Field force

Last updated July 08, 2025

A field force in British, Indian Army and Tanzanian military parlance is a combined arms land force operating under actual or assumed combat circumstances,^[1] usually for the length of a specific military campaign. It is used by other nations, but can have a different meaning.

United Kingdom

A field force would be created from the various units in an area of military operations and be named for the geographical area. Examples are:

Kurram Field Force, 1878
Peshawar Valley Field Force, 1878
Kabul Field Force, 1879–1880
Kabul-Kandahar Field Force, 1880
Natal Field Force, 1881
Zhob Field Force, 1890
Mashonaland Field Force, 1896
Malakand Field Force, 1896
Tirah Field Force, 1897
West African Frontier Force, 1900

Australian

In Australia, a field force comprises the units required to meet operational commitments.^[2]

Canadian

The Canadian Expeditionary Force was considered as a field force created to participate in World War I.

Other Canadian field forces in history include:

Alberta Field Force, 1885^[3]
Northwest Field Force, 1885^[4]
Yukon Field Force, 1898–1900

United States

In the United States, during the Vietnam War the term came to stand for a corps-sized organization with other functions and responsibilities. To avoid confusion with the corps designations used by the Army of the Republic of Vietnam and to allow for a flexible organization, MACV and General William Westmoreland developed the "field force" such as I Field Force and II Field Force. Unlike an Army corps, which had a size and structure fixed by Army doctrine, the field force could expand as needed and had other functions such as liaison with South Vietnamese and civil affairs functions and was flexible enough to have many subordinate units assigned to it.^[5]

Police field forces

In counterinsurgency type campaigns, select and specially trained units of police armed and equipped as light infantry have been designated as police field forces who perform paramilitary type patrols and ambushes whilst retaining their police powers in areas that were highly dangerous.^[6]

Police Field Forces, Paramilitary and Counter-Insurgency Units

Police Field Force (Zanzibar Revolution)

Thailand

Royal Thai Police
- Border Patrol Police

Turkey

Gendarmerie General Command
- Village guard system

U

Ukraine

National Guard of Ukraine

V

Vatican City

Swiss Guard

Vanuatu

Vanuatu Police Force
- Vanuatu Mobile Force

Vietnam

Vietnam People's Public Security
- Mobile Police Command

W, X and Y

Z

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Republic Police
- Police Support Unit

References

↑ p.88 Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt and Hayes, Grace P. (1986). Dictionary of Military Terms: A Guide to the Language of Warfare and Military Institutions. The H. W. Wilson Company.
↑ "Diggerhistory3.info".
↑ https://www.metismuseum.ca/resource.php/12340
↑ https://qormuseum.org/history/timeline-1856-1899/northwest-rebellion-1885/
↑ Eckhard, George S. Vietnam Studies: Command and Control 1950-1969. Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 1991 p. 53. Online
↑ p.Davies, Bruce & McKay, Gary The Men Who Persevered:The AATTV 2005 Bruce & Unwin

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[1] .88 Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt and Hayes, Grace P. (1986). Dictionary of Military Terms: A Guide to the Language of Warfare and Military Institutions. The H. W. Wilson Company.

[2] "Diggerhistory3.info".

[3] ttps://www.metismuseum.ca/resource.php/12340

[4] ttps://qormuseum.org/history/timeline-1856-1899/northwest-rebellion-1885/

[5] Eckhard, George S. Vietnam Studies: Command and Control 1950-1969. Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 1991 p. 53. Online

[6] .Davies, Bruce & McKay, Gary The Men Who Persevered:The AATTV 2005 Bruce & Unwin

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v t e Army units and organization
Subordinated element	Fireteam / Crew Ø Squad ● Section / Patrol ●● Platoon / Troop / Flight ●●● Staffel / Echelon ●●●●
Unit	Company / Battery / Squadron ❘ Battalion / Squadron / Cohort ❘ ❘ Regiment / Group ❘ ❘ ❘
Formation	Brigade / Group / Wing ☓ Division / Legion ☓☓ Corps ☓☓☓
Command	Field army / Command ☓☓☓☓ Army group / Front ☓☓☓☓☓ Region / Theater ☓☓☓☓☓☓
Temporary	Detachment Chalk Patrol Field force Task force Brigade group Flying column Combat command Regimental combat team Battalion tactical group Battlegroup Group army Combat team

Field force

Contents

United Kingdom

Australian

Canadian

United States

Police field forces

Police Field Forces, Paramilitary and Counter-Insurgency Units

A

B

C

D

E

F

G and H

I

J and K

L

M

N

O and P

Q and R

S

T

U

V

W, X and Y

Z

See also

References