# Military Definitions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 21, 2000, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103 "2000-03-21T00:54:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/1 "2000-03-21T00:54:00Z")
What are the approximate sizes of a platoon, brigade, company, batallion, regiment, division, and any other terms commonly used to describe a group of soldiers? [p]Many thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/2 "2000-03-21T01:05:00Z")
U.S. Army Groups unit = 2 soldiers squad = 5-10 soldiers (commander is sergeant) platoon = 4 squads or 30-50 people (lieutenant) company = 2 platoons or 100-200 people (captain) battalion = 2-5 companies or 500-1000 people (lieutenant colonel) group = 2 battalions brigade = 2 groups or 2000-4000 people (colonel) division = 3 brigades or 10,000-17,000 people (major general) corps = 2 divisions field army = 2 corps _The Order of Things_, Barbara Ann Kipfer, page 243 * * * Your Official Cat Goddess since 10/20/99. _Now, Mr. President, the key issue we face today…is that an ice cream truck I hear?_ ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/3 "2000-03-21T01:13:00Z")
Oh, here, these might help, too: U.S. Air Force Groups flight = 2 aircraft squadron = 2 flights group = 2 squadrons wing = 2 groups air division = 2 wings air force = 2 air divisions air command = all divisions and support units (ibid. page 242) U.S. Navy Groups division = 4 ships squadron = 2 divisions fleet = 2 squadrons (ibid. page 245) They list military ranks for other countries, but not groups, so that’s all I have. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/4 "2000-03-21T01:14:00Z")
So fast, so cogent, so succinct. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/5 "2000-03-21T01:26:00Z")
You’re welcome. I happened to be reshelving books today, so I actually knew where it was (for once). Strangely enough, “regiment” wasn’t in the list. ---
**Author:** ![Andy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aeb1de/32.png) [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/6 "2000-03-21T03:16:00Z")
In the British army, regiment comes after company \> platoon \> section, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Bluepony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Bluepony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluepony)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/7 "2000-03-21T03:36:00Z")
OK, Kat, grab your white out and editing pencil. Having just retired from the Air Force last year, I can fill you in on some changes since that book was written. A lot of that went out with the end of the Cold War. Also, our mission structure was different than the Army’s, but some of these terms go back to the Army Air Force, hence the confusion. Flight= A group of airmen performing a similar task or mission. Oddly enough, in the USAF, flights are never referred to when talking about numbered designations of aircraft. Squadron= The basic unit of aircraft (ex. 58th Fighter Squadron) or of a ground support mission of two or more flights (ex. 15th Security Forces Squadron) Group= Two or more combat or ground support squadrons. Group is never referred to for aircraft in the present day. It was back in the early Cold War and Army Air Force years. Wing= Two or more squadrons in a flying mission (33rd Fighter Wing), or two or more groups in a ground support mission (96th Combat Support Group) Confused right? It gets better… Air Divisions were retired about the time of the end of the Cold War. Previously they served to tie together air force bases in geographical areas. I was with the 314th Air Division in Korea. Numbered Air Forces designate similar missions on a larger scale or distinct geographical areas. Examples- 3rd Air Force is all USAF assets in the United Kingdom; 8th Air Force is all USAF heavy bomber assets. The Air Command, or Command is a larger version of the Numbered Air Force. US Air Forces in Europe (all USAF assets in the European Theatre) or Air Combat Command (all USAF fighter, bomber, and early warning aircraft). The Numbered Air Force and the Command can be geograpical or functional in nature. It can be confusing even to our sister services. I think we did it just to piss each other off. 🙂 * * * _…send lawyers, guns, and money…_ ``` Warren Zevon ``` ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/8 "2000-03-21T03:39:00Z")
KAt your definitions for the USAF are great, for groups of aircraft in flight, however not actual orginizational groups. A squadron consists of more people than the 4 who fly the planes. * * * Kinooning it up for 20 years and counting ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/9 "2000-03-21T04:48:00Z")
Questions for Kat regarding army organization: 1. The numbers don’t add up (even after allowing for administrative personnel). For example, if a squad is 5-10 soldiers, and a platoon is 4 squads, then a platoon must be close to 20-40 soldiers, not 30-50 people. Or are there 10 noncombatant support people for every platoon of 20-40 infantrypersons? 2. What ever happened to the fire team? (IIRC, An infantry squad used to be made up of squad leader [sergeant] plus two fire teams, each led by a corporal.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/10 "2000-03-21T06:19:00Z")
Heres the military term that I’ve always wanted to know… Just how far is a “click”. I hear it all the time, especially in movies with the military. “we’re gonna move three clicks southwest…” etc. How the heck far is that?! Screeme ---
**Author:** ![Yeah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/dbc845/32.png) [@Yeah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeah)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/11 "2000-03-21T06:23:00Z")
A “click” is a kilometer. ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/12 "2000-03-21T09:44:00Z")
Answer to Yeah: The numbers don’t add up because of additional personnel added at each level of command - not necessarily non-combatant, though. Forr instance, I served in a platoon of three squads: 30 soldiers. Additionally, there was the lieutenant, his 2nd in command (a sergeant), a radioman (me) and a medic - bringing the platoon to a total of 34 soldiers. (And don’t you DARE include me in the “noncombatant support personnel”!!!) In a richer army, each platoon may come with a special fire-support vehicle, bringíng the total higher yet. This phenomenon repeats itself at each level of command: At company level, add the CO’s drivers/radiomen, a mortar section and a logistical element. At battalion level, add stuff like the battalion commanders entourage, heavy mortars, anti-armour missile units, recon elements, medevac units and an even larger logistical element. Not that it’s ever this neat in real life: A platoon lieutenet may decide to pool his heavy weapons in a fire support team and hand command over this to his 2nd in command. A rifle company CO often swaps a rifle platoon for a tank platoon, giving himself some extra firepower and providing the tankers with close-up support. Air controllers and artillery observers need to be with the forward units. Finding out who’s actually where can be quite the challenge. As to the fire-team - WAG: It probably fell into disuse as heavier weapons took over as the squad’s primary weapons. Again, drawing on personal experience, we only had three riflemen in a rifle squad - the rest were the teams for the heavy machinegun, the light machinegun and the recoilless rifle, respectively. If the squad was split up, the senior rifleman (“Rifle 1”) took command of the smaller team, but generally, the sergeant was expected to be able to coordinate the fire of his 4 teams. Norman Norman ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2000, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/13 "2000-03-21T22:04:00Z")
In Britain some of the differences are as follows… Squadron = company (but only when referring to armoured troops, the SAS or the SBS) Regiment = battalion (but only when referring to armoured troops, the SAS or the SBS) ## Regiment = ceremonial unit (“normal” Army units) - e.g. 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment, or 3rd Battalion Welsh Guards. The battalions fight as part of brigades, and the regiment is purely a traditional/ceremonial attachment rather than a fightin unit. “You know you talk so hip man, you’re twisting my melon man,” [Crusoe Takes A Trip](http://www.fervent.co.uk/) ---
**Author:** ![spankboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@spankboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spankboy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/14 "2000-03-24T12:12:00Z")
When I was in the infantry, it broke down like this- Soldier Fire Team (half a squad- 4 or 5 soldiers), led by a Corporal Squad (9-10 soldiers) led by a sgt or staff sgt Platoon (4 Squads) Company (Usually 3 ‘line’ platoons and a HQ/weapons platoon) The rest looks reasonable. The units I was familiar with were all Mechanized Infantry, and our battalion had four companies of regular grunts, one company of anti-tank (TOW), and HHC, which had all sorts of battalion-level stuff (communications, chemical, maintenance, supply, mortars, medics, cooks, et. al.). -sb * * * “This is going to take a special blend of psychology and extreme violence.” ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2000, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-definitions/9103/15 "2000-03-24T12:56:00Z")
And in tank units, you have only four guys in a tank and four tanks in a platoon, etc.