Military Units, U.S. Army and Air Force

Army Units.

Squad. In infantry usually 10 enlisted personnel under a staff sergeant.

Platoon. In infantry 4 squads under a lieutenant.

Company. Headquarters section and 4 platoons under a captain. (Company-size unit in the artillery is a battery; in the cavalry, a troop.)

Battalion. Hdqts. and 4 or more companies under a lieutenant colonel. (Battalion-size unit in the cavalry is a squadron.)

Brigade. Hdqts. and 3 or more battalions under a colonel.

Division. Hdqts. and 3 brigades with artillery, combat support, and combat service support units under a major general.

Army Corps. Two or more divisions with corps troops under a lieutenant general.

Field Army. Hdqts. and two or more corps with field Army troops under a general.

Air Force Units.

Flight. Numerically designated flights are the lowest level unit in the Air Force. They are used primarily where there is a need for small mission elements to be incorporated into an organized unit.

Squadron. A squadron is the basic unit in the Air Force. It is used to designate the mission units in operational commands.

Group. The group is a flexible unit composed of two or more squadrons whose functions may be either tactical, support, or administrative in nature.

Wing. An operational wing normally has two or more assigned mission squadrons in an area such as combat, flying training, or airlift.

Numbered Air Forces. Normally an operationally oriented agency, the numbered air force is designed for the control of two or more air divisions or units of comparable strength. It is a flexible organization and may be of any size. Its wings may be assigned to air divisions or directly under the numbered air force.

Major Command. A major subdivision of the Air Force that is assigned a major segment of the USAF mission.