Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!pacbell.com!att!cbfsb!cbnewsc!cbnews!cbnews!military
From: dennett@Kodak.COM (Charlie Dennett)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Military Units
Message-ID: <1991Mar4.210659.7340@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 4 Mar 91 21:06:59 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (william.b.thacker)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 45
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: dennett@Kodak.COM (Charlie Dennett)
I have several questions concerning military units and their
interrelationships.  If this is a FAQ I appologise for taking up the
extra bandwidth.

[mod.note: I'd call this a Frequently-Asked Question.  How about a
volunteer to put together a standard answer from the responses that
are posted to this ? - Bill ]

After hearing unit names like division, company, brigade, corps, etc.,
I'd like to know how these all fit together.  For example, I think a
corp is made up of divisions.  I'm curious as to numbers and command
structure.  (I believe regiments were disbanded back in the 1950's.
Is that correct?)

I've also heard of the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne
Division.  Are there, or were there ever, divisions numbered between
these - 83rd Division, 84th Division, etc.?  I assume there is only one
division of each number.  In other words, there is not also an 82nd
Infantry Division. Is this correct?  Does anyone have a list of US Army
divisions?  I'd like to see one if it is available. Are divisions
consecutively numbered starting with the 1st division?  

What types of divisions are there.  I've heard of Airborne, Armored,
Infantry, Light Infanty, and Cavalry (what is cavalry in this day and
age).  What others are there and why are they called what they called?

Are other units also uniquely numbered.  For example, locally, the
134th Maintenance Company is currently stationed in the Mid-East.  Is
there or is there not some other company also numbered 134.  Since a
company is such a small unit I would assume that if all companies were
numbered that the number system would go quite high.

If you were to ask a soldier what "unit" he belonged to, would he
answer with his division, company, or something else?

Thanks for the info.  I will share what I find out with anyone
interested.

Charlie Dennett          | Rochester Distributed Computer Services
Mail Stop 01816          | Internet: dennett@Kodak.COM
Eastman Kodak Company    | System Manager - Imaging Science Lab
Rochester, NY 14650-1816 |