A
section is a small military unit in some armies. In many armies, it is a squad-sized unit of seven to twelve soldiers. However in France and armies based on the French model, it is the sub-division of a company (equivalent to a
platoonA platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing about 30 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organised into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer...
).
Under the new structure of the infantry platoon, sections are made up of 8 men divided into 2 four man fire-teams. Each fire team consists of a team leader(Corporal/Lance Corporal), a scout with enhanced optics, a grenadier with a 40mm grenade launcher attachment and a LSW operator with F89 minimi light support weapon.
The British Army section now consists of eight
soldierA soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s made up of a
CorporalCorporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4. The word is probably derived from a medieval Italian phrase capo corporale, meaning "head of a body "...
as section commander, a
Lance-CorporalLance Corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of Corporal, and is typically the lowest Non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed...
as his
second-in-commandThe Second-in-Command is the deputy commander of any British Army or Royal Marines unit, from battalion or regiment downwards. He or she is thus the equivalent of an Executive Officer in the United States Army. This terminology is also used in many other Commonwealth armies.The Second-in-Command...
("2IC") and six
privatesA Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank . The term dates from the Middle Ages, where privates were known as "private soldiers" who were either hired, conscripted, or feudalized into service by a nobleman forming an army...
.
A
section is a small military unit in some armies. In many armies, it is a squad-sized unit of seven to twelve soldiers. However in France and armies based on the French model, it is the sub-division of a company (equivalent to a
platoonA platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing about 30 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organised into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer...
).
Australian Army
Under the new structure of the infantry platoon, sections are made up of 8 men divided into 2 four man fire-teams. Each fire team consists of a team leader(Corporal/Lance Corporal), a scout with enhanced optics, a grenadier with a 40mm grenade launcher attachment and a LSW operator with F89 minimi light support weapon.
British Army
The British Army section now consists of eight
soldierA soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s made up of a
CorporalCorporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4. The word is probably derived from a medieval Italian phrase capo corporale, meaning "head of a body "...
as section commander, a
Lance-CorporalLance Corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of Corporal, and is typically the lowest Non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed...
as his
second-in-commandThe Second-in-Command is the deputy commander of any British Army or Royal Marines unit, from battalion or regiment downwards. He or she is thus the equivalent of an Executive Officer in the United States Army. This terminology is also used in many other Commonwealth armies.The Second-in-Command...
("2IC") and six
privatesA Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank . The term dates from the Middle Ages, where privates were known as "private soldiers" who were either hired, conscripted, or feudalized into service by a nobleman forming an army...
. Three sections together form a
platoonA platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing about 30 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organised into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer...
. In conventional warfare, the section is split into two four-man
fireteamA fireteam is a small military unit of infantry. It is the smallest unit in the militaries that use it and is the primary unit upon which infantry organization is based in the British Army, Royal Air Force Regiment, Royal Marines, United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Air...
s ("Charlie" and "Delta"), commanded by the corporal and lance-corporal respectively.
The "Rifle Section" of the Second World War was formed of 10 men; a Corporal as the section leader with six privates with Lee Enfield rifles forming a rifle group, and a light machine gun group of a Lance-corporal, a gunner with the Bren gun and a "loader" carrying a spare barrel and extra ammunition.
Prior to the introduction of 5.56 mm calibre
squad automatic weaponA squad automatic weapon is a weapon designed to give infantry squads or sections a compact and mobile source of suppressive fire. SAWs are usually equipped with a bipod for stabilization and fire the same cartridge as the assault rifles carried by other members of the unit...
s (SAWs) in the late 1980s, the typical section was armed with and organized around the 7.62 mm L7 GPMG (
general purpose machine gunA general purpose machine gun in concept is a multi-purpose weapon, a machine gun intended to fill the role of either a light machine gun or medium machine gun, while at the same time being man-portable. However, performance in either role may be inferior to a weapon specifically designed for that...
). The section was typically divided into 3 "groups": a scout group, a rifle group and a gun group.
The scout group comprised two men with
rifleA rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s and/or
submachine gunA submachine gun is a firearm that combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol, and is usually between the two in weight and size...
s, who usually moved with the section commander (the corporal) close behind. In effect, the section commander was the third man in the scout group. The rifle group comprised 3-4 riflemen, and perhaps a grenade launcher (such as the
M79The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, Break-action grenade launcher which fires a 40x46mm grenade and first appeared during the Vietnam War. Because of its distinctive report, it earned the nicknames of "Thumper", "Thump-Gun", "Bloop Tube" and "Blooper" among American soldiers;...
or M203). The last group was the gun group. This was commanded by the section 2ic (the lance corporal), and the gunner was usually the second most senior private; the most senior private would lead the rifle group.
All section tactics were basically designed to bring the gun to bear on the enemy and support the gun. The gun would be deployed on the highest ground, with the best field of fire. The rest of the section carried ammunition for the gun. It was claimed that, in sections organised in this way, the gun provided 80 per cent of the section's firepower.
This organization was abandoned in favour of fireteams when 5.56 mm
assault rifleAn assault rifle is a rifle designed for combat, with selective fire . Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies, having largely superseded or supplemented larger and more powerful battle rifles such as the M14, FN FAL and the Heckler & Koch G3...
s and SAWs were introduced in the late 1980s. These were the
L85 IWThe SA80 is a British family of 5.56mm small arms. It is a selective fire, gas-operated weapon. SA80 prototypes were trialled in 1976 and production was completed in 1994....
and the longer-barrelled
L86 LSWThe SA80 is a British family of 5.56mm small arms. It is a selective fire, gas-operated weapon. SA80 prototypes were trialled in 1976 and production was completed in 1994....
("Light support weapon"). The firepower of the team has now been extended by the
L110A1 LMGThe Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of several countries...
. The LSW is now seen as a more accurate version of the IW and the LMG is the belt fed weapon for laying down suppressing fire. Each fire team has two IW, one with an underslung grenade launcher, one LSW and one LMG.
An infantry section now consists of:
Fireteam Charlie:
Corporal, armed with a L85A2 5.56mm rifle.
riflemen, armed with a L85A2 5.56mm rifle with 40mm underslung grenade launcher.
rifleman, armed with a L108A1 5.56mm light machine gun.
rifleman, armed with a L7A2 7.62mm general purpose machine gun.
Fireteam Delta:
Lance Corporal, armed with a L85A2 5.56mm rifle.
riflemen, armed with a L85A2 5.56mm rifle with 40mm underslung grenade launcher and benelli M4.
rifleman, armed with a L108A1 5.56mm light machine gun.
rifleman, armed with a L86A2 5.56mm light support weapon.
NOTE. All troops in an infantry section are armed with a P228 pistol and
1 infantry section to a mastiff or warrior
Canadian Forces
The
Canadian Forces Land Force CommandLand Force Command , often also called the Canadian Army, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces.The current size of Land Force Command is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers.LFC maintains regular forces units at bases...
also uses the section, which is roughly the same as its British counterpart, except that it is led by a
sergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
, with a
master corporalMaster Corporal , in the Canadian Forces, and the Royal Canadian Army Cadets is an appointment of the rank of Corporal in the Army and Air Force...
as second-in-command. The section is further divided into
assault groups, which are equivalent to the British fireteams (4 soldiers). They are designated Assault Group 1 and Assault Group 2. Assault groups are broken down to even smaller
fireteams, consisting of normally 2 soldiers, possibly 3, designated Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta. Alpha and Bravo make up Assault Group 1 and Charlie and Delta make up Assault Group 2.
The section commander will have overall control of the section, and is assigned to Assault Group 1, Alpha Team. His 2IC will be in command of Assault Group 2, and is assigned to Delta team.
In a normal rifle section, the focus is around the pair of C9 LMGs that are carried by Bravo and Delta teams, one in each team. This results in a formation of Bravo, Alpha, Charlie, Delta, with Bravo and Delta providing fire support with the C9s, Alpha as the command element and Charlie as the assault team.
French Army
In the French Army, a section is the sub-division of a company (equivalent to a platoon) in traditional foot arms (e.g infantry, engineering). In traditionally horse-mounted arms of the French Army (e.g armour), the sub-division of a company is a platoon (
peloton). The French equivalent of the British Army section is called a "Combat Group".
Singapore Army
Singapore ArmyThe Singapore Army is the branch of the Singapore Armed Forces responsible for land operations. It is the largest of the three armed services and comprises the majority of Singapore's Operationally Ready National Servicemen.-Capabilities:...
's infantry section consists of 7 men led by a
Third SergeantThird Sergeant is a Specialist rank in the Singapore Armed Forces. Third Sergeants are the most junior of Specialists, ranking above Corporals, who, in the SAF, are not considered Specialists and do not have command authority...
and assisted by a Corporal as 2IC. The section is divided into one 3-man "group", which includes the section commander. There are two other 2-man groups. The weapons carried include 2 light anti-tank weapons, 2 section automatic weapons (SAW), and two
grenade launcherA grenade launcher is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
s.
United States Army
A section in the US Cavalry is roughly equivalent to an
infantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of the Combat Arms they are the backbone of armies...
squadIn military terminology, a squad is a small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition this organization is referred to as a section...
in the
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
. Some corps, such as Air Defense Artillery and Field Artillery, use the term
section to denote a squad-sized unit in which the fire teams may act independently of each other in the larger platoon formation. The section is used as an administrative formation overseen by a
Staff SergeantStaff Sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
.
Other
In some
air forceAn air force, also known in some countries as an air army or historically an army air corps, is in the broadest sense, the national military that primarily conducts aerial warfare...
s, a section is also a unit containing two or three
aircraftAn aircraft is a vehicle which is able to fly by being supported by the air, or in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil An aircraft is a vehicle which is able to fly by being supported...
, commanded by a
LieutenantLieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service, emergency medical services or police officer rank....
. In the
LuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956.Schweizer Luftwaffe is also the name of the Swiss Air...
in the Second World War, this would have been called a
rotte, while the Red Air Force would have called it a
zveno or
para. Two sections and supporting ground staff make up a
flightA flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It usually comprises three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel.-Origins:The use of...
, known as a
staffelStaffel may refer to:* Rudolf Staffel , an American ceramist* Tim Staffell , an English rock singer and bass guitarist...
in the
Luftwaffe.
A section is also the name for a shift or team of police officers in various police forces, particularly in the
CommonwealthThe Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the Commonwealth and previously as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-three independent member states. Most of them were formerly part of the British Empire. They co-operate within a framework of common values...
. The term is no longer used in the British police, in which it originated and where it was the group of officers headed by a
SergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
.
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