# Military groupings **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-groupings/217450 "2003-12-06T22:46:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![feppytweed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/feppytweed/32/4280_2.png) [@feppytweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feppytweed)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-groupings/217450/1 "2003-12-06T22:46:27Z")
After watching “Saving Private Ryan”, i began to wonder that are the different groupings for the army(company,squad,etc), and how are they determined? stictly by numbers or by talents, etc. and if any of you know the different ranks, that would also be helpful ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-groupings/217450/2 "2003-12-06T22:54:47Z")
Organisational structures and terms vary from country to country, and also by type of unit. Some previous threads on this topic: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=55638&highlight=](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=55638&highlight=) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=85199&highlight=](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=85199&highlight=) ---
**Author:** ![ScoobyTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@ScoobyTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScoobyTX)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-groupings/217450/3 "2003-12-06T22:58:22Z")
[This site](http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/army/unit/index.html) at the Federation of American Scientists website has all the answers you are looking for, with regards to the US Army. There is also info for the other US services, and limited info on the miltaries of other countries. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-groupings/217450/4 "2003-12-06T23:11:59Z")
There have been several threads dealing with this over the past few years. From highest to lowest, ranks are as follows: **Commissioned Officers** : General of the Armies (only Washington and Pershing ever held this rank) General of the Army (in Britain Field Marshal) General Lieutenant General Major General Brigadier General (Brigadier in the U.K.) Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major Captain First Lieutenant Second Lieutenant **Warrant Officers** , in five grades, #5 being high and #1 low **Noncommissioned Officers** : Sergeant Major of the Army Command Sergeant Major Sergeant Major First Sergeant Master Sergeant Sergeant First Class Staff Sergeant Sergeant Corporal **Enlisted Personnel** : All NCOs, plus Specialist (equivalent in rank to Corporal, but in support of a speciality) Private First Class Private (Private) – There are two pay grades of private; the lower is often slangily referred to as “buck private.” According to the 2000 World Almanac, the following are the standard army unit formations: [ul][li] **Squad** : Ten infantrymen under a staff sergeant[/li][li] **Platoon** : About 40-50 men, in the infantry 4 squads, under a lieutenant.[/li][li] **Company** : Three platoons, plus HQ section, under a captain[/li][li] **Battery** : Company-sized formation in the artillery[/li][li] **Troop** : Company-sized formation in the cavalry[/li][li] **Battalion** : Four or more companies or batteries plus HQ under a Lieutenant Colonel[/li][li] **Squadron** : Battalion-sized formation in the cavalry[/li][li] **Brigade** : Three or more battalions (or squadrons) plus HQ, under a Colonel or Brigadier General[/li][li] **Division** : Three brigades, plus HQ, artillery, combat support, and combat service support units, under a Major General[/li][li] **Corps** : Two or more divisions, plus corps troops, under a lieutenant general[/li][li] **Field Army** : Two or more corps, plus HQ and support troops, under a full general[/ul][/li] During WWII we also had **Army Group** – two or more field armies under a General or General of the Army. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-groupings/217450/5 "2003-12-06T23:19:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > \*\*According to the 2000 World Almanac, the following are the standard army unit formations: > [ul][li] **Squad** : Ten infantrymen under a staff sergeant[/li][li] **Platoon** : About 40-50 men, in the infantry 4 squads, under a lieutenant.[/li][li] **Company** : Three platoons, plus HQ section, under a captain[/li][li] **Battery** : Company-sized formation in the artillery[/li][li] **Troop** : Company-sized formation in the cavalry[/li][li] **Battalion** : Four or more companies or batteries plus HQ under a Lieutenant Colonel[/li][li] **Squadron** : Battalion-sized formation in the cavalry[/li][li] **Brigade** : Three or more battalions (or squadrons) plus HQ, under a Colonel or Brigadier General[/li][li] **Division** : Three brigades, plus HQ, artillery, combat support, and combat service support units, under a Major General[/li][li] **Corps** : Two or more divisions, plus corps troops, under a lieutenant general[/li][li] **Field Army** : Two or more corps, plus HQ and support troops, under a full general[/ul][/li] > During WWII we also had **Army Group** – two or more field armies under a General or General of the Army. \*\* Just to confuse matters, in the UK a squadron is a company-sized armoured (tank) formation. Several tank squadrons form an armoured regiment, equivalent to a US tank battalion. Of course, being British we care naught for consistency; a regiment is also an artillery formation and a non-combat administrative home for several infantry battalions. In some countries, a regiment is a brigade-sized formation, with multiple battalions. Some countries use triangular formations (three units in any given level); some use square formations (four units). The terms listed above are as good and consistent a list as you’ll find anywhere, but wouldn’t hold up for every nation. ---
**Author:** ![Akatsukami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea666f/32.png) [@Akatsukami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akatsukami)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-groupings/217450/6 "2003-12-06T23:47:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > **General of the Armies (only Washington and Pershing ever held this rank)** Strictly speaking, Washington never held a rank higher than lieutenant general. He was postumously promoted to General of the Armies by Ford in 1976, who also stipulated that Washington would outrank all U.S. officers, past and future (including Pershing). ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-groupings/217450/7 "2003-12-07T01:47:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Akatsukami \* > \*\*Strictly speaking, Washington never held a rank higher than lieutenant general. He was postumously promoted to General of the Armies by Ford in 1976, who also stipulated that Washington would outrank all U.S. officers, past and future (including Pershing). \*\* What you say is strictly true. However, Congress created the rank “General of the Armies” specifically for Washington on his death in 1799 – but apparently never thought to issue him (or his estate) the commission to that rank, which omission a joint resolution of Congress, signed by Ford, rectified in 1976. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-groupings/217450/8 "2003-12-07T02:00:05Z")
I was about to post a related question, but it’ll fit in nicely here… What are the comparable French military groupings? I know they use the same basic system as we do (divisions, regiments, etc), and that the manpower levels are somewhat different, but how are they spelled, in French?