Military organization is the structuring of the armed forces of a state A sovereign state is a political association with effective internal and external sovereignty over a geographic area and population which is not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. While in abstract terms a sovereign state can exist without being recognised by other sovereign states, unrecognised states will often find it hard to so as to offer military capability Military capability is defined by the Australian Defence Force as "the ability to achieve a desired effect in a specific operating environment". It is defined by three interdependent factors: combat readiness, sustainable capability and force structure required by the national defence policy Defence policy is public policy dealing with international security and the military. It comprises the measures and initiatives that governments do or do not take in relation to decision-making and strategic goals, such as when and how to commit national armed forces. In some countries paramilitary A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force, but which is not regarded as having the same status; they are essentially civilians organized to act like a military force. The term uses the Greek prefix para- , also seen in words such as paramedic forces are included in a nation's armed forces. Armed forces that are not a part of the military or paramilitary organizations, such as insurgent An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognised as belligerents. An insurgency can be fought via counter-insurgency warfare forces, often mimic Mimicry occurs when a group of organisms, the mimics, evolve to share common perceived characteristics with another group, the models. The evolution is driven by the selective action of a signal-receiver, or dupe. For example, birds that use sight to identify palatable insects , whilst avoiding the noxious models military organizations, or use ad hoc Ad hoc is a Latin phrase which, literally, means "For this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and which cannot be adapted to other purposes structures.

Military organization is hierarchical A hierarchy (Greek: hierarchia , from hierarches, "leader of sacred rites") is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another and with only one "neighbor" above and below each of. The use of formalized ranks Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms. Ranking systems have been known for most of military history to be advantageous for military operations, in particular with regards in a hierarchical structure came into widespread use with the Roman Army The Roman army is the generic term for the terrestrial armed forces deployed by the kingdom of Rome (to ca. 500 BC), the Roman Republic (500-31 BC), the Roman Empire (31 BC - AD 476) and its successor, the Byzantine empire (476-1453). It is thus a term that spans approximately 2,000 years, during which the Roman armed forces underwent numerous. In modern times, executive control, management and administration of military organizations is typically undertaken by the government through a government department A ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister, but usually[who?] a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory, managerial or administrative organisations within the structure of public administration Public administration is the "translation of politics into the reality that citizens see every day." Any unelected, public employee is a public administrator: police officers, municipal budget analysts, HR benefits administrators, city managers, Census analysts, and cabinet secretaries are public administrators. Public administrators are, often known as a Department of Defense, Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Office, was the cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the US Army. It was also responsible for naval affairs until the establishment of the Navy Department in 1798, and for land-based air forces until the creation of the Department of the Air Force in, or Ministry of Defence. These in turn manage Armed Services A military is an organization authorized to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. As an adjective the term "military" is also used to refer to any property or aspect of a military. Militaries often function as societies within societies, by having their own that themselves command combat, combat support and service support formations and units.

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Executive control, management and administration of military organizations

The usually civilian or partly civilian executive control over the national military organization is exercised in democracies Democracy is a political form of government where governing power is derived from the people, either by direct referendum or by means of elected representatives of the people (representative democracy). The term comes from the Greek: δημοκρατία - (dēmokratía) "rule of the people", which was coined from δῆμος (dêmos) & by an elected political leader as a member of government's Cabinet A Cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of the government, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or Executive Committee, usually known as a Minister of Defence. (In presidential systems, such as the United States, the president is the commander-in-chief, and the cabinet-level defense minister is second in command.) Subordinated to that position are often Secretaries for specific major operational divisions of the armed forces as a whole, such as those that provide general support services to the Armed Services, including their dependants. Then there are the heads of specific departmental agencies responsible for provision and management of specific skill and knowledge based service such as Strategy Strategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked. How a battle is fought is a matter of tactics: the terms and advice, Capability Development Military capability is defined by the Australian Defence Force as "the ability to achieve a desired effect in a specific operating environment". It is defined by three interdependent factors: combat readiness, sustainable capability and force structure assessment, or Defence Science provision of research, and design and development of technologies. Within each departmental agency will be found administrative branches responsible for further agency business specialization A business is a legally recognized organization designed to provide goods or services, or both, to consumers, businesses and governmental entities. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies. Most businesses are privately owned. A business is typically formed to earn profit that will increase the wealth of its owners and grow the business work.

Armed services

In most countries the armed forces are divided into three or four Armed Services A military is an organization authorized to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. As an adjective the term "military" is also used to refer to any property or aspect of a military. Militaries often function as societies within societies, by having their own (also called branches): an army An army (from Latin armata "armed " via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine)), in the broadest sense, is the land-based Military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps. Within a national military force, the word Army may also mean a field army,, a navy A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includes anything conducted by surface ships, amphibious ships, submarines, and seaborne aviation, as well as ancillary support, communications, training, and, and an air force An air force, also known in some countries as an air army or air corps, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or other branch. Typically, air forces. Gendarmeries A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military body charged with police duties among civilian populations. The members of such a body are called gendarmes. The term maréchaussée (or marshalcy) may also be used (e.g., Royal Marechaussee) but is now uncommon (including equivalents such as Internal Troops Internal Troops, full name Internal Troops of the Ministry for Internal Affairs (Russian: Внутренние войска Министерства внутренних дел, Vnutrenniye Voiska Ministerstva Vnutrennikh Del; abbreviated ВВ, VV) is a paramilitary national guard like force in the now-defunct Soviet Union and its successor, Paramilitary Forces A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force, but which is not regarded as having the same status; they are essentially civilians organized to act like a military force. The term uses the Greek prefix para- , also seen in words such as paramedic, etc.) are an internal security service common in most of the world but are uncommon in Anglo-Saxon countries. This is particularly in contrast to the United States whose armed forces are prohibited from enforcing the law.

Many countries have a variation on the standard model of three or four basic Armed Services A military is an organization authorized to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. As an adjective the term "military" is also used to refer to any property or aspect of a military. Militaries often function as societies within societies, by having their own. Some nations also organize their marines Marines from the English adjective marine, meaning of the sea, via French marin, of the sea from Latin marinus ("maritime"), are military forces similar to the army. Historically the Marine forces or Marine Corps are infantry forces that are part of the country's navy. However, in some countries the Marine force or Marine Corps are under and special forces Special forces is a generic term for elite highly-trained military, police or civilian paramilitary tactical teams that conduct specialized operations such as special reconnaissance , surveillance, sniping, guerilla warfare, unconventional warfare (UW), foreign internal defense (FID), direct action (DA) and counter-terrorism (CT) actions as independent armed services. A nation's coast guard A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organisation tasked with search and rescue functions and lacking any law may also be an independent armed service of its military, although in many nations the coast guard is a law enforcement In North American English, a law enforcement agency is an organization responsible for law enforcement or civil agency. A number of countries have no navy, for geographical reasons, and some other variations include:

In Germany, the defense part of the Bundeswehr The Bundeswehr (German for "Federal Defence Force"; listen ) comprises the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities. The States of Germany are not allowed to maintain armed forces of their own, since the Basic Law of Germany states that matters of defense fall into the sole responsibility consists of the Army An army (from Latin armata "armed " via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine)), in the broadest sense, is the land-based Military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps. Within a national military force, the word Army may also mean a field army, (Heer), Navy (Marine), Air Force (Luftwaffe), Joint Support Service (Streitkräftebasis), and Central Medical Services (Zentraler Sanitätsdienst).

In larger armed forces the culture between the different Armed Services of the armed forces can be quite different.

Most smaller countries have a single organization that encompasses all armed forces employed by the country in question. Third-world armies tend to consist primarily of infantry, while first-world armies tend to have larger units manning expensive equipment and only a fraction of personnel in infantry units.

It is worthwhile to make mention of the term joint. In western militaries, a joint force is defined as a unit or formation comprising representation of combat power from two or more branches of the military.

Commands, formations, and units

It is common, at least in the European and North American militaries, to refer to the building blocks of a military as commands, formations and units.

In a military context, a command is a collection of units and formations under the control of a single officer. Although during the Second World War a Command was also a name given to a battle group in the US Army, in general it is an administrative and executive strategic headquarters which is responsible to the national government or the national military headquarters. It is not uncommon for a nation's services to each consist of their own command (such as Land Force Command, Air Command, and Maritime Command in the Canadian Forces), but this does not preclude the existence of commands which are not service-based.

A formation is a composite military organization that includes a mixture of integrated and operationally attached sub-units, and is usually combat-capable. A formation is defined by the US Department of Defense as 'two or more aircraft, ships, or units proceeding together under a commander.'[1] The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a formation as an 'arrangement or disposition of troops.' Formations include brigades, divisions, wings, etc.

A typical unit is a homogeneous military organization, either combat, combat support or non-combat in capability, that includes service personnel predominantly from a single Arm of Service, or a Branch of Service, and its administrative and command functions are integrated (self-contained). Anything smaller than a unit is considered a "sub-unit" or "minor unit".

Different armed forces, and even different branches of service of the armed forces may use the same name to denote different types of organizations. An example is the "squadron". In most navies a squadron is a formation of several ships; in most air forces it is a unit; in the U.S. Army it is a battalion-sized cavalry unit; and in Commonwealth armies a squadron is a company-sized sub-unit.

Table of organization and equipment

A table of organization and equipment (TOE or TO&E) is a document published by the U.S. Army Force Management Support Agency which prescribes the organization, manning, and equippage of units from divisional size and down, but also including the headquarters of Corps and Armies.

It also provides information on the mission and capabilities of a unit as well as the unit's current status. A general TOE is applicable to a type of unit (for instance, infantry) rather than a specific unit (the 3rd Infantry Division). In this way, all units of the same branch (such as Infantry) follow the same structural guidelines.

Hierarchy of modern armies

This gives an overview of some of the terms used to describe army hierarchy in armed forces across the world. Whilst it is recognized that there are differences between armies of different nations, many are modeled on the British or American models, or both. However, many military units and formations go back in history for a long time, and were devised by various military thinkers throughout European history. For example, Corps were first introduced in France in the 18th century, but have become integrated into the organization of most armies around the world. Readers interested in the detailed specifics of a national army (including the British and American) should consult the relevant entry for that country.

APP-6A Symbol Name Strength Constituent units Commander or leader
XXXXXX region, theater 1,000,000+ 4+ army groups general, army general, five star general or field marshal
XXXXX army group, front 250,000+ 2+ armies general, army general, five star general or field marshal
XXXX army 60,000–100,000+ 2–4 corps general, army general, four star general or colonel general
XXX corps 30,000–80,000 2+ divisions lieutenant general or three star general
XX division 10,000–20,000 2–4 brigades or regiments major general or two star general
X brigade 2000–5000 2+ regiments, 3–6 battalions or Commonwealth regiments brigadier general, brigadier, or one star general (sometimes colonel)
III regiment or group 2000–3000 2+ battalions or U.S. Cavalry squadrons colonel
II infantry battalion, U.S. Cavalry squadron, or Commonwealth armoured regiment 300–1000 2–6 companies, batteries, U.S. Cavalry troops, or Commonwealth squadrons lieutenant colonel
I infantry company, artillery battery, U.S. Cavalry troop, or Commonwealth armour or combat engineering squadron 70–250 2–8 platoons or Commonwealth troops chief warrant officer, captain or major
••• platoon or Commonwealth troop 25–60 2+ squads, sections, or vehicles warrant officer, first or second lieutenant
•• section or patrol 8–12 2+ fireteams corporal to sergeant
• squad or crew 8–16 2+ fireteams or 1+ cell corporal to staff sergeant
Ø fireteam 4–5 n/a lance corporal to sergeant
Ø fire and maneuver team 2 n/a any/private first class

Rungs may be skipped in this ladder: for example, typically NATO forces skip from battalion to brigade. Likewise, only large military powers may have organizations at the top levels and different armies and countries may also use traditional names, creating considerable confusion: for example, a British or Canadian armored regiment (battalion) is divided into squadrons (companies) and troops (platoons), whereas an American cavalry squadron (battalion) is divided into troops (companies) and platoons.

Army, army group, region, and theatre are all large formations that vary significantly between armed forces in size and hierarchy position. While divisions were the traditional level at which support elements (field artillery, hospital, logistics and maintenance, etc.) were added to the unit structure, since World War II, many brigades now have such support units, and since the 1980s, regiments also have been receiving support elements. A regiment with such support elements is called a regimental combat team in US military parlance, or a battle group in the UK and other forces.

During World War II the Red Army used the same basic organizational structure. However, in the beginning many units were greatly underpowered and their size was actually one level below on the ladder than usually used elsewhere; for example, a division in the early-WWII Red Army would have been about the size of most nations' regiments or brigades.[1] [2] At the top of the ladder, what other nations would call an army group, the Red Army called a front. By contrast, during the same period the German Wehrmacht Army Groups, particularly on the Eastern Front, such as Army Group Centre significantly exceeded the above numbers, and were more cognate with the Soviet Strategic Directions.

Hierarchy of modern navies

Naval organization at the flotilla level and higher is less-commonly abided by, as ships operate in smaller or larger groups in various situations that may change at a moment's notice. However there is some common terminology used throughout navies to communicate the general concept of how many vessels might be in a unit.

Navies are generally organized into groups for a specific purpose, usually strategic, and these organizational groupings appear and disappear frequently based on the conditions and demands placed upon a navy. This contrasts with army organization where units remain static, with the same men and equipment, over long periods of time.

Unit Name Vessel types No. of Vessels Officer in command
Navy or Admiralty All vessels in a navy 2+ Fleets Fleet Admiral or Admiral of the Fleet or Grand Admiral
Fleet All vessels in an ocean or general region 2+ Battle Fleets or Task Forces Admiral
Battle Fleet or Task Force A large number of vessels of all types 2+ Task Groups Vice Admiral
Task Group[2] A collection of complementary vessels 2+ Task Units or Squadrons Rear Admiral (upper half) or Rear Admiral
Squadron (naval) or Task Unit Usually capital ships A small number of vessels Rear Admiral (lower half), Commodore, or Flotilla Admiral
Flotilla or Task Unit Usually not capital ships A small number of vessels, usually of the same or similar types Rear Admiral (lower half), Commodore, or Flotilla Admiral
Task Element A single vessel One Captain or Commander

Auxiliary ships are usually commanded by officers below the rank of captain. These vessels include corvettes, gunboats, minesweepers, patrol boats, military riverine craft, tenders and torpedo boats. Some destroyers, particularly smaller destroyers such as frigates (formerly known as destroyer escorts) are commanded by officers below the rank of captain as well. Usually, the smaller the vessel, the lower the rank of the ship's commander. For example, patrol boats are often commanded by ensigns, while frigates are rarely commanded by an officer below the rank of commander.

Historical navies were far more rigid in structure. Ships were collected in divisions, which in turn were collected in numbered squadrons, which comprised a numbered fleet. Permission for a vessel to leave one unit and join another would have to be approved on paper.

The modern U.S. Navy is primarily based on a number of standard groupings of vessels, including the Carrier Strike Group and the Expeditionary Strike Group.[3]

Additionally, Naval organization continues aboard a single ship. The complement forms three or four departments, each of which is has a number of divisions.

Hierarchy of air forces

The organizational structures of air forces vary between nations: some air forces (such as the United States Air Force and the Royal Air Force) are divided into commands, groups and squadrons; others (such as the Soviet Air Force) have an Army-style organizational structure. The modern Canadian Forces Air Command uses Air Division as the formation between wings and the entire air command. Like the RAF, Canadian wings consist of squadrons.

Symbol (for Army structure comparison) Unit Name (USAF/RAF) No. of personnel No. of aircraft No. of subordinate units (USAF/RAF) Officer in command (USAF/RAF)
XXXXXX + Air Force Entire air force Entire air force All Major Commands / Commands Gen / MRAF or Air Chf Mshl
XXXXX Major Command / Command or Tactical Air Force Varies Varies By Region or Duty (subordinate units varies) Gen / Air Chf Mshl or Air Mshl
XX Numbered Air Force / No RAF Equivalent By Region (subordinate units varies) Varies 2+ Wing / Groups Maj-Gen / N/A
X Wing / Group (inc. EAGs) 1,000-5000 48-100 2+ Groups / Wings Brig-Gen / AVM or Air Cdre
III Group / Wing (inc. EAWs) or Station 300-1,000 17-48 3-10 Squadrons / 3-4 Squadrons Col / Gp Capt or Wg Cdr
II Squadron 100-300 7-16 3-4 Flights Lt Col or Maj / Wg Cdr or Sqn Ldr
••• Flight 20-100 4-6 2 Sections plus maintenance and support crew Capt / Sqn Ldr or Flt Lt
•• Section (or Detail) 2-4 2-3 n/a Junior Officer or Senior NCO

Military Task Force

A Task Force is a unit or formation created as a temporary grouping for a specific operational purpose. Aside from administrative hierarchical forms of organization that have evolved since the early 17th century in Europe, fighting forces have been grouped for specific operational purposes into mission-related organizations such as the German Kampfgruppe or the U.S. Combat Team (Army) and Task Force (Navy) during the Second World War, or the Soviet Operational manoeuvre group during the Cold War. In the British and Commonwealth armies the battlegroup became the usual grouping of companies during WWII and the Cold War.

Within NATO, a Joint Task Force (JTF) would be such a temporary grouping that includes elements from more than one armed service, a Combined Task Force (CTF) would be such a temporary grouping that includes elements from more than one nation, and a Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF)would be such a temporary grouping that includes elements of more than one armed service and more than one nation.

See also

References

  1. ^ United States Department of Defense, DOD Dictionary
  2. ^ Group. GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  3. ^ US Navy. GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2009-08-30.

Categories: Military organization | Military science

 

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