Combat
Combat (French for fight) is a purposeful violent conflict between multiple combatants with the
intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed (not using
weapons). Combat is resorted to either as a method of self-defense or to impose one's will upon
others. An instance of combat can be a standalone confrontation or part of a wider conflict, and
its scale can range from a fight between individuals to a war between organized groups. Combat
may also be benign and recreational, as in the cases of combat sports and mock combat.
Ground combat: The Battle of Naval combat: Sinking of the
Gettysburg by Thure de Esmeralda during the Battle of
Thulstrup, depicting the Union Iquique by Thomas Somerscales,
Army and Confederate Army depicting the Peruvian Navy
clashing during the American ironclad Huáscar sinking the
Civil War, 1863 Chilean Navy corvette Esmeralda
during the War of the Pacific,
1879
Aerial combat: An Imperial Combat sports: Two Irish Defence
Japanese Navy Mitsubishi G4M Forces members hitting each other
on fire after being shot down by during a military-sanctioned boxing
a United States Navy championship, 2014
Consolidated PB2Y Coronado
during World War II, 1944
Combat may comply with, or be in violation of, local or international laws regarding conflict.
Examples of rules include the Geneva Conventions (covering the treatment of people in war),
medieval chivalry, the Marquess of Queensberry Rules (covering boxing), and the individual
rulesets of various combat sports.
Hand-to-hand combat
Hand-to-hand combat (melee) is combat at very close range, attacking the opponent with the
body (striking, kicking, strangling, etc.) and/or with a melee weapon (knives, swords, batons,
etc.), as opposed to a ranged weapon.
Hand-to-hand combat can be further divided into three sections depending on the distance and
positioning of the combatants:
Clinch fighting
Ground fighting
Stand-up fighting
Military combat
Military combat always involves between two or more opposing military forces in warfare.
Military combat situations can involve multiple groups, such as guerilla groups, insurgents,
domestic and/or foreign governments. A military combat situation is known either as a battle or
a war, depending on the size of the fighting and which geographical areas in which it occurs.
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.[1] Warfare falls under the law of war, which govern its purposes
and conduct, and protect the rights of combatants and non-combatants.
References
1. North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO Standardization Agency AAP-6 – Glossary of
terms and definitions, p. 80
Sources
Martin van Creveld: The Changing Face of War: Lessons of Combat, from the Marne to Turkey.
Maine, New England 2007.
Further reading
Wong, Leonard. 2006. "Combat Motivation in Today's Soldiers: U.S. Army War College Strategic
Studies Institute (http://afs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/32/4/659) ."Armed Forces &
Society, vol. 32: pp. 659–663.
Gifford, Brian. 2005. "Combat Casualties and Race: What Can We Learn from the 2003-2004
Iraq Conflict? (http://afs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/31/2/201) " Armed Forces &
Society, vol. 31: pp. 201–225.
Herspring, Dale. 2006. "Undermining Combat Readiness in the Russian Military, 1992-2005. (htt
p://afs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/32/4/513) " Armed Forces & Society, Jul 2006; vol.
32: pp. 513–531.
Ben-Shalom, Uzi; Lehrer, Zeev; and Ben-Ari, Eyal. 2005. "Cohesion during Military Operations: A
Field Study on Combat Units in the Al-Aqsa Intifada (http://afs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstr
act/32/1/63) ." Armed Forces & Society, vol. 32: pp. 63–79.
Woodruff, Todd; Kelty, Ryan; Segal, Archie Cooper, David R. 2006. "Propensity to Serve and
Motivation to Enlist among American Combat Soldiers (http://afs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/a
bstract/32/3/353) ." Armed Forces & Society, Apr 2006; vol. 32: pp. 353–366.
Dienstfrey, Stephen. 1988. "Women Veterans' Exposure to Combat." (http://afs.sagepub.com/c
gi/content/abstract/14/4/549) Armed forces & Society, vol. 14: pp. 549–558.
