Canada (Imagi-Nation)

[redleg]

Is a lieutenant in the New Canadian Army the same as in most other armies? A commissioned officer and an academy or college graduate? I find it hard to believe that you would find enough commissioned officers to lead every infantry section. Do you not have sergeants to lead sections and teams?

[panzergator]

More indicative of a lack of knowledge and understanding of how Western armies are structured... Even a MODICUM of research would have prevented this embarrassing revalation. What is a squad? What is a section? What is a platoon! What does a non-commissioned officer do? What does an officer do? Basic questions someone might want answers to before popping up in this forum. Somebody just does not want to learn the basics, the common practice and language.

How many soldiers are in a squad, section, platoon, company for the major NATO members? What kinds of rank leads each? How many vehicles, how many tanks? A major commands a British company, a captain a US one. Does Canadian infantry use sections or squads?

How many squads or sections in a platoon? How many tanks in a British, French, US, German, or Canadian platoon? How many platoons per company? How many companies per battalion? How does each nation run combined arms? What is a battle group in what army? How about a team, or a task force? What is the US equivalent of a British tank regiment, squadron, and troop. What is the difference between British armoured infantry and mechanized infantry? What supporting weapons are included in the unit organization? How units supported with artillery and aviation assets? Engineers?

You can find list all the answers ON THE INTERNET.

[panzergator]

Deleted

[MechCommander]

Sergeants in the New Canadian Army are primarily used to keep the whole section together to prevent it from scattering, but overall command of it is largely done by a Lieutenant who recently graduated at the Officers academy in Ottawa.

[redleg]

We won't beat a dead horse. We already made recommendations about the use of NCOs when the Canadian delegation was in the ROD for the last conference. It's your army, but we would urge you to take a close look at staffing if you are going to have new academy graduates lead sections because you have A LOT of infantry sections in your army. Plus a new academy grad does not ave any real experience, unless you require them to serve as enlisted troops prior to attending the academy.

So 10-man infantry sections it is. They are led by a lieutenant.

Several questions for New Canada's light infantry platoons then:

1. Do you run with 3 or 4 sections per platoon? There are plenty of real-world examples of both.

2. Do you have heavy weapons in the platoon or are they attached from the company level? Some light infantry platoons have 3 rifle sections and a heavy weapons section with MGs and ATGMs. Others have just the rifle sections and a MG team with the platoon HQ. If you don't have heavy weapons with the rifle platoons you can always attach them from a company heavy weapons platoon.

3. What rank is the platoon leader? For the platoon HQ do you have a platoon leader and a platoon sergeant? Do you have someone carry the PL's radio for him? Most infantry platoon HQs are very small (just a couple dudes). In the ROD a platoon leader that didn't carry his own radio would be roughly handled.

[MechCommander]

A New Canadian Army Platoon is made up of 4 sections, the heavy weapons section is attached to the platoon, a New Canadian Light infantry regiment would use LMGS, and AT guns. (ATGMs and HMGs are reserved for Mechanized and Armored regiments.)

The leader of a platoon is a Captain with his HQ staff made up of the lieutenants from each section, with the platoon Sergeant Carrying the radio.

[redleg]

So, assuming that your weapons section is also 10 guys, you're looking at a 42-man platoon?

Platoon Leader (Captain)
Platoon Sergeant (Senior Sergeant)
3 x 10-man Rifle Sections (Lieutenants)
1 x 10-man Hvy Weapons Section (Lieutenant)

Heavy Weapons section would be 3 LMGs I'm guessing since you have no ATGMs?

You might want to consider having the platoon leader, platoon sergeant, and all section leaders carry radios. Then the platoon and section leaders can be on the platoon frequency and the platoon sergeant can be on the company frequency communicating with the company commander.

And when you say "staff" you are referring to the leadership team of platoon and section leaders right? the term "staff" usually means personnel who specialize in a particular role to assist the commander, like supply or JAG or fire support.

[MechCommander]

Again ATGMs are reserved only for Mechanized Infantry, and Armored Vehicle Regiments, as TOW launchers are rather bulky units.

Radios are standard to all Canadian Army units, however the Platoon Sergeant only has to carry the radio for the Platoon leader so the Captain can contact the company commander and the section leaders.

[redleg]

Read the post. I assumed LMGs since you DO NOT have ATGMs. You realize there are other ATGMs than TOW right? And you know the platoon and company operate on different frequencies right?

I'm just rrying to help you our, but it's very difficult! You've got your army operating in the dark ages.

[MechCommander]

That is correct the New Canadian Light infantry uses LMGs as they do not have any ATGMs light enough for them to carry it.

And yes I do know that the platoon and Commander operate on different Radio frequencies, so the platoon sergeant can just relay the messages to the section leaders.

[redleg]

So do you plan to keep your sections all together so you can relay messages, rather than giving them radios so they can spread out and operate independently or operate over distance? It's your army, but you're never going to be able to compete with another modern military with that mentality.

So 42 dudes in a light infantry platoon right?

Do your light infantry companies have 3 or 4 rifle platoons?

Do you have a heavy weapons platoon or section with the company HQ?

Do you have a mortar section in the company HQ like many other nations?

I assume that your HQ would be a major for a company commander, a captain for an XO, and then a few NCOs for clerk, supply, armorer, etc.

[MechCommander]

Thats correct radios are issued at the Platoon Level up to Regimental HQ.

Light Infantry Company's are made up of 4 Platoons

Company HQ is made up of the Company Commander under the control of Major, his XO is a Captain, the rest of Company HQ is made up of NCOs.

Attached to the Company HQ is a Heavy Weapons platoon armed with the same LMGs as the Heavy Weapons sections.

[panzergator]

Soooo, a company consists of either a major, a captain, and all NCOs, or sections commanded by lieutenants commanded by a captain... No privates. Even though privates have been mentioned in the past...

[redleg]

So then this is what I am tracking for a light infantry company:

Company HQ
-Company CO (Major)
-Company XO (Captain)
-Company Senior Sergeant
-Clerk
-Armorer
-Supply Sergeant
-NBC Sergeant
-Communications Sergeant
-2 x Drivers

3 x Rifle Platoons (42 dudes each)

Heavy Weapons Platoon (32 dudes)

I believe the privates are found in the rifle and machine gun sections.

That's a total of 168 personnel for the company if the org is correct.

[MechCommander]

That sounds about right.

The Company is commanded by a Major, Platoons is commanded by a Captain, and Sections are Commanded by Lieutenants, all NCOs (a term used loosely), are basicly there to be servants to the officers, all lower ranks are found in the rifle sections.