In South Africa, a military body or command; also, sometimes, an expedition or raid; as, a commando of a hundred Boers.
a usually small military unit trained to perform special missions, often behind enemy lines, and usually employing hit-and-run tactics. Such units often have the destruction of fixed targets, such as enemy installations, as their mission, in contrast to normal combat units which engage the enemy army directly.
a member of a commando{2} unit.
Irregular unit of mounted Boers
a community-based reserve unit of the SADF whose main task was district protection; functioning only in white communities, particularly during the apartheid period
a member of a military unit trained as shock troops for hit-and-run raids
an amphibious military unit trained for raids into enemy territory
a member of a specially trained, highly mobile military unit
In military science, the term commando can refer to an individual, a military unit or a raiding style of military operation. In certain contexts, the term "commando" is synonymous with elite light infantry or special forces. However, they should be distinguished from special forces units which specialize in counter-terrorism and/or extended, long range, ground-level reconnaissance missions behind enemy lines (of which the best-known examples are the various Special Air Service units in different countries and Delta Force).