Military unit

The term military unit is used to refer to any group of 2 or more soldiers. Armies are divided into groups of various sizes according to function and for tactical and adminstrative purposes. This article gives an overview of some of the terms used to describe military units in armed forces across the world. Whilst it is recognised that there will be differences between armies of different nations, it seems that a large proportion are modelled on the British and/or American models. Readers interested in the detailed specifics of a national army (including the British and American) should consult the relevant entry for that country.

Typical military units in an army

Name	Number of personnel	Number of subordinate units	Officer in charge
Corps	30,000+	Varies	Lieutenant General
Division	10,000–20,000	3/4 brigades	Major General
Brigade	2000–5000	2+ regiments	Brigadier
Regiment (UK)	650+	1+ battalions	Brigadier
Battalion	300–1000	2–6 companies	Colonel
Company	150–300	3–6 platoons	Major (US) Captain (UK)
Platoon	30–40	2+ squads	First lieutenant or captain
Squad	8–12	2+ fireteams	NCO (Sergeant)
Fireteam (Mostly USA)	4–5	n/a	NCO

In addition to these, further units include Section[?] and Squadron. Army, Army group[?] and Theater[?] are all large units which vary significantly between armed forces in size and hierarchy position.

See also

• Comparative military ranks
• Structure of the United States Armed Forces
• Structure of the British Army