ground forces
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishRelated topics: Armyground forcesˈground ˌforces (also ground troops) noun [plural] PMAsoldiers who fight on the ground rather than at sea or in the airExamples from the Corpusground forces• The remainder hid out, waiting for the arrival of allied ground forces.• A security fence, with watchtowers, protects the base against attack by ground forces.• In addition to the cuts in its ground forces, some military orders have had to be postponed.• These were understood to stop short of deployment of major ground forces.