According to Brant Gardner, Alma 3:1 provides an important bit of information regarding the nature of the Nephite army. After their battle, they "all returned to their lands, and to their houses, and their wives, and their children." They did not return to "the fort," or "their base." They went home. It appears that there is no standing army. This absence of an official standing army continued to be the practice in Mesoamerica up to the time of the arrival of the Spaniards. Even the feared Mexica (commonly known as Aztec) war machine was composed primarily of commoners who were called up as needed. [Brant Gardner, "Book of Mormon Commentary," [http://www.highfiber.com/~nahualli/LDStopics/Alma/Alma3.htm], p. 1]