US Army Organization
- Field Army. Army unit leaders from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. ...
- Corps. Corps consists of 2-5 divisions and can contain anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 soldiers. ...
- Division. Divisions can be made up of anywhere from 3 to 4 brigades and are a component of the larger unit, Corps.
- Brigade. ...
- Battalion. ...
- Company. ...
- Platoon. ...
- Squad. ...
- Fire Team. ...
How many Army service components are there?
There are six Army Service Component Commands (ASCCs) assigned, one each, to the six geographical Unified Combatant Commands (CCMDs).
When was the Army of the United States founded?
In 1941 , the " Army of the United States " was founded to fight World War II. The Regular Army, Army of the United States, the National Guard, and Officer/Enlisted Reserve Corps (ORC and ERC) existed simultaneously.
How many soldiers are in a corps?
Usually commanded by a lieutenant general. 20,000–45,000 soldiers.
How many platoons are in a company battery?
The troops are then divided into their like squadrons. Each company/battery/troop is composed of a company/battery/troop headquarters and three platoons, and led by a company/battery/troop commander, usually a first lieutenant, captain or sometimes a major supported by a first sergeant. 62–190 soldiers.
What is the IG in the Army?
The Inspector General of the Army (IG) maintains open channels of communication for extraordinary issues which might lie outside the purview of the chain of command; it lists points of contact for the 3 Army Commands (ACOMs), the 11 Army Service Component Commands (ASCCs), and 12 Direct Reporting Units (DRUs). IG teams might then be assigned to a case, if need be, to perform inspections, assessments, and investigations.
How many battalions are in a Brigade?
Brigade (or group): Composed of three battalions, with a brigadier general or a colonel as commander, supported by a staff in a headquarters and headquarters company. Maneuver brigades have transformed into brigade combat teams, generally consisting of three maneuver battalions, a cavalry squadron, a fires battalion, a special troops battalion (with engineers, signals, and military intelligence), and a command sergeant major and a support battalion. Stryker brigade combat teams have a somewhat larger structure. 3,000–5,000 soldiers.
What is the final stage of Army mobilization?
The final stage of Army mobilization, known as "activation of the unorganized militia" would effectively place all able-bodied males in the service of the U.S. Army.
What is the Army structure called?
The usual Army structure is battalion, brigade, division. Battalions that are organized into regiments are the exception. An example of this exception would be cavalry regiments. Cavalry is unique in that battalions are called "squadrons" and companies are called "troops."
What are the elements of the Army?
In between are the intermediate elements of Army organization, including the squad, platoon, company, battalion, brigade and division.
How many soldiers are in a platoon?
Normally, a platoon includes 16 to 44 soldiers and is led by a lieutenant with an NCO as second in command. A platoon usually consists of three to four squads or sections. A company contains three to five platoons and a total of 60 to 200 soldiers. It's commanded by a captain with a first sergeant as the commander's principal NCO assistant.
How many riflemen are in a fire team?
A Fire Team is comprised of 2 Riflemen, one being the Team Leader, a Grenadier, and an Automatic Rifleman used when small recon or special missions are required. Led by a sergeant. A squad, which is the smallest element in the Army structure, is typically made up of four to 10 soldiers and normally is commanded by a sergeant or staff sergeant.
What is a division in military?
It can conduct major tactical operations and sustained battlefield operations and engagements. Divisions are numbered and are assigned missions based on their structures. Divisions perform major tactical operations for the corps and can conduct sustained battles and engagements.
Why would an aviation company have a different number of troops assigned than an infantry company?
For example, an aviation company would have a different number of troops assigned than an infantry company because it has a different mission, different equipment, and therefore different requirements . The usual Army structure is battalion, brigade, division. Battalions that are organized into regiments are the exception.
What is the smallest army element?
As you move through the organization, the elements become larger and also encompass more combat support units. Typically, a company is the smallest Army element to be given a designation and an affiliation with higher headquarters at battalion and brigade level.
What is the Army's organizational structure?
It is a Hierarchal/ Chain of Command structure, the orders come from levels so far above those of us at my level that we receive them in the form of Fragmented Orders (FRAGOS), War ning Orders (WARNOS), Military Personnel Messages (MILPER Messages) or simple word of mouth from the First Sergeant or my Platoon Sergeant. These are the only two levels above me in a company. Outside of the company, there is only one additional rank other than that, and that is the Sergeant Major and he is the one that passes the information to the First Sergeant.
How many platoons are there in a tank company?
Every Tank Company has three line platoons, with the same make up as listed above. The only addition to those personnel is that the company has a Headquarters Platoon which is made up of a Headquarters Platoon Sergeant who can be a Sergeant First Class or Staff Sergeant and the number of personnel inside of the HQ Platoon vary per company.
Why is adaptability important in the military?
In this area of operations, adaptability is paramount because we cannot guarantee where we will go at any time, we recently deployed some units to Afghanistan, while we are preparing to be ready to respond to anywhere in the Asia area of responsibility. To actually try and break it down into another type of organizational structure honestly would not work from a strategic or tactical point of view.
What is the job of a Sergeant?
The next level of management that you have is the Staff Sergeant and he is the Section Sergeant and runs two Gunners and four Soldiers. His job is to monitor the counseling, and ultimate progression of these personnel. Then you have the Platoon Sergeant who is a Sergeant First Class who is in charge of two Staff Sergeants, four Sergeants, eight junior enlisted soldiers and he monitors the platoon.
Why is it important to learn the Army's organizational structure?
Learning the organizational structure of the U.S. Army allows for an understanding of the overall size of the Army and each of its components.
Who runs divisions in the Army?
Divisions are run by a major general with a command sergeant major as the NCO assistant.
What is field army?
The field army is consists of multiple corps, corps consists of multiple divisions, divisions consists of brigades, brigades consist of battalions, battalions consists of companies, companies consist of platoons, platoons consists of squads, and finally squads consist of fire teams.
How many soldiers are in a brigade?
A brigade is made up of a few battalions and is part of a division. The size will vary based on the number of battalions but can range from 1,500 to more than 3,000 soldiers. A colonel is in command of a Brigade and the colonel is assisted by a command sergeant major.
What is the role of a lieutenant general?
A lieutenant general is in command of Corps with the function of providing command, control and logistic support. The lieutenant general is a three-star general and is generally concerned with administration over operations. A command sergeant major assists the lieutenant general in addition to Corps staff.
What rank do you get after training?
After training, soldiers usually hold a Private Second Class (PV2) rank and within a year, Private First Class (PFC). Private First Class ranking soldiers will complete missions in each unit. Once soldiers reach Specialist (SPC) rank, they can manage other lower-ranking soldiers in units.
What are the units used in the US Army?
In ascending order of size, these units currently used by the US Army are: Squads, Platoons, Company, Battalion, Regiment, Brigade, Division, and Corps.
Overview
The structure of the United States Army is complex, and can be interpreted in several different ways: active/reserve, operational/administrative, and branches/functional areas.
From time to time the Department of the Army issues Department of the Army General Orders. In addition to base closures, unit citations, certain awards suc…
History
Prior to 1903, members of the National Guard were considered state soldiers unless federalized by the President. Since the Militia Act of 1903, all National Guard soldiers have held dual status: as National Guardsmen under the authority of the governors of their states and as a reserve of the U.S. Army under the authority of the President. Since the adoption of the total force policy, in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, reserve component soldiers have taken a more active role in U.S. …
Active and reserve components
The United States Army is made up of three components: one active—the Regular Army; and two reserve components—the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve. Both reserve components are primarily composed of part-time soldiers who train once a month, known as Battle Assembly, Unit Training Assemblies (UTAs), or simply "drills", while typically conducting two to three weeks of annual training each year. Both the Regular Army and the Army Reserve are organized under Ti…
Administrative
The U.S. Army is led by a civilian Secretary of the Army, who reports to the secretary of defense, and serves as civilian oversight for the Chief of Staff of the United States Army (CSA). The CSA is assisted by the Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army. The CSA is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a body composed of the service chiefs from each service who advise the President of …
Army Commands
There are six Army Service Component Commands (ASCCs) assigned, one each, to the six geographical Unified Combatant Commands (CCMDs).
• United States Army Central headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina
• United States Army North headquartered at Fort Sam Houston, Texas
Operational unit structure
Most U.S. Army units can be operationally divided into the following components from largest to smallest:
• Field army: Formerly consisted of an army headquarters battalion, two corps, army troops (including army field artillery and army air defense artillery groups and brigades, an armored cavalry regiment, army aviation, military intelligence, combat engineer, and signal groups, and bri…
Major Operational Units
• First United States Army, US Army Forces Command
• Third United States Army, US Army Central
• Fifth United States Army, US Army North
• Sixth United States Army, US Army South
Branches and functional areas
Personnel in the Army work in various branches, which is their area of training or expertise. Traditionally, the branches were divided into three groups combat arms, combat support, and combat service support. Currently, the Army classifies its branches as maneuver, fires, and effects; operations support; and force sustainment.
Basic branches - contain groupings of military occupational specialties (MOS) in various functio…