[thoughtomator]

Cool! Thanks for the info. Can I question you a little more?

- where does a 'platoon' fit in?
- are there any other unit size designations used in the US armed forces?
- how many men exactly are in a company?
- what is an 'attachment', specifically?
- is there any consistent difference between a battalion and a squadron, or between a brigade and a regiment?

[thoughtomator]

whoops never mind, looks like I got my questions answered already - what great and knowledgable folks we have here!

[Tallguy]

is there any consistent difference between a battalion and a squadron, or between a brigade and a regiment? (Caution a Generalization follows) The US Army organizes by Battalion. Battalions are the largest "pure" formation in the combat arms: Cavalry, Artillery, Infantry, etc. The army is very tradition bound so the Infantry uses Platoon/Company/Battalion, while the Cavalry uses Platoon/Troop/Squadron, and the Artillery uses Section/Battery/Battalion. Others will correct me, I'm sure.

There is more information being added to this thread that answers your other questions.

[Britton J Wingfield]

We have one unit smaller than a squad, the fire team. 3-4 fire teams make up a squad, usually.