Army commanders use a variety of Army units to generate combat power. Commanders may task-organize maneuver units for a particular mission to improve their combined arms capabilities. ...

The five lypes of infantry forces are light, airborne, air assault, ranger, and mechanized. Each has its own special skills and specific organizational design, but all share the common mission to close with and destroy the enemy. ...

• Light Infantry: Light infantry units can operate effectively in most terrain and weather. They may be the dominant arm in fast-breaking operations because of their rapid strategic deployabilily. In such cases, they can wrest the initiative early, seize and hold ground, and mass fires to stop the enemy in restriclive terrain. They are particularly effective in urban terrain. They can infiltrate and move rapidly to the enemy rear. ...
• Airborne Infantry: Airborne infantry units have the greatest capability for large-scale force-projection operations. They rapidly deploy over great distanccs and conduct combined arms combat parachute or air landing assaults to seize and secure vital objectives. ... Once on thc ground, their capabilities and lethality are similar to other infantry units. ...
• Air Assault Infantry: Air assault infantry units have great tactical and operational-level mobility. They train to fight across the range of military operations. Their significant antiarmor capability, coupled with their strategic deployability, makes them particularly well-suited as an early deploying force in contingency operations against heavy forccs. ... Because of their agility and mobility, air assault infantry units are well-suited for covering force operations. ...
• Ranger Units: Ranger units plan and conduct special military operations in support of national policies and objectives. They have the capability to support conventional military operations, or they may conduct operations independently when conventional infantry cannot be used. Ranger units are highly trained and well-disciplined and capable of being employed in any environment. ...
• Mechanized Infantry: Mechanized infantry has the same mobility as armor forces, but less firepower and protection. Armor and mechanized infantry train and fight as a team to defeat enemy armored forces. When equipped with infantry fighting vehicles, the mechanized infantry can accompany tanks in mounted assault, ... Mechanized infantry forces seek to integrate fast, protected mobility; lethal, vehicle­mounted, fire-support systems; and dismounted infantry skills into an effective fighting system that enhances the striking power of armor forces. ...

In mounted warfare, the tank is the primary offensive weapon. Its firepower, protection from enemy fire, and speed create the shock effect necessary to disrupt or defeat the enemy. Tanks can destroy enemy armored vehicles, infantry units, and antitank guided missilc units. Tanks can break through suppressed defenses, exploit the success of an attack by striking deep into the enemy's rear areas, and pursue defeated enemy forces. Armored units can also blunt enemy attacks and launch counterattacks as part of a defense. ...

The basic missions of cavalry units are reconnaissance, security, and economy of force. The ability of cavalry units to find the enemy, to develop the situation, and to provide the commander with reaction time and security also make them ideal for operating in an economy-of-force role. Cavalry forces can delay an attacking enemy as well as assist in a withdrawal. Air cavalry units perform the same missions of reconnaissance and security as ground cavalry and are organic to all cavalry units. ...

The firepower, agility, and speed of Army aviation permit ground commanders to close with and defeat a wide range of enemy forces. Attack helicopters are ideally suited for rapid reaction in close, deep, or rear operations. ... Scout helicopters provide a wide range of armed and unanned reconnaissance and security capabilities. ... Utility aircraft provide airmobile and air assault c­pabilities for dismounted infantry and ground antitank units. Dismounted forces achieve greatly increased mobility and can gain positional advantage when rapidly airlifted across the battlefield. ...

A principal means of fire support in fire and maneuver is the field artillery. It not only provides fires with cannon, rocket, and missile systems but also integrates all means of fire support available to the commander. Field artillery can neutralize, suppress, or destroy enemy direct fire forces, attack enemy artillery and mortars, and deliver scatterable mines to isolate and interdict enemy forces or protect friendly operations. Field artillery units contribute to attacking the enemy throughout the depth of his formations and suppress enemy air defense systems to facilitate ground and air operations. As mobile as the maneuver force it supports, field artillery provides continuous fires in support of the commanders' schemes of maneuver. ...

ADA units provide tactical and operational-level force protection. Tactical air defense supports the overall objectives of divisions and corps. Operational air defense protects the force and supports joint service counterair objectives. ... ADA units make a variety of contributions to the battle. They contribute to the intelligence and electronic warfare (IEW) effort by gathering and disseminating information about the enemy air order of battle. They also contribute to the deep battle by denying the enemy his own reconnaissance and C2 aircraft. Additionally, they provide information on enemy surface­to-surface missile launch points to our deep-attack systems. ...

Engineers operate as an integral member of the combined arms team throughout the theater of operations to provide a full range of engineering capabilities. Engineers execute mobility, countermobility, and survivability missions in the forward combat zone and provide sustainment engineering for support forces. Topographic engineers provide terrain analysis and map products. ...

MI units are capable of exploiting signals, imagery , signatures, counterintelligence, and human intelligence to provide the commander with early warning of enemy intentions, intelligence-preparation-of-the­battlefield, situation development, target development, force projection, and battle damage assessment. They can also direct EW against enemy c2, fire direction, and electronic guidance systems, as well as provide critical counterintelligence support to friendly command force protection programs. These capabilities contribute both directly and indirectly to the effec­tiveness of combined arms operations. ...

Other units perform CS or CSS functions in wartime and offer a variety of mission capabilities in operations other than war. Chemical, finance, legal, health service support, MP, personnel, maintenance, ammunition, public affairs, signal, supply, field services, and transportation units are all indispensable to operations and offer a range of capabilities necessary to a versatile force. They can comprise the early entry component in strategic deployment. ...

Each element of the Total Anny is an important piece of the overall effort. Units are task-organized and employed according to the mission and the situation. They integrate their capabilities to ensure victory across the entire range of military operations, while providing the maximum protection and care to American soldiers.