{"id":1083,"date":"2009-01-16T01:37:00","date_gmt":"2009-01-16T07:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/genealogy.julietarr.com\/blog\/military-terms\/"},"modified":"2013-07-12T20:19:26","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:19:26","slug":"military-terms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/genealogy.julietarr.com\/blog\/military-terms\/","title":{"rendered":"Military Terms"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I started doing research involving military records, I had a hard time deciphering documents due to unfamiliar terminology.\u00a0 I found myself looking up terms, the same terms, over and over.\u00a0 So I started a list of terms I came across and looked them up one last time and noted them in a cheat-sheet.\u00a0 I hadn’t used it in a while, but the last few days I’ve been researching my American Revolutionary War ancestor and found myself pulling out my sheet.\u00a0 I thought I’d share it on my blog for others.<\/p>\n

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All of these definitions are word-for-word from Wikipedia.\u00a0 You can click on the term to go to the Wikipedia page where the term is defined to learn more.\u00a0 I also added links to Wikipedia pages for a few of the wars.<\/p>\n

Note:\u00a0 My research has been American-based in terms of military.\u00a0 These terms may or may not be relevant to the military of other countries.\u00a0 Also, this is certainly not an exhaustive list by any means.<\/p>\n

Military Terms<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Military<\/a><\/strong> – An organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country (or by attacking other countries) by combating actual or perceived threats.<\/p>\n

Corps<\/a><\/strong> – Either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service.<\/p>\n

Division<\/strong><\/a> – A large military unit or formation usually consisting of between ten to thirty thousand soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions make up a corps.<\/p>\n

Brigade<\/a><\/strong> – A military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army.<\/p>\n

Regiment<\/a><\/strong> – A military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. Depending on the nation, military branch, mission, and organization, a modern regiment resembles a brigade, in that both range in size from a few hundred to 5,000 soldiers (3 to 7 standard battalions). Generally, regiments and brigades are grouped as divisions.<\/p>\n

Battalion<\/a><\/strong> – A military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. Several battalions are grouped to form a regiment or a brigade.<\/p>\n

Company<\/a><\/strong> – A military unit, typically consisting of 75-200 soldiers. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure.<\/p>\n

Platoon<\/a><\/strong> – 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 \u2014 the platoon leader or platoon commander, usually a lieutenant.<\/p>\n

Squad<\/a><\/strong> – A small military unit led by a non-commissioned officer (NCO) that is subordinate to an infantry platoon.<\/p>\n

Commissioned Officers<\/a><\/strong> – Derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position. Commissioned officers are typically the only persons, in a military environment, able to act as the commanding officer (according to the most technical definition of the word) of a military unit.\u00a0 Commissioned officers generally receive training as leadership and management generalists, in addition to training relating to their specific military occupational specialty or function in the military.<\/p>\n

Non-commissioned Officer<\/a><\/strong> – Also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an armed force who has been given authority by a commissioned officer.<\/p>\n

Infantry<\/a><\/strong> – Soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot.<\/p>\n

Cavalry<\/a><\/strong> – The second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat, it represents the mobility and offensive power of the armed forces.<\/p>\n

Artillery<\/a><\/strong> – A military Combat Arm which employs any appar\u0101tus, machine, an assortment of tools or instruments, a system or systems used as weapons for the discharge of large projectiles in combat as a major contribution of fire power within the overall military capability of an armed force.<\/p>\n

Theater<\/a><\/strong> – A specific geographical area of conduct of armed conflict, bordered by areas where no combat is taking place.<\/p>\n

Campaign<\/a><\/strong> – A large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war.<\/p>\n

Links to Various Wars on Wikipedia<\/strong><\/h6>\n