As the English colonies in North America continued to grow and the threats they faced grew along with them, the provincial authorities began to enlist full-time soldiers to complement their defenses as well as wage war against Native Americans, France, and Spain in the struggle for control of the region. These troops were typically better trained and equipped than the local militias, though most lacked the experience of true regular units as provincials typically only served for a single year. It was the Provincials raised from the militia and volunteers of New York and New England that formed the core of the forces sent on any major expedition, such as Phip’s attack on New York and Port Royal Acadia.