A British Army Group in the First World War. 1, and the Bren No. Section: It is the smallest unit of the Indian Army with a strength of 10 personnel. Section armament consists of eight Steyr AUG A1 rifles (including versions reconfigured to Mod 14 standard with a Picatinny rail and an ACOG 4x magnification optical sight), with two of these being equipped with an M203 grenade launcher, and one FN MAG 58 general purpose machine gun; two soldiers are additionally armed with AT4 short range anti-armour weapons (SRAAW) for anti-armour defence, while Heckler & Koch USP pistols are available for distribution at the platoon level. Under the new structure of the infantry platoon, sections are made up of eight men divided into two four-man fireteams. A section usually consists of 7 to 12 men, and is part of a platoon. Articles which use infobox templates with no data rows, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, "Military Organisation and Structure – Army: Detailed Structure", http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/structure/army_detailed_structure.asp, "PART 5 – Battalion Organisational Structure 1965 – 1972", http://www.4rarmuseum.com/Unit%20Organisation.htm. [26] With section commanders now also being able to tailor equipment formations as needed instead of having to deploy in a pre-set lineup, the current British infantry section is as follows:[27]. With the United States military in the midst of a major reorganization—transformation, in the Pentagon’s lingo—here is a basic look at how modern ground, naval, and air units break down in terms of size and tasks. [13] The British section continued to consist of eight soldiers, but under normal circumstances these were now divided into a Charlie and Delta fireteam. In the Danish Army, the section consists of two squads, usually commanded by a Sergeant First Class. FM 5-10 Basic Formations, Movement Techniques, and Hand-and-Arm Signals A-3 also simplifies C2 and movement. Three sections together form a platoon. After the war, the Royal Air Force and other Commonwealth air forces adopted the term section for a formation of three aircraft, while a flight was normally six aircraft. Tank and other armored vehicle sections, as well as service and support sections, may be led by either an officer, usually a lieutenant (or a CWO, in the case of service and support units), or a SNCO ranging from staff sergeant to master sergeant. 1 with the GPMG, and the GPMG No. The Battlegroup is the basic building brick of the fighting formations. At the start of World War I, the Australian Army used a section that consisted of 27 men including the section commander, which was a non-commissioned officer holding the rank of sergeant. The section is used as an administrative formation and may be bigger than the regular squad formation often overseen by a Staff Sergeant. a heavy machine gun (HMG) platoon, consisting of a four-man platoon headquarters and three HMG sections, each having two HMG squads of four men each. A Section is commanded by a non-commissioned officer of the rank of Havildar or Sergeant. In some air forces, a section is a unit containing three to four aircraft (if it is a flying unit) and up to 20 personnel. 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. Establishment: circa 100,000; Commanded by a General However, in the French Army and in armies based on the French model, a section is equivalent to a platoon. The Army Cadet Force and the Army Sections of the Combined Cadet Force also make use of infantry sections; these are equipped similarly to their British Army counterparts (though without heavy weapons or grenades and with substituted small arms – the L1A1 rifle and L7A2 machine gun did not replace the Lee-Enfield No. Sections are usually under the command of a non-commissioned officer, often a corporal or sergeant. Headquarters and aircraft sections are always led by a commissioned officer. A command generally consists of two or more corps. A certain amount of 7.62mm linked ammunition was carried by all members of the section (200 rounds per gun group member, 50 rounds per rifle group member), with ammunition held by the rifle group being redistributed to the gun group prior to an assault. [5], The rifle section of a World War II infantry battalion was generally formed of ten men; a Corporal as the section commander, a Lance Corporal as the section 2IC, and eight privates. The section is further divided into assault groups, which are equivalent to the British fireteams (4 soldiers). Those formations which are designed to be mobile and have transportable weapons & equipment are called field formations. 4 .303 rifle, Gunner armed with a Bren .303 light machine gun, Section Commander/Charlie Commander (Corporal) armed with an L98A1/A2 5.56mm cadet GP rifle, Two Riflemen armed with L98A1/A2 5.56mm cadet GP rifles, Gunner armed with an L86A1/A2 5.56mm light support weapon, Section 2IC/Delta Commander (Lance Corporal) armed with an L98A1/A2 5.56mm cadet GP rifle, Assault team/Support team grouping (2013 onwards), Section Commander/Charlie Commander (Corporal) armed with an L98A2 5.56mm cadet GP rifle, Three Riflemen armed with L98A2 5.56mm cadet GP rifles, Section 2IC/Delta Commander (Lance Corporal) armed with an L98A2 5.56mm cadet GP rifle, Two Gunners armed with L86A2 5.56mm light support weapons, Rifleman armed with an L98A2 5.56mm cadet GP rifle, Fast assault/Fire support grouping (2013 onwards). A Battlegroup is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel and the Infantry Battalion or Armoured Regiment that he commands provides the command and staff element of the formation. Each fireteam consists of a team leader (corporal/lance-corporal), a scout with enhanced optics, a grenadier with a M203 and a LSW operator with F89 Minimi light support weapon. The LSW is now generally used as a designated marksman's rifle and the LMG is the belt fed weapon for laying down suppressing fire. The section was divided into a rifle group consisting of the section commander and six riflemen, and a gun group consisting of the section 2IC and gun controller, the section gunner or Bren No. The United States Air Force uses the term element, as well as section, to designate two or three subunits within a flight. Each fireteam consists of a team leader (corporal/lance-corporal), a marksman with enhanced optics, a grenadier with an M203 and an LSW operator with an F89 Minimi light support weapon. 1 and No 2 were normally part of the platoon headquarters). This video illustrates the squad’s basic approach march formations and movement techniques. The Canadian Army also uses the section, which is roughly the same as its British counterpart, except that it is led by a sergeant, with a master corporal as the 2IC. The Royal Air Force Regiment, the ground-based component of the Royal Air Force, currently employs a section structure similar to that of the British Army.[38]. In the Danish Army, the section consists of two squads, usually commanded by a Sergeant First Class. 3.4× Wildcat), F88 Steyr w/M203 under-barrel grenade launcher. There were two other section groupings; an assault team/support team grouping where the Delta fireteam (consisting of the section 2IC, a rifleman, and both section gunners) was responsible for covering the Charlie fireteam (consisting of the section commander and three riflemen, though this could be raised to four if the rifleman in the Delta fireteam was moved to the Charlie fireteam[14]) during the latter's movement from one position to another, and a modified version of the earlier rifle group/gun group organisation, used if it was felt that the strongest possible manoeuvre force was required, where both section gunners formed the gun group and all remaining personnel formed the Charlie fireteam which acted as the rifle group. An infantry section now consists of: Some units currently operating in Afghanistan have reintroduced the GPMG as a Section gun, on the scale of one per fire team, meaning that only two L85A2s are carried per Section and both are fitted with the UGL. In some air forces, a section is also a unit containing two or three aircraft, commanded by a Lieutenant. A Corps contained two or more Divisions and was one step below an army group. The introduction of the 5.56mm select-fire SA80 individual weapon or rifle (L85) and light support weapon (L86) to replace 7.62mm weapons and the L2A3 submachine gun in the late 1980s led to the rifle group/gun group organisation being abandoned in favour of fireteams (though the rifle group/gun group organisation would still be in effect until at least 1988, with changes mostly being limited to earlier weapons being replaced by their SA80 equivalents). Units vary in size, but in basic combat training (BCT), you will ordinarily be part of a squad, section, platoon, or company. Three sections together with a headquarters element form a platoon. tank and light armored reconnaissance platoons consist of two sections, each containing two tanks/light armored vehicles and crews, assault amphibian vehicle (AAV) platoons consist of four sections, each containing three AAV's and crews, combat engineer assault breacher sections consist of two CEV assault breacher vehicles and crews, This page was last edited on 31 January 2021, at 11:22. Each fire team has two IW, one with an underslung grenade launcher, one LSW and one LMG. For example, the intelligence section (S-2) of a battalion or squadron headquarters; the communications-electronics maintenance section, communication platoon, regimental headquarters company; armory section, Marine aviation logistics squadron. A section is also the name for a shift or team of police officers in various police forces, particularly in the Commonwealth. The section had varying manpower depending on the battalion (most battalions would continue to have ten men per section; while mechanised battalions nominally had ten men as well, two of these were detailed as crew for the section armoured personnel carrier, thereby reducing the dismounted strength to eight), but retained the rifle group/gun group organisation; the rifle group consisted of the section commander (Corporal) with an L1A1 7.62mm self-loading rifle (SLR) and six riflemen with L1A1 7.62mm SLRs, while the gun group consisted of the section 2IC and gun controller (Lance Corporal) with an L1A1 7.62mm SLR, the section gunner or GPMG No. The French equivalent of the British Army section is called a "Combat Group". Rifle-launched No. [22] Some units operating in Afghanistan carried on using the L7A2 GPMG as the section machine gun or included it as an additional weapon on the scale of one per fireteam; in the case of the latter, this meant that only two L85A2s (at least one of which was fitted with the UGL) were carried per section. Rifleman, armed with an L86A2 5.56mm light support weapon. Figure 9-1, illustrates some drill formations. Major Units are regiment or battalion-sized with minor units being smaller, either company sized sub-units or platoons. 2 carrying a spare barrel and additional ammunition for the Bren gun. The other eight soldiers all used No.1 Mk.3 Lee–Enfield rifles with a bayonet and scabbard. [4], Under the new structure of the infantry platoon, Australian Army sections are made up of eight men divided into two four-man fireteams. A drill consists of a series of movements by which a unit or individuals are moved in an orderly, uniform manner from one formation to another or from one place to another. The L86A2 LSW is now almost entirely unused by Infantry Sections, due to the implementation of the L110A1 (FN Minimi) and L129A1 Sharpshooter rifle. In Armor, Armored Cavalry, Mechanized Infantry, and Stryker Infantry units, a section consists of two tanks/armored vehicles, with two sections to a platoon. Two military meanings that I am aware of (after 38 years service): first - at small unit (squad/section/platoon level) being a literal formation (physical pattern / layout on the ground) of how troops move in the field. While the FV432 Bulldog can accommodate a section consisting of ten men, this is in relation to the earlier Cold War section organisation, with sections organised according to the later and post-Cold War organisation remaining at eight men. 1 with an L14A1 84mm anti-tank gun and either a L2A3 9mm submachine gun or an L1A1 7.62mm SLR and a MAW No. In some countries paramilitary forces are included in a nation's armed forces, though not considered military. Military organization or military organisation is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. [2][3] The section was later reduced to nine men, and consisted of the section commander, a two-man scout group, the section 2IC and two other men in the gun group, and a three-man rifle group; the section commander would usually move with the latter. 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 Sergeant. The section is further divided into two assault groups of four soldiers each (equivalent to the Australian and British fireteams) and a vehicle group consisting of a driver and a gunner. Singapore Army's infantry section consists of 7 men led by a Third Sergeant and assisted by a Corporal as 2IC. When a soldier is missing from formation, and his leadership has no clue where the soldier is at there is cause for alarm for the soldier as to he or she may be injured somewhere and or in the hospital and may be unable to reach their leadership due to their … Assault groups are broken down to even smaller fireteams, consisting of normally 2 soldiers, possibly 3, designated Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta. The Corps HQ is the highest field formation in the army The corporal used an M1928 Thompson submachine gun, while one of the privates used a Bren gun. Different combinations of these units can in turn be put together to form larger groups, known as formations. infantry, engineering). The USMC employs sections as intermediate tactical echelons in infantry, armored vehicle units (individual vehicles being the base tactical element), and low altitude air defense (LAAD) units, and as the base tactical element in artillery units. In April 1998 the Rifle Grenade General Service was introduced into service; issue was scaled at twelve L85A1 HE rifle grenades and six L15A1 rifle grenade launcher sights per section, effectively allowing all rifle-equipped members of the section to carry and use two rifle grenades each. Rifleman, armed with an L85A2 5.56mm rifle with 40mm underslung grenade launcher. LMG and GPMG gunners are now generally also equipped with the Glock 17 Gen. 4 sidearm although this is not always the case. In the US Cavalry, a section was roughly equivalent to a squad in the US Infantry. These were the L85 IW and the longer-barrelled L86 LSW ("Light support weapon"). Two or three sections usually make up a flight. Post–World War II and indicative for the Vietnam War a rifle section consisted of ten personnel comprising: a command & scout group (three persons – two sub-machineguns/M16A1 and a L1A1 SLR); gun group (three persons – a M60 machine gun and two L1A1 SLRs) and rifle group (four persons – L1A1 SLRs).[2][3]. Two to four soldiers. Rifleman, armed with an L110A1 5.56mm light machine gun. The section is used as an administrative formation and may be bigger than the regular squad formation often overseen by a Staff Sergeant. The Corps HQ is the highest field formation in the Army. It usually consists of between six and 20 personnel and is usually an alternative name for, and equivalent to, a squad. Formations in the military are essential in keeping track of where every soldier is at all times. 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. TA-541-0520 version 1.3 November 2020 The section is divided into one 3-man "group", which includes the section commander. 2 with an L1A1 7.62mm SLR and additional 84mm rounds), while the gun group did not undergo any changes.[12]. There were also groupings devised in relation to specific combat scenarios; sections engaged in trench clearing could either be organised as usual or be split into four assault teams of two men each, while sections tasked with clearing a house were organised into a command group, a covering group comprising both section gunners (and possibly the section 2IC), and two assault groups of two riflemen each. Formations in the military are a very important part of keeping the structure an order that the military has. A subunit within a modern French section is a groupe de combat ("combat group"), which is divided into: In the Irish Army, the infantry section consists of one Corporal or Ceannaire as section commander and eight other ranks. The French equivalent of the British Army section is called a "Combat Group". [8][9], With the switch from .303 Inch to 7.62x51mm NATO in the 1950s, the typical British infantry section was armed with and organised around the L7A1/A2 7.62mm general purpose machine gun (GPMG). During World War II, a rifle section comprised ten soldiers with a corporal in command and a lance-corporal as his second-in-command. 2 with additional 84mm rounds but otherwise continued to act as riflemen (in other battalions, the MAW No. Some sections, such as weapons platoon sections are led by a staff non-commissioned Officer (SNCO), usually a staff sergeant. However in France and armies based on the French model, it is the sub-division of a company (equivalent to a platoon). From the switch from .303 to 7.62mm NATO in the 1950s until the introduction of 5.56 mm calibre weapons in the late 1980s, the typical section was armed with and organized around the 7.62 mm L7 GPMG (general purpose machine gun). The importance and purpose of formations in the military is to help keep all solider and leaders safe and aware at all time. The Canadian Army also uses the section, which is roughly the same as its British counterpart, except that it is led by a sergeant, with a master corporal as second-in-command. In a mechanised infantry section, the rifle group is reduced to five men for a total of eight men in the section.[35][36]. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Section_(military_unit)&oldid=1003935021, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, F88 Steyr w/enhanced optic (e.g. In a normal rifle section, the focus is around the pair of C9 LMGs(Light Machine Gun) that are carried by Bravo and Delta teams, one in each team. The section commander will have overall control of the section, and is assigned to Fireteam Alpha of Assault Group 1. [1], During World War II a rifle section was made of ten soldiers with a corporal in command with a lance-corporal as his second-in-command. Infantry sections can consist of as few as eight Marines (heavy machinegun section) to as many as 32 in an 81-mm mortar section. They all carried two or three No.36 Mills bomb grenades. All section tactics were basically designed to bring the gun to bear on the enemy and support the gun; once the gun had suppressed the enemy ("winning the firefight") the rifle group would assault and destroy the enemy position with the gun providing fire until the last safe moment. 95 anti-tank grenades that had been used with the Lee-Enfield rifle continued to be made available for anti-armour defence in lieu of or in addition to the L14A1, with these later being replaced by shoulder-fired L1A1-A3 66mm HEAT rockets. Assault groups are broken down to even smaller 'fireteams' consisting of two soldiers, designated Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta. It has the added benefit of placing the … The gun group was commanded by the section 2IC (Lance Corporal) with an L1A1, and comprised the gunner with the GPMG and the gun No 2 with an L1A1. In many armies, it is a squad of seven to twelve soldiers. In conventional warfare, the section is split into two four-man fireteams ("Charlie" and "Delta"), commanded by the corporal and lance-corporal respectively. The 2IC (Lance-Corporal/Delta Fire Team Commander) will generally be one of the UGL gunners and will be in command of the GPMG. They are designated Assault Group 1 and Assault Group 2. Section. In traditionally horse-mounted arms of the French Army (e.g. Each section is divided into one 3-man group – including the section commander, and two 2-man groups. The other eight soldiers all used No.1 Mk.3 Lee-Enfield rifles with a bayonet and scabbard. The British Army section now consists of eight soldiers made up of a Corporal as section commander, a Lance-Corporal as his second-in-command ("2IC") and six privates. [34], Singapore Army's infantry section consists of seven men led by a Third Sergeant and assisted by a Corporal or Corporal First Class as 2IC. 4 and Bren light machine gun, while the L85 rifle was initially substituted by the straight-pull L98A1 and then the semi-automatic L98A2 which replaced the L98A1 from 2009 onwards) and, until 2018, used the following section groupings: L86A2s in Community Cadet Forces use began to be withdrawn from service at the same time as those held by the British Armed Forces, with no direct replacement for the weapon being identified;[31] as such, all members of a Army Cadet Force section would now be armed with an L98A2 rifle. [23] The 84mm AT-4 (L1A2 or L2A1) and then the 150mm NLAW replaced the L1A1 94mm HEAT rocket as the section anti-armour weapon,[24] though carrying arrangements were essentially unchanged;[22] the Javelin can also be carried for anti-armour capability. [10] There also were a number of M79 40mm grenade launchers available. (I.e., the Firing Platoon consists of several gun sections, which are the basic firing elements of the unit.) 2 with an L1A1 7.62mm SLR and a spare GPMG barrel. armour), the sub-division of a company is a platoon (peloton). In today’s Army, the same objectives-teamwork, confidence, pride, alertness, attention to detail, esprit de corps, and discipline-are accomplished by drill. https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Section_(military_unit)?oldid=5254823, F88 Steyr w/enhanced optic (e.g. 4 .303 rifle, Five Riflemen armed with No. [17], Changes were made to the section's equipment during the 2000s in response to operational demands and experience; the L85A1 rifle was upgraded to L85A2 standard between 2002 and 2006, with a further upgrade package consisting of a Picatinny rail handguard and alternative optical sights being introduced for select units in 2007 and more generally from 2009 onwards, the L123A1-A3 40mm underslung grenade launcher (UGL) was introduced as a replacement for the L85A1 HE rifle grenade, the L86 light support weapon was replaced as the section machine gun by the L110A1-A3 5.56mm light machine gun acquired as an Urgent Operational Requirement, and the second rifleman in the fireteam was re-roled as a designated marksman carrying either the L86A2 light support weapon[18] or, in later years, the L129A1 7.62mm sharpshooter rifle.