Editing Light infantry (section)

===Contemporary===

[[File:23.LeichtesInfanteriebattailon.jpg|thumb|[[Georgia (country)|Georgian]] 23rd Light Infantry Battalion (joined by a few US Marines) on joint military exercise, 2005]]
Today, the term "light" denotes, in the United States [[table of organization and equipment]], units lacking heavy weapons and armor or with a reduced vehicle footprint. Light infantry units lack the greater firepower, operational mobility, and protection of mechanized or armored units, but possess correspondingly greater tactical mobility and can execute missions in severely restrictive terrain and  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 the individual soldiers to compensate for their reduced lethality. Despite the usage of the term "light", forces in a light unit actually normally carry heavier individual loads vis-à-vis other forces, because they must –&nbsp;due to their lack of vehicles –&nbsp;carry everything they require to fight, survive, and win. 

Although American units like the [[101st Airborne Division|101st Airborne (Air Assault)]] and the [[82nd Airborne Division]] are categorized as Air Assault Infantry and Airborne Infantry respectively, they also fall under the overall concept of light infantry. Light infantry forces are typically infantry forces intended for difficult terrains such as: 

* amphibious assault – e.g., the [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marines]], [[Royal Marines]];
* mountains or arctic conditions – e.g., the [[United States Army]] [[10th Mountain Division (United States)|10th Mountain Division]], [[United States Army]] [[86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (United States)|86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Mountain)]], [[Italian Army]] [[Alpini]], [[French Army]] [[Chasseurs Alpins]]; or
* jungle – e.g., the [[Philippine Army]] [[1st Scout Ranger Regiment]] and [[Brazilian Army]] Jungle Infantry Brigades.

In 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 (United States)|6th Infantry Division]] (light), [[7th Infantry Division (United States)|7th Infantry Division]] (light), [[10th Mountain Division]] (light infantry), [[25th Infantry Division (United States)|25th Infantry Division]], and the [[75th Ranger Regiment (United States)|75th Ranger Regiment]]. [[Operation Just Cause]] 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 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 (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]] and [[Royal Marines]] of [[3 Commando Brigade]]. Due to the [[Falkland Islands]]' rocky and mountainous terrain, the operations on the ground were only made possible with the use of light infantry; the terrain severely limited using mechanized infantry or armor. These conditions led 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&nbsp;km) in three days carrying 80-pound (36&nbsp;kg) loads after disembarking from ships at [[San Carlos, Falkland Islands|San Carlos]] on [[East Falkland]] on 21 May 1982.

During 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 [[Brigade combat team#Stryker brigade combat team|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 the continued need for light infantry.