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In military terminology, a battalion consists of two to six
companies typically commanded by a lieutenant
colonel. The nomenclature varies by nationality and by branch of arms, e.g. some armies organize their infantry into battalions,
but call battalion-sized cavalry, reconnaissance, or tank units a squadron instead.
There may even be subtle distinctions within a nation's branches of arms, such a distinction between a tank battalion
and an armored squadron, depending on how the unit's operational role is perceived to fit into the army's historical
organization.
A battalion is potentially the smallest military unit capable of independent operations (i.e. not attached to a higher
command), but is often part of a regiment — although the present day United States Army is a notable exception in this respect — and
is almost always part of a brigade. Battalions are ordinarily homogeneous with
respect to type, i.e. an infantry battalion or a tank battalion, though there are occasional exceptions.
United States Army
An American battalion has between 300 to 1000 Soldiers or Marines, and consists of 5 companies. It is commanded by a lieutenant colonel, with majors serving as the executive officer and
the Operations Officer (S-3).
Three to four battalions form a brigade.
In the 1960s to the present day, a typical infantry battalion has five companies: Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC),
which includes the battalion staff; A, B, and C Companies, and a Combat Support Company, which includes scouts, anti-tank, and
mortar sections or platoons.
American Army mechanized infantry battalions and tank battalions, for tactical purposes, will cross-post companies to each
other, forming a battalion-sized task force (TF).
During the American Civil War a battalion was a tactical
formation consisting of half the companies in a regiment.
British Army
The term battalion is used in the infantry, Royal Army Medical
Corps and Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers only. It was formerly used in the
Royal Engineers (occasionally) and the now defunct Royal Army Ordnance
Corps and Royal
Pioneer Corps. Other corps usually use the term regiment.
An infantry battalion usually has a Headquarters Company, Support Company and three Rifle Companies (usually, but not always,
A, B and C). Each company is commanded by a major, the officer commanding (OC), with
a captain as second-in-command. The HQ company contains signals, quartermaster, catering, intelligence, administration, pay, training, operations and medical
elements. The support company usually contains anti-tank, machine gun, mortar,
pioneer and
reconnaissance platoons. Mechanised units will usually have an attached
Light Aid
Detachment (LAD) of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) to perform field repairs on vehicles and
equipment.
Important figures in a battalion headquarters include:
- Commanding Officer (CO) (invariably a lieutenant
colonel)
- Second-in-Command
(2i/c) (usually a major)
- Adjutant (captain or major)
- Quartermaster (QM) (captain
or major)
- Regimental Medical Officer (RMO) (Royal Army Medical Corps captain or major)
- Regimental Administrative Officer (RAO) (Adjutant General's Corps captain or major)
- Padre (Royal
Army Chaplains Department captain or major)
- Regimental Intelligence Officer (RIO) (lieutenant or captain)
- Regimental Signals Officer (RSO) (lieutenant or captain)
- Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) (warrant officer class 1)
- Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant (RQMS) (warrant officer class 2)
- Chief Clerk
- Drum Major (or Bugle Major in light infantry battalions)
- Pipe Major (in Scots and Irish regiments only)
See also
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