BACKWARD GLANCES

WARFIGHTING CHANGES WITH TECHNOLOGY and the particular war being fought. In the early 1980s, a push was on for a fast-moving, high-tech–capable, rapidly deployable, mechanized force. Development and operational testing of this concept eventually fell to the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington. The unit became a testbed for the idea of motorized light infantry specializing in high-tech warfare.

The idea coalesced into what was called the HTLD, or High Technology Light Division, a part of which would be the LAB, Light Attack Battalion, using heavily armed light vehicles for fast-moving “shoot-and-scoot” attacks, reconnaissance, and target designation. If popped into your mind just now, that was the idea of the LAB.