Platoon
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A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized 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—the platoon leader or platoon commander, usually a lieutenant. He is usually assisted by a senior non-commissioned officer—the platoon sergeant.
In some armies, platoon is used throughout the branches of the army. In others, such as the British Army, most platoons are infantry platoons, while some carry other designations such as tank, mortar, or heavy weapons platoons. In a few armies, such as the French Army, a platoon is specifically a cavalry unit, and the infantry use "section" as the equivalent unit.
The word is derived from the 17th-century French peloton, meaning a small detachment of soldiers, which came from pelote meaning a small ball (originally from Latin 'pillula', meaning 'little ball').
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Australian organization
In the Australian Army, a platoon has twenty-four soldiers organized into three eight-man sections plus a second lieutenant as platoon commander and a sergeant as platoon second in command, accompanied by a platoon radioman and medic (full strength of twenty-eight men.)
A section comprises eight men led by a corporal with a lance corporal as second in command, similar to the British Army platoon. Each section has two fireteams of four men, one led by the corporal and the other by the lance corporal. Each fireteam (also called a "brick" by Australian soldiers) has one soldier with a F89A1 light machine gun and the other three armed with F88 assault rifles. One rifle is equipped with an attached M203 grenade launcher for the grenadier's role while another has a C79 optical sight for the designated marksman role.
The platoon may also have three MAG 58 general-purpose machine guns, one M2 Browning heavy machine gun or a Mk 19 grenade launcher at its disposal.
British organization
In the British Army, a rifle platoon from an infantry company consists of three sections of eight men, plus a signaller (radio operator), a platoon sergeant, the platoon commander (either a second lieutenant or lieutenant) and a mortar man operating a light mortar (full strength of 27 men and one officer.)
Each section is commanded by a corporal, with a lance corporal as second-in-command and six privates divided into two four-man fireteams. Other types of platoons (such as mortar or anti-tank platoons) are generally smaller and are commanded by a lieutenant or captain.
Bangladeshi organization
In Bangladesh Army infantry regiments, platoons are commanded by a major or a captain, assisted by two to four lieutenants (or combination of lieutenants and Junior Commissioned Officers) and at least two sergeants. The platoon strength is typically thirty to fifty soldiers.
These platoons are equipped with at least one heavy machine gun, rocket launcher or anti-tank gun, with the crews of these weapons commanded by a corporal. In addition, there are at least two light machine guns, each commanded by a lance corporal. Each soldier is armed with an automatic or semi-automatic rifle and all commissioned officers carry a side arm.
Canadian organization
In the Canadian Army, the infantry Platoon Commander is a Lieutenant or Second Lieutenant, assisted by a Platoon Warrant (who may hold the rank of Warrant Officer, but is often a Sergeant). It is usually divided into three eight man sections and a heavy weapons detachment which will deploy a GPMG, Carl Gustav, and/or 60 mm mortar depending on mission requirements. Specialist platoons may be led by a Captain, assisted by a Warrant Officer. Some very large specialist platoons will actually have a Lieutenant as the second-in-command. In many corps, platoon-sized units are called troops instead.
Colombian organization
Within the Colombian Army a training platoon (in Spanish peloton) is often commanded by a higher-ranking soldier known as a dragoneante, who is selected for his excellence in discipline and soldiering skills. However, a dragoneante is still a soldier and can be removed from his position if his commander sees fit. For combatant platoons (platoons engaged in combat with guerrilla rebels), a corporal or sergeant would be the most likely commander.
French organization
In the French military, a peloton is a unit of cavalry or armor corresponding to the platoon, equivalent in size to an infantry section, and commanded by a lieutenant or sergeant. It may also mean a body of officers in training to become noncommissioned officers, sous-officiers or officers (peloton de caporal, peloton des sous-officiers). Finally, "peloton d'exécution" is the French term for a firing squad.
German organization
The German Army equivalent of the platoon is the Zug, consisting of a platoon headquarters (HQ) squad (Zugtrupp, which exactly is no Squad) of four to six men, and three squads (Gruppen) of eight to eleven men each. Three Züge make up a company (Kompanie), with the first platoon usually commanded by a company-grade officer (Kompanieoffizier), usually a first (Oberleutnant) or second lieutenant (Leutnant), who is also the company's second-in-command. The second and third Zug are led by experienced NCOs, usually master sergeants (Hauptfeldwebel). In the first platoon a master sergeant is assistant to the platoon leader, with this role filled by a sergeant (Feldwebel) in the second and third platoons. Each squad is led by a corporal (Unteroffizier) and its size corresponds to the typical passenger capacity of its squad vehicle (either wheeled or armoured). The task of the platoon HQ squad is to provide support for the platoon leader and as a reserve force (such as two additional snipers or an anti-tank weapon crew.)
Fallschirmjäger (airborne infantry) platoons (Fallschirmjägerzug) have special operations responsibilities, and have command positions one rank higher compared to their corresponding position in a standard infantry platoon. A captain (Hauptmann) is the platoon leader, assisted by a first lieutenant and each squad has a second lieutenant or a master sergeant in charge, often supported by a long-service sergeant or skilled senior corporal.
New Zealand organization
In the New Zealand Army, an Infantry Platoon is commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant or a Lieutenant with a Platoon Sergeant, a Platoon Signaller and a medic (where relevant) comprising the Platoon Headquarters. The Platoon is sub-divided into three section of between 7-10 soldiers, each commanded by a Corporal with a Lance-Corporal as the Section 2iC. Each section can be sub-divided into two fire-teams, commanded by the Section Commander and 2iC respectively, as well as normal two man Scout, Rifle and Gun Teams.
There are three Platoons in a Rifle Company, which is commanded by a Major, and Three Rifle Companies within an Infantry Battalion, which is commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel. An Infantry Battalion will also contain an organic Support Company (Mortars, Machine-Guns etc) and a Logistics Company (Transport and Stores).
Singapore organization
In the Singapore Army, a platoon is a Lieutenant billet. In practice, usually a Second Lieutenant is appointed the platoon commander, and will eventually be promoted to this rank. A typical infantry platoon consists of three seven-man sections of riflemen and a machine gun team, both commanded by Third Sergeants, a platoon sergeant and a medical orderly for a total of 27 soldiers.
Thai organization
In the Royal Thai Army, a platoon is commanded by a Lieutenant or Second Lieutenant assisted by a Platoon Sergeant, usually of the rank of sergeant major. In infantry units, rifle platoons are generally made up of five squads (three rifle squads, one machine gun squad and command squad).
United States organization
In the United States Army,[1] Rifle Platoons are normally composed of 42 soldiers. They are led by a platoon leader (PL), usually an Infantry second lieutenant (2LT), and with a Platoon Sergeant (PSG), usually a Sergeant First Class (SFC). Rifle Platoons consist of three nine-man Rifle squads and one nine-man Weapons squad. The Platoon Headquarters includes the PL, PSG, along with the PL's Radio-Telephone Operator (RTO), Platoon Forward Observer (FO), the FO's RTO and the Platoon Medic.
In the United States Marine Corps, rifle platoons are led by a platoon commander, usually a second lieutenant. The billet of Platoon Sergeant is a position intended for a Staff Sergeant but it can be held by a Marine ranking from corporal to staff sergeant. In a Marine regiment, rifle platoons usually consist of three rifle squads of 13 men each, usually led by a Sergeant, with a Navy Corpsmen, a Platoon Commander, a Platoon Sergeant. Each squad is further divided into three fireteams. A weapons platoon replaces the three squads with a 60mm mortar section, an assault section, and a medium machine gun section. The assault section consists of dual-purpose rockets such as the FGM-172 SRAW.
The United States Air Force Security Forces have a similarly sized and configured unit called a flight. It is made up of three 13-member squads, a flight commander (a second lieutenant, first lieutenant or captain), a flight sergeant (usually a non-commissioned officer of technical sergeant or master sergeant rank, and three other NCOs (usually staff sergeants) for a total of 44 members. The three extra NCOs are an acting Supply NCO, an acting Communications NCO, and an acting Intelligence NCO.
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