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A front line (alternatively front-line or frontline) in military terminology is the position(s) closest to the area of conflict of an armed force's personnel and equipment, usually referring to land forces. When a front (an intentional or unintentional boundary) between opposing sides forms, the front line is the area where each side's forces are engaged in conflict. Leaders have often fought at the front lines either purposefully or due to a collapse in battle formation. While a calculated risk, fighting on the front has in instances reduced communication and heightened morale. The front is in direct contrast to the rear, which is the position farthest from conflict.
Australian soldiers in a front-line trench during World War I. Photograph taken by Capt. F. Hurley, sometime between August 1917 and August 1918.
All branches of the United States Armed Forces use the related technical terms, Forward Line of Own Troops (FLOT) and Forward Edge of Battle Area (FEBA). These terms are used as battlespace control measures that designate the forward-most friendly maritime or land forces on the battlefield at a given point in time during an armed conflict. FLOT/FEBA may include covering and screening forces. The Forward Line of Enemy Troops (FLET) is the FEBA from the enemy's perspective.
Although the term "front line" first appeared in the 1520s, it was only in 1842 that it was recorded used in the military sense. Its first use as an adjective was from 1915.[1]
The word "front" gained the military sense of "foremost part of an army" in the mid-14th century, which, in turn, led the word to take on the meaning "field of operations in contact with the enemy" in the 1660s. That sense led to the phrase home front, which first appeared in 1919.[2] In a non-combat situation or when a combat situation is not assumed, front can mean the direction in which the command is faced.[3]
The attributive adjective version of the term front line (as in "our front-line personnel") describes materiel or personnel intended for or actively in forward use: at sea, on land or in the air: at the front line.
Evolution of the conceptedit
In the land campaigns of World War I, FEBAs, FLOTs and FLETs could often be identified by eye. For example, in France and Belgium they were defined by opposing defensive trench systems.
Typical modern conflicts are vastly different, characterised by "war amongst the people", the concept of a "Three Block War", and the presence of an asymmetric threat from irregular or terrorist combatants. In those cases, the concepts of front line, FEBA, FLOT and FLET may be of little relevance. The term "front line" has come to refer more to any place where bullets and bombs are flying or are likely to fly.
front, line, other, uses, disambiguation, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, impro. For other uses see Front line disambiguation This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Front line news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article possibly contains original research Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations Statements consisting only of original research should be removed June 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Parts of this article those related to Evolution of the concept need to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information February 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message A front line alternatively front line or frontline in military terminology is the position s closest to the area of conflict of an armed force s personnel and equipment usually referring to land forces When a front an intentional or unintentional boundary between opposing sides forms the front line is the area where each side s forces are engaged in conflict Leaders have often fought at the front lines either purposefully or due to a collapse in battle formation While a calculated risk fighting on the front has in instances reduced communication and heightened morale The front is in direct contrast to the rear which is the position farthest from conflict Australian soldiers in a front line trench during World War I Photograph taken by Capt F Hurley sometime between August 1917 and August 1918 All branches of the United States Armed Forces use the related technical terms Forward Line of Own Troops FLOT and Forward Edge of Battle Area FEBA These terms are used as battlespace control measures that designate the forward most friendly maritime or land forces on the battlefield at a given point in time during an armed conflict FLOT FEBA may include covering and screening forces The Forward Line of Enemy Troops FLET is the FEBA from the enemy s perspective Contents 1 Etymology 2 Evolution of the concept 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksEtymology editAlthough the term front line first appeared in the 1520s it was only in 1842 that it was recorded used in the military sense Its first use as an adjective was from 1915 1 The word front gained the military sense of foremost part of an army in the mid 14th century which in turn led the word to take on the meaning field of operations in contact with the enemy in the 1660s That sense led to the phrase home front which first appeared in 1919 2 In a non combat situation or when a combat situation is not assumed front can mean the direction in which the command is faced 3 The attributive adjective version of the term front line as in our front line personnel describes materiel or personnel intended for or actively in forward use at sea on land or in the air at the front line Evolution of the concept editIn the land campaigns of World War I FEBAs FLOTs and FLETs could often be identified by eye For example in France and Belgium they were defined by opposing defensive trench systems Typical modern conflicts are vastly different characterised by war amongst the people the concept of a Three Block War and the presence of an asymmetric threat from irregular or terrorist combatants In those cases the concepts of front line FEBA FLOT and FLET may be of little relevance The term front line has come to refer more to any place where bullets and bombs are flying or are likely to fly See also editArea of responsibility Command and control Fog of war Front military List of command and control abbreviations Network centric warfare Rear military Salient military Portals nbsp History nbsp LanguageReferences edit Harper Douglas front line Online Etymology Dictionary Harper Douglas front Online Etymology Dictionary Global Security Front External links edit nbsp Look up front line in Wiktionary the free dictionary nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Front line Which way to the FEBA Archived 2012 10 14 at the Wayback Machine Maj John M Fawcett Jr USAF Airpower Journal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Front line amp oldid 1217652806, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
