Outpost (military)

Police outpost near Mallannaswamy Temple

A military outpost is a detachment of troops stationed at a distance from the main force or formation, usually at a station in a remote or sparsely populated location, positioned to stand guard against unauthorized intrusions and surprise attacks; and the station occupied by such troops, usually a small military base or settlement in an outlying frontier, limit, political boundary or in another country.[1]

Recent military use

Military outposts, more recently referred to as combat outposts (COPs), served as a cornerstone of counterinsurgency doctrine in Iraq and Afghanistan. These permanent or semi-permanent structures, often located in or near populated areas, enabled military forces to secure key lines of communication or infrastructure, secure and co-opt the populace, assist the government in restoring essential services, and force insurgents to operate elsewhere. [2] Combat Outposts were almost unanimously described in positive terms by defense analysts and military officers as a means through which to carry out its counterinsurgency efforts. [3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Dictionary meaning: Outpost; TheFreeDictionary; An online Dictionary and Thesaurus
  2. ↑ Seidel, S. B. (2010). Planning Combat Outposts to Maximize Population Security. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a538711.pdf
  3. ↑ Hsia, Timothy (2008). "A Quick Review of Combat Outposts (COPs)" (PDF). Small Wars Journal.


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