[troopie]

Modern combat goes in fits and starts. It is entirely possible to spend an entire battle doing nothing, because there is no action in your area and command doesn't dare move you.

ALL armies are subject to hurry up and wait. I remember being ordered to board lorries (This was back in the mid 70's,) ordered to debus and go back into formations, ordered to board lorries again, sitting and waiting in the lorries out of my mind with desire for a smoke, then being ordered to debus again and go back to quarters. All this took some hours.

It is entirely possible to march all day, patrol all day all night and while fighting is going on elsewhere and never catch spoor of the enemy.

troopie