Heavy armour battalion The commander can also accept augmentation of units. This amounts to 1 officer and 38 permanent enlisted personnel, as well as 3 usually attached enlisted personnel. MPSA is a jointly-staffed organization, headquartered in the National Capital Region, which serves as the single point of contact with the United States Postal Service and oversees the Military. Whereas In a peer conflict youre going to lose and need a lot of people very quickly and youre probably going to find the army reserve faster than youre going to find the regular reserve. Regimental pride is at stake. After 1882, cavalry battalions were renamed squadrons and cavalry companies were renamed troops. Option C Platoon divides the platoon into three groups (or multiples) of 12 soldiers. It cant. The senior of two Squad Leaders is also the Section Leader. Is the Infantry Brigade Combat Team Becoming Obsolete? I think that keeping divisions how they are is the better system and that each of the divisions should be organised into independent battlegroups (with some of their own logistics included) that can be used to bolt onto a heavier or lighter formation as and when required or massed together such as the armored div for a major confrontation. AT - Option A allows the platoon to be divided equally between four combat vehicles. During the American Civil War, an infantry or cavalry battalion was an ad hoc grouping of companies from the parent regiment (which had ten companies, A through K, minus J as described below), except for certain regular infantry regiments, which were formally organized into three battalions of six companies each (numbered 16 per battalion vice sequential letter designations). Maybe have the armoured corps supplying the vehicle crews in a similar way to the Mastiff group on Telic? I agree on the close relationship between regs and reserves, having been in a specialist reserve unit, I have seen it work really well. Do MANPADS have a place in the future infantry battalion? I have done a similar analysis and share your view that a companys optimal size is 36, after that we deviate for the following reasons: I have a company size of 180 that includes 4 combat combat platoons and a single combat support group (platoon), This replicates at the Battalion level so a battalion 4 combat companies and a single Combat Support Company. The ideal solution is to have a 30 mm cannon turret with twin ATGM boxes. published by the Department of the Army, May 2018, published by the Department of the Army, April 2016, published by the Department of the Army, October 2016, MCoE Supplemental Manual 3-90 Force Structure Reference Data ". However, two of the infantry regiments were reduced to two battalions each and their supporting artillery battalions had only two firing batteries. Weapons like the 12.7 mm HMG and 40 mm high velocity grenade machine gun are primarily vehicle-mounted systems. Contrarily, in my experience the Gaaards are very proud of their role and it forms an important part of their ethos, setting them apart from the rest after all, they havent much else to boast about! (just to muddy the waters). The GPMG requires a No 2 with binos to maximise the guns effect which is not going to be realised by the crow given the big heavy gun in a section. The weapons platoon would have the mortar platoon, the anti tank platoon, and an assault gun platoon with some sort of wheeled TD or support gun. I am not going into the argument about a Battalions manning however the REME manning is open to question. worn on US uniforms. No, I am asking us to attack the sacred cows of ceremonial roles to put troops in combat formations ! A corps includes two to five divisions with anywhere between 20,000 and 45,000 soldiers. Yn a|FKtpW"[I'nJpbR].VB`8~q}RBTw'#g( Our Army Structure in Vietnam - Charlie Company Vietnam 1966-1972 One of the most significant changes in military structure was the introduction of the United States Colored Troops in 1863, the first official military integration policy. Finally, a REME Detachment will provide repair and recovery services for all Battalion Armoured Vehicles. Some would argue that the 40 mm low velocity grenade is a substitute for 51 mm mortars, but maximum range is 300-400 metres not 700-800 metres. It may be worth returning such weapons to infantry sections or having at least one in Platoon HQ. Is putting the GPMG back Into the section enough to ditch 12.7mm or 40mm GMG from a heavy machine gun platoon in the Support Company ? That will make a massive difference. The four companies include three line companies and one H&S; the four battalions include three lines and one H&S. There are always variations to what is the standard breakdown of Marine Corps unit structure. The nine regular force infantry battalions each contain three or four rifle companies and one or two support companies. @Jed In my fantasy army its the best allocation of resources. Ref And yes, this is my ideal platoon properly-resourced as I see it based on recent indeed, current experience. Does this need a full battalion or just a Company? Officially, Warrior carries three on the left bench and four on the slightly longer right bench. A U.S. Army battalion includes the battalion commander (lieutenant colonel), executive officer (major), command sergeant major (CSM), headquarters staff, and usually three to five companies, with a total of 300 to 1,000[31] (but typically 500 to 600) soldiers. A second issue is the now universal threat of IEDs, which means that all deployed infantry units need some form of protected mobility. The battalion headquarters is supported by a headquarters and service company (battery). Does it have to be infantry? Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/mhvThis video gives an overview on the structure and organization of an US Army Infantry Battalion in 1944. This will lead to higher costs per bataillon and therefore to higher overall costs. Several battalions form a regiment or brigade. A dedicated anti-armour team can provide overwatch and have a capability to bridge the section-level short-range NLAW and the Jav Platoon which is overworked and undergunned in the current ORBAT. A colonel is generally in command. Ideally infantry should be carried in tracked IFVs or wheeled MIVs, but even light PMVs are preferable to MAN trucks and Land-Rovers that offer no protection. A company consists of 3-4 platoons and is part of a battalion. @Captain Nemo The motorised (Light) brigade would have MRVP/Bushmaster. [US Army] Infantry Battalion Structure & Attack Tactics World - YouTube However, there is no escaping from the fact that a 40 mm grenade packs much less HE than a 51 mm mortar bomb. And sometimes Recruiting Team. ~T,=y-2ZxKx FrV{^=bB&T* u \' UUplpD_&e\ U.S. Army Light Rifle Company (2020) - Battle Order (b) In principal belongs to the auxiliary service. The psychological impact of fighting against a platoon with immediate indirect fire capability should not be disregarded nor should the effect of hearing its noise and seeing its explosion. U.S. Army Units Explained: From Squads to Brigades to Corps - THIRTEEN Often these will be stored in vehicles until needed. Unless you seek to change the structure of Reserve TACOS call-up liability then keeping reserve battalions paired to regular battalions is a good way of being able to generate an extra company of volunteers. Is it time to recognise that for platoons to have sufficient dismounted mass in lower-capacity IFVs we now require five or six vehicles per platoon? The next level up is the Infantry Battalion (IBCT) which consists of a Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3 Rifle Companies (this) and a Weapons Company. And a Canadian infantry (rifle) battalion, in an armoured division, was organized, and consisted of: - a Battalion headquarters of six officers and 54 other ranks - a Headquarters company of five officers and 94 other ranks, within - a company headquarters - a signal platoon - an administrative platoon Significantly, you would reduce the Reserve Infantry from 16 battalions to just 33 rifle coys and so lost not just 15 rifle coys but lost all the support weapons specialists and G1/4/6 troops. Is this concept outdated ? Currently, infantry companies have a fourth fire support platoon equipped with 7.62 mm L7A2 GPMGs. Medics require a lot of expensive training and continuous clinical exposure to remain competent, in date, and able to operate in the complex world of modern combat medicine. In the TA i carries both L85A1 and Browning 9mm. Light infantry Battalion For example, during the confusion and high casualty rates of both the Normandy Landings and the Battle of the Bulge, in order to bolster the strength of a depleted infantry regiment, companies and even battalions were moved around as necessary. What capabilities are needed? This would truly maximise the boots on the ground and moreover at the same time the tanks in the open and moreover the overall agility, speed, deployability and so on because of smaller units sizes for both the infantry and the Bronegruppa Tank Units (which are complete seperate independent units) which then can assist them if the need arises. The Infantry Battalion was the basic tactical unit of the ground forces of the Canadian military throughout the 20th Century. The battalion was a standard tactical organization throughout the 20th Century, and overseas deployments were usually done with formations . In some countries, battalions are exclusively infantry, while in others battalions are unit-level organizations. If push comes to shove, the gunner or commander can do both but it is such a struggle to guide the driver (who has very constricted situational awareness in Warrior), talk on the various nets, look out for anti-armour threats, identify, track and shoot targets and watch out for dismounts and all the other stuff going on from the cramped turret (which was not designed for blokes encumbered by todays mandated PPE). Option B creates three sections of 10 soldiers plus a smaller Platoon HQ of 6 soldiers. It was the only infantry organization from the reserve components to participate in the war. 100th Infantry Battalion Veterans | Education Center Could we not then consider having whole crews staying with the vehicle rather than depleting them when the section has to dismount? Encouraged by his children, Uchida began to write his memoirs when he was in his seventies . HyperWar: Marine Regiment TO&E (1944) - ibiblio Therefore, this exercise will commence by considering how platoons and rifle sections should be organised and how this determines overall rifle company size and structure. So while I have experience of this, and the food ol Gimpy, I have never carted them around In the field. I like your idea: dismounted mass needs to be maximised. I dont mean to bash your idea but I do think that the current system, despite its flaws, is generally fit for purpose. Forgive me if Ive misunderstood, but I dont see how counting drivers makes for a bigger platoon, surely we should be counting dismounts, which given the ever shrinking number of seats and the ever increasing size of our soldiers should be 28. The centerpiece of the Army's operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the infantry brigade combat team, is in danger of becoming obsolete in the face of near-peer opponents. It can also go by different names, depending on the function: Company-sized artillery units are called batteries, while in armor and air cavalry units, they are called troops. Moving from the micro to the macro, the organization of the army overall is a little wacky, given the number of infantry battalions youd expect to see simple structures equivalent to ten brigade combat teams, but you dont; Id say this is a worry not just operationally but because it lends itself to questions and to cuts, the fighting and the support units should explain and justify each others existence. I really disagree with the LMG being retired. Their highly publicized exploits in basic training and combat in Italy helped . I dont think I was spoken to once during my six years in the reserves. A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). Nagy, Istvan Austrian Cavalry Also the logistics and training burden of all the various disposable rocket systems could be removed with CG. 01 Introduction The T/O started out as a chart-like document published by the War Department during WWII, prescribing the organic structure and equipment of units from divisional strength on down to the smallest operational entities . The Combat Medic and Platoon Sergeant are generally paired as the Platoon Sergeant is responsible for coordinating CASEVAC. By having so many different existing battalion structures, it is more difficult to asses overall manning levels. The Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment is the parent administrative regiment and corps of regular and reserve infantry battalions in the New Zealand Army.It was originally formed in 1947 with a singular Regular regiment and multiple reserve regiments. it would have a very vulnerable breaching capabilty and 105mm arty that is out ranged and very vulnerable to counter battery fire. Current Infantry Battalion TOE | 16th Infantry Regiment Association We recommend you cite primary sources. Battalions are tactical and administrative organizations with a limited capability to plan and conduct independent operations and are normally organic components of brigades, groups, or regiments. 1. Of course, there will always be exceptions, be you Regular or Reserve, but to dismiss them as second-rate soldiers is unfounded and outdated. The battalion must have a source of re-supply to enable it to sustain operations for more than a few days. With a 7.62mm MG, 7.62mm DMR and 6 shot 40mm GL in each section I would not want to follow the Yanks direction to an overly powerful 6.8mm AR for everyone. Officers Mess Staff . I think its generally accepted that reserves simply cannot be expected to attain or maintain the same level of professionalism as regular soldiers, because its not their day job, so I posit their embedding with regular formations and should the need arise, the two diluting. Consider too the fact that soldiers are bigger now and less flexible in such cramped space, having bulky rigid body armour, helmets, belt kit and the ubiquitous daysack which did not factor to the same extent when Warrior was designed. NOTE: This summary of Army Tables of Organization and Equipment includes only combat and directly related major support units. Price. PHILANTHROPY. Returning to three standard rifle platoons with organic GPMGs, avoiding the need for a fourth fire support platoon, streamlines the overall battalion structure and reduces the administrative burden of bringing soldiers from Army Reserve units. The infantry organizational structure existing in 1969 was well suited to the strategy and tactics of flexible . The size of a battalion could range from 500 to 1,500 troops. Print Cite. Those regiments consisting of more than one battalion are: Tactically, the Canadian battalion forms the core of the infantry battle group, which also includes various supporting elements such as armour, artillery, combat engineers and combat service support. This would fit the MoD whole fleet management. The Army currently has 13 Active Component and 20 National Guard IBCTs. A weapons company with 160 men and a medical detachment with 30 men. This would see infantry platoons switch from two calibres (5.56 mm and 7.62 mm) to a single one (6.8 mm) for rifles, machine guns and DMRs. A nominal structure of 1 + 35 soldiers is proposed. Platoons moving around the battlefield in MIVs may additionally get the 30 mm M230LF chain gun (the same light cannon used in the Apache attack helicopter). I would also go with an old suggestion from Think Defence to use reduced numbers of RM and Para as enablers for light infantry brigades which would provide the bulk of air assault / heliborne ops and amphibious ops. This said i think such an general purpose infantry would make much sense especially for the UK despite the higher costs but: i think also, that one of the main arguments with which the author started is a problem here: He said, that the now universal threat of IEDs leads inevitable to the logical result to equip all infantry units with protected (and therefore expensive, heavy, less mobile etc) mobility. Given the requirement, identify organizational structure and chain of command within the Marine Corps, per the references. I have always been rather sceptical that public duties require two battalions plus the incremental companies. Increased range and lethality for less weight will kill off 7.62mm guns in the fire support/ mg section / mg plt role. Section commanders can step back without having to control 3 privates whilst planning his sections manouver. A standard U.S. Marine infantry battalion is typically supported by an artillery battery and a platoon each of tanks, amphibious assault vehicles, light armored reconnaissance vehicles, reconnaissance Marines, and combat engineers. Different structures are all very well, but if we needed to deploy a substantial size force in a hurry, there is a risk that we might fail to achieve critical mass. But war is not about comfort, I know. Canadian battalions are generally commanded by lieutenant-colonels, though smaller reserve battalions may be commanded by majors. A step in the right direction? I understand the need to count drivers and gunners in overall numbers, but in an armoured infantry platoon the actual number you put in the field is 28 because your vehicles might want to go away again, whereas (if I understand you correctly) paras would land and fight with 36, so platoon combat effectiveness is going to vary by up to 25% by unit. Structure of a Marine Corps Regiment - MarineParents.com This creates a requirement for 1 officer + 44 other ranks. The total then is simply calculated as 18338. Genuine question because I do not think that Guardsmen do dislike public duties to the extent you suggest. - Most previous reorganizations focused on reducing the size of the infantry and bloated higher-echelon headquarters, turning over entire organizations, such as the railway corps, to civilian control, and transferring units to the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the People's Armed Police (PAP). Why some say Warrior can carry seven and why some say less: With eachJavelin vehicle requiring a driver and commander, t. As noted above, there is no reason why other weapon types and combinations could not also be used. A common structure with an identical headcore for each bataillon and protected mobility for each of it would therefore create an force which in the case of the UK forces would be to small to fight in closed terrain and would not achieve the necessery critical mass there and to the opposite would not have enough fighting power to achieve victory in open terrain against an more tank heavy but despite of its higher fighting power smaller and therefore more faster and agile enemy force.