In military terminology, an outpost is a location where detachments of

military personnel Military personnel or military service members are members of the state's armed forces. Their roles, pay, and obligations differ according to their military branch (army, navy, marines, coast guard, air force, and space force), rank ( office ...

are stationed at a distance from the main

armed force A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily Weapon, armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable ...

or formation in a region. Outposts are usually located in remote or sparsely populated areas, positioned to observe and defend against unauthorized intrusions and surprise attacks, serving as the first line of defense. The station occupied by such troops, usually a small military base or settlement in an outlying

frontier A frontier is a political and geographical term referring to areas near or beyond a boundary. Australia The term "frontier" was frequently used in colonial Australia in the meaning of country that borders the unknown or uncivilised, th ...

, limit, political boundary or in another country. Outposts can also be called miniature military bases based on size and number of troops it houses. Oldest known use is from the 16th century "station when on duty, a fixed position or place," 1590s, from French poste "place where one is stationed,"

Recent military use

Military outposts, most recently referred to as combat outposts (COPs), served as a cornerstone of

counterinsurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN, or NATO spelling counter-insurgency) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the ac ...

doctrine in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. 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. 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.

References

Borders Military strategy Military science International relations theory Military intelligence collection {{Mil-stub

Recent military use

See also

References