How many men are there in a platoon

Among the clone commandos of the Special Operations Brigade , however, the equivalent unit was a troop consisting of five four-man squads and just twenty men. In the Imperial Army , the basic structure of the standard platoon remained very close to what it had been in the GAR: four squads, each consisting of eight men plus a sergeant, with four platoons forming a company; but whereas under the Republic the platoon's commanding Lieutenant had been included within the man detail, he was now supernumerary along with a Sergeant Major who served as platoon adjutant, for a total of thirty-eight personnel.

A platoon was the smallest unit authorized to request fire support from friendly artillery , although typically these requests first had to go through the unit's parent battalion headquarters, which either allocated resources or passed the request higher up the chain of command.

If there was time before a battle to plan a battalion commander might assign an artillery section under his control to a specific platoon, a process known as "grafting" which guaranteed the platoon immediate fire support upon request. Additionally a large number of platoons could be "grafted" to a single artillery or armor company , with the company commander allocating fire support requests as he saw fit. Army platoons could be augmented as per their Order of Battle OB , however whereas larger units adhered to this doctrine more closely in practice there was more flexibility when augmenting platoons.

Where possible the organizational chart was followed but it was quite common for commanders to swap men and equipment between different platoon types.

Equipment was often over-ordered at the company level and reinforcements assigned to the wrong unit were "adopted" by their new unit. The result was that platoons were the least standardized unit in the Imperial Army, with some packing as much firepower as an entire company. The line platoon was the standard light infantry formation of four line squads for a total of 38 troopers.

Prior to combat, the lieutenant was suppose to assign his sergeant major to the squad that would come under the most pressure, and move between squads as the battle dictated.

In practice this tended to result in a very short lifespan for the lieutenant, with those who survived falling into two general types. The first were the more pragmatic lieutenants who stayed with one squad during combat and commanded the platoon through their comlink and other less-sophisticated communication methods.

The second were simply quite tough. Officially it could be augmented with four additional line squads. This unit was made up of two line squads and two heavy weapon squads, the latter usually armed with heavy repeating blasters. Officially its OB added first two armor sections and then two additional line squads, but unofficially many simply included more heavy weapons details to their standard strength. This could just be a single medium repeating blaster detail, or up to three medium repeating blaster or two heavy repeating blaster details.

The squad leader is the tactical center of the team, and he is responsible for carrying out the mission. The weapons squad leader carries the same basic duties as the squad leader.

Squads are made up of man teams, which are the smallest organizational unit in a typical platoon. The team leader controls the movement of his fire team, along with the rate and placement of fire. He leads from the front and uses the proper commands and signals. The team leader is responsible for accountability, and keeps track of weapons and equipment. During the landings, several units were pinned down in the Dog White sector of Omaha Beach when General Norman Cota approached and demanded a group of soldiers to identify their unit.

Lead the way! The medic is also responsible for the general health and hygiene of the platoon. The radio operator is responsible for maintaining communications with company headquarters and within the patrol.

The forward observer is the eyes and ears of the platoon. He is responsible for locating targets and calling for adjusting indirect fire support. The Rangers are the most elite large-scale fighting force the Army has to offer.

Their mission, depending on the operation, can range from airfield seizure to special reconnaissance to direct action raids on select targets and individuals, and they have a rich operational history. The number of modular units in an Army division is flexible and the total number of soldiers is 10,, A two-star major general commands a division. The 82nd Airborne Division, an elite infantry division specializing in parachute assault operations, entered Vietnam in Both airborne divisions were called to duty within the U.

Brigades are made up of 2,, soldiers, normally split among three to five battalions. The armed cavalry and ranger forces of this size are called regiments or groups, not brigades. Commanders of brigades or regiments are one-star brigadier generals or colonels. Paratrooper from the st Airborne Brigade applying mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to an injured soldier who was airlifted by helicopter to the medical clearing station near Kontum, Vietnam.

The rd Airborne Brigade was the first major United States Army ground formation deployed in Vietnam, serving from to and losing nearly 1, soldiers. The rd is best known for the Battle of Dak To , where along with the Marines, it suffered heavy casualties against the North Vietnamese. When the rd returned to the U. A battalion in the U. Army is normally made up of three companies and to 1, soldiers, but can have up to five companies.

When forming part of a division, a brigade has no internal support. But when operating independently usually called a brigade group , it includes supporting reconnaissance, artillery, engineers, supply and transport.

A brigade is commanded by a major-general or brigadier. A division is made up of three infantry, cavalry or armoured brigades. Divisions are usually equipped to operate independently in the field, and have a full complement of supporting reconnaissance, artillery, engineers, medical, supply and transport troops.

During the World Wars, the average British division numbered around 16, men. Divisions are commanded by a lieutenant-general or major-general. The British Army currently has two deployable divisions. This is a tactical formation made up of two or three divisions and commanded by a lieutenant-general. Corps are normally identified by Roman numerals. An army is a formation consisting of two or more corps.

They are commanded by a general or a field marshal. An army in the Second World War numbered about , men. Eleven British armies were formed during the First World War. More than one army operating together is known as an army group. But what ranks are there in the British Army and how are they denoted? Since the 18th century, regiments have kept animals as mascots to work with them, bring luck and strengthen morale.

Soldiers who fought on horseback were known as cavalry. Often dominating the battlefield, they performed a variety of roles, from smashing enemy formations to scouting and reconnoitring.

The regiment or corps is the key administrative component of the British Army. Each has its own long history, traditions and insignia. To its soldiers, the regiment is a military family that provides comradeship and a unique identity.