|
|||
|
Military Definitions
|
|||
 |
|
|
|
|
Military
Terminology A squad is a small military unit subordinate to an infantry platoon. In most armies a squad consists of eight to twelve soldiers, sometimes as many as fourteen, and may be further subdivided into fireteams. In countries following the British Army tradition, including the Australian Army and the Canadian Forces Land Force Command, the equivalent organization is a section. In the United States Army, a squad is composed of two fireteams of four or five soldiers each. In the United States Marine Corps, a squad is typically composed of three fire teams of four marines and a squad leader who is a junior non-commissioned officer. In combat, a squad covers
a frontage of about 100 meters in open terrain when attacking, and can effectively defend a position of 100 to 200 meters
in radius. Platoon is a term from military science. In an army, a platoon is a unit of thirty to forty soldiers typically commanded by a lieutenant assisted by a non-commissioned officer. A platoon is formed by at least two sections or squads (usually 3 or 4) and is smaller than a company. Typically, there are three or four platoons per company. Most platoons are infantry platoons; some carry other designations such as mortar or heavy weapons platoons. A platoon is the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer. The word is derived from the 17th-century French peloton, meaning a small ball or small detachment of men, which came from pelote, a ball. In the United States Army, a platoon is commanded by a platoon leader — a first or second lieutenant — assisted by a platoon sergeant, usually of the rank of Sergeant First Class (pay grade E-7). In infantry units, rifle platoons are generally made up of four nine-man squads (three rifle squads and one weapons squad). In the United States Marine Corps, platoon leaders are called
"platoon commanders," but hold the same rank and function. In Marine infantry units, rifle platoons usually consist of four
rifle squads. A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 100-200 soldiers. Most companies are formed of three or four platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type and structure. In the United States military, infantry companies are usually made up of three rifle platoons and a heavy weapons platoon; tank companies are usually made up of three tank platoons and a command element. By tradition, an artillery "company" is always called a battery. An armored or cavalry "company" is often called a troop. Line combat companies are identified by letter - for example, A Company, 1st Battalion, 15th Rifle Regiment. The letters are usually pronounced using the NATO phonetic alphabet or, before that, the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet, resulting in names such as Charlie Company and Easy Company. A company is typically commanded by a captain. The senior enlisted man is known as and typically also holds the rank of First Sergeant. Several companies form a battalion. In the cavalry, the parallel is that 'troops'
usually form a 'squadron'. In military terminology, a battalion consists of two to six companies typically commanded by a lieutenant colonel. The nomenclature varies by nationality and by branch of arms, e.g. some armies organize their infantry into battalions, but call battalion-sized cavalry, reconnaissance, or tank units a squadron or a regiment instead. There may even be subtle distinctions within a nation's branches of arms, such a distinction between a tank battalion and an armored squadron, depending on how the unit's operational role is perceived to fit into the army's historical organization. A battalion is potentially the smallest
military unit capable of independent operations (i.e. not attached to a higher command), but is usually part of a regiment or a brigade or both, depending on the
organizational model used by that service. Battalions are ordinarily homogeneous with respect to type (e.g. an infantry battalion
or a tank battalion), although there are occasional exceptions. Brigade is a term from military science which refers to a group of several battalions (typically two to four), and directly attached supporting units (normally including at least an artillery battery and additional logistic support). A brigade is usually commanded by a Brigadier General, Brigadier or Colonel. In the British Army, the brigade has been the smallest tactical formation for more than two centuries, since regiments are either administrative groupings of battalions (in the infantry) or battalion-sized units (in the cavalry). In the United States Army, a brigade is smaller than a division and roughly equal to or a little larger than a regiment. Strength typically ranges from 1,500 to 3,500 personnel. Army brigades formerly contained two or more regiments, but this structure is now considered obsolete. In the United States Marine Corps, brigades are only formed for certain missions. Unlike the United States Army, the Marines have intact regimental structures. A Marine brigade is formed only for special expeditionary duty, for which it is outfitted like a smaller Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF). For example, TF TARAWA (2d MEB) during the Operation Iraqi Freedom campaign. In the armies of colonial powers, such as the British Empire, brigades frequently garrisoned isolated colonial posts, and their commanders had substantial discretion and local authority. The term derives from Italian brigata or Old French brigare, meaning "company", which
in turn derives from a Celtic root briga, which
means "strife". A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to fifteen thousand soldiers. In most armies a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions make up a corps. In the United States Army, a divisional unit typically consists of 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers commanded by a major general. Two divisions usually compose a corps and each division is composed of about three maneuver brigades, an aviation brigade, an engineer brigade, and division artillery, along with a number of smaller specialized units. The United States Army currently has ten active divisions:
A regiment is a military unit, larger than a company and smaller than a division. Depending on mission, country of origin, and makeup, a modern regiment is similar to a brigade in size in that both range from a few hundred soldiers up to 2,000-3,000, depending on branch of service and method of organization. The modern unit varies in size, scope, administrative role from nation to nation, and within the armed forces of some nations. The term came into use in Europe around the end of the 16th century, when armies evolved from a collection of retinues following knights to a more formally organized structure. The number of soldiers in a regiment fluctuates, generally depending on casualties and the manpower of the associated army. At its creation, for example, the typical Civil War-era American infantry regiment numbered around 1000 men, organized in 10 Companies of 100 men each. Infantry Companies were identified by letters "A" through "K", excluding "J". Cavalry and heavy artillery regiments were authorized 12 Companies for as many as 1,200 troops per Regiment. Few units ever fielded that many men in combat, however, due to all manner of attrition. Veteran Federal regiments commonly experienced a steady decline in strength as the federal (unlike the Confederate) practice was to organize new regiments rather than rebuild old units. At Gettysburg (July 1863) the average Federal Regiment had 375 men, Confederates somewhat fewer. By the end of the war (April 1865), Confederate regiments sometimes had less than 100 troops (barely company-sized).(Boatner, 1987, pg. 612; also quoted online) During the post-Civil War years, American regiments rarely served as intact units. The practice was to scatter companies throughout western posts and forts. Company strength for a 10 company infantry regiment or a 12 company (troop after 1882) cavalry regiment hovered around 50 men, well below authorized levels. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|