Military combat involves two or more opposing
military forces meeting in
warfare. Military combat situations can involve multiple groups, such as
guerilla groups,
insurgents, domestic and/or foreign
governments. A military situation may be known as a
duel, action, affair,
skirmish,
engagement,
combat, battle,
campaign, or war, depending on the size of the fighting and the geographical areas in which it occurs. A combat between two armies that decides the fate of a war or a separate
theater- or campaign-sized
operation is a
pitched battle. An
encounter battle does not affect the outcome that can be caused by the previous case. A combat between two armies that had less definite results than a pitched battle, but led to a more or less significant change in the situation in the theater, is simply called a battle. Clash of independent parts of two armies, namely
corps or
divisions, is called a combat or engagement. Clashes of even smaller formations are called an affair, action, skirmish, or also engagement. However, all of these terms may be used in different ways depending on the context. In naval warfare there is also a term
fleet action.
Combat effectiveness has always demanded that the personnel maintain strategic preparedness by being sufficiently
trained,
armed,
equipped, and
funded to carry out combat operations in the unit to which they are assigned. Warfare falls under the
law of war, which govern its purposes and conduct, and protect the rights of
combatants and
non-combatants. ==Notes==