Military units

[Supreme_Warlord]

Hi,
I have been working on some personal science fiction for which I needed to research military organization. So far, I have managed to come up with the following information regarding unit structures:

Code: Select all

Army
Company --> Battalion --> Regiment --> Brigade --> Division --> Corps --> Army --> Army Group

Air Force
Squadron --> Division --> Wing --> Fleet

Navy
Squadron --> Division --> Flotilla --> Task Force --> Fleet

I can't gaurantee if this is correct or not, so for those knowledgable in these things, please can you point out any mistakes in the order.
Also please enlighten me as to any missing elements or elements that need to be removed from the list.

Thanks.

[Striderteen]

Army:


Fire Team -> Squad -> Platoon -> Company -> ...

[Shortie]

First off different militaries do things in different ways. Most western ones are fairly similar. AFAIK your army list is correct, though some wouldn't have all of those. Below company you have platoons and then squads or sections, and finally fireteams for some (going downwards).

Never head division or fleet used for an air force before, just flight - squadron - wing - group (going up).

As for the navy, it goes division - squadron or flotilla (the latter for escorts and larger than a squadron) - task force - fleet. The latter two are fairly inexact terms, and vary a lot.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

fireteam (depends on weapon, USMC 4)
Squad/Section (2 fireteams)
Platoon (2+ squads, usually 3)
Company (2+ Platoons, usually 3)
Battalion (2+ Companies)
Regiment
Brigade
Division (last 3 sizes varies a lot)

Corps and Army are units but aren't used a lot currently IIRC. Army Group AFAIK was only used by WWII Germany.

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

I've also never heard of an Air Force Division or Fleet.

[MKSheppard]

Army Group AFAIK was only used by WWII Germany.

Then why did NATO have "CENTAG" (Central Army Group), commanded
by a US General?

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

Army Group AFAIK was only used by WWII Germany.

Then why did NATO have "CENTAG" (Central Army Group), commanded
by a US General?

Because a real Army Group would have a Field Marshal!

Meh, I wasn't sure anyway.

[Wicked Pilot]

Here's the standard USAF structure: From bottom to top:

Element
Flight
Squadron
Group
Wing
Numbered Air Force
Major Command

[Sea Skimmer]

I've also never heard of an Air Force Division or Fleet.

They exist. The Russian air force for example goes squadron, regiment, division, Air Army. Many fleets use divisions including the US, others use the term squadron and some use both. Generally a division has 4-10 vessels depending on type, four battleships could be a division while ten destroyers would also be one. A flag officer of the same rank would command either one.

[Edi]

fireteam (depends on weapon, USMC 4)
Squad/Section (2 fireteams)
Platoon (2+ squads, usually 3)

That's interesting, something I hadn't really paid attention to before.

In the Finnish Defence Forces it goes like this:
Squad (1 squad heavy weapon (manned by 2 men), total of six or seven men)
Platoon (5 to 8 squads)
Company (3+ platoons, usually 4)

Edi

[Sea Skimmer]

That's interesting, something I hadn't really paid attention to before.

In the Finnish Defence Forces it goes like this:
Squad (1 squad heavy weapon (manned by 2 men), total of six or seven men)
Platoon (5 to 8 squads)
Company (3+ platoons, usually 4)

Edi

Units below the company level can very wildly in strength simply based on what size squad the nation uses. With Finnish forces having a six man squad is make sense that there are more of them, while the US Army uses a squad that’s nine men and I believe the USMC does the same,. That’s a 50% difference. Other nations use eight man squads and some as many as twelve.

Generally an infantry company has three infantry platoons and one weapons platoon, which sometimes isn't counted.. This is to distinguish them from organizations, which actually deploy four infantry platoons. Same for a battalion only with its companies.