Land Warfare Studies Centre #124 'Putting Your Young Men in the Mud': Change Continuity and The Australian Infantry Battalion (2003) By Alan Ryan
 
Over the past 100 years, the manner in which the infantry battalion is employed has undergone revolutionary change— something that is not always appreciated by those who regard the infantry as the unskilled labour force of the battlefield. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. This paper discusses the implications of the transition from relatively unskilled mass industrial-age infantry to the information-age specialists who dominate the modern battlespace. Oddly, these changes have not been reflected in a fundamental reassessment of the role of the battalion in the Army’s order of battle. This paper examines the key historical influences on the employment of the infantry battalion in the modern period. These influences include the ongoing and relentless decentralisation of tactical formations, the ever-increasing precision and the lethal nature of weapon systems, and the exponential growth and availability of battlespace communications.
 
Soft Cover
124 pages
In Good condition