How Are Army Divisions Numbered?

MSN, explainer Answers to your questions about the news. ^ | march-29-2003 | By Phillip Carter

[LurkedLongEnough]

Confusing - maybe to the enemy, too.

[ko_kyi]

OK but what is the difference between a regiment and a brigade?

[Grand Old Partisan]

The divisions were numbered in the order they were created. The last one created was the 106th. Most were disbanded after WWII. Incidentally, many never existed at all, but were part of Patton's fictitous diversion army in northern England prior to D-Day.

Cheers,

Grand Old Partisan
http://www.republicanbasics.com/

[green team 1999]

don`t ask me,i read it twice and will read it later again,is confusing.

[mattdono]

Interesting. Does any FREEPER have a listing of the command structure for each branch of the service?

I am generally familiar with the rankings, but with all the talking heads on the tube, it is nice to know the relative experience differences between the commentators (i.e., a Captain in the Army isn't the same as a Captain in the Navy).

[BlueLancer]

"OK but what is the difference between a regiment and a brigade?"

I'll take a stab at this ...

Regiments contain like-equipped, like-missioned units. The 7th or the 12th Cavalry are made up of squadrons or battalions of similarly-equipped men .. mech infantry or tanks .. but regiments haven't been used as "regiments" for many years. Battalions or squadrons within those regiments are divided between different brigades and divisions.

A brigade is the smallest unit which is designed to operate independently (to some degree). Artillery, transportation units, maintenance units, air assets, cav/scouting units, are attached to the brigade so as to make it quasi-independent for functional use.

Most of the time, any more, combat teams are created for combined arms maneuvers, usually bypassing brigade composition. Combat teams (the old WWII Regimental combat teams) are usually smaller than brigade-level in size but have the combined arms assets that make them a more functional unit than the regiment. Combat teams are also usually formed for specific assignments and the units comprising those teams usually maintain no lasting affiliation with one another. When their particular mission is done, the battalions or special units go back to their original formations, to be drawn out to form different combat teams as the situation requires.

That's just what I remember being explained to me when I asked the same question many, many .. many .. years ago when I was assigned to 2nd Battalion 12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division.

[BlueLancer]

Look at their rank insignia on their shoulders ... for the most part, the insignia is mirrored between services.

A captain in the Navy wears eagles, comparable to a full colonel in the Army/Marines/Air Force.

An Army captain wears two silver bars, comparable to a full lieutenant in the Navy.

Army 2nd Lt = Navy Ensign
Army 1st Lt = Navy Lieutenant JG
Army CPT = Navy Lieutenant
Army Major = Navy Lt Commmander
Army Lt. Colonel = Navy Commander
Army Colonel = Navy Captain

[tictoc]

Thank you for this explanation.

[ZULU]

Sounds like a Legion equals a brigade, a Century equals a company, and a squad equals a mess of Roman legionnaires.

[Rebelbase]

Bump for later read.

[scott7278]

This is an exceptional link from the Department of Defense. They place the branches side by side, and it's interesting to see the differences -- a Navy Lieutenant is equal in rank to a Captain in the other brances, and a Navy Captain is equal in rank to a Colonel in the other branches.

The United States Military Rank Insignia

[green team 1999]

thank you for the assistance,much needed.

[holdmuhbeer]

bump

[KarlInOhio]

US Army Combat Arms Unit Histories.

Don't go there unless you want to spend an hour just browsing.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Army Colonel = Navy Captain...

I dunno, I remember a CPO being told that if he were in the Army, he'd be a sergeant to which he replied, "No, sir, I'd be a general."

[Fiddlstix]

Bump

[vetvetdoug]

Before the Civil War there were two regiments of Dragoons, one mounted rifle regiment and two regiments of Cavalry. When the war broke out the first and second dragoons became the first and second cavalry, the mounted rifles became the third cavalry and the first and second cavalry became the fourth and fifth cavalry. A sixth cavalry was added during the Civil War. After the Civil War there were added more Cavalry Regiments to combat the Indians, the Tenth being that of the Blacks(this is from memory so I may be in error). It gets more confusing as the history of our Army continues. This is just the cavalry regiments and the Cavalry per se was disbanded in 1942. I even confused myself trying to regurgitate the history.

[BlueLancer]

"I dunno, I remember a CPO being told that if he were in the Army, he'd be a sergeant to which he replied, "No, sir, I'd be a general."

Ha-ha-ha ... it is to laugh ...
Har-de-har-har ...

(But, really, that's a good one. I did two years at Annapolis as a Midshipman, and then 20 years in the Army, first in the cavalry/infantry and then as a court reporter. I catch it from all sides .. and it makes it hard to decide who to root for when the Army-Navy football game comes around.)

[BlueLancer]

And the 12th Cavalry were the only lance-equipped unit ever organized in the US cavalry system.

That phase didn't last long, but it was enough to give them the nickname "Blue Lancers".