Editing Light infantry (section)

== National examples ==

===Argentina===
*[[Mountain Huntsmen (Argentina)|Mountain Huntsmen]], in Spanish: ''Cazadores de Montaña''
*[[Jungle Huntsmen]], in Spanish: ''Cazadores de Monte''

===Austria===
{{Main|Grenz infantry}}

===Belgium===
* [[12th-13th Battalion of the Line]]
* 1st Regiment Jagers te Paard, mechanized reconnaissance battalion
* [[2nd/4th Regiment Mounted Rifles]], mechanized reconnaissance battalion with electronic warfare unit
* [[Regiment Carabiniers Prins Boudewijn – Grenadiers]]

=== Brazil ===
There are three light infantry brigades, (4ª Brigada de Infantaria Leve de Montanha, 11ª Brigada de Infantaria Leve and 12ª Brigada de Infantaria Leve Aeromóvel), and an airborne infantry brigade (Brigada de Infantaria Paraquedista). The 12º Light Infantry Brigade and the Airborne Infantry Brigade both belong to the Força de Ação Rápida Estratégica (Quick Strategic Action Force), which is composed of units capable of rapidly engaging in combat anywhere in Brazil.

=== Canada ===
Each of the three regular army regiments ([[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]], [[Royal Canadian Regiment]] and [[Royal 22e Régiment|Royal 22<sup>e</sup> Régiment]]) maintains their third battalion as light infantry capable in airborne, mountain, and amphibious operations, with varying degrees of capability. All reserve infantry units are classed as light infantry, all with varying degrees of capability.

===Denmark===
* [[Schleswig Regiment of Foot]]

===Finland===
*[[Finnish Jäger troops]], volunteers from Finland in Germany trained as Jägers
*[[Guard Jaeger Regiment]], a Finnish Army unit
*[[Jaeger Brigade]], a unit of the Finnish Army
*[[Para Jägers]], Special Operations Airborne Infantry in the Finnish Army
*[[Utti Jaeger Regiment]], the Finnish Army training and development centre for special forces and helicopter operations
*[[Sissi (Finnish light infantry)|Sissi troops]] can also be considered light infantry

Finnish infantry units are also known as Jäger (Finnish pl. ''Jääkärit'', Swedish pl. ''Jägarna''), a legacy of a Finnish volunteer Jäger battalion formed in Germany during [[World War I]] to fight for the liberation of Finland from Russia.

===France===

====Ancien régime====
The '''''[[Chasseur]]''''' designation was given to certain regiments of French light infantry (''Chasseurs à pied'') or [[light cavalry]] (''Chasseurs à cheval'').

The ''Chasseurs à pied'' (light infantry) were originally recruited from hunters or [[woodsmen]]. The ''Chasseurs à Pied'', as the [[Marksman|marksmen]] of the French army, were considered an elite.<ref>{{cite book|title=From Flintlock to Rifle: Infantry Tactics, 1740–1866|first=Steven T.|last=Ross|year=1996|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-7146-4193-5}}</ref> The first unit raised was [[Jean Chrétien Fischer]]'s Free Hunter Company in 1743. Early units were often a mix of cavalry and infantry. In 1776, all ''Chasseurs'' units were re-organized into six battalions, each linked to a cavalry regiment (''Chasseurs à cheval''). In 1788, the link between infantry battalions and cavalry regiments was broken.

====Revolution and Napoleon====
[[File:Grande Armée - Light Infantry Chasseurs.jpg|thumb|''Chasseurs'' from a light infantry regiment of Napoléon's ''[[Grande Armée]]'']]

In 1793, the ''Ancien Régime'''s Chasseur battalions were merged with volunteer battalions in new units called Light Infantry [[demi-brigade|half-brigades]] (''demi-brigades d’infanterie légère'').<ref>{{cite book|first=Philip|last=Hawthornthwaite|page=4|title=Napoleon's Light Infantry|year=1983|publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=0-85045-521-9}}</ref> In 1803, the half-brigades were renamed regiments.<ref>{{cite book|first=Philip|last=Hawthornthwaite|page=4|title=Napoleon's Light Infantry|year=1983|publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=0-85045-521-9}}</ref> These units had three battalions of three regular ''Chasseurs'' companies, one elite ''[[Carabinier]]s'' company and one reconnaissance ''voltigeurs'' company.

In Napoléon's [[Imperial Guard (Napoleon I)|Imperial Guard]], many units used names linked to light infantry:
* '''Chasseurs à pied''': three regiments (1809–1815; 1815–1815; 1815–1815). The regiments were the elite of the light infantry regiments.
* '''Fusilier-Chasseurs''': a single regiment, originally the first Guard Fusilier Regiment (1809–1815)
* '''[[Voltigeur]]''': 16 regiments, originally two regiments of ''Tirailleurs-chasseur'' and two regiments of ''Conscrits-chasseurs'' (1810–1815), then twelve new regiments (1811–1815). These regiments were expected to become Chasseurs à pieds.
* '''Flanqueurs-Chasseurs''': two regiments, from drafted Forest Service members (1811–1815; 1813–1815)

In [[Armée des Émigrés|Bourbon royalist]]
* '''[[Chasseurs Britanniques]]''': battalion-sized corps of [[Royalist Volunteers|royalist volunteers]].

====19th century====
[[File:Detaille - Chasseurs a pied bugler, full dress, 1885.jpg|thumb|upright=.9|Chasseurs à pied bugler, full dress, 1885.]]

The Napoleonic light infantry regiments existed until 1854, but there were very few differences between them and the [[line infantry]] regiments, so the 25 remaining light infantry regiments were transformed to line infantry in 1854.

* '''Chasseurs à pied''': The [[Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans|Duke of Orléans]], heir to the throne, created in 1838 a new light infantry unit, the ''Tirailleurs'' battalion. It soon became, under the name ''Chasseur à Pied'', the main light infantry unit in the French Army. The number of battalions grew up steadily through the century. The current Chasseurs battalions drew their lineage form this unit.
* '''[[Chasseurs alpins]]''': Some of Chasseurs à pied battalions were converted to specialized mountain units as ''Bataillons de [[Chasseurs Alpins]]'' in 1888, as an answer to the Italian Alpine (''[[Alpini]]'') regiments stationed along the Alpine frontier.
* '''Chasseurs Forestiers''': The ''Chasseurs forestiers'' (Forest Huntsmen) were militarized units of the Forest Service. They were organized in companies. They existed between 1875 and 1924.
*'''Infanterie Légère d'Afrique''' ([[Army of Africa (France)|African Light Infantry]]) were penal battalions forming part of the French forces serving in North Africa. These units were recruited mainly from convicted military criminals from all branches of the French Army, who had finished their sentences in military prisons but still had time to serve before their engagement periods were finished.<ref>Jacques Sicard, page 46 "Les Bataillons d' Infanterie Legere d'Afrique et leurs insignes, 1832–1972", Militaria Magazine Septembre 1994</ref>
* '''[[Zouaves]]''': The ''[[Zouaves]]'' battalions and regiments were colonial troops, formed originally by Algerians, then by European settlers and colonists. The first Zouave battalion was created in 1831 and changed its recruiting to Europeans in 1841. During the [[Franco-Austrian War]] of 1859, effective use was made of Zouaves and ''Chasseurs à pied'' (see above) in evolving light infantry tactics that went further than merely screening the main battle line. At the [[Battle of Solferino]] these newly organized skirmishers operated as independent groups that were able to disrupt their Austrian opponents by sudden flank assaults.<ref>{{cite book|first=Richard|last=Brooks|page=12|title=Soferino 1859|date=2009 |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |isbn=978-1-84603-385-8}}</ref>
* '''Tirailleurs''': ''[[Tirailleurs]]'' ([[Skirmisher]]s) were light infantry who formed a shallow line ahead of the line of battle during the Revolutionary/Napoleonic Wars and subsequently. The name was also used for the locally recruited colonial troops in the French Empire between 1841 and 1962.

====20th century====
* '''Chasseurs à pied''': The ''Chasseurs à pieds'' evolved during the mid 20th century into mechanized infantry units (''Chasseurs mécanisés'') or armored division infantry (''Chasseurs portés''). After World War Two, all Chasseur units were organized on the mechanized infantry model.
* '''Chasseurs alpins''': The ''Chasseurs alpins'', mountain warfare units of the French Army created in 1888.
* '''Chasseurs pyrénéens''' and '''Chasseurs pyrénéens''' were the short-lived (1939–1940) mountain warfare units formed in the [[Pyrénées]].
* '''Chasseurs-Parachutistes''': The ''Chasseurs-parachutistes'' were airborne infantry units formed in 1943 from Air Force infantry compagnies transferred to the Army.
* '''Zouaves''' and '''Tirailleurs''': After the independence of the countries that made up the French Colonial Empire, the ''Zouaves'' and the ''Tirailleurs'' units, save for one, were disbanded.

====Modern French Army Light Infantry====
* 7th Chasseurs Alpins Battalion
* 13th Chasseurs Alpins Battalion
* 16th Chasseur Battalion
* [[27e bataillon de chasseurs alpins]]
* [[1st Tirailleur Regiment]]
* [[1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment]]

Although the traditions of these different branches of the French Army are very different, there is still a tendency to confuse one with the other. For example, when World War I veteran [[Léon Weil]] died, the AFP press agency stated that he was a member of the 5th "Regiment de Chasseurs Alpins". It was in fact the 5th Bataillon.

===Germany===
{{Main|Jäger (infantry)|Schützen (military)}}

===Hungary===
{{Main|Pandur}}

===India===
The Indian Army of 1914 included ten regiments with "Light Infantry" in their titles. These were the:

{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[2nd Queen Victoria's Own Rajput Light Infantry]]
*[[5th Light Infantry]]
*[[6th Jat Light Infantry]]
*[[63rd Palamcottah Light Infantry]]
*[[83rd Wallajahabad Light Infantry]]
*[[91st Punjabis (Light Infantry)]]
*[[103rd Mahratta Light Infantry]]
*[[105th Mahratta Light Infantry]]
*[[110th Mahratta Light Infantry]]
*[[127th Baluch Light Infantry]]
{{Div col end}}

Most of these regiments lost their separate identity as a result of extensive amalgamations in 1922. The modern Indian Army retains the [[Maratha Light Infantry]] and the [[Sikh Light Infantry]].

Of the 28 infantry regiments of the modern Indian Army, the following ten are designated as "Rifles". They are distinguished by their black rank badges, black buttons on their service and ceremonial uniforms and a beret in a darker shade of green than other regiments. Two paramilitary forces—the [[Assam Rifles]] and the [[Eastern Frontier Rifles]]—also follow the traditions of a rifle regiment.
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Rajputana Rifles]]
*[[Garhwal Rifles]]
*[[1st Gorkha Rifles (The Malaun Regiment)]]
*[[3 Gorkha Rifles]]
*[[4 Gorkha Rifles]]
*[[5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force)]]
*[[8 Gorkha Rifles]]
*[[9 Gorkha Rifles]]
*[[11 Gorkha Rifles]]
*[[Jammu and Kashmir Rifles]]
*[[Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry]]
*[[Maratha Light Infantry]]
*[[Sikh Light Infantry]]

{{Div col end}}

=== Ireland ===
{{Main|Kern (soldier)|Fianna}}
The Irish famously employed "Cethernacht" or Kern as light infantry. These usually made up the bulk of Gaelic and even later Anglo Norman Irish armies during the Middle Ages to renaissance era's. Traditionally armed with javelins and swords while wearing no armour, in later periods they were equipped with caliver muskets while still using little to no armour. They were notably effective while employed in tandem with heavily armed "Galloglaich" or anglicised Gallowglass. They could provide effective support to heavily armed troops as well as endlessly harassing enemies in difficult terrain.
Today, all infantry battalions of the Irish Army are light infantry soldiers.

===Italy===
Most of the states of the Italian peninsula had their own units of skirmishers before [[Italian unification]]. One of the few that survived it were the [[Kingdom of Sardinia|Sardinian]] ''[[Bersaglieri]]'', who were formed in 1836. They became some of the most iconic soldiers in [[Italian Army]] and were its "quick reaction force". The [[Alpini]] are the Italian Army's elite mountain troops, founded in 1875. Although they may not seem a true "light infantry" unit, (they were assigned their own artillery, carried double load of everything, and had a slower marching pace of 45 steps per minute), the Alpini were trained as jagers and skirmishers, introducing the use of skis and climbing training for all of their recruits. Those two corps still exist today, but in recent years the Bersaglieri have become a [[mechanised infantry]] unit, working closely with armoured units, and up until the mid-1990s had their own tank and artillery units. Other units that can be classified as light infantry are:

* The ''Folgore'' Parachute Brigade, created in 1963, is the only airborne unit in the Italian Army. Apart from one light cavalry regiment, it comprises three airborne infantry and two special force regiments.
* The [[Friuli Air Assault Brigade]] was originally an Italian Army mechanised brigade. In 2000 it converted to a fully airmobile role and is part of the "Friuli" Division. It is composed of three light aviation regiments and one infantry regiment—66th Reggimento Fanteria Aeromobile "Trieste"—the only regiment in the Italian Army to be fully airmobile.
* The [[San Marco Marine Brigade]] of the [[Italian Navy]] comprises three regiments. The First is an amphibious assault unit, the Second carries out force protection, boarding and search and seizure procedures on ships and the Third is a training unit. Given that it has almost only light vehicles (the heaviest being the amphibious Arisgator and AAV7 landing vehicles) and is tasked to operate in harsh terrain (shore lines, lagoons, deserts, mountains, jungles), it is one of the purest "light infantry" units in the Italian Armed Forces.

=== Myanmar ===
The modern Myanmar Army is reported to have a total of 10 units designated as a "Light Infantry Division" and 20 units designated as "Military Operation Command". Two units are mostly similar in term of organisational structure. One of the main differences is that LIDs are mostly numbered in double digits like 11, 22, 33, 44 whereas MOCs are numbered sequelly. Both commands 10 [[Battalion|battalions]]. While not that obvious, one of the main difference in term of organisational structure is that LIDs' 10 battalions are all Light Infantry whereas for MOC, it's 7 Infantry Battalions (Motorised) and 3 Infantry Battalions (Mechanised). Both have an intermediate layer between the Battalions and Division HQ called [[Brigade#Myanmar|Tactical Operation Command]]. A TOC is a unit that commands up to 3 battalions. Essentially, LIDs are made up of 3 TOC and 1 battalion under HQ as reserve whereas MOCs are made up of 2 TOC (Motorised) and 1 TOC (Mechanised) with an IB (Motorised) under HQ as reserve. As for the command structure, LIDs are directly answerable to the Commander in Chief of Army whereas MOCs are subordinate to their respective Regional Military Command. As for unit patches, LIDs have their own division patches where MOCs do not have distinctive patches and wear RMC's patch instead. <ref>{{Cite news |title=မြန်မာစစ်တပ်ကိုခွဲခြမ်းစိတ်ဖြာခြင်း |url=https://burma.irrawaddy.com/article/2023/06/29/335915.html}}</ref> LIDs in Burmese are called  ခြေမြန်တပ်မဌာနချုပ် (တမခ) whereas MOCs are called စစ်ဆင်ရေးကွပ်ကဲမှုဌာနချုပ် (စကခ). Both Light Infantry Divisions and MOCs have an officer ranked [[Brigadier general|Brigadier General]] as their General Officer Commanding, [[Colonel]] as Second in Command and [[Lieutenant colonel|Lieutenant Colonel]] as Division Chief of Staff (informally Division G/A/Q).

Units designated as "'''Light Infantry Divisions'''" are
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* No. (11) Light Infantry Division
* No. (22) Light Infantry Division
* No. (33) Light Infantry Division
* No. (44) Light Infantry Division
* No. (55) Light Infantry Division
* No. (66) Light Infantry Division
* No. (77) Light Infantry Division
* No. (88) Light Infantry Division
* No. (99) Light Infantry Division
* No. (101) Light Infantry Division
{{Div col end}}
Military Operation Commands:

Units designated as "'''Military Operation Commands'''" are
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* No. (1) Military Operation Command
* No. (2) Military Operation Command
* No. (3) Military Operation Command
* No. (4) Military Operation Command
* No. (5) Military Operation Command
* No. (6) Military Operation Command
* No. (7) Military Operation Command
* No. (8) Military Operation Command
* No. (9) Military Operation Command
* No. (10) Military Operation Command
{{Div col end}}
Since No. (11) Light Infantry Division has already been reformed, No. (11) Military Operation Command was not formed
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* No. (12) Military Operation Command
* No. (13) Military Operation Command
* No. (14) Military Operation Command
* No. (15) Military Operation Command
* No. (16) Military Operation Command
* No. (17) Military Operation Command
* No. (18) Military Operation Command
* No. (19) Military Operation Command
* No. (20) Military Operation Command
* No. (21) Military Operation Command

{{Div col end}}

===Netherlands===
[[File:Korps_Pandoeren_(1781).jpg|thumb|upright|Reproduction of the uniform of a private in the Korps Pandoeren (1793–1806).]]
* [[11th Airmobile Brigade (Netherlands)|11th Airmobile Brigade]]. The '''11th Airmobile Brigade''' ([[Dutch language|Dutch]]: ''11 Luchtmobiele Brigade'') is the rapid light [[infantry]] brigade of the [[Royal Netherlands Army]], focused on conducting [[air assault]] operations. Troops of the brigade are qualified to wear the [[maroon beret]] upon completion of the demanding training course, those qualified as military parachutists wear the appropriate [[Parachutist badge#The Netherlands|parachutist wings]].
* [[Regiment Limburgse Jagers]], line infantry (former 2nd Infantry Regiment). Consists of one motorized infantry battalion
* [[Korps Pandoeren]], was a [[Khoekhoe]]n militia united that served the Dutch East India Company during the [[French Revolutionary Wars]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=South African Military History Society – Journal – The Khoekhoe soldier at the Cape of Good Hope |url=http://samilitaryhistory.org/vol123vm.html |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=samilitaryhistory.org}}</ref>

===Norway===
*[[Hærens Jegerkommando]], the armed forces competence center for ranger, airborne and counter-terrorist duty in the Norwegian Army
*[[Jegerkompaniet]], the Norwegian Army's northernmost unit
*[[Marinejegerkommandoen]], a maritime special forces unit
*[[Kystjegerkommandoen]], coastal units
*[[Garnisonen i Sør-Varanger|Grensejeger]], border rangers at the border between Russia and Norway

===Poland===
*[[Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej]], Territorial Defence Force 17 light infantry brigades

===Portugal===
{{Main|Caçadores}}
[[File:Sempreatentos...aoperigo!.jpg|thumb|right|Portuguese ''caçadores especiais'' in the jungle of Angola, during a counter insurgency operation in the early 1960s]]
Portuguese light infantry soldiers were known as ''[[caçadores]]'' (literally "huntsmen"). Initially organized as a light company in each of the line infantry regiments, the ''caçadores'' were later organized as independent battalions. They constituted the elite light infantry of the [[Portuguese Army]] during the [[Peninsular War]], being considered by the [[Duke of Wellington]] as the "[[fighting cock]]s of his army". They wore distinctive brown uniforms as an early form of [[camouflage]].

The ''caçadores'' units were disbanded by the Army reorganization of 1911, but were recreated in 1926 as high readiness units, responsible for defending the border and other strategic points of the Country until the line units could be mobilized. In the 1950s, the designation ''caçadores'' started to be also given to the expeditionary provisional light infantry battalions and independent companies responsible for reinforcing the [[Portuguese Empire|overseas territories]] garrisons. These units constituted the bulk of the Portuguese forces engaged in the several theatres of the [[Portuguese Colonial War|Portuguese Overseas War]], from 1961 to 1975. [[Colonial troops]] with this title also existed, being recruited among both Portuguese European settlers and from indigenous populations. In the 1950s, the [[Portuguese Air Force]] formed a unit of [[parachute infantry|paratroopers]] called ''caçadores paraquedistas'' ("parachutist hunters"). Additional battalions of ''caçadores paraquedistas'' were later created in [[Angola]], [[Mozambique]] and [[Portuguese Guinea]]. At the beginning of the 1960s, Portuguese Army raised [[special forces]] companies of that were named ''caçadores especiais'' (special huntsmen). The ''caçadores especiais'' wore a brown beret in the colour of the uniforms of the ''caçadores'' of the Peninsular War. These units were later abolished and the brown beret started to be used by most of the units of the Portuguese Army.

In 1975, the designation "''caçadores''" was discontinued in the [[Portuguese Armed Forces]]. All former units of ''caçadores'' were redesigned as "infantry". Currently, every infantry soldier of the Portuguese Army is known as ''atirador''. Today, the Portuguese Army uses the designation "light infantry" as a generic collective classification of the Paratroopers, Commandos and Special Operations troops, while the remaining infantry is classified as "motorized/mechanized infantry".

===Rhodesia===
The [[Rhodesian Light Infantry]] was a regular regiment of the Rhodesian Army, unique in having the traditions of light infantry while serving as a modern [[Commando]] regiment.

===Romania===
*[[Vânători de Munte]], or "Mountain Huntsmen" are the elite mountain units of the Romanian Army since their establishment in 1916
*[[Vânători (military unit)|Vânători]], or "Huntsmen", were the elite Romanian light infantry units until their disbanding in 1947

===Russia===
The [[Imperial Russian Army]], which was heavily influenced by the Prussian and Austrian military systems, included fifty Jäger or ''yegerskii'' [егерский] regiments in its organisation by 1812, including the [[Egersky Guards Regiment]]. They were mostly united with line infantry regiments in 1833, when almost all Russian infantry began to receive the same training; including skirmishing. At the same time ''strelkovyi'' [стрелковый] battalions were introduced. These undertook light infantry functions when the skirmishing skills of line infantry were insufficient.

===Spain===
Historically the Spanish infantry included several battalions of light infantry that were designated as ''Cazadores''. These units were incorporated into the ordinary infantry following army reorganization in the early 1930s. Until 2006 the modern Spanish Army maintained a Brigada de Cazadores de Montaña "Aragón I" (Mountain Huntsmen Brigade "Aragón I")

===Sweden===
*Jägare, elite units in the [[Swedish Armed Forces]]
*[[Fallskärmsjägarna]], the Parachute Rangers
*[[Swedish Parachute Ranger School]]
*[[Life Regiment Hussars|Ö-Nerike skvadron]], Intelligence squadron
*[[Life Regiment Hussars|Vadsbo skvadron]], Airborne squadron
*[[Army Ranger Battalion (Sweden)|Army Ranger Battalion]], Arctic warfare rifles
*[[Kustjägarna]], Coastal Rangers
*[[Livbataljon]], Life Guards Battalion
*[[Dalregementet]], Valley regiment
*[[Jämtlands fältjägarkår]], Jamtland Field ranger corps

===Somalia===
*[[Danab]], which translates to "Lightning" are the elite commandos units of the [[Somali Armed Forces]].

=== United Kingdom ===
{{Main|History of British light infantry|Infantry of the British Army}}

[[File:2 95th riflemen in various fighting stances.JPG|thumb|right|A historical reenactment with the British [[Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)|95th Rifles regiment]].]]

The [[British Army]] first experimented with light infantry in the [[French and Indian War]], to counter the tactics used by the French-allied [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]]. Along with secondment of regular infantry, several specialised units were raised (including [[Rogers' Rangers]] and the [[80th Regiment of Light-Armed Foot]]), though most if not all had been disbanded by the middle of the 1760s. From 1770, all regular battalions were required to designate one of their ten companies a "Light Company", though their training in skirmishing was poor and inconsistent.

Dedicated rifle and light infantry regiments began to be formed or converted in the [[Napoleonic Wars]], to counter the French ''[[Chasseur]]s''. A new battalion of the [[60th Royal Americans]] (later the [[King's Royal Rifle Corps]]) was raised in 1797, and an "Experimental Corps of Riflemen" (later the 95th Rifles and then the [[Rifle Brigade]]) in 1800. Both were equipped with green jackets and [[Baker rifle]]s. Some extant regiments began to be designated "Light Infantry" at this point, receiving skirmishing training but generally still equipped with red coats and muskets. In the [[Peninsular War]], a Light Brigade and later a [[Light Division (United Kingdom)|Light Division]] were formed, at some points incorporating Portuguese ''[[Caçadores]]''. By the [[Crimean War]], rifles had become universal and tactics had substantially changed. This meant that the distinctions between light and line infantry were effectively limited to details such as name, a rapid march of 140 steps per minute, buglers instead of drummers and fifers, a parade drill which involved carrying rifles parallel to the ground ("at the trail") and dark green [[home service helmet|cloth helmets]] instead of dark blue. Light infantry badges always incorporated bugle horns as a central feature.<ref>{{cite book|first=Wendell|last=Schollander|page=143|title=Glory of the Empires 1880–1914|date= 2018 |publisher=History Press Limited |isbn=978-0-7524-8634-5}}</ref>

In the [[Second World War]], the use of light infantry was revived in what became the [[British Commandos]] and the [[Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)|Parachute Regiment]]. Because of the nature of their role and deployment, they were more lightly equipped than most infantry battalions. The Parachute Regiment has survived to this day, while the [[Royal Marine Commandos]] are directly descended from those units formed in the Second World War.

Most of the old light infantry and rifle regiments were administratively grouped in a new Light Division in 1968. The British Army ordered regimental amalgamations in [[1957 Defence White Paper|1957]], [[1966 Defence White Paper|1966]], [[Options for Change|1990]] and [[Delivering Security in a Changing World|2003]]. [[The Rifles]] (the largest infantry regiment in the British Army) was formed in 2007 from the amalgamation of the regiments of the Light Division. The Rifles maintain the traditional quick parade march of all British light infantry, the [[Rifle Brigade]]'s "[[rifle green]]" [[Uniforms of the British Army#No 1: Temperate Ceremonial Uniform|No 1 dress]] with blackened buttons and black leather belts, and many other traditions and "golden threads" of its parent regiments. The only rifle regiment not to become part of the Rifles was the [[Royal Gurkha Rifles]]. Following a series of amalgamations and one disbandment, none of the historic Light Infantry regiments now survive as separate entities within the modern British Army.

Today, "Light role infantry" is a designation that can be applied to an infantry battalion of any regiment. Light role infantry are not (by default) equipped with armoured vehicles (unlike [[Armoured Infantry]] or [[Mechanised Infantry]]).

===United States===
==== Colonial and Revolutionary War ====
In 1780, General [[George Washington]] published an [[order of battle]] which included a corps of light infantry, under the command of [[Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette|General Lafayette]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Otten |first=William L |year=1997 |title=[[Jean François Hamtramck|Colonel J.F. Hamtramck]]. His Life and Times. Volume One (1756–1783) |isbn=0-9657423-0-X |lccn=97-91610 |page=252|publisher=W.L. Otten }}</ref>  The light infantry participated in several major battles of the [[Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War|southern states]] in 1781, including the [[The Light Infantry Division at Yorktown (1781)|Battle of Yorktown]].  The entire [[Continental Army]] was dismissed after the war, with all regiments disbanded in 1784.<ref>{{cite book |title=Defending a New Nation, 1783–1811 |last=Maass |first=John R |publisher=Center of Military History United States Army |location=Washington, DC |year=2013 |page=10 |url=https://history.army.mil/html/books/074/74-1/CMH_Pub_74-1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518095920/http://www.history.army.mil/html/books/074/74-1/CMH_Pub_74-1.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 May 2015 |id=CMH Pub 74–1 |access-date=12 July 2021}}</ref>

==== 19th Century ====
In 1808, the [[United States Army]] created its first [[Regiment of Riflemen]]. During the [[War of 1812]] three more Rifle Regiments were raised but disbanded after the war. The Rifle Regiment was disbanded in 1821.

In the [[Mexican–American War]] Colonel [[Jefferson Davis]] created and led the [[Mississippi Rifles]].

Riflemen were listed as separate to infantry up to the [[American Civil War]].<ref>United States War Department ''Revised Regulations for the Army of the United States, 1861: With a Full Index'' J. G. L. Brown, printer, 1861</ref>

During the Civil War, Sharpshooter regiments were raised in the North with several companies being raised by individual states for their own regiments.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Katcher|first1=Philip|last2=Walsh|first2=Stephen|title=Sharpshooters of the American Civil War 1861–65|publisher=Osprey Publishing|year=2002|page=4|isbn=978-1-84176-463-4}}</ref>

==== 20th Century ====
In the early years of World War 2 the US military saw the need for light forces. They designated the 82nd Division as the [[82nd Airborne Division]] and reactivated the 101st division as the [[101st Airborne Division]] in 1942.<ref name="divhist">{{cite web |url=http://www.bragg.army.mil/82nd/Pages/History.aspx |title=82nd Airborne Division History |publisher=82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs Office |access-date=1 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091225125033/http://www.bragg.army.mil/82dv/History.htm |archive-date=25 December 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=101st Infantry Division History |at=History |website=[[Fort Campbell]] |url=https://home.army.mil/campbell/units/history |access-date=31 May 2024}}</ref> In 1943, the United States formed the 10th Light Division (Alpine), re-designated as the [[10th Mountain Division]] in 1944.<ref>{{cite web |title=10th Mountain Division (LI) |at=History |website=[[Fort Drum]] |url=https://home.army.mil/drum/index.php/units-tenants/10th-mountain-division-li |access-date=12 July 2021}}</ref>  In 1983, General [[John A. Wickham Jr.]], [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army]], announced the creation of five light infantry divisions to increase the U.S. Army's ability to deploy quickly.<ref>{{cite web |title=10th Mountain Division (LI) |at=The Wickham Charter |website=[[Fort Drum]] |url=https://home.army.mil/drum/index.php/units-tenants/10th-mountain-division-li |access-date=12 July 2021}}</ref>  These included the [[7th Infantry Division (United States)|7th Infantry Division]], [[25th Infantry Division (United States)|25th Infantry Division]], [[6th Infantry Division (United States)|6th Infantry Division]], [[10th Mountain Division|10th Mountain Division]], as well as the [[29th Infantry Division (United States)|29th Infantry Division]] of the [[Army National Guard]].<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Wray |first=Timothy A. |title=The Army's Light Infantry Divisions: an Analysis of Advocacy and Opposition |page=5 |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a437008.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102073645/https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a437008.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=2 November 2020 |publisher=[[National War College]] |year=2005 |access-date=12 July 2021 }}</ref>

==== Modern US Military Light Infantry ====
* [[82nd Airborne Division]]
* [[101st Airborne Division]]
* [[10th Mountain Division]]
* [[25th Infantry Division (United States)|25th Infantry Division]]
* [[11th Airborne Division]]

In 2022 The US Army reactivated the 11th Airborne Division by reflagging two infantry brigades from the 25th Infantry division. Its mission is to conduct infantry operations in the Arctic.