| WIKI | FAQ | Tech FAQ | |
 http://csua.com/feed/ | |
| ||||||
| 5/24 |
| 2003/4/1-2 [Reference/Military] UID:27946 Activity:moderate |
4/1 Put back the URL's for military numbering systems!
\_ How Are Army Divisions Numbered?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/880966/posts
Question on Military Unit Sizes
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/876483/posts |
| 5/24 |
|
| www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/880966/posts Incidentally, many never existed at all, but were part of Patton's fictitous diversion army in northern England prior to D-Day. Does any FREEPER have a listing of the command structure for each branch of the service? Battalions or squadrons within those regiments are divided between different brigades and divisions. A brigade is the smallest unit which is designed to operate independently (to some degree). Artillery, transportation units, maintenance units, air assets, cav/scouting units, are attached to the brigade so as to make it quasi-independent for functional use. Most of the time, any more, combat teams are created for combined arms maneuvers, usually bypassing brigade composition. Combat teams (the old WWII Regimental combat teams) are usually smaller than brigade-level in size but have the combined arms assets that make them a more functional unit than the regiment. Combat teams are also usually formed for specific assignments and the units comprising those teams usually maintain no lasting affiliation with one another. When their particular mission is done, the battalions or special units go back to their original formations, to be drawn out to form different combat teams as the situation requires. A captain in the Navy wears eagles, comparable to a full colonel in the Army/Marines/Air Force. An Army captain wears two silver bars, comparable to a full lieutenant in the Navy. Army 2nd Lt = Navy Ensign Army 1st Lt = Navy Lieutenant JG Army CPT = Navy Lieutenant Army Major = Navy Lt Commmander Army Lt. Colonel = Navy Commander Army Colonel = Navy Captain 61 8 posted on 03/31/2003 10:40:10 AM PST by 62 BlueLancer (Der Elite Msenspnkngruppen berKmmnd (EMK)) 63 Post Reply | 64 Private Reply | 65 To 6 | 66 View Replies To: BlueLancer Thank you for this explanation. They place the branches side by side, and it's interesting to see the differences -- a Navy Lieutenant is equal in rank to a Captain in the other brances, and a Navy Captain is equal in rank to a Colonel in the other branches. Don't go there unless you want to spend an hour just browsing. When the war broke out the first and second dragoons became the first and second cavalry, the mounted rifles became the third cavalry and the first and second cavalry became the fourth and fifth cavalry. After the Civil War there were added more Cavalry Regiments to combat the Indians, the Tenth being that of the Blacks(this is from memory so I may be in error). It gets more confusing as the history of our Army continues. This is just the cavalry regiments and the Cavalry per se was disbanded in 1942. I even confused myself trying to regurgitate the history. I did two years at Annapolis as a Midshipman, and then 20 years in the Army, first in the cavalry/infantry and then as a court reporter. That phase didn't last long, but it was enough to give them the nickname "Blue Lancers". Back when I worked on an Air Force Base, I got a call from Captain So-and-so from Such-and-such Naval Base. He talked to me in a lot of technical detail about a project I was working on. He said Marine, but he didn't like to make a point of that because everyone would help him out a lot more if they thought he was a Navy captain. I either slurred my name or the secretary was half deaf because my message to some poor 2nd Lt. These men abandoned the lances about 1862 in favour of Spencers after their first exploits in combat. They looked sharp with the little pennants hanging from the base of the spearpoint and made wonderful targets for the Confederates. I remember the discussion that took place when they were trying to figure out out to distinguish between all the Admiral levels if they eliminated Commodore. One suggestion was to call the entry level admiral -- Admiral, Lower Half. But was disregarded when they figured out that the wives would then become known has the better half of the Admiral's lower half. Professional, standing armies date from the 16 and 17th Century. Army units were organized into companies of around 100 men, led by a Captain, very similar to the Roman organization of a Century, led by a Centurion. Companies were grouped for recruitment, pay, and tactical purposes into a Regiment, led by a Colonel. Assisting the Colonel in commanding his Regiment were two field officers: the Lieutenant Colonel and the Major. The Colonel, along with his other two field officers could take charge of several companies, permitting the Regiment to be employed by battalions. A brigade was two or more Regiments, led by a Brigadier Generals. Major Generals and Lieutenant Generals commanded Divisions and Corps. Again, these formations were temporary, formed for a particular battle or campaign. In WWI, this structure was made permanent and many of our current divisions were formed beginning with the famed 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One). It, and other divisions of this era had two brigades of two regiments each. For WWII, the Army slimed down their big divisions and eliminated the brigade level of command. The armored divisions used a slightly different organization. They eliminated the Regimental level and were organized into battalions that could be grouped into combat commands, a temporary structure equivilent to a brigade. In the sixties, the Army reorganized again, this time adopting the armor division structure for everyone. The Regiment, as a tactical and administrative formation went away. But, for historical purposes, the Army adopted a modified British system, and aligned its battalions with historical regiments, but assigned these battalions to brigades. Thus you have the 2d Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment - assigned to the 1st Brigade of the 3d Infantry Division. Now if all of this is confusing, then ask about the Artillery and the Armored Cavalry Regiments. Or better yet, consider the Marine Corps who still have Regiments, but can also organize into Air-Ground teams called MEU's, MEB's, and MEF's. All very esoteric and designed to help smoke out the ignorant press weenies. This regiment is called the "Cotton-balers" because under Andy Jackson in New Orleans, they used bales of cotton to construct defenseworks. It's this desire to keep tradition alive that keeps "of the 7th Regiment" in the name. Then there are all the support battalions (medical battalions, supply and transport attalions, engineers, etc,. For example, the 203rd Forward Support Battalion (203rd FSB) provides medical support, detatching one company to each of the 3 Brigades of the 3rd Division 183 28 posted on 03/31/2003 11:05:38 AM PST by 184 cookcounty 185 Post Reply | 186 Private Reply | 187 To 7 | 188 View Replies To: Lee'sGhost admiral admiral (dmer-el) noun 1. Navy or Coast Guard that is above vice-admiral and below Admiral of the Fleet. One who holds the rank of admiral, Admiral of the Fleet, rear admiral, or vice-admiral. Any of various brightly colored butterflies of the genera Limenitis and Vanessa. Middle English amiral, admiral, from Old French and from Medieval Latin amrlis, admrlis, both from Arabic 'amr a 'l, high commander. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition copyright 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Regiments have 3,000-to-5,000 soldiers and include several combat and support battalions. Each battalion has three-to-five line companies of 100-to-150 soldiers apiece. Companies break down into three-to-five platoons of 20-to-40 people, which in turn break down into squads of eight-to-12. Regiments have 3,000-to-5,000 soldiers and include several combat and support battalions. Each battalion has three-to-five line companies of 100-to-150 soldiers apiece. Companies break down into three-to-five platoons of 20-to-40 people, which in turn break down into squads of eight-to-12. Turns out they DO use "lower half," and I forgot to include "rear" which makes the joke funnier. For instance, my ORB lists a 'RGMT AFL' in the medical corps, which is certainly not a maneuver element, but a little emblem to pin on the dress uniforms. Battalions or squadrons within those regiments are divided between different brigades and divisions. What about the 2nd, 3rd and 11th Armored Cavalry Regiments... |
| www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/876483/posts Active combat units tend to be more fully manned than rear echelon units, etc. A Marine Rifle Company is larger than its army equivalent. You can really bolster the strength of a unit by attaching some ofther units. For example, a Marine division may have its normal complement of troops plus an extra battalion of tanks attached. I chose the US Army as the example here, but there are links on the right that go into detail for each of the branches of service. Army Formations Squad: The smallest groupings in the army structure, squads are made up of 8 to 11 soldiers and are normally led by a sergeant. Platoon: Usually consisting of two to four squads, platoons are typically led by a lieutenant, with a senior sergeant second in command. Company (in the infantry), battery (in the artillery) or troop (in the cavalry): The company, battery or troop is made up of three to five platoons and is typically commanded by a captain. It usually has a first lieutenant as the second in command and a first sergeant as the senior non-commissioned officer. Battalion: The primary combat maneuver element of the Army, the battalion or squadron is composed of four to six companies and is commanded by a lieutenant colonel with a sergeant major as the senior non-commissioned adviser. A major acts as the executive officer and second in command. The battalion is tactically and administratively self-sufficient and can conduct independent operations of a limited scope. An armored or air cavalry unit of similar size to a battalion is called a squadron. Brigade: The brigade or regiment is made up of two to five battalions under the command of a colonel with a sergeant major as the senior non-commissioned officer. Armored calvary and ranger units of similar size to a brigade are called regiments, while special forces units are known as groups. Division: Typically made up of three maneuver brigades, as well combat support brigades, they are commanded by a major general. The division performs major tactical operations for the corps and is capable of sustained operations. Corps: A corps is made of two or more divisions commanded by a lieutenant general. At this level, national intelligence assets are analyzed and command and control of the whole theater operations are coordinated. Army: Armies can be identified as theater armies, field armies, or army groups. Brian Carter 58 Post Reply | 59 Private Reply | 60 To 1 | 61 View Replies To: Tallguy Cool! MacArthur) 77 Post Reply | 78 Private Reply | 79 To 3 | 80 View Replies To: thoughtomator whoops never mind, looks like I got my questions answered already - what great and knowledgable folks we have here! Typically commanded by a sergeant or staff sergeant, a squad or section is the smallest element in the Army structure, and its size is dependent on its function. A platoon is led by a lieutenant with an NCO as second in command, and consists of two to four squads or sections. Three to five platoons form a company, which is commanded by a captain with a first sergeant as the commander's principle NCO assistant. An artillery unit of equivalent size is called a battery, and a comparable armored or air cavalry unit is called a troop. Four to six companies make up a battalion, which is normally commanded by a lieutenant colonel with a command sergeant major as principle NCO assistant. A battalion is capable of independent operations of limited duration and scope. An armored or air cavalry unit of equivalent size is called a squadron. A brigage headquarters commands the tactical operation of two to five organic or attached combat battalions. Normally commanded by a colonel with a command sergeant major as senior NCO, brigades are employed on independent or semi-independent operations. Armored cavalry, ranger and special forces units this size are categorized as regiments or groups. Usually consisting of three brigade-sized elements and commandeed by a major general, divisions are numbered and assigned missions based on their structures. The division performs major tactical operations for the corps and can conduct sustained battles and engagements. Two to five divisions consitute a corps, which is typically commanded by a lieutenant general. As the deployable level of command required to synchronize and sustain combat operations, the corps provides the framework for multi-national operations. Typically commanded by a lieutenant general or higher, an army combines two or more coprs. A theater army is the ranking Army compoenent in a unified command, and it has operational and support responsibilities that are assigned by the theater commander in chief. The commander in chief and theater army commander may order formation of a field army to direct operations of assigned corps and divisions. An army group plans and directs campaigns in a theater, and is composed of two or more field armies under a designated commander. Army groups have not been employed by the Army since World War II. This is totally unclassified information on the public domain. USN 106 17 posted on 03/26/2003 1:27:14 PM PST by 107 clamper1797 (Credo Quia Absurdum) 108 Post Reply | 109 Private Reply | 110 To 1 | 111 View Replies To: thoughtomator Well, start with a fire team -- 4 guys. Three fireteams make a squad, three squads make a platoon, three platoons make a company, three companies make a battalion, three battalions make a regiment and three regiments make a division. Brigades are either puny divisions or beefed up regiments. The company weapons -platoon- is going to have machine guns, some sort of anti-tank element, and small mortars. The battalion weapons -company- is going to have heavier mortars, heavier machine guns and more capable anti tank. Engineers and tanks (and civil affairs and yadda yadda) are going to be at the division level; This is all very general, and the Army is different to some degree, but these "triangular" units have been a staple since WWII at least. So: Company @ 155 Battalion @ 700 Regiment @ 3,500- 4,000 Division @ 20,000. A tank battalion will have 40-50 tanks, again organized in triangular fashion. I think they've got 4 tanks per platoon now, so 14 (one for the CO, one for XO/forward air/arty observers) per company and @ 45 for the whole battalion. Brian Carter 120 Post Reply | 121 Private Reply | 122 To 17 | 123 View Replies To: 6ppc Not sure about military standards, but I definitely have mine. A Corp can be as big as 150,000 troops (see VII corp in GWI). Brigades & Regiments are, administratively speaking, equivalent in todays army. Today Regiments largely live on paper, except with the Marines, Cavalry and Airborne units which are "purer" formations (think regimented). Armored Cavalry Regiments are composite units that function like mini-divisions. USN You're mistaking your swab for something else, swab jockey. I believe there are now 10 active divisions in the US Army. About the only thing you can really count on is what belongs to what. I saw a news report where the 4th division was 33,000 troops total. To ACT justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. It really gets complicated with the Marines because their expeditionary units can vary all over the place. I am continuing to work on getting him to UNLURK but he's always so busy doing other stuff and figures someone already has said whatever he would say anyway. To ACT justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Not all services have the same chain: 203 Air Force 204 Army 205 Marines My applogies though, I can't find the Navy info. Battalions are the largest "pure" formation in the combat arms: Cavalry, Artillery, Infantry, etc. The army is very tradition bound so the Infantry uses Platoon/Company/Battalion, while the Cavalry uses Platoon/Troop/Squadron, and the Artillery uses Section/Battery/Battalion. There is more information being added to this thread that answers your other questions. Three Platoons to a Company (May have been 4 if "Company" HQ/Supply is added). This is excluding any arty attachments or light/heavy attachments. Honestly, I can't recall how many Regiments made up the First Mar Div. I was with First Marines at the time (... |