Commando facts for kids

The first appearance and use of the term "commando" was taken from the Dutch Afrikaner guerilla units known as "Kommandos" " in South Africa during the Second Boer War of 1899-1902

A commando is a soldier or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force often specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting or abseiling.

Originally "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as opposed to an individual in that unit. In other languages, commando and kommando denote a "command", including the sense of a military or an elite special operations unit.

In the militaries and governments of most countries, commandos are distinctive in that they specialize in assault on unconventional high-value targets. Commandos differ from other types of special forces in that they primarily operate in overt combat, front-line reconnaissance, and raiding, rather than long range reconnaissance and unconventional warfare.

In English, occasionally to distinguish between an individual commando and the unit Commando, the unit is capitalized.

Etymology

The word stems from the Afrikaans word kommando, which translates roughly to "mobile infantry regiment". This term originally referred to mounted infantry regiments, who fought against the British Army in the first and second Boer Wars.

Images for kids

Skorzeny with soldiers of the 500th SS Parachute Battalion (1945)
British Commandos wearing the green beret and carrying the Bergen rucksack during the Normandy landings
The Commando Memorial unveiled in 1952 in Scotland is dedicated to the World War II British Commandos
3rd level Commando Badge
Weapons of the modern commando Jaubert are clearly visible
KSK-sniper during training
Iranian Takavar unit S.N.S.F. in Great Prophet IX maneuvers, 25–27 February 2015.
The Iranian Hostage Rescue Unit of NOHED practicing.
An Iranian marine sniper wearing a ghillie suit and using a Steyr HS .50 during the Velayat 94 military exercise.
A trainer with Company A, 1st Battalion 502nd Infantry Regiment, Task Force Strike, 101st Airborne Division assists Iraqi army ranger students during a room clearing drill at Camp Taji, Iraq July 18, 2016.
Iraqi commandos in June 2010, training under the supervision of soldiers from the 82nd Airborne.
Israeli Egoz Reconnaissance soldiers blending in with the landscape.
Israeli Shayetet 13 Operatives during training
A Portuguese Army Commandos team in Afghanistan.
Russian Paratroopers from the 106th Guards Airborne Tula Division stand to attention during an exercise in Kazakhstan.
Russian Naval Infantrymen during the Zapad-2013 Strategic Exercise in Kaliningrad, 2013.
Soldiers of the Ukrainian 79th Airmobile Brigade
25th Airborne Brigade
95th Airmobile Brigade
79th Airmobile Brigade
80th Airmobile Brigade
81st Airmobile-Assault Brigade
28th Training Battalion
Scouts from 1–501st Infantry Regiment (Airborne) conducting amphibious operations from FOB Iskandariyah in 2007.
Rangers take part in a raid during Operation in Nahr-e Saraj, Afghanistan.
Navy SEALs desert training exercise, 2004
Typical sapper formation with 4 echelons: Assault, Security, Reserve, and Fire-support
NVA commando or sapper at work