Easy way to explain different military units to non-military people

[dave lukins]

In Armoured Regiment the CO is a Lt. Col, he has a 2i/c = Maj, Ops Offr is a Capt. A Armd Sqn (Sabre) Leader is a Maj with Comms to the CO; the Sqn Ldr who is in a Challenger 2 Controls the tactical side of the Sabre Sqn, the 2i/c who is a Capt in another Challenger 2 controls the admin needs of a Sabre Sqn i.e. Replen etc. Each Sabre Tp is commanded by a 2Lt or Lt, there are occassions when a SSGT Comds a Tp, (I was one).

Not a lot has changed since I joined in 67. Land Rovers were the normal mode of transport for most OC's unless on a 'Big Exercise' and Hohne;)..SSM's had Ferrets. We also has SSgts/Sgts as Troop Ldrs.(especially Independent Sqns)

[Kernow]

Not a lot has changed since I joined in 67. Land Rovers were the normal mode of transport for most OC's unless on a 'Big Exercise' and Hohne;)..SSM's had Ferrets. We also has SSgts/Sgts as Troop Ldrs.(especially Independent Sqns)

OC goes around in his CR2 same as 2i/c, Ferrets are now gone the SSM uses a Spartan. Grand system.

[Officer of Engineers]

Perhaps the Americans here can provide a better picture but my overall impression was that British/Canadian/Australian Coy OCs were expected to command combat teams/company groups - that is two tanks more attached to an inf coy or an inf platoon or two attached to an armoured troop. Thus, Major is the lowest rank being trained for such an combined arms event.

[sourkraut115]

1. When mounted, an FSO is in a separate vehicle from the commander. In my day it was a FISTV. Now its a BFSV. Dismounted he was close but no too close. If the CO is hit what makes you think his RTO is less likelay to be hit than the FSO? Mine was always within hands reach.

2. The XO is usually a stop gap until a more senior officer can come down. When I was a company XO my experience had been rifle and scout platoon leader and weapons platoon leader. I became a company XO with 2.5 years experience. In the case of an S1 or S4 he is usually a Captain who has 1) Graduated from the Advanced Course and 2) has some S3 staff time as well. They both have a full understanding of the OPORD since they had to write the personnel and log annexes to that order. And they have a heck of a lot of experience as well. By the time I became an S4 I had the previous mentioned experience plus a year as support platoon leader, 2 tours in battalion S3 shops, one tour as S2 Air and one as the priamry assistant S3.

Trust me...I was more prepared to be a commander when I was an S4 than any of the company XOs in our battalion. It was a function of experience.

As I said, it makes absolute sense for the FSO to take over temporarily, leaving the platoons intact. I wasn't thinking mech (FSO in a FISTV, rather than humping in the command group), having been "light" for my entire career; and you are right that the RTO is equally at risk. However, I was simply relaying something that actually happened, not recommending that the RTO assume command of the company.

I would absolutely agree that the S-1 and S-4 are very well prepared to take over a company in the normal course of events. The point that I was trying to make is that I would hate to have the battalion give up the S-4 (or the S-1) while actively engaged. The experience you brought to the S-4 position seems to me to be more vital to the battalion effort than the immediate needs of a rifle company. Of course, that would be a decision made weighing both sides of the equation.

[sourkraut115]

Perhaps the Americans here can provide a better picture but my overall impression was that British/Canadian/Australian Coy OCs were expected to command combat teams/company groups - that is two tanks more attached to an inf coy or an inf platoon or two attached to an armoured troop. Thus, Major is the lowest rank being trained for such an combined arms event.

My experience has been on the light infantry side, but it is common practice to task organize tank platoons into a mechanized infantry company, or mechanized infantry platoons into a tank company, creating a "company team". The company commander (normally a captain) retains command of the team, within a combined arms task force centered on a battalion headquarters (which I believe the Commonwealth armies refer to as a battle group).

[Rifleman]

Perhaps the Americans here can provide a better picture but my overall impression was that British/Canadian/Australian Coy OCs were expected to command combat teams/company groups.....

I believe American company commanders do the same thing. Armor and mechanized companies deploy as combined arms combat teams. For operations, a mechanized company will give up a platoon or two of Bradleys and gain a platoon or two of Abrams.

Did I get that right, Albany?

[Cactus]

What constitutes an Artillery Division? Does it ever deploy as a division? Artillery batteries have sometimes been brigaded together for some attrition-intensive battles... but I am as yet unaware of an artillery division being formed and deployed thus. But some coutries show artillery divisions and corps in their ORBAT. Help?

[Officer of Engineers]

The Chinese People's Volunteer Army deployed 4 Artillery Division, essentially a Guns Bde(+), and fought as such in the initial stages of their Korean intervention. In the latter stages, these divisions formed the back bone of their defensive lines though more at the regt level than at the division but the division HQ remained in place as to concentrate fire whenever the Chinese decides to go on the offensive.

[Albany Rifles]

I believe American company commanders do the same thing. Armor and mechanized companies deploy as combined arms combat teams. For operations, a mechanized company will give up a platoon or two of Bradleys and gain a platoon or two of Abrams.

Did I get that right, Albany?

Exactly right