United States Army Units
The US Army is made up of 11 basic unit types. Soldiers serving in a particular “type” of unit can serve in many different branches, utilize different types of vehicles and weapons, and hold a multitude of different ranks. Think of the type as more or less a component designation. Currently, these are the 11 basic types;
- Army
- Corp
- Division
- Brigade
- Regiment
- Battalion
- Company
- Platoon
- Section
- Squad
- Team
To view the hierarchy of these unit click here.
Armies
Two Types of Armies
Nowadays, a United States army has somewhere between 100,000 and 300,000 combat personnel. In any case, they are the largest technical form of army units and, depending on the mission and scope, can come in many different sizes. Additionally, the type of units within the army can be made up of different types of forces with very different sets of responsibilities. In contrast to the days of old, the designation is more administrative than it once was. To avoid confusion, you’ll find a number at the front of the “Army” designation which lets you know that we aren’t referring to the entire United States Army.
You’ll find soldiers from every branch serving in each Army as an essential part of the unit.
The Mighty United States Army boasts seven (7) armies including;
- First United States Army AKA United States Army Forces Command
- United States Army Central AKA United States Central Command
- United States Army North AKA United States Northern Command
- United States Army South AKA United States Southern Command
- United States Army Europe AKA United States European Command
- United States Army Africa AKA United States Africa Command
- Eighth United States Army (United States Forces Korea)
There are two types of armies; field armies and theater armies.
Field Armies
A field army is made up of two or more corps. Currently, only one of the six armies within the United States Army is a field army. The Eighth United States Army is the only remaining field army under the current organization,
Theater Armies
A theater army is different from the older field army configuration because of how it is composed. Rather than having a rigid composition of corps units like field armies, theater armies are responsible for the administration and support of all United States Army forces that have been assigned or attached based on geography (area of responsibility). In short, a predefined geographic region is assigned to Combatant Commanders. Subsequently, forces placed under the operational control of that geographic command become part of that theater army unit.
Corps
For the uninitiated, you need to know upfront that we are NOT talking about the Marine Corps. That’s a separate group of honorable warriors who just aren’t as smart as soldiers. An Army Corps is made up of two or more Army Divisions and you will usually find the unit commanded by an officer with the rank of Lieutenant General (3 Star General).
Under the current United States Army configuration, there are only 4 active corps units;
- I Corps
- III Corps
- V Corps
- XVIII Airborne Corps
I Corps
I Corps was activated during World War I in France. Later, it saw action in World War II and the Korean War. Currently, I Corps is headquartered at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. As part the United States Army Forces Command, I Corps provides administrative oversight to all Army units operating in the Asia-Pacific region. I served in the 2nd Infantry Division at both Ft. Lewis, WA and Camp Casey, Korea.
III Corps
III Corps was activated during World War I in France. As part of the United States Army Forces Command, III Corps is headquartered at Fort Hood, Texas. III Corps was one of the units assigned to the Third Army under General George S. Patton during World War II. There are currently 12 major units assigned to III Corps. Ft. Hood holds a special place in my heart as it was the location of my birth. My father was assigned to the then Alpha Company of the 75th Ranger Regiment (V Corps Rangers) when I was born.
V Corps
V Corps was first activated in during World War I in France. The unit was reactivated on 11 February 2020 and headquartered at Fort Knox, Kentucky. As part of the United States European Command, V Corps provides increased command and control capability for the European Theater. After Senate confirmation, Major General John Kolasheski was promoted to Lieutenant General and became the first commander of the newly reactivated V Corps. The V Corps mission focuses on synchronizing U.S. Army, allied, and partner nation forces that are operating in Europe.
XVIII Airborne Corps
The XVIII Airborne Corps was first activated in 1942 when the United States entered World War II. At first, the unit was designated as the II Armored Corps and based at Camp Polk, Louisiana but was redesignated as the XVIII Airborne Corps a short time later (1943) out of operational necessity. It is currently headquartered at Ft. Bragg, NC and it’s focus is that of rapid deployment.
The XVIII Corps possesses the ability to provide a “flexible” strike capability by deploying worldwide, on short notice, without the formal declaration of an emergency. I had the honor of serving in the 82nd Airborne Division as part of the XVIII Airborne Corps and can attest, first hand, to the ability to put units on the ground anywhere in record time!
Divisions
Divisions are subcomponents of Corps and were created to make armies more flexible and easy to maneuver. An added benefit is that they make large armies more easily manageable. The concept was first implemented under Napoleon. In the United States Army, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades. Usually, several divisions make up a corps.
In the past, the division has been the default combined arms unit capable of independent operations. Nowadays, the United States Army has been increasing the use of Brigade Combat Teams which are smaller units and capable of functioning more independently with less required connection to a specific division. The senior enlisted member of a division will be a Command Sergeant Major.
11 Active Regular Army Divisions
- 1st Armored Division
- 1st Cavalry Division
- 1st Infantry Division
- 2nd Infantry Division
- 3rd Infantry Division
- 4th Infantry Division
- 7th Infantry Division
- 10th Mountain Division
- 25th Infantry Division
- 82nd Airborne Division
- 101st Airborne Division
8 Active Army National Guard Divisions
- 28th Infantry Division
- 29th Infantry Division
- 34th Infantry Division
- 35th Infantry Division
- 36th Infantry Division
- 38th Infantry Division
- 40th Infantry Division
- 42nd Infantry Division
Brigades
A brigade, sometimes referred to as a group, is generally comprised of three battalions (maneuver battalions). These units are usually commanded by either a brigadier general (1 star) or a colonel (depending on the type of brigade. In modern times, brigade units are often organized as brigade combat teams. These brigade combat teams are usually comprised of three maneuver battalions along with a cavalry squadron, a fires battalion, a special troops battalion (engineers, signals, and military intelligence), and a support battalion. The senior enlisted member of a brigade is a Command Sergeant Major.
Brigade Combat Teams
As of 2020, the United States Army brigades will consist of;
- 11 Heavy Brigade Combat Teams
- 7 Stryker Brigade Combat Teams
- 7 Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (light)
- 4 Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (airborne)
- 2 Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (air assault)
Regiments
A regiment, historically, is a subcomponent of a brigade. Its major relevance, in modern time, is in terms of esprit de corps. It’s combat purpose has been, for the most part, replaced by brigades or brigade combat teams. The Regimental command positions have also been eliminated with the exception of the 75th Ranger Regiment. Currently, the United States Army major unit building blocks are battalions, brigades, and divisions.
Separate (unattached) Regiments and Brigades
- 2nd Cavalry Regiment
- 3rd Cavalry Regiment
- 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
- 75th Ranger Regiment
- 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team
- 3rd Infantry Regiment
Battalions
A battalion usually consists of 300 to 800 soldiers. It is a subcomponent of a brigade and these units are divided into companies. Normally, a battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel with a command sergeant major as the senior enlisted member. The word is of italian origin.
A battalion is the smallest Army unit that is capable of independent operations (limited). Like divisions and brigades, it has an executive staff with a support and services unit. Because a battalion’s supplies are (for the most part) limited to what the soldiers and vehicles can carry, subordinate companies and their platoons are depend on the battalion headquarters for command and administrative functions as well as supplies.
Companies
Company units are usually comprised of 80–150 soldiers and commanding officer is usually a captain. Rarely, a company unit is commanded by a major. You’ll find that most companies have anywhere from three to six platoons. These units will be grouped together to form battalions or regiments. Occasionally, a specialized company can be found that is non-organic to a regiment or battalion and is, instead, under the command of a higher organization. The senior enlisted member of a company will hold the rank of First Sergeant.
Platoons
A platoon is made up of squads and is usually the smallest United States Army unit led by a commissioned officer. This commanding officer (platoon leader) is typically a junior officer holding the rank of second or first lieutenant with the senior enlisted member of the platoon being a Sergeant first Class (platoon sergeant). Platoons are made up of sections or squads. They are the building blocks of company units.
Sections
Sections are United States Army units that are comparable to squads. They may be comprised of anywhere between 6 and 20 soldiers. Two or more sections form a platoon. Historically, a section was led by a sergeant with one or two corporals assisting.These sections would include somewhere between 12 and 24 soldiers. With two sections in a platoon, the platoon leader would lead one of the sections while and the platoon sergeant would lead the other. In artillery branches, a section is usually larger than regular squad formations and are led by a Staff Sergeant.
Squads
A squad is a small unit led by a non-commissioned officer, usually a Sergeant or Staff Sergeant and normally has somewhere between 8 and 14 soldiers. An Infantry squad, for example, is comprised of two 4-man teams and a squad leader totaling 9 people. Both teams in squad units are normally led by Sergeants. Squads are building blocks of platoons and can come in many different forms comprised of soldiers with different specialties depending on their mission and function.
Teams
A team is the smallest unit in the United States Army and is configured based upon its primary function and mission. For example, a fire team (infantry) is made up of a team leader (usually a sergeant or corporal), a rifleman, a grenadier, and an automatic rifleman. In contrast, a sniper team is comprised of a sniper (targets and engages enemy targets at a distance) and a spotter who assists in targeting while also providing defense and security for the team. Teams are the building blocks of squads.
Additional Formations
It’s worth mentioning that there are some United States Army combat formations that follow but don’t exactly fit into the 11 entity types mentioned on this page. These units are formed below the brigade level and they include notable entities like the United States Army Special Forces groups.
In modern times, there are a total of 7 active Special Forces groups. Five of these groups are on active duty (AD) status while the remaining two groups are part of the Army National Guard. Each of these Special Forces Groups has a designated focus on a specific geographical regional focus with the soldiers assigned receiving intensive language and cultural training for the countries within their regions. In the past decade, group size has been expanded from three battalions to four battalions.
1st Special Forces Command
The 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) is a division-level command established in 2014 with the purpose of grouping together the Army Special Forces groups along with Psychological Operations (PSYOP), Civil Affairs, and other support troops. The command is headquartered at Fort Bragg, NC.
The primary mission of the 1st Special Forces Command is to assemble unconventional forces that are needed within a certain geographical region. This is accomplished by using a mixture of traditional combat and unconventional warfare units.
7 Active Special Forces Groups
- 1st Special Forces Group
- 3rd Special Forces Group
- 5th Special Forces Group
- 7th Special Forces Group
- 10th Special Forces Group
- 19th Special Forces Group
- 20th Special Forces Group
4 Inactive Special Forces Groups
- 6th Special Forces Group
- 8th Special Forces Group
- 11th Special Forces Group
- 12th Special Forces Group
Summary
Granted, the organizational structure of the United States Army is complex, at times complicated, and can be interpreted in several different ways. Outside of basic types of units and formations, there are additional elements like active or reserve status, operational roles, administrative functions, and branches assignments. But, with all that in mind, most every Army formation will fall into one of the 11 basic entity types mentioned earlier in this page.
Are you or is someone you know an Army veteran? If so, what units did you or they serve in?
If you are a veteran, thank you for your service!
If you know a veteran, be sure to thank them!
Table of Basic Army Units
[table id=2 /]