outpost

noun

1. a station established at a distance from the main body of an army to protect it from surprise attack: We keep only a small garrison of men at our desert outposts.
2. the body of troops stationed there; detachment or perimeter guard.
3. an outlying settlement, installation, position, etc.

noun

1. military
   1. a position stationed at a distance from the area occupied by a major formation
   2. the troops assigned to such a position
2. an outlying settlement or position
3. a limit or frontier

n.1757, “military position detached from the main body of troops,” from out + post (n.2). Originally in George Washington’s letters. Commercial sense of “trading settlement near a frontier” is from 1802. Phrase outpost of Empire (by 1895) in later use often echoes Kipling.