There are a number of significant features about
the
light
infantry
division. Those features are listed as follows:
o
Smaller organization of approximately 10,220 men.
o
Entire organization and its equipment is air deployable in fewer
than 500 C141B sorties.
o
Extremely high combat to combat service support ratio.
o
CS/CSS units lack redundancy and are designed to provide minimum
essential support.
o
Commonality in organizational vehicles and equipment.
o
The division is designed to rapidly receive and
integrate
augmentation forces and support as dictated by METT-T.
As previously mentioned, the light infantry division as organized will
normally deploy and fight as part of a corps or a joint task force. This
division offers a new dimension to the strategic mobility of the Army
forces.
These divisions can rapidly deploy from US bases to reinforce
forward deployed US or Allied forces around the world.
They have been
structured to respond to contingencies anywhere in the world.
The Light Infantry Battalion.
As with all other divisions, the brigade
headquarters are assigned maneuver battalions that they command and control.
The light infantry division has nine infantry battalions which represent the
ground maneuver elements of the division. The light infantry battalion is
the lowest echelon at which firepower, maneuver, intelligence, and support
are combined under a single commander. The battalions fight as part of a
brigade or independent operations. Success in battle of the light infantry
battalion requires the coordinated employment of available combined arms
assets. Combined arms assets include the following:
o
Infantry.
o
Artillery.
o
Engineers.
o
Attack helicopters.
o
o
Air support units.
Figure 21 illustrates the light infantry battalion. Each battalion contains
an HHC and three rifle companies. The battalions are light and footmobile,
each containing only 34 HMMWVs.
All of the HMMWVs are located in the
battalion HHC. Each battalion features
o
A high percentage of dismounted fighters.
57
IS7003
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