Infanty TO&E was[DS and SG] Regt's of the Crown

BTW TO&E tables of organization and equipment

Thomas Barclay wrote:

> I'm thinking in 2183, we can get some idea of formation sizes:
> Section (Inf): 6-8 guys
> Section (PA): 4-6 guys
> Platoon (Inf): 25-35 guys
> Platoon (PA) 20-24 guys
> Company (Inf): 110-150 guys
> Company (PA): 65-85 guys
> Battalion (Inf): 350-550 guys
> Battalion (PA): 275-305 guys
> etc.

<Note: my comments are directed at infantry not PA.>
IMO an ideal section (BTW we call them SQUADS here in the US, in some
conrers a
section is two squads or half a platoon) I believe that 8 or 9 is a good
number for
a rifle squad. A squad should have two manuever elements (We call them
teams). This
way, in trouble,  you have one firing, one manuevering. I'm not a fan of
threes. I
think it should be an even number so you have buddy teams, so that
leaves two 4 man
buddy teams or 4 guys in a fire team. Tacked  together with another
team, that
leaves you 8 men. (2 w/ SAWs) A corporal running each team and one sgt
squad
leader. When you put three squads (and or a weapon squad togetehr in a
platoon, it
leaves you with a pretty articualte little unit. Our mech units were
(they still
may be) 9 man squads but they had a 6 man dismount team and 3 guys in
the vehicle.
They monkeyed with one 6 man manuever element and also two three man
manuever
elements, but IMO it's never been as stable as a regular light infanrty
squad,
(Which used to have 2  5-man teams and a SL)

Now if you have a lower quality army or one with fewer leaders, then the
first
thing to dispsense with is the fire team concept and centralize on the
squad leader
and one manuever unit.
SO I guess I see infantry organization as: (let's make this simple and
call it a
parachute or airmobile air assault unit, no IFVs)
Rifle squad (section, whatever) 9 men
Rifle Platoon (3 squad, PL, PSG, <RTO/ECM>? and weapons squad <2 hvy
autos or PPGs
or GMS) 38 men
Rifle company (3 plts. weapons plt (mortars/GMS) HQ section 140 men

Battalion (3 rifle companies, 1 support company (AT <GMS> plt, ADA
section, ENG
section, scout section, Mrtar plt=100 men). 1 HHC company (bn staff
planning and
ops, maintenance plt, medical plt, commo platoon, supply platoon, intel
section,
ECM section, other stuff=140 men)= 660-700 men

Note this battalion would be augmented with additional engineer platoon,
armor
platoon, artillery battery, FAC/FDC section, intelligence collection
(sensor
section,radar section, ADA, etc etc) so you are looking at a battalion
task force
ready for deployment anyhwere with all of its support at 1000 men or 
bit more.
This thing has all the tail it needs. It can also farm out it's assetts
so that it
can mrph into 3 seperate company task forces for seperate actions.

Just IMO...

Los