From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishground forcesˈground ˌforces (also ground troops) noun [plural] PMAsoldiers who fight on the ground rather than at sea or in the air
Examples from the Corpus
ground forces• The remainder hid out, waiting for the arrival of allied ground forces.• Army commander Gen. Dogan Gures was appointed ground forces commander from Aug. 30,1989.• 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. 