A military engagement is a
combat between two forces, neither larger than a
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
nor smaller than a
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
, in which each has an assignor perceived
mission
Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to:
Organised activities Religion
*Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity
*Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
. An engagement begins when the attacking force initiates combat in pursuit of its mission, and ends when the attacker has accomplished the mission, or ceases to try to accomplish the mission, or when one or both sides receive sufficient
reinforcement
In behavioral psychology, reinforcement is a consequence applied that will strengthen an organism's future behavior whenever that behavior is preceded by a specific antecedent stimulus. This strengthening effect may be measured as a higher freq ...
s, thus initiating a new engagement.
As a tactical mission, the engagement is often a part of a
battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
. An engagement normally lasts one to two days; it may be as brief as a few hours and is rarely longer than five days. It is at this scale of combat that
tactical
Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to:
* Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks
** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield
** Chess tactics
** Political tacti ...
engagement ranges of weapons and support systems become important to the troops and their commanders.
[pp.65-66, Dupuy]
See also
*
Military campaign
A military campaign is large-scale long-duration significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of interrelated military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war. The term derives from the ...
References
Sources
*
Dupuy, T.N. (Col. ret.), ''Understanding war: History and Theory of combat'', Leo Cooper, London, 1992
*
Simpkin, Richard, ''Race to the Swift: Thoughts on Twenty-first Century Warfare''. Foreword by
Donn A. Starry
General Donn Albert Starry (May 31, 1925 – August 26, 2011) was a United States Army four-star general who served as commanding general of United States Army Training and Doctrine Command from 1977 to 1981, and as commander in chief of United Sta ...
. London: Brassey's Defence, 1985. .
Military operations by type
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