Platoon/Squad Sizes

[budgie 1]

I know these figures vary depending on the regiment etc, but generally in the US army (or Marines) how many men are in an infantry, light infantry or airborne platoon?

How many men in a

Platoon

Squad (and how many rifles, SAWs, MGs, GLs and carbines?)

Also who gets which weapons - for example who has M4s and who gets M16s etc...?

How many platoons to a company?

How many companies to a battalion?

Bats to a regiment

Regs to a division etc...

[Commando69 0]

i dont know the weapons configuration of a US infantry squad or section as we call em i know that the sizes of the various groups is probably the same as in european armies. 3 sections to a platoon ( with 9 in a section) , 3 platoons to a company, 3 companies to a battalion and so forth.

[VMI Marine 0]

A T/O platoon of Marines (T/O meaning full strength) has the following:

Platoon Commander (M16A4)

Platoon Sergeant (M16A4)

Platoon Guide (M16A4)

Platoon Radio Operator (M16A4)

Corpsman (M9 Beretta)

3 Squads, with each squad containing:

Squad Leader (M16A4)

3 Fireteams, with each fireteam containing:

Fireteam Leader (M16A4/M203)

Automatic Rifleman (M249)

Assistant Automatic Rifleman (M16A4)

Rifleman (M16A4)

So, 43 Marines and 1 Navy Corpsman with 25 M16A4s, 9 M249s, 9 M203s, and 1 9mm pistol.

Now, if you want to know how my platoon actually looks, take out the platoon guide and 1 fireteam per squad. Give the 203 to the assistant automatic rifleman, and give one rifleman per squad an M16 Squad Advanced Marksman rifle. Oh, and 1st ad 3rd squads have an extra rifleman in their second fireteam. So, 33 Marines and 1 Doc, with 17 M16s, 6 M249s, 6 M203s, 3 M16 SAMRs, and one 9 mil. And that's a lot more than what I had in Iraq.

[Marcinko 1]

I know, in Ghany, 3rd ID, 101st, 10thMD, and 82nd, all used the m4a2 as a primary.

heres a quote, from Z rated, guy in the 101st Air Assualt Divison...

Riflemen-7 Mags (210 rounds),4 M67 frags

Grenadiers-7 Mags (210 rnds),16 40mm 203 rounds,4 M67s

SAW Gunners-2 boxes of 200rnds,4 frags

M240B gunners,...well it's a crew served weapon..but the standard combat load of ammo is 900 rnds.

there ya have it.

[Gryphon 0]

Basically the comments here so far are right on the money, I believe another variation in the squad can be

Squad Leader (Staff Sergeant)

Then twice times the following

Team Leader (SGT)

Automatic Rifleman

Grenadier

Rifleman

A total of nine men per squad

The standard weapons issued do vary between services and units, but the usual Rifleman standard is the M16A4 or M4. The Automatic Riflemen get the M249 with or without para-stock, and grenadiers the M203. However, the team leaders in action often get the M203 and the grenadier is therefore made into more or less a rifleman.

Take this basic squad three times, add a platoon sergeant (SFC) and a lieutenant and You've got Your rudimentary infantry platoon, ready to be augmented by platoon marksmen, crew served weapons (M240, Javelin) and so forth.

I'm personally curious as to where the M14 DMR fits in, as opposed to the M16 SAMR.

[ReconSnake 0]

Everyone beat me to the fun stuff. As for the rest of your question, here is a general non-branch specific answer:

SQUAD – Nine to 10 soldiers.

PLATOON – 16 to 44 soldiers.

COMPANY – 62 to 190 soldiers. An artillery unit of equivalent size is called a battery, and a comparable armored or air cavalry unit is called a troop.

BATTALION – 300 to 1,000 soldiers. Four to six companies make up a battalion. An armored or air cavalry unit of equivalent size is called a squadron.

BRIGADE – 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers. A brigade headquarters commands the tactical operations of two to five organic or attached combat battalions. Armored, cavalry, ranger and Special Forces units this size are categorized as regiments or groups.

DIVISION – 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers. Usually consisting of three brigade-sized elements.

CORPS – 20,000 to 45,000 soldiers. Two to five divisions constitute a corps.

ARMY – 50,000+ soldiers. (this one, afaik, isn't used anymore except in history papers)

[soup31314 0]

Ok here is what we had when we deployed:

1 Platoon Sgt. - E-7 SFC (we had E-6 SSG) M16A4

1 Platoon Leader - 2nd LT./1st LT (we had 1st LT) M4

2 Section Leaders - E-6 SSG (we had 2 E-6 SSG) M4

3 Squad Leaders - E-6 SSG (we had 3 E-6 SSG) M16A4

4 Bradley Gunners - 2 E-5, 2 E-4 (we had 2 E-5, 2 E-4) M16A4

4 Bradley Driver - Any Rank E-1 thru E-4 (we had 2 E-4, 2 E-3) M16A4

6 Team Leaders - E-5 SGT (we had 5 E-5, 1 E-4 SPC) M16A4/M203

6 M249 SAW Gunner/ M240B Gunner - E-1 thru E-4 (we had 4 M249, 3 M240B) M249 SAW Folding stock, Non Folding stock (reason for this is we got new SAWs when we got to kuwait)

12 Rifleman - E-1 thru E-4

1 Sniper - E-5 (we had 1 E-5) M24 W/M3 10x scope, PVS-10

1 Medic - E-1 thru E-4 (we had E-2 straight from basic) M9 pistol (Defencive purpose only)

1 Foward Observer - E-5 (we had E-5) M4

43 Personal Assigned

Standard is 6 radio for bradleys, 3 radios for squads, 1 radio for FO.

WE HAD 7 radios total. 6 on Bradleys 1 for dismounted squad.

@snake

Army is still used but only on paper. 3rd Army is at FORT MCPHERSON GA. It is in downtown Atlanta.

Here is the web site.

3rd Army web site

Edited October 13, 2003 by soup31314

[ReconSnake 0]

I stand corrected. As I was.

[soup31314 0]

Woohoo I got the jarhead on one!!

[VMI Marine 0]

The only line unit I know of to use the M14 was the 101st in Iraq. I have never seen it in the hands of a Marine 0311 in a line unit. I think Marine Security Force companies use them. As an aside, the East Coast battalions have purpose-built SAMRs, with a free-floating barrel, Leupold scope, and some other goodies. The West Coast battalions decided to simply mount a 4X32 ACOG on an M16A4. I don't think the East Coast SAMR was used in Iraq, unless 24 or 26 MEU had them. 1st Marine Division was quite happy with their setup, though.