1. On the LMG, I am sooo old that the LMG imteained on the in the RN was the 7.62 version of the Bren ! As you say Marcus part time Medics would not know what there about compared to full time regular army medics, I was told this many a time in my time in the TA/Army reserve/ what ever its called this week, a large number of which tend to work in the NHS and Private Health Care and although my abilities to get the shine of my boot to dazzle the sun, the razor sharp creases in my trousers to cut the RSMs eye balls is very poor, I did 12 years of medical training and working in A&E. Linked to above hopefully we could afford extra MRV-P APC, lets say Bushmaster, and JLTV to fully equip extra reserve Coys deployed to the motorized infantry. The Civil War led to the establishment of the first American staff school in order to train officers in the art of order transmission and execution. My idea would be here to adept and develope the russian/soviet idea of the Bronegruppa to the extreme. For the light infantry company the building blocks are: Soldier>Fire Team>Squad>Platoon. Two items that the infantry cannot do without. Battle Order We have personally given to the UNHCR's efforts to help those affected by war in Ukraine. Gimpy is too big and heavy for a section weapon, its hard going over walls/fences/through buildings etc and shouldnt really be fired from any position but the prone, unlike the lighter and more agile LMG. of troops assigned than an infantry company . This will also be sufficient to sustain Mechanised Infantry Battalions and Light Role Protected Mobility Battalions. In the UK. 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. - To solve this problem, and to give flexibility through spare seats (needed for terps, picking up dismounts whose wagons are elsewhere and any atts and dets), to build on your idea would it be an idea to give the Pl Sgt and Pl Comd their own wagon each? Either way possibly improving retention and a quality of life issue for regulars who may need some acclimatization to civilian life. 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. That idea could be developed but I dont think it is right for all British infantry. Gymnasium Storage space is hardly ample; the wagons were designed for blokes to fight from, not live in. Weapons like the 12.7 mm HMG and 40 mm high velocity grenade machine gun are primarily vehicle-mounted systems. 1. A United States Marine Corps battalion includes the battalion headquarters, consisting of the commanding officer (usually a lieutenant colonel, sometimes a colonel), an executive officer (the second-in-command, usually a major), the sergeant major, and the executive staff (S-1 through S-4 and S-6). It just seems a bit of an own goal to me youve got a big powerful IFV that you cant exploit fully. The nine regular force infantry battalions each contain three or four rifle companies and one or two support companies. If Warrior was to go, is there a reason for not looking at the KF41 Lynx rather than Ajax? For purposes of clarity, this display is simplified through the elimination of numerous headquarters, maintenance and other support units which are normally attached to or associated with the listed combat units [despite the well known fact that amateurs talks tactics while professionals talk logistics]. Heavy armour battalion A battalion is a military unit with 300 to 1,200 soldiers that usually consists of two to seven companies and is commanded by either a lieutenant colonel or a colonel. I hope so. There are also support battalions in the Dutch Army, which specialise on a specific task: for example, supplies and transport or communications. This amounts to 1 officer and 38 permanent enlisted personnel, as well as 3 usually attached enlisted personnel. The UK bought the 60 mm Hirtenburger mortar as a UOR weapon, but, in standard form, it proved to be too heavy and needed too much ammunition to get on target. is the close combat element of the Infantry Battalion, with this article specifically covering the Rifle Company as it exists in the Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT). This would imo truly increase flexibility, fighting power and would it make even more easier to re-role the units. If so, what would this look like? How would an improved/expanded capability be equipped, funded and manned? What it does do is massively hollow out the capability and capacity of the Reserve Infantry for little tangible gain beyond having a structure which is more aesthetically pleasing on an ORBAT chart. I dont understand what problem having a light, medium and heavy brigade in a division solves. The number . its principal allies and enemies. With this in mind, the objective of this discussion is to consider what a universal battalion size ought to be. Clambering out of the turret, the other problem I have with this idea of max capacity is that there is no flexibility for transporting additional personnel (for example: terp, MFC, A/Pnr, EOD, blokes whose wagon has been hit, casualties etc) or carrying extra stores. 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. a crew of three (driver, gunner and commander) plus six dismounts. The size of this sub-unit must be sufficient to support the tracked vehicles of Armoured Infantry battalions, so a Detachment structure of 1 officer + 37 other ranks is proposed. This is because Reserves are not expected or asked to deploy more than once per five-year period. With the Army embracing other new technologies, such as drones and loading carrying autonomous vehicles, having sufficient technical personnel to operate and maintain them suggests that having sufficient REME personnel is essential. equipped with heavy Machine Guns and 81mm Mortars(See chart for ), probably Boxer SPH.. Btn - At some point in the future it would be wise to introduce a a new light weight section belt fed ( see knights armament LAMG for example) perhaps in one of the many new calibres emerging ( e.g. Tank battalions and mechanized infantry battalions no longer exist. The battalion was a standard tactical organization throughout the 20th Century, and overseas deployments were usually done with formations . none: 6-10-1 . Instead of an ISTR platoon it there would be a mort company with 3 platoons with 120mm mortars, plus a patrol platoon combining the sniper and recon platoons, and finally a UAV company. I of course being TA/Army reserve would have any idea how to be a Regular Army medic keep my medical competencies up etc as I do the job five days a week and not spend an inordinate about of time counting tent pegs. Though I strongly disagree with replacing the Woodentops, it is always good to see non-Guards have a turn. The Warrior has two benches how many can you squeeze on? . Rounds and weapon will be heavier for dubious long range body-armour piercing performance. You have ended my four day long hunt! 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. The LMG is a good belt-fed weapon up to 400m, perfect for D FT. Leave the general as a pl asset for depth targets and to join the suppressing section to give it big licks when needed. Indeed, one was carried until the 51 mm was prematurely retired (because the ammunition went out of production). For historical reasons, armor and Ranger units of brigade size are called regiments, and the equivalent Special Forces units are called groups. You wouldnt task the Mortar No4 to act as CPO and lay and prep fuses and fire and correct all on his own as a matter of routine, would you? Light Role Battalions are likely to need fewer mechanics, so there is room for downward adjustment. The battalion-level system we have used since WW2, with mortars organised in a separate platoon, still seems to work well. It has also been suggested that rifle companies should acquire 81 mm mortars. Pins of regiments and artillery battalions that served in Marine infantry regiments use battalion and company designations as described above under World War II, with company letters D, H, and M not normally used but rather held in reserve for use in augmenting a fourth rifle company into each battalion as needed. The Anti-tank Platoon typically has 6-8 Javelin ATGM launchers, with each one operated by two soldiers. Opportunity for Reservists too? 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. Thisproposal is in-line with what rifle companies already have. Both featured the same support units as well, with a signal platoon, supply platoon, repair workshop and medical aid station. So it looks as if the developments for the vehicle are at a pretty advanced stage, making a cancellation of the vehicle and its replacement by the Ajax IFV variant unlikely. UK Infantry battalions have a Fire Support Company with five elements. Losing this space (currently in the Pl HQ wagon) is a big problem. What I have a problem with is your suggestion to pull one guy out of the turret. Each company is commanded by a major, the officer commanding (OC), with a captain or senior lieutenant as second-in-command (2IC). Each have different jobs and roles each of which is necessary to keep the wagon fighting and surviving. Changes: Type: Pages. With this weapon now returned to individual sections, in lieu of the 5.56 mm L110A2 LMG, there is arguably no need for a separate machine gun platoon, especially as platoon vehicles will have a mix of 12.7 mm HMGs and 40 mm GMGs. Sniper platoons use the .338 L115A3 rifle. Theyre usually responsible for planning and directing campaigns in particular geographic areas. However number of boots might make the difference for protected mobility (motorized) inf. It normally consists of a headquarters and three or more companies. In this context, a BTG can be defined as a task-organised, combined arms, tactical formation created by a brigade or regiment commander to complete a specific, discrete mission. 9 man sections work very well, in effect the section commander is freed up to command 2 Lcpls who then command thier fire teams. German Organization for Combat, 1944. NOTE: This summary of Army Tables of Organization and Equipment includes only combat and directly related major support units. INFANTRY AND RIFLE DIVISIONS Infantry divisions remained the backbone of both armies. The number in blue is the number of men within that level of command. The following is the current organization ofthe. Anti-tank platoons usually have 6-8 dismounted Javelin ATGM launchers. The way my unit does it is to strip kit down to belt kit and daysack for fighting and then have gonk bag in a canoe bag and a single rocket pouch containing admin kit. The Table of Organization (T/O) of the Marine Corps lays out the organizational structure and the equipment required to function. This would give the UK forces also more (and smaller and therefore faster, more agile, better deployable etc) units overall and would therefore increase their flexibility enormous. With eachJavelin vehicle requiring a driver and commander, this creates a headcount requirement of 1 officer + 31 other ranks. Light Machine Gun Section and a Mortar Section. The elements in the organizational chart for the U.S. Army span from the individual soldier all the way to the largest building block commonly used, the Corps. 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 ". These included heavy anti-tank TOW missile platoons, ground surveillance radar sections and man-portable air-defense system sections. The Rifle Battalion of October 1940 was superseded beginning in April 1942 by a new Infantry Battalion organization. Weapons listed in this article are what has been effective as of 2020. corporal. My preferred direction is to to look at a common organisation for the Armoured and Mechanised infantry, and a different organisation for light infantry including air assault. An infantry platoon might include a weapons squad, which is divided into two M240 machine gun teams, and two close-combat missile teams armed with Javelin missiles. PHILANTHROPY. Public duties are despised and dont help Guards recruitment really? While this underwent amendments, most particularly in terms of antitank weapons, its overall structure influenced all subsequent Tables of Organization issued for the Battalion. 2) Would it work for the role of the specialised infantry battalions? Perhaps theres an article to be written somewhere in there, UKLP, especially being an ex veg head? Nagy, Istvan Austrian Cavalry This would increase the overall costs extreme and such an all-mech-inf force with the ability of the mech-inf to also fight as light inf if the need arises would create a high logistical footprint, high equipment costs and much higher training costs etc. Light infantry Battalion DUI Weapons companies do not receive a letter designation. Each battalion usually consists of the following: Battalion command Commander Second in command General service Personnel section Intelligence section Operations section Materiel section Communication section SAAB has produced a lightweight version of the Carl Gustav 84 mm recoilless anti-tank weapon. We already have two dedicated battalions for public duties and what youre really asking is could we make do with just one? The operational Army conducts full-spectrum operations around the world, supported by institutional units. Eight is hard enough (the driver helpfully stows his away in the tunnel between him and the gunner although that is likely a death sentence if the wagon brews up or goes underwater). Combat medic is attached from the Infantry Battalion Medical Platoon. The 100th Infantry Battalion, initially made up almost entirely of Japanese Americans from Hawai'i already in the army prior to World War II, represented the first group of Japanese Americans to see combat during World War II. I appreciate Ive written a lot but have a few more broad questions on future infantry structures and would be curious to hear others views. Carl Gustav could perform many of the roles that 51mm/60mm mortars were employed for and also do a better job of it than 40mm MV weapons. It was the only infantry organization from the reserve components to participate in the war. With successive rounds of cutbacks after the war, many infantry regiments were reduced to a single battalion (others were amalgamated to form large regiments that maintained multiple battalions, e.g., the Royal Anglian Regiment). If we have multi role divisions, then does this not theoritically make a third of your div redundant for any given operation? iRO$[>_kw(y@tpKJd+D82;^*K|3sld\,xAZ|hskBA They are not man-portable, so will usually only accompany a platoon when mounted on MIV, MRVP, MWMIK (Jackal) or other vehicles. I was throwing around the idea of top slicing the TA and just plugging companies into existing battalions with the intention that it would enhance their professionalism and that they could pull through the three regular companies as casualty replacements. Secondly, top-slicing the Army Reserve and a Regular-Reserve integrated ORBAT: I struggle to see what the problem is you seek to solve and what the advantages are of integrated Reserve companies compared to the current system. Three platoons of 36 soldiers would need to be supported by a Company HQ comprised of the Company Commander, Company 2IC, CSM, CQMS, two storemen, two clerks, two radio operators, four drivers, and two runners. Without the operational Army, the institutional side has no purpose. To be true general purpose infantry they would be trained to act together with the tank units which can transport them and then assist them in the fight, but this tank units would be a world for them own and would even in the case of an unit of IFV be an complete seperate unit which could and should also fight for its own if the need arises. They would free up the Battalions and companies now assigned to this role to shore up the numbers in real Battalions . This option also ensures that each section within a platoon has a dedicated vehicle driver and gunner. Company Is this concept outdated ? For light role battalions the ISTR company with the recon platoon, assault pioneers, sniper platoon, and hopefully a uav plankton. An MEB is one of the standard Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (MAGTF), is commanded by a brigadier general or major general, and consists of command element, a ground combat element (usually one reinforced Marine infantry regiment), an aviation combat element (a reinforced Marine aircraft group including rotary wing, fixed wing, and tiltrotor aircraft), and a combat logistics element (a Marine combat logistics regiment, which includes naval construction forces [Seabees] and naval medical elements). While Light Role battalions will primarily operate on foot, they will still need all-terrain vehicles that support them in the field. I dont understand why the commando (no bipod) version of the 60mm mortar would be less accurate or more difficult to get rounds on target than a 51mm ? God Bless you man. Each infantry brigade is equipped and capable of air assault operations. Several battalions form a regiment or brigade. All infantry ideally would then become mechanised infantry. This allows each platoon to have a total of four GPMGs and 4 DMRs. Born on the island of Kauai, he moved to Honolulu to go to high school but left before he graduated to take a job at the Halekulani Hotel where he was working when he was drafted in 1941. In deployment in current year, it would be common for a Light Rifle Company to be equipped with 4 MRAPs per platoon and 2 MRAPs per headquarters section. The tables contained in Part II of this book are the Marine Corps Tables of Organization approved by the Commandant 27 March, 1944 (with changes of 22 July, 1944). Current divisions include airborne, armored, infantry and mountain divisions. At a higher level, each armored brigade (formerly designated 'heavy brigade') is now composed of three CABs (versus the two CABs of a former heavy brigade), one reconnaissance squadron, one artillery battalion, one brigade engineer battalion (BEB), and one brigade support battalion (BSB). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This formation of three infantry battalions, an engineer battalion, an artillery battalion, a cavalry squadron, and a support battalion needs to be restructured to maximize an infantry . The United States Navy has construction battalions and navy cargo handling battalions. Co - Are your Pl Comd and Pl Sgt vehicle commanders or are they additional? A company consists of three or four platoons and is generally commanded by a captain. The squad is led by a Squad Leader (Staff Sergeant) and further subdivided into two homogenous fire teams designated Alpha Team and Bravo Team and each led by a Fire Team Leader (Sergeant). Vehicle tools, pegs for the troop shelter and bits like that that dont live in the side or back bins usually go under the left bench, the right has the hydraulic ram for the back door under it and a big tray for the rations. The heavy battalions on Boxer and Warrior would be different. - light cannon, assigned to AT unit Armored BCTs (ABCTs) include three armor/mechanized infantry battalions, an armed reconnaissance cavalry squadron, a field artillery battalion, a logistics support battalion, and a brigade engineer . This would increase the size of fighting infantry men in the bataillons heavily so that they become numerically sufficient enough for infantry combat and would protect them to become mech-infantry only troops. For the rest of reserve infantry I would convert to home defence force non-deployable security force for the UK home base. A company consists of 3-4 platoons and is part of a battalion. It offers a range of new ammunition natures from anti-tank rounds to bunker-busting HE. Steven Aftergood This would inevitable change their way of fighting and therefore hinder them to be an true general purpose infantry. These include light infantry (foot), airborne and air assault units. 1) What is the total manpower bill of the new proposed battalions compared with the current manpower liability in all infantry battalions? By embedding these assets at the battalion and brigade levels these organisations get used to working autonomously and are supported by more CSG as each level moves up. Currently, infantry companies have a fourth fire support platoon equipped with 7.62 mm L7A2 GPMGs. Each Guards Regt have an incremental coy (so 500 troops). When the German armed forces began their invasion of Soviet Union in June 1941 with . (Please click on the image for a larger version) 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. Also such an all-mech-inf force would hinder the UK forces very much in the primary target to achieve critical mass of infantry in any combat. Theyre generally run by a lieutenant, often with a noncommissioned officer as second in command. They are numbered and assigned missions based on their structures. Many armies are adding Javelin mounts to their 12.7 mm remote weapon stations. Infantry mass do we have to give up on this concept ? The infantry battalion was a key structure in the Royal Army and thus its structure went through a fair few changes during the course of the war. The 60mm Mortar is a tremendous asset we retire at our peril: not only does it have impressive reach and devastating impact (for a man-portable weapon) but the Boss doesnt have to arrse about queuing (should it be cueing?) The basic So to summarize it up: my suggestion would be to create identical infantry bataillons, but without any organic protected mobility. ~T,=y-2ZxKx FrV{^=bB&T* u \' UUplpD_&e\ So while I have experience of this, and the food ol Gimpy, I have never carted them around In the field. HQ for direct fire support would also be nice (dont forget those 10 man BAOR sections in their FV432 had a lot more of them). I agree fully that each section should have its own vehicle for so many reasons. 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).

Stonewall Jackson High School Staff, Swindon Audi Meet The Team, New River Middle School Uniform, Articles I