battalion
Sign in to savethumb|right|Standard NATO Joint Military Symbology|NATO symbol for a friendly infantry battalion
AI overview
A battalion is a military unit typically consisting of several hundred soldiers organized under a single commander, serving as a fundamental building block of larger army structures. Battalions matter because they represent the smallest independent combat force capable of conducting major military operations on their own.
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Article
24 sectionsContents
- Description
- NATO
- General history
- British Army
- Battle group
- Canadian Army
- Indian Army
- Indian Armed Police Forces
- Royal Netherlands Army
- Russia
- Soviet Armed Forces
- Motorised rifle battalion
- Tank battalion
- Artillery battalion
- Sweden
- Swiss Army
- United States Armed Forces
- United States Army
- United States Marine Corps
- United States Navy
- Myanmar
- See also
- References
- External links
thumb|right|Standard NATO Joint Military Symbology|NATO symbol for a friendly infantry battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several companies, each typically commanded by a major or a captain. The typical battalion is built from three operational companies, one weapons company and one headquarters company. In some countries, battalions are exclusively infantry, while in others battalions are unit-level organizations. The word battalion has its origins in the Late Latin word battalion, which is derived from battalia, meaning "battle" or "combat." The term was used to describe a large group of soldiers ready for battle. Over time, its meaning evolved in military terminology.