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Battalion

 

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Battalion


 
 



A battalion is a military unitMilitary unit

A military unit is an organization within an armed force....
 of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven companiesCompany (military unit)

A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 100-200 soldiers....
 and typically commanded by a Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant Colonel

Lieutenant Colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine corps and air forces of the world, typica...
. Several battalions are grouped to form a regimentRegiment

A regiment is a military unit, consisting of battalions - usually three or four - commanded by a colonel....
 or a brigadeBrigade

Brigade is a term from military science which refers to military echelon under a division, above a regiment where that exist...
.

The nomenclature varies by nationality and by branch of arms, for instance, some armies organize their infantryInfantry

Infantry is a term for soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units....
 into battalions, but call battalion-sized cavalry, reconnaissance, or tank units a squadronSquadron

A squadron is a small unit or formation of cavalry, aircraft, or warships. ...
 or a regimentRegiment

A regiment is a military unit, consisting of battalions - usually three or four - commanded by a colonel....
 instead. There may even be subtle distinctions within a nation's branches of arms, such as 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 generally the smallest military unit capable of independent operations (i.e. not attached to a higher command), although many armies have smaller units that are self-sustaining. The battalion is usually part of a regimentRegiment

A regiment is a military unit, consisting of battalions - usually three or four - commanded by a colonel....
, groupArmy group

An army group is a military organization consisting of several field armies, and is supposed to be self-sufficient for indef...
 or a brigadeBrigade

Brigade is a term from military science which refers to military echelon under a division, above a regiment where that exist...
, depending on the organizational model used by that service. The bulk of a battalion will ordinarily be homogeneous with respect to type (e.g. an infantry battalion or a tank battalion), although there are many exceptions. Every battalion will also include some sort of combat service supportCombat service support

Combat Service Support is a United States military term....
, typically organized within a combat support companyCombat Support Company

A Combat Service Company is a company-echelon unit which provides combat service support to a battalion....
.

The term is ItalianItalian language

Italian is a Romance language spoken by about 70 million people, primarily in Italy....
 in origin, appearing as battaglione. The French changed the spelling to bataillon, whereupon it directly entered into GermanGerman language

German is a West Germanic language....
.

British Army

The term battalion is used in the infantryBritish Army Infantry

The British Army's Infantry is comprised of 50 battalions of Infantry, from 18 Regiments....
, Royal Army Medical CorpsRoyal Army Medical Corps

The Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army p...
, Royal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersRoyal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the mainte...
 and Intelligence CorpsIntelligence Corps

The Intelligence Corps is one of the corps of the British Army....
 only. It was formerly used for a few units in the Royal EngineersRoyal Engineers

The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers, and commonly known as the Sappers, is one...
 (before they switched to regiments), and was also used in the now defunct Royal Army Ordnance CorpsRoyal Army Ordnance Corps

The Royal Army Ordnance Corps was a former corps of the British Army corps....
 and Royal Pioneer CorpsRoyal Pioneer Corps

The Royal Pioneer Corps was a British Army combattant corps used for light engineering tasks....
. Other corpsCorps

A corps is either a large military unit or formation, an administrative grouping of troops within an army with a common func...
 usually use the term regimentRegiment

A regiment is a military unit, consisting of battalions - usually three or four - commanded by a colonel....
instead.

An infantry battalion is numbered ordinally within its regiment (e.g. 1st Battalion, The RiflesThe Rifles

and the ), usually a major
  • a logistics officer|S4]]), usually a captain
  • a communications officer|S6]]), usually a captain
  • a medical officer, usually a captain
  • a JAGJudge Advocate General's Corps

    Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG, can refer to the judicial arm of any of the United States armed for...
     (legal) officer, usually a captain
  • a battalion chaplainChaplain

    A chaplain is typically a member of the clergy serving a group of people who are not organized as a mission or church; lay c...
    , usually a captain


  • In addition, the headquarters will include non-commissioned officerNon-commissioned officer

    A non-commissioned officer, also known as an NCO or noncom, is an enlisted member of an armed force who has been...
    s and enlisted support personnel in the occupational specialties of the staff sections; these personnel will ordinarily be assigned to the battalion's headquarters and headquarters companyHeadquarters and Headquarters Company

    In United States Army units, a headquarters and headquarters company is a company sized military unit, found at the battalio...
    .

    External links

    • , 1996, By Major General Richard A. Chilcoat, US Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania

    See also

    • Battalion groupBattalion group

      A battalion group is a military unit based around a battalion....
    • March battalion
    • Military organizationMilitary organization Summary

      The armed forces of a state are its government-sponsored defense and fighting forces and organizations used to further the o...
    • Battalion of DeathBattalion of Death

      The Women's Battalion of Death was a small corps drawn from 2,000 female volunteers, formed between the February Revolution ...