dennett@Kodak.COM (Charlie Dennett) (03/05/91)
From: dennett@Kodak.COM (Charlie Dennett) I have several questions concerning military units and their interrelationships. If this is a FAQ I appologise for taking up the extra bandwidth. [mod.note: I'd call this a Frequently-Asked Question. How about a volunteer to put together a standard answer from the responses that are posted to this ? - Bill ] After hearing unit names like division, company, brigade, corps, etc., I'd like to know how these all fit together. For example, I think a corp is made up of divisions. I'm curious as to numbers and command structure. (I believe regiments were disbanded back in the 1950's. Is that correct?) I've also heard of the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division. Are there, or were there ever, divisions numbered between these - 83rd Division, 84th Division, etc.? I assume there is only one division of each number. In other words, there is not also an 82nd Infantry Division. Is this correct? Does anyone have a list of US Army divisions? I'd like to see one if it is available. Are divisions consecutively numbered starting with the 1st division? What types of divisions are there. I've heard of Airborne, Armored, Infantry, Light Infanty, and Cavalry (what is cavalry in this day and age). What others are there and why are they called what they called? Are other units also uniquely numbered. For example, locally, the 134th Maintenance Company is currently stationed in the Mid-East. Is there or is there not some other company also numbered 134. Since a company is such a small unit I would assume that if all companies were numbered that the number system would go quite high. If you were to ask a soldier what "unit" he belonged to, would he answer with his division, company, or something else? Thanks for the info. I will share what I find out with anyone interested. Charlie Dennett | Rochester Distributed Computer Services Mail Stop 01816 | Internet: dennett@Kodak.COM Eastman Kodak Company | System Manager - Imaging Science Lab Rochester, NY 14650-1816 |
mmccarth@BRL.MIL (CSD) (03/06/91)
From: Mike McCarthy (CSD) <mmccarth@BRL.MIL>
Hopefully, this addresses most of this FAQ. Needless to say,
it's all from unclassified/distribution unlimited sources.
Breakdown of U.S. Army Structure:
Unit Cdr Size Notes
Squad/Section SGT/SSG 8-10 / 10-20
Platoon LT 40
Company CPT 100-200 Battery = Artillery "Company"
Troop = Cavalry "Company"
Battalion LTC 500-700 Squadron = Cavalry "Battalion"
Brigade COL 3000 Regiment = Cavalry "Brigade"
Separate Brigades commanded
by a Brigadier General
Division MG 10,000-18,000
Corps LTG 50,000
(The size of a particular unit depends on its type.)
Types of Divisions:
All divisions have field artillery, air defense artillery, aviation,
engineer, communications, intelligence, military police, and combat
service support assets.
Heavy Divisions
Armored Consists of 2 Armored Brigades and 1 Mech
Brigade, both with tanks and Bradley
Fighting Vehicles (BFV).
Mechanized Infantry Consists of 2 Mech Brigades and 1 Armored
Brigade, both with tanks and BFVs. Mech
and Armor Divisions are very similar.
Cavalry Consists of 3 Armored Cavalry Regiments.
Each has 2 Armored Cavalry Squadrons, with
Cavalry Fighting Vehicles (BFVs without
the infantrymen) and tanks, and 2 Air
Cavalry Squadrons, with attack helicopters.
Light Divisions
Infantry Infantrymen transported by trucks/HMMWVs.
Light Infantry Infantrymen with less vehicles.
Mountain Same as Light Infantry.
Airborne Infantrymen that are jump-qualified. Also,
all vehicles are droppable.
Air Assault Infantrymen transported by helicopter.
List of U.S. Army Corps, Divisions, and Separate Brigades:
Notes: 1. This list is current as of about 1988-89.
2. Many active divisions also include some National
Guard or Reserve forces.
Corps Home
I Corps Ft. Lewis, WA
III Corps Ft. Hood, TX
V Corps Frankfurt, FRG
VII Corps Stuttgart, FRG
IX Corps Japan
XVIII Corps Ft. Bragg, NC
Division Home
1st Infantry (Mechanized) Ft. Riley, KS
(1 BDE deployed to FRG)
1st Cavalry Ft. Hood, TX
1st Armored Ansbach, FRG
2nd Infantry Camp Casey, Korea
2nd Armored Ft. Hood, TX
(1 BDE deployed to FRG)
3rd Infantry (Mechanized) Wurzburg, FRG
4th Infantry (Mechanized) Ft. Carson, CO
5th Infantry (Mechanized) Ft. Polk, LA
6th Infantry Ft. Richardson, AK
7th Infantry (Light) Ft. Ord, CA
8th Infantry (Mechanized) Bad Kreuznach, FRG
9th Infantry Ft. Lewis, WA
10th Mountain (Light Inf) Ft. Drum, NY
24th Infantry (Mechanized) Ft. Stewart, GA
25th Infantry Schofield Barracks, HI
26th Infantry NG from MA,CT,SC,RI
28th Infantry NG from PA,VA,WV
29th Infantry NG from MD,VA
35th Infantry NG from CO,KS,KY,MO,NE
38th Infantry NG from IN,MI,OH
40th Infantry NG from CA,NV,NM
42nd Infantry NG from NY,FL
47th Infantry NG from MN,IA,IL,NM,WI
49th Armored NG from TX,NM
50th Armored NG from NJ,VT,NM,DE,NH
82nd Airborne Ft. Bragg, NC
101st Airborne (Air Assault) Ft. Campbell, KY
Active Component Separate Manuever Brigades
2nd Armored Cavalry Rgt. Nurnberg, FRG
3rd Armored Cavalry Rgt. Ft. Bliss, TX
11th Armored Cavalry Rgt. Fulda, FRG
177th Armored Ft. Irwin, CA
193rd Infantry Panama
194th Armored Ft. Knox, KY
197th Infantry (Mechanized) Ft. Benning, GA
199th Infantry Berlin, FRG
--Mike McCarthygraham@cs.washington.edu (Stephen Graham) (03/06/91)
From: graham@cs.washington.edu (Stephen Graham) Regimental and Brigade Numbering Currently in the US Army, regiments are administrative and honorary units. Brigades form the intermediate combat unit between battalions and divisions. Thus, you will hear of a unit designated as 1/3, or the 1st Battalion of the 3d Infantry Regiment. Combat regiments come from one of three arms, Infantry, Artillery, or Armor/Cavalry. Prior to WWI, this was not the case. The primary combat unit was the regiment. The standard organization was ten companies make up a regiment of approximately 1,000 men. Regiments in the Regular Army were the 1st US Infantry, 1st US Cavalry, etc. Regiments in the National Guard were called 1st Massachusetts Infantry, etc. However, during the reorganizations around the turn of the century, the US Army switched to a three battalion regiment of 2,500-3,000 men. Regular Army regiments simply added two new battalions. For the National Guard, this change took place during mobilization for WWI by combining several old National Guard regiments. At this point, regimental numbers were allocated in the following blocks: 1-100, Regular Army; 101-300, National Guard; 301- draftee regiments. Each branch (Artillery, Cavalry, Engineers, Infantry, etc.) followed this system, so that you would have a 1st Artillery, 1st Cavalry, 1st Engineers, 1st Infantry, etc. Regimental numbers in the National Guard were allocated in order about the country, with Massachusetts having the 101st Infantry, etc., until Hawaii was allocated the 298th and 299th. Not all the numbers were used, nor were all National Guard regiments strictly numbered inside their allocated sequence. For example, the 72d Infantry is descended from the 72d New York National Guard. The Regular Army raised the 1st-65th Infantry regiments during WWI. The National Guard provided the 101st through 189th Infantry Regiments, and the National Army (draftees) provided the 301st - 405th+ Infantry. An excellent example of the applicability of the numbering scheme to all branches was the raising of the 301st to 310th Cavalry from draftees. During WWI, the US Army (and most European armies) organized their divisions on the square model: each division had two infantry or cavalry brigades, each with two regiments, for a total of four regiments per division. The brigades were numbered according to divisional number, thus the 1st Division had the 1st and 2d Infantry Brigades. National Guard brigades started with the 51st, and National Army brigades with the 101st. WWII followed the same pattern. Armor regiments were formed, partially from cavalry regiments (the 1st Cavalry became the 1st Armor). However, they didn't last, being unwieldy units for American armor doctrine. Instead the armor and mechanized infantry regiments were broken down into battalions (presaging the reorganizations of the 1960s). Those cavalry regiments that fulfilled the traditional screening and reconnaisance functions were also broken up, and reformed as cavalry groups (with the same numbers). The only cavalry regiments to serve as regiments were the 5th, 7th, 8th, 12th, and 124th Cavalry, all of which served as infantry. The advent of paratroops saw the formation of new Parachute Infantry regiments, numbered from 501 up. However, the Glider Infantry regiments were taken from the former infantry regiments of the 82d and 101st Divisions (thus giving us today's 325th Parachute Regiment, a former unit of the 82d Division in WWI). I have no idea as to why the 187th and 188th Infantry Regiments were formed as Glider troops. In any case, all regiments assigned to Airborne duty were transferred to the Regular Army. Brigades were phased out with the shift to a triangular (three regiment) structure. They still remained on the roles of the National Guard, as the National Guard divisions had been mobilized as square divisions and then stripped of additional units. This structure remained in place throughout the 1950's and into the 1960's. Mention should be made of the Pentagram divisional organization, when all regiments were reorganized into Battle Groups of five battalions each of five companies. This supposedly allowed for a more flexible response to the Nuclear Battlefield. However, the Battle Groups retained the same numbers as the regiments. It was only with the advent of the ROAD division in 1965 that the regiment as a combat unit passed away (except for in the cavalry, where cavalry regiments were reformed as operational units). From this point on, a division would be composed of three brigades, which would control a variable number of battalions, armor, infantry, cavalry, and artillery as needed. Regiments were retained under the Combat Arms Regimental System to perpetuate the honors and traditions of the old regiments. Each CARS regiment would have a number of battalions affiliated to it. However, the battalions were independent of each other, and might be posted to several different divisions, whereas a division had usually had regiments assigned to it permanently, e.g., the 1st Division, which had been assigned the 16th, 18th, and 26th Infantry in 1917 and still had them assigned in 1965. It also ended the (by this time almost theoretical) affiliation on an individual solder to a particular regiment throughout his career. (Previously, entire units had been rotated at once.) Brigades were formed in all divisions. Within a division, brigades were simply numbered 1st, 2d, 3d, and/or 4th. Certain independent brigades were formed in the Regular Army, numbered 196th, 197th, 198th, and 199th. I have no idea why these numbers in particular were chosen, other than to avoid confusion. Simultaneously, brigades were reactivated in the National Guard. These brigades derived their numbers from one of two sources: 1) The number of their former divisions. By this point, the National Guard had shrunk in size, and could no longer support all the divisions that it had had. Therefore, the 45th Division (Texas and Oklahoma National Guard) was redesignated the 45th Infantry Brigade (Oklahoma National Guard). [The Texas troops went to form the 49th Armored Division.] 2) Numbers derived from former National Guard brigades. The Washington National Guard provided the 81st Infantry Brigade to the 41st Division, and now provides the 81st Independent Infantry Brigade. By 1986, it had become apparent that this system presented some problems, particularly in terms of morale and unit cohesiveness. At this point, the US Army implemented the Cohort system, which linked battalions more firmly to parent regiments, and assigned soldiers to a single regiment for their career. Troops now rotate between battalions of the same regiment, when possible. Interestingly, this is the same mechanism that the British Army arrived at in 1886 for overseas service. -- Steve Graham graham@isis.ee.washington.edu (206) 543-8115
graham@cs.washington.edu (Stephen Graham) (03/06/91)
From: graham@cs.washington.edu (Stephen Graham)
This is perhaps more information than you want, but...
Following is a similar article on regiments and brigades.
Divisional Numbering
Current US Army divisional numbering is relatively recent. The pattern
was established during mobilization for WWI in 1917. Prior to this date,
divisions had normally been identified as the First Division of II Corps,
Second Division of II Corps, etc. (as they were in the Civil War [I realize
that there were some exceptions]). However, with the mass mobilization
for WWI, it was thought impractical to continue this pattern.
Divisions were to be numbered as follows:
Regular Army 1-25
National Guard 26-75
National Army 76-
The National Army consisted of those units raised solely from draftees,
as opposed to the RA units, which were organized around standing regiments.
I recall that only the 1st through 15th Divisions were raised in the RA
sequence. I can check this if anyone is interested.
The numbering pattern for National Guard ran as follows: the 26th Division
contained regiments from New England, the 27th units from New York, ...
up to the 41st Division, which covered Washington and Oregon. The 42d
(Rainbow) Division was formed with additional National Guard units
that did not fit into their regional division (it had units from
Connecticut, D.C., Arizona, etc.). The 43d through 75th Division were
not raised, but presumably would be allocated at a later date.
The National Army raised the 76th through approximately 104th Divisions,
only a few of which saw active service (the 82d did). They were also
raised by regions, with the exception that the 82d was assembled from
draftees throughout the US (thus the All-American title). The 92d and
93d divisions were Colored (segregated Black units). The 92d was formed
from Colored National Guard units, the 93d from Colored volunteers.
Both gave an excellent account of themselves in action. I believe that
the 1st-5th Cavalry Divisions were also formed, primarily for service
on the Mexican Border.
Following WWI, the National Army divisions were allocated to the Organized
Reserve.
Upon mobilization for WWII, the numbering pattern from WWI was followed.
The Regular Army mobilized the 1st-9th, 24th and 25th Infantry Divisions
(the latter were formed in Hawaii from units of the pre-war Hawaiian Division).
Technically, the Phillipine Division was the 12th Division, but is usually
refered to as the Phillipine Division. The National Guard mobilized the
26th-38th, 40th, 41st, 43d, 44th, and 45th Infantry Divisions (the 39th
(Dixie) Division [Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia National Guard]
was not mobilized). The 42d Infantry Division was formed from draftees.
After this the pattern breaks down. The Organized Reserve and draftees
were intended to fill divisions from 76 up again. However, since the
War Department intended to raise 187 divisions at one point, the draftee
division numbering scheme was extended to 51 on up. Not all of these
divisions were mobilized, therefore the divisional numbers ran 63, 66,
69-104, 106.
To further confuse things, Airborne and Light Infantry Divisions were
also raised within the Infantry Division numbering sequence. The 82d
Division was selected as the first Airborne Division, and transferred
to the Regular Army. Later (for reasons I can't recall) the 101st was
also transferred to the RA as an Airborne Division. (Historical aside:
Want to know why the 101st is the Screaming Eagles? When it was raised
for WWI, the troops came primarily from Wisconsin. One of the Civil War
Wisconsin regiments had an eagle as a mascot, which screamed as the
unit went into battle. When the 101st decided on a nickname, that's what
it chose to commemorate.) However, to further compound the confusion,
the remaing Airborne Divisions were numbered 11th, 13th, and 17th. (The
11th served in the Pacific, the 13th and 17th in Europe.) Three Light
Divisions were formed: 10th Mountain, 71st Jungle, and 87th Pack. Only
the 10th served as a Light Division (the 71st served in France, oddly.)
One more infantry division was raised, the Americal Division (later to
become the 23d Infantry Division in Vietnam). Americal is an abbreviation
for Americans in Caledonia. It was formed as a task force and later
converted to a division.
Armored Divisions were also first raised in WWII, and numbered separately,
as the 1st-14th, 16th, and 20th Armored Divisions. The Armored Divisions were
raised around a cavalry cadre, the 1st Armored Division having started life
as the 7th Cavalry Brigade. We also raised 4 cavalry divisions, none of which
served as cavalry: 1st, 2d, 2d (Colored), and 3d Cavalry Divisions. The 2d
and 3d Cavalry Divisions were disbanded in the US. The 2d (Colored) Cavalry
Division was disbanded in North Africa, and the troops turned into construction
units. The 1st Cavalry served in the Pacific as an Infantry Division,
though it kept four regiments (as opposed to three in a normal infantry
division), all still designated Cavalry.
Following WWII, the divisional numbers stayed approximately the same.
In 1990, the following divisions were active:
1st -10th, 24th, 25th Infantry, 82d Airborne, 101st Air Assault,
1st-3d Armored, and 1st Cavalry. The 1st Cavalry Division has continued
its checkered career. It fought in Korea as an Infantry Division, then
was converted to an Air Assault Division in the mid-1950's, served as
such in Vietnam, and became an Armored Division in the late 1970's.
Currently, the US Army fields the following types of divisions:
Mechanized: Intended for warfare in Europe. 6 infantry battalions and
5 armored. 1st, 3d, 4th, 8th Infantry Divisions.
Light Infantry: Intended for service elsewhere, 9 infantry battalions.
6th, 7th, and 25th Infantry Divisions.
Infantry: The 2d Infantry Division, serving in Korea, is a special case,
as I understand it, partially mechanized, but with fewer armor
battalions than a Mech Division. Korea isn't appropriate for
the deployment of large armored formations.
Motorised: An experimental organization. Truck-borne light infantry.
9th Infantry (now disbanded).
Mountain: Light infantry specialized for mountains. 10th Mountain. (?)
Airborne: Traditional paratroops. 82d Airborne.
Air Assault: Helicopter borne and supported Light Infantry. 101st Air Assault.
Armored: Also intended for Europe. 6 armored and 5 mechanized battalions.
1st, 2d, and 3d Armored and 1st Cavalry Divisions.
This is all subject to change as reductions in force occur.
I'm less clear on the current status of divisions in the National Guard.
However, most no longer exist as such, and have been converted to
brigades. However, the 49th and 50th Armored Divisions have been formed.
--
Steve Graham
graham@isis.ee.washington.edu
(206) 543-8115major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt) (03/06/91)
From: bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt) > From: dennett@Kodak.COM (Charlie Dennett) > [mod.note: I'd call this a Frequently-Asked Question. How about a > volunteer to put together a standard answer from the responses that > are posted to this ? - Bill ] A heavy load but I'll answer some basics with some general comments - details to follow: > After hearing unit names like division, company, brigade, corps, etc., > I'd like to know how these all fit together. For example, I think a > corp is made up of divisions. I'm curious as to numbers and command > structure. (I believe regiments were disbanded back in the 1950's. > Is that correct?) I'll give you a "standard" organization. But, the real beauty of U.S. organizations is the capability to add, detract, mix and match units at all levels, called, "task organization" - "tailored for combat". A Corps consists of 2-3 divisions, a separate brigade, an armored cavalry regiment, and numerous artillery, combat support, and combat service support units. A "Corps" is the highest level of "tactical" unit for manuever and fire support. A Division consists of 3 brigades, an artillery 'brigade', a support command('brigade'), and aviation, engineer, airdefense, combat intelligence, signal battalions. A "Division" is the lowest level of tactical formation with the capability to sustain and support itself. A Brigade consists of 3-5 manuever battalions - and receives its "slice" of support from Divisional elements. An 'Armor Brigade Task Force' might consists of two tank battalions and one mechanized infantry battalion, supported by a DS 155mm SP artillery battalion, an attack helicoptor company, an engineer company, a combat intelligence company, an airdefense battery, an MP platoon, and other combat support. A Tank Battalion consists of three Tank Companies, a Combat Support Company, and a Headquarters Company. A Tank Company consists of three Tank Platoons. A tank company task organized with an infantry platoon, and some engineers and other support, is a "Company Team". A Tank Platoon consists of four M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks. of two tank battalions and one mechanized infantry battalion. A > I've also heard of the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne > Division. Are there, or were there ever, divisions numbered between > these - 83rd Division, 84th Division, etc.? I assume there is only one > division of each number. In other words, there is not also an 82nd > Infantry Division. Is this correct? Does anyone have a list of US Army > divisions? I'd like to see one if it is available. Are divisions > consecutively numbered starting with the 1st division? Yes, during WWII, there were divisions numbered way into the 100s. However, the Army tries to retain on 'active duty' those units with the 'best' history and honors. There are also current National Guard divisions; 26th (Mass), 42d (NY), 47th (Minn) to name a few. There are also Army Reserve Divisions (Training Divisions); 80th (Va), 84th (Ill), 108th (NC) to, again, name a few. And, yes, there is a 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) and a 1st Armored Division and a 1st Cavalry Division. Current active duty divisions: 1st Infantry Division (Mech) (Big Red One) Ft Riley, KS 2nd Infantry Division (Light) (Indianhead) Korea 3rd Infantry Division (Mech) (Rock of the Marne) Wurzburg, Germany 4th Infantry Division (Mech) Ft Carson, CO 5th Infantry Division (Mech) (Red Diamond) Ft Polk, LA 6th Infantry Division (Light) Ft Richardson, Alaska 7th Infantry Division (Light) (Bayonet) Ft Ord, CA 8th Infantry Division (Mech) (Pathfinders) Bad Kreuznach, Germany 9th Infantry Division (Mtz) (Old Reliables) Ft Lewis (phasing out) 10th Mountain Division (Light) Ft Drum, NY 24th Infantry Division (Mech) (Acorn) Ft Stewart, GA 25th Infantry Division (Light) (Tropic Lightning) Hawaii 82nd Airborne Division (All American) Ft Bragg, NC 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile)(Screeming Eagles) Ft Campbell, KY 1st Cavalry Division (First Team) Ft Hood, TX 1st Armored Division (Ironsides) Ansbach, Germany 2nd Armored Division (Hell on Wheels) Ft Hood, TX 3rd Armored Division (Spearhead) Frankfurt, Germany > What types of divisions are there. I've heard of Airborne, Armored, > Infantry, Light Infanty, and Cavalry (what is cavalry in this day and > age). What others are there and why are they called what they called? See the above designations. They describe either the mission of the force or how they arrive on the battlefield. Airborne - parachute into battle, Armored - shock action with tanks, Mechanized Infantry - infantry riding in armored personnel carriers (M113 & Bradleys), Light Infantry - are foot mobile (train in air assault), Airmobile - ride helicoptors to the battle. "Cavalry" denotes a unit who's mission is "eyes and ears". Cavalry scouts, recons, screens, protects, covering force. The 1st Cavalry Division is basically - Armor - but has retained the "Cavalry" designation for historical lineage and honors (Korea, Vietnam). > Are other units also uniquely numbered. For example, locally, the > 134th Maintenance Company is currently stationed in the Mid-East. Is > there or is there not some other company also numbered 134. Since a > company is such a small unit I would assume that if all companies were > numbered that the number system would go quite high. Actually there is method to the numbering system. For example, the 701st Maintenance Battalion of 1st Infantry Division - the 703rd Maintenance Battalion of the 3rd Inf Div - the 702d Maint Bn, 2d Inf Div. Companies are usually lettered if organic to a battalion = A, B, C. Battalions are numbered 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th - but then followed by their "Regimental Designation" (let's not go into this for now - very complicated) So - 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry = 1-28th. A Company (Alpha Company) 1-28 looks like A/1-28 Inf, B/1-64 Armor, C/1-4 Cav, D/1-7FA, B/1 Eng. Separate companies are numbered - I used to command 1st Combat Intelligence Company, 1st Infantry Division. Then it became A Company, 101st MI Battalion, 1st Inf Div. > If you were to ask a soldier what "unit" he belonged to, would he > answer with his division, company, or something else? Easy - most soldiers identify with their battalions. And you get some very colorful answers and/or salutes from them: "28th Infantry, Sir - Black Lions!" "7th Cav, Sir, Garry Own!" "64th Armor, Sir - STRIKE!" "26th Blue Spaders, Sir - Kick Ass and Take Names - SIR!" Soldiers wear their division patch on their left shoulder and their battalion insignia on the eppualets of their fatigue jackets. They'll wear their 'combat patch' on their right shoulders. mike schmitt "Every day a holiday, every meal a banquet, every payday a fortune, in the Big Red One."