CT Only: Military unit structure

[jaz0nj4ckal]

I am trying to create some military unit structure and give a great detailed feeling for me units; however, I do not understand the naming convention and how the units are referred to.

I understand the higharched model is the following:

Brigade
Regiment
Battalion
Company
Platoon
Squad
Section

For example: On the planet, I am creating I have a unit that is:

4th Mechanized Drop Infantry Battalion

As a ballpark figure - I think Battalions have 4 companies, and each company has 2 platoons. In addition, each platoon has 2 squads with 2 sections per squad.

How would I label each subunit or part? Do I just give an alpha letter to the companies? And what about platoon and squad?

Thank you.

I do not have any other traveler books besides the 3 basic ones, so I am looking for ideas to name military units.

Also, why when I look on Wikipedia at military unit structure, the number/name of subunits never make any sense or stays in order?

 

[McPerth]

I understand the higharched model is the following:

Brigade
Regiment
Battalion
Company
Platoon
Squad
Section

AFAIK the order, from largest to smallest, would be:

• Brigade/regiment (usually more or less equivalent, in some armies, the Brigade was formed by several regiments)
• Regiment/Battalion: usually a regiment is formed by several battalions, in the British Army (and maybe others) it has been equivelent quite often.
• Battalion (squadron in cavalry)
• Company (troop in Cavalry, battery in artillery)
• Platoon
• Section
• Squad
• Fire team

Of course, this may vary a little among different armies, even in RW Earth, I'd expect more so in different planets/cultures...

 

[aramis]

I am trying to create some military unit structure and give a great detailed feeling for me units; however, I do not understand the naming convention and how the units are referred to.

I understand the higharched model is the following:

Brigade
Regiment
Battalion
Company
Platoon
Squad
Section

For example: On the planet, I am creating I have a unit that is:

4th Mechanized Drop Infantry Battalion

As a ballpark figure - I think Battalions have 4 companies, and each company has 2 platoons. In addition, each platoon has 2 squads with 2 sections per squad.

How would I label each subunit or part? Do I just give an alpha letter to the companies? And what about platoon and squad?

Thank you.

I do not have any other traveler books besides the 3 basic ones, so I am looking for ideas to name military units.

Also, why when I look on Wikipedia at military unit structure, the number/name of subunits never make any sense or stays in order?

CT Book 4 and the NATO and US symbol sets all give a nominal pattern as follows:

Army 2-5 Corps
Corps 2-5 divisions
Division 2-5 brigades
Brigade 2-5 Regiments
Regiment 2-4 Battalions, nominally 10-12 companies
Battalion 3 companies (2-4)
Company 4 platoons (3-5)
Platoon 3-4 squads, if 4, then usually in 2 sections
Section 2 squads
Squad 8-12 men

Cavalry terms
Squadron = Battalion
Troop = Company
Lance = Platoon

Air terms

Air Force 2-3 Air Divisions
Air Division 2-4 wings
Wing 4 to 20 squadrons, but nominally 2-3 groups and about 10 total squadrons
Group 2-5 squadrons,
Squadron 8-24 aircraft - fighter squadron is 18-24, in 2-5 flights
Flight 4-8 aircraft, by type.
Element 2-5 aircraft, usually 2.

The big problem is thatthere is no World Wide standard besides the company and regiment levels.
Company 80-250 men, nominally 120-150
Regiment 1000-2000 men, in 8-20 companies.

 

[mike wightman]

The armies of different countries here in the real world use similar terms for their unit structure, but the actual details can be very different, add to that the terms have changed their meanings over the centuries and you can have a hard time making sense of it all.

My advice would be to pick a few real world army TOEs; Wikipedia will help - start at the company level, look at the platoon structure below (company) and the battalion structure above (company) and take it from there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platoon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_(military_unit)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battalion

 

[Condottiere]

Most Western militaries have units that have been in existence for centuries, and in the course of time, armies have expanded and contracted, meaning that some have to be disbanded, which tends to leave gaps in numbering.

That history and a human need for connectivity means that some units will hang on those names and numbers, the British solution is an amalgamation of various regiments into super administrative units that have some form of regional or traditional connection.

The other form of connectivity is a connection to a mother unit, whether a field division and/or a technical corps.

The size of units and subunits tend to depend on the ability of commanders and officers to communicate with and control them, which with modern communications system is both easier and more complex, as the temptation is to start micromanaging.

The span of control is how many subunits a commander and/or his headquarter/staff element can comfortably control, which is a lot less easier in the fog of battle and while being under fire.

Rule of thumb is three combat units, headquarters and support elements, and a fifth direct battlefield support or heavy weapons.

You can invent your own terminology, and during wartime a lot of militaries did to mislead the enemy or for operational security. The British named one of their commando units Special Air Service, which gives little away as to what the unit does.

But you may want to keep it simple, and use current accepted military terms.

Another rule of thumb is keeping company size within the monkeysphere, basically between a hundred to two hundred and fifty troops.

The division used to be the largest all arms unit that is practical to control, it's moved down to the brigade combat team, and that's subdivided into combined arms battle groups, usually with a battalion as it's cornerstone.

Battalions tend to be the largest single arms combat unit, usually with mother regiment as it's administrative unit.

 

[jaz0nj4ckal]

Thanks everyone... looks like I will be getting CT Book 4 if it has other options and details.

Thank you again.

 

[kilemall]

Thanks everyone... looks like I will be getting CT Book 4 if it has other options and details.

Thank you again.

I would recommend ordering the FFE CD-ROM if you do not already have it. In addition to getting LBB4 for this project you would also get Striker for vehicle creation/small unit action, Invasion Earth which would give you Imperial and Solomani naming schemes, and Fifth Frontier War for Imp and Zho force naming, including some merc units.

Imperium the board game also has divisional titles for Vilani First Imperium and Terran Confederation divisions.

They don't give you detailed unit TO&Es, but they should yield some idea of far future unit types and roles.

I've never seen COACC, which strictly isn't CT but it may be relevant for 'aerospace force' TO&E.

 

[McPerth]

I would recommend ordering the FFE CD-ROM if you do not already have it. In addition to getting LBB4 for this project you would also get Striker for vehicle creation/small unit action, Invasion Earth which would give you Imperial and Solomani naming schemes, and Fifth Frontier War for Imp and Zho force naming, including some merc units.

Imperium the board game also has divisional titles for Vilani First Imperium and Terran Confederation divisions.

They don't give you detailed unit TO&Es, but they should yield some idea of far future unit types and roles.

I've never seen COACC, which strictly isn't CT but it may be relevant for 'aerospace force' TO&E.

See that neither FFW, Imperium or IE care about the constituent units or the TO&E at this level, only giving battalion equivalents, while, as you say, may give ideas about naming.

Maybe some JTAS articles about the IM, Zhodani army or the 4518^th (this last one also in the SMC) can help more in this level.

 

[Condottiere]

I like GURPS Ground Forces and Striker for a Traveller perspective.

 

[flykiller]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/usmc/to/ground/To1013g.htm

 

[Meteoric Assault]

Just a side note regarding brigade...

While traditionally the brigade was as previously mentioned a 2-5 regiment formation which remained consistent from the age of reason through the napoleonic Wars. It wasn't until the 1st world war when a brigade began to evolve into a independent maneuver element.

brigades following world war two began to evolve into combined arms maneuver elements..

2-3 Direct Fire Combat element ( battalions)
1 Indirect Fire Elements ( battalion)
1 Reconnaissance or Heavy armor element
1 Combat Support element ( Engineers, Signals, Intelligence Air Defense)
1 Combat service and Support element.

The US Army Center for military history may still have online resources for the evolution of US TOE.... the "Pentomic Division" may interest some SF enthusiasts

 

[jaz0nj4ckal]

I guess what I am looking for is how the structure is named.

For example:

I have the 4th Mechanized Drop Infantry Battalion, but how do I label the Companies and the Platoons and squad?

I think min. The battalions have 3-5 companies, so do I number the Companies or give letters to them? In addition, how do I label the platoons in the Companies? and then squads.
thank you.

 

[Meteoric Assault]

I guess what I am looking for is how the structure is named.

For example:

I have the 4th Mechanized Drop Infantry Battalion, but how do I label the Companies and the Platoons and squad?

I think min. The battalions have 3-5 companies, so do I number the Companies or give letters to them? In addition, how do I label the platoons in the Companies? and then squads.
thank you.

There are unique ways of doing this:

The French and German method uses numbers example FFL 2eREP; 4e Company 2nd section would be the 2nd platoon, 4th company.

The British and american system use a combination of letters and Numbers example my old unit 1st Platoon, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 508th Parachute Infantry

With the British they some times name Companies after battles or monarch...

 

[Condottiere]

If you want a cohesive naming system, you have to design the military from top down.

If you want to use the regimental system:

Regiments are numbered by seniority; originally they had more or less ten companies, that originally were numbered or lettered in sequence, and then assigned to field battalions.

In our case, letter the companies, number the battalions, number the regiments, number the brigades, number the divisions, Roman numeral the corps.

You could Greek letter the squads and number the platoons.

 

[Stevie-the-Gamer]

Try

http://www.niehorster.org/ and

http://www.fireandfury.com/extra/ordersofbattle.shtml#TOC

You should get all the TOE information from WW2 to modern which will help you to shape your forces.

 

[Vargas]

Try

http://www.niehorster.org/ and

http://www.fireandfury.com/extra/ordersofbattle.shtml#TOC

You should get all the TOE information from WW2 to modern which will help you to shape your forces.

Those are really neat sites.

As an aside, has anyone given any thought to how TOs might change at higher TLs?

 

[Condottiere]

Near future, against a near peer opponent, the American army believes a whole bunch of isolated units, somehow cooperating to achieve their objectives. Forty Kay wasn't that far off in their projections.

Unit autonomy will become more important, though the Marine believe in the platoon becoming that may be misplaced. I tend to think a company combat team is what you want to arrive at, with as much organic support as is viable, and squad leaders being able to call for fire support as and when needed.

 

[flykiller]

The battalions have 3-5 companies, so do I number the Companies or give letters to them?

why exactly are you asking? you're the referee, and the game is set in the future after quite a few cultural changes, so really you can do whatever makes any kind of sense. may I suggest that if the culture from which the units are drawn is highly technical then numbers, else if literary then alphabetic. if the culture is historic then they could be named after a set order of (say) animals (A/1 = "shark", B/2 = "bear", C/3 = "diplodicus") or heros (A/1 = "dirkham", B/2 = "hellingsworth"). etc.

has anyone given any thought to how TOs might change at higher TLs?

sure. wanna start a thread on it?

Near future, against a near peer opponent, the American army believes a whole bunch of isolated units, somehow cooperating to achieve their objectives.

actually they've been thinking this way since the 1980's when considering how to deal with the soviet union in europe. in a "future" setting, including hostile em and ecm environments and in-structure engagements and frequent "take intact" goals then such autonomous operation capability would be standard procedure.

 

[flykiller]

I tend to think a company combat team is what you want to arrive at

imfb

 

[Condottiere]