Question for Military members (former or current)

[drift_g35]

I am reading a book, The Outpost, and they were talking about how many Brigades they had in Iraq, vs how many were in Afghanistan.

Does a Brigade include all branches of the military, or just individual branches?

I highly recommend this book, Im only about 1/4 of the way through it but it is written very well.

[Hound]

A brigade is a measurement like a gallon is to water a brigade is to soldiers. Generally it is applied to the Army and Marines but I see no reason (with all of the branch consolidation) this would not apply to all branches. I don't have the context of your book though.

[muddywings]

air force uses: wings, groups, squadrons, flights
Wing-think of a base
Group-Flying Group, Medical Group, Logistics Group
Squadron- 517th Airlift Squadron, 477th Fighter Squadron
Then for admin purposes, you usually have a few flights within each squad

Brigade (Wing); Battalion (Group); Company (Squadron); Platoon (Flight); Squad (Element, although I was never in a unit that was broken down to that level)

I think that is right--did that from memory though. As for the Navy-who knows how the squids do it.

[StagLefty]

As for the Navy-who knows how the squids do it.

Squidoons,Squidades,Squidallions, etc.

[muddywings]

Work Center -> Division -> Department -> SHIP

ehhh...sounds kinda boring

Squidoons,Squidades,Squidallions, etc.

I like his ^^^ more!

[Inconel710]

As for the Navy-who knows how the squids do it.

Work Center -> Division -> Department -> SHIP

When I was in Bahrain in 2006, there were over 10,000 sailors on individual augmentation orders in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Djibouti supporting Army units because the ground pounders were "tapped out".

[Dave]

R Lee Ermy had a good breakdown of this on his show Mail Call. Can't find it on youtube at the moment though.

[TheBelly]

I'll break down the Army from the individual Soldier up to the Brigade

Soldier
Team: 3-5 Soldiers
Squad: 2-3 Teams
Platoon: 4-5 Squads
Company: 4-5 Platoons
Battalion: 4-6 Companies
Brigade: 4-6 Battalions

Think of about 3500-4000 Soldiers for a Brigade.

There are several different types of brigades: Infantry Brigade Combat Teams, Armor Brigade Combat Teams, Stryker Brigade Combat Teams, and even Combined Arms Brigade Combat Teams. Each has their own specific strengths and weaknesses, and one of those is personnel and manpower strengths. A Brigade Combat Teams usually deploys as a self contained unit, meaning the Brigade as a whole just gets up and goes.

There are also separate Brigades, such as Fires Brigades, Sustainment Brigades, and Signal Brigades. These types are extremely modular. The Sustainment Brigade that I was in had individual deploying units down to the Team level. A Battalion HQ element can deploy while all of the Companies assigned to it stay in the rear. That modularity is 'on purpose' to fulfill the Combatant Commander's requirements.

[brutal]

I'll break down the Army from the individual Soldier up to the Brigade

Soldier
Team: 3-5 Soldiers
Squad: 2-3 Teams
Platoon: 4-5 Squads
Company: 4-5 Platoons
Battalion: 4-6 Companies
Brigade: 4-6 Battalions

Think of about 3500-4000 Soldiers for a Brigade.

There are several different types of brigades: Infantry Brigade Combat Teams, Armor Brigade Combat Teams, Stryker Brigade Combat Teams, and even Combined Arms Brigade Combat Teams. Each has their own specific strengths and weaknesses, and one of those is personnel and manpower strengths. A Brigade Combat Teams usually deploys as a self contained unit, meaning the Brigade as a whole just gets up and goes.

There are also separate Brigades, such as Fires Brigades, Sustainment Brigades, and Signal Brigades. These types are extremely modular. The Sustainment Brigade that I was in had individual deploying units down to the Team level. A Battalion HQ element can deploy while all of the Companies assigned to it stay in the rear. That modularity is 'on purpose' to fulfill the Combatant Commander's requirements.

To complicate the structure of things, soldiers are often attached or TDY to other units.

I was Signal Corps and belonged to either a Signal Company (in Germany) and respective Signal Battallion/Brigade, and in the US to the Signal Battallion/Brigade, no Company per se, but was attached to other Battalion/Company/Platoon/Squad in support of the cohesive unit. An Artillery (nukes) unit in DE, and to the Logistics Company at Ft Riley's 1st ID.

Can be kinda fucked up at times. Our TOE came from the Signal Battalion, but they didn't have all our required gear to issue, like GP hex small tents, etc. and we always caught hell from the damn grunts running the field exercises for sleeping in our temp controlled maintenance van and not a flippin tent.

[jerrymrc]

To complicate the structure of things, soldiers are often attached or TDY to other units.

I was Signal Corps and belonged to either a Signal Company (in Germany) and respective Signal Battallion/Brigade, and in the US to the Signal Battallion/Brigade, no Company per se, but was attached to other Battalion/Company/Platoon/Squad in support of the cohesive unit. An Artillery (nukes) unit in DE, and to the Logistics Company at Ft Riley's 1st ID.

Can be kinda fucked up at times. Our TOE came from the Signal Battalion, but they didn't have all our required gear to issue, like GP hex small tents, etc. and we always caught hell from the damn grunts running the field exercises for sleeping in our temp controlled maintenance van and not a flippin tent.

Yep. Outside of true combat Brigades many of us got loaned out to all kinds of units. In Central/South America I had 1st Maint teams that I ran and my squad was a bunch of 63B's.

In DS1 I was loaned to the 21st out of bliss and then worked for a Marine unit doing EOD because of my electronics and X-ray background. In the late stages (sept-nov) it was common for me to go to KKMC/KKAB or back up to Kuwait to work a day or two for the AF or hop on a chopper to go out to a ship. I did get to meet many people and have many memories.

I deployed with 1st ID out of Riley but already had orders for the 22nd Support Battalion out of Dhahran. Got to live in Khobar towers for a few months.