About – 55th Light Foot — Kootenai County, ID

Communication • Medical Preparedness • Sustainment • Field Operations

55th Battalion Light Foot Militia

Community-Based Preparedness and Training Organization Kootenai County, Idaho, United States of America

Victory Loves Preparedness ~ Victoria Praeparationem Amat La Victoire Aime la Préparation La Victoria Ama la Preparación A Vitória Ama a Preparação La Vittoria Ama la Preparazione Der Sieg Liebt Vorbereitung De Overwinning Houdt Van Voorbereiding Seger älskar Förberedelse Seier Elsker Forberedelse Voitto Rakastaa Valmistautumista Vítězství Miluje Připravenost

The 55th Light Foot Battalion is a community-based preparedness and training organization operating within the broader Light Foot framework established in the late 2000s by Idahoan Jeffrey “Stan” Stankiewicz, author of the foundational Light Foot Standards and Principles.

As groups in states including Washington, Oregon, and Utah began requesting organizational guidance for their own developing units, the framework evolved into a more universal set of standards designed to promote consistency, interoperability, and coordinated preparedness across affiliated battalions.

The Light Foot framework evolved into a more universal set of standards designed to promote consistency, interoperability, and coordinated preparedness across affiliated battalions and regions, enabling units from different areas to work together more seamlessly during training exercises, disaster response efforts, and large-scale operations.

The 55th Light Foot Battalion represents Kootenai County, designated as Idaho’s 55th county. This county identifier reflects Idaho’s historical order of formation and helps establish regional identity and organizational structure within the broader Light Foot framework.

In keeping with Light Foot tradition, unit designations often reference geographic or historical identifiers. For example, the 43rd Field Force reflects Idaho’s position as the 43rd state admitted to the Union. This organizational structure reinforces local leadership, decentralized coordination, and community-based preparedness while maintaining interoperability between affiliated units across multiple regions.

Today, Light Foot–affiliated units exist in more than fifteen states, supporting coordination and interoperability during training activities and, when appropriate, during state or national emergency situations.

The term Light Foot draws inspiration from historical light infantry traditions that emphasized mobility, adaptability, self-reliance, and readiness. Within the modern framework, these principles are reflected through preparedness training, community support efforts, standards-based organization, and a commitment to responsible readiness rather than through any formal military affiliation.

The 55th Light Foot Battalion supports local preparedness efforts through training activities, community events, disaster readiness initiatives, and response support when appropriate, while operating fully within applicable state and federal laws and maintaining cooperative relationships with local authorities and community partners.

Watch this video to hear Jeffrey “Stan” Stankiewicz share the origins and development of the Light Foot framework, including the evolution of the Light Foot Standards and Principles and the foundational ideas behind the organization’s preparedness philosophy.

The discussion also highlights two influential training manuals that helped shape aspects of the Light Foot preparedness and training philosophy: Combat Skills of the Soldier (FM 21-75) and Light Infantry Tactics: For Small Teams.

Core Pillars & Foundational Principles

The Light Foot framework is guided by a set of four core operational pillars and foundational principles that shape training, organization, preparedness, and community support efforts. Together, these standards provide a common structure designed to promote readiness, interoperability, responsible leadership, and coordinated response capabilities across affiliated units.

To learn more about the organizational structure, operational philosophy, and preparedness standards that guide affiliated units, explore the latest edition of the 55th Light Foot Standards and Principles.