troops who fight on foot, even though transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, aircraft, tanks and other motorized vehicles, skis, or other means. The term applies equally to troops armed with such hand weapons as the spear and sword in ancient times and with automatic rifles and rocket launchers in modern times. As foot soldiers their objective has always been to seize and hold ground and, when necessary, to occupy enemy territory. The infantry has been the largest single element in Western armies since ancient times, though during the feudal period cavalry attained a temporary dominance.