See below....
[edit] Canadian Army
Canadian Forces organisation is modelled after the British.
However, a Canadian infantry battalion consists of three or four
rifle companies identified by letter (A Company, B Company, etc), a
Combat Support Company, and an Administration Support Company. A
notable exception is The Royal Canadian Regiment which names its
companies sequentially throughout the regiment from the Duke of
Edinburgh's Company (instead of A Company) in the 1st Battalion to
Z Company in the 4th Battalion.
The Combat Support Company administratively contains the
specialized infantry platoons such as Recce Platoon, Pioneer
Platoon, HQ and Signals Platoon, Anti-Armour Platoon, and Mortar
Platoon. The Administration Support Company contains the support
tradesmen which a battalion requires, such as cooks, vehicle
technicians, supply, medics, etc.
[edit] United States Army
In the United States military, infantry companies are usually made
up of three rifle platoons and a heavy weapons platoon; tank
companies are usually made up of three tank platoons and a command
element. An infantry company is usually commanded by an army
captain. By tradition, the corresponding unit of artillery is
always called a "battery." The term "troop" was historically used
for horse cavalry, and is sometimes retained for armored
units.
Organic companies, which are not separate from their parent
battalion, are identified by letter - for example, "A Company, 1st
Battalion, 15th Rifle Regiment". The letters are usually pronounced
using the NATO phonetic alphabet or, before that, the Joint
Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet, resulting in names such as "Bravo
Company" and "Echo Company" (formerly "Baker" and "Easy" Companies,
respectively). Companies with a separate Table of Organization and
Equipment are identified by a number, and are able to operate
completely independently from any other unit's support.
Company-sized units which are organized under a Table of
Distribution and Allowance are identified with a name.
Company-sized units usually consist of four to six platoons (each
commanded by a Lieutenant), although there are examples of Combat
Service and Combat Service Support companies that have seven or
more platoons. For example, a Transportation Terminal Service
Company normally has two Ship Platoons, two Shore Platoons, one
Documentation Platoon, one Maintenance Platoon, and the
Headquarters Platoon. These platoons are commanded by First
Lieutenants, while the company is commanded by a Major.
There are some special units that have platoons commanded by
Captains, such as some aviation platoons and many special forces
units. This is not a punishment, but rather an honor, as those
platoons usually have some special operational capacity that
requires them to be commanded by an officer with more experience
than a Lieutenant. A Captain reports to his commander, usually the
battalion commander (a Lieutenant Colonel). However, there are some
administrative and other duties at battalion level and larger
(brigade or division) which are also handled by Captains, for
example the S-1 through S-4 officers of a battalion, or some staff
positions in the G shops at division
A company is typically commanded by a Captain, although there are
certain Combat Service and Combat Service Support companies that
are large enough, and specially configured to require the command
of a Major. The senior non commissioned officer of a company is
called a First Sergeant, and this job is always assigned to an NCO
who holds the First Sergeant rank.
[edit] United States Marine Corps
A Marine Corps rifle company consists of:
three rifle platoons
a weapons platoon
a Navy corpsman
an administrative clerk
a police sergeant (typically holding the rank of corporal or
sergeant)
a training NCO
a Company Gunnery Sergeant
a First Sergeant
an Executive Officer (XO), typically a First Lieutenant
a Commanding Officer (CO), typically a Captain
A weapons company has in place of the three rifle platoons, an 81
mm mortar platoon, an anti-armor platoon, and a heavy machine gun
platoon.
The following depicts the structure of a headquarters and support
company: Headquarters platoon consists of Marines from S-1, S-2,
S-3, and the Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defense section. Next is
the H&S Communications platoon, consisting of Radiomen,
Wiremen, Techs, Data Marines, and the associated staff. Next is
Service platoon, comprised of S-4, Motor Transportation, and
Supply. The last platoon in H&S Company is the Battalion Aid
Station, or BAS. The BAS is staffed entirely by Navy
Corpsman.
