Regular• Standardized Organization and training

(more or less)• Paid

Irregular• Guerrillas• No standardization• Fight with whatever they have

Active• Full time• Tend to be younger• May be conscripts (drafted) or professional

(volunteer) Reserve

• Part time• Tend to be older• Tend to have “hand me down” equipment• Often former Active members• Usually organized by geographical locations

Helps maintain cohesion and esprit

Elite Standard / Regular Poor

Deals with the morale or spirit of a unit. Morale is a relative thing

• Impacted by situation, training, age, supplies, unit history etc.

One nation’s “Elite” may be another nation’s “Poor”

So Which Picture Shows the Elite Force?

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Land Forces• Armored• Infantry• Special• Marine

Sea Forces– Aircraft Carrier Groups– Submarines

– Attack– Ballistic Missile

– Amphibious– Marine– Special

Fighters Bombers

• Tactical• Strategic

Reconnaissance Transportation Missile

• Nuclear• Conventional

Space? Unmanned?

Land Forces•Tanks – and plenty of them

•Big guns•Heavy armor•Mobility

•Good in open territory•Not as good in close in terrain

•Cities•Woods•Mountains

•Vulnerable w/o infantry support

Divisin’ Artillery? I got a target fer ya’ but yer gonna have to be patient

I need a couple o’ guys that don’t owe me no money for a little routine patrol

•Riflemen who fight on foot•Do most of the fighting•Do most of the dieing•Come in a variety of types

Light Infantry – Motorized Infantry Mechanized Infantry Airborne Infantry Air Assault / Air Mobile Infantry Special Infantry

• Special Forces• Ranger / Commando

•Walk into battle•Carry all their gear on their backs•Few vehicles•Easily transportable

•Very immobile once on the ground

•Plenty of “Boots on the Ground” strength.

Missions: Use when you need a lot of troops.

Woods, mountains, cities etc

There is nothing “light” about light infantry

Infantry that ride into battle in armored vehicles

Mission: Support the Tanks

Mech Infantry – help tanks lead an armored breakthrough

•Generally uses Wheeled vehicles•Trucks or Wheeled armored vehicles

•More transportable than tanks and Mech Inf. But less powerful•More tactically mobile and powerful than light infantry, but not as easy to move •Great for peacekeeping forces•Good for screening flanks

•Strategically Mobile•Parachute into battle

•Tactically Slow•Once on the ground – must walk

•Lightly armed•If you cant jump with it, you cant bring it•* US and Russia have perfected the art of dropping light tanks by parachute

•Typical Mission: •Go anywhere fast•Seize and hold vital terrain•Bridges, river crossings•Spearhead invasions

•Carried in helicopters•VERY mobile

•BUT – once on the ground, they walk

•Missions: •Fighting guerrilla wars (take advantage of mobility)•Seize key terrain•Lead invasions

•Elite light infantry•Shock Troops•Often Airborne / Air Assault as well•Hard hitting, VERY aggressive

•Same problems of all Light infantry: few transportation assets

•Missions:•Seize airfields•Raids•Lead invasions

•Do the jobs that nobody else can do

Typical Ranger Objectives

Point du Hoc, NormandyD-Day objective

Need to grab an airfield?

Call the Rangers

•Irregular fighters•The most elite in the military•Often serve as advisors to other armies•Help allies train their armies•Recruit people to fight our enemies•“THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX” soldiers

•Special Anti-terrorism unit•Specialized in Hostage Rescue

•D-Force is so secret – it has never been officially acknowledged by the US government

London, 1980 raid

Ships and stuff that goes on the oceans

Navy Carrier Battle GroupMission: Control the Seas•Only US uses large “Super Carriers”•Other nations use smaller “Baby Carriers”

US Super carrier

British Baby Carrier

Battle group may cover hundreds of square miles

Submarines: two types Attack Submarines•Sink enemy ships navy or merchant•Deny enemy freedom of the seas•Protect carriers from enemy subs•Launch missiles at ships or land targets•Hunt down and destroy enemy Ballistic Missile Submarines

•Ballistic Missile Submarines•Carry Nuclear Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)•Capable of destroying ANYTHING and EVERYTHING.

•Mission•1 Deterrence•Stay undetected•The enemy never knows where you are.•If they cant find you, they cant kill you.

•2 Nuclear Response•Even if enemy hits your homeland, the subs are still available – to launch retaliatory strike

•The Navy’s Infantry•Special Assault Troops•-Specialize in Amphibious Assaults•Seize beaches, ports, small islands

Navy SEALS•Naval Special Forces Units•Small units. • Can go by SEa, Air or Land

Missions: •Recon Beaches before landings

•Ensure beaches can support landing vehicles•Blow up beach obstacles

•Raid Coastal Areas•Secure Ocean Oil platforms, Merchant Ships, etc•Blow up enemy naval port facilities

•Rescue Hostages on Ships

Air Force UnitsStrategic BombersDestroy large targets

cities, large formations of troopsDrop nukes

“When it absolutely, positively HAS to be destroyed overnight”

B-52 Bomber

B2 Stealth Bomber

B1 Bomber

Conventional Bombing Attack Results

Tactical Fighter / BombersDestroy “point” target - bridges small targets etc

Fighters -Fight off enemy planesProtect airspace

Fastest planes on earth

Fighter breaking the sound barrier

•Reconnaissance Aircraft•Take Photos to help planning•High or low level methods

Transport AircraftHaul StuffHaul PeopleDrop StuffDrop People

MissilesNuclear or ConventionalICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile)

Very Long Range Nuclear Missiles“City Busters”

Once launched – there is no turning back

If these ever fly – game over.

•Space:•Satellites can take recon photos•Spy on enemies

•Provide GPS • keep track of where you are

•Communication• talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime