Board |
| Dates | 1940s–present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Type | Test and evaluation organization |
| Role | Infantry small arms, tactics, organization testing |
| Garrison | Fort Benning, Georgia |
| Notable commanders | Major General Emory S. Land, Brigadier General Jesse R. Cross |
Infantry Board
The Infantry Board is a United States Army test and evaluation organization responsible for assessing infantry small arms, tactics, organization and equipment. It operates alongside institutions such as United States Army Infantry School, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, Combat Capabilities Development Command, Army Research Laboratory, and Aberdeen Proving Ground to influence doctrine, procurement and force modernization. The Board's work informs decisions by bodies like the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Congressional Armed Services Committees, and program offices managing programs such as Future Vertical Lift and Next Generation Combat Vehicle.
The Infantry Board traces its institutional lineage to interwar and World War II boards and test centers including Ordnance Department (United States), Aberdeen Proving Ground, and the Infantry School (United States Army) reorganization in the 1940s. During the Cold War the Board collaborated with units from United States Army Europe and test formations after crises such as the Korean War and Vietnam War shaped requirements for light infantry, jungle warfare and mechanized tactics. Post-Cold War transformations tied the Board's missions to initiatives like Force XXI and Army Transformation while interacting with acquisition reforms following the Packard Commission and the reforms driven by the Goldwater–Nichols Act. In the 21st century the Board contributed to evaluations stemming from operations in Iraq War, War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), and counterinsurgency lessons influencing Maneuver Center of Excellence priorities.
The Board is typically co-located with the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia and coordinates with agencies such as United States Army Materiel Command, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, and the Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments. Its structure includes directorates for small arms testing, instrumentation, human performance, and tactics, linking to specialized laboratories like the Human Resources Command medical research and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory biomechanics teams. Administrative oversight has involved leaders drawn from Infantry Branch (United States) and liaisons to Special Operations Command and branch proponents within Training and Doctrine Command.
Primary responsibilities include testing and evaluating small arms, individual and crew-served weapons, load carriage systems and optical devices for units such as 1st Infantry Division, 82nd Airborne Division, and 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). The Board conducts operational experiments that influence doctrine promulgated by TRADOC and validates materiel for Program Executive Offices like PEO Soldier. It provides data and recommendations to acquisition authorities including Defense Acquisition University stakeholders and assists combat developer staffs drafting field manuals used by formations including Stryker Brigade Combat Teams and Armored Brigade Combat Teams.
The Infantry Board designs and executes evaluations using scenarios drawn from conflicts involving units such as 3rd Infantry Division and 10th Mountain Division, often in coordination with exercises like Operation Atlantic Resolve and Joint Readiness Training Center rotations. It employs instrumentation suites compatible with Distributed Mission Operations and Live, Virtual, Constructive training environments developed with organizations such as Naval Air Systems Command and Air Force Research Laboratory affiliates. Human performance assessments align with standards referenced by Soldier Performance Optimization Directorate and medical studies conducted at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
The Board plays a central role in iterative development of infantry equipment—ranging from rifles evaluated against criteria established for programs like the Squad Designated Marksman Rifle and Combat Rifle experiments to load-bearing systems influenced by tests with Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment prototypes. It collaborates with research partners at Sandia National Laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and industry firms participating in Small Business Innovation Research efforts. Doctrine outputs derived from Board assessments feed into revisions of publications such as Field Manual 3-21 and multilateral standards coordinated with NATO through entities like Allied Command Operations.
High-profile assessments include evaluations of night vision systems employed by Delta Force-adjacent units, trials of the M4 carbine and M16 rifle variants, and comparative testing during competitions like the Army's trials for the Next Generation Squad Weapon initiative. The Board's findings influenced sustainment and retrograde decisions after deployments in Operation Iraqi Freedom and shaped concepts tested in war games such as Millennium Challenge. Its reports have been cited in legislative hearings before the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services and have guided milestone decisions for programs managed by Program Executive Office Soldier and Army Futures Command.