5 Page
WWW.ARMY.MIL – Style Guide
AP Style for military units, going from smallest to largest, with units separated by commas: “I’m tired,” said Sgt. Joe Snuffy, with 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat
Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “I can’t wait to get home to my family.” Abbreviate Army units using standard acronym rules; note if it is a National
Guard unit.
Army units can be tricky. It does not suffice to say that a Soldier simply belongs to Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, as there are a multitude of Alpha Companies and
1st Battalions throughout the Army. Be sure to get the unit’s regimental, brigade or division affiliation; in other words, make sure a precise, unique unit name is
listed.
ARMY: Numbered armies (e.g., First Army) can generally stand alone if the
Soldiers depicted are assigned to various units within the numbered army or it’s
a wide shot of a numbered army event.
CORPS: Corps (e.g., XVIII Airborne Corps) can generally stand alone if the
Soldiers depicted are assigned to various units within the corps or it’s a wide
shot of a corps event except when referring to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
DIVISION: Divisions (e.g., 1st Cavalry Division) can generally stand alone if the
Soldiers depicted are assigned to various units within the division or it’s a wide
shot of a division event.
BRIGADE/BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM: Most brigades/brigade combat teams
numbered lower than 5 are part of a larger division. For example, each active-
duty division has a 1st brigade combat team, so be sure to list the division
affiliation: 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. There are a
number of active-duty and National Guard standalone brigade combat teams,
and they generally can be listed without a division. If it’s a National Guard unit,
be sure to list the state it’s affiliated with: 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team,
North Carolina Army National Guard.
REGIMENT: Do not use the shorthand for these units. For example, instead of
writing 1/120th Infantry, write out the full name: 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry
Regiment. Always list the subordinate unit before the name of the regiment: 1st
Battalion, 2nd Squadron. While the Army generally does not use the regimental
command structure like it used to, the regimental heritage is kept to maintain
the history and heraldry of many units.
BATTALION/SQUADRON: Most combat arms (e.g., infantry, artillery, cavalry
and armor) battalions and squadrons belong to a numbered regiment, which
must be listed in captions: the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd
Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. Many combat support and
combat service support battalions do not have a specific regimental affiliation,
but it’s best to list the brigade and/or division to which they belong: the 82nd
Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.
COMPANY/TROOP/BATTERY: Companies starting with a letter always belong
to a numbered battalion and regiment, which will be listed in the caption
as well. Spell out such company names using the phonetic alphabet: Charlie
Company, 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Brigade Combat Team,
North Carolina Army National Guard. NOTE: Some company-level units use
non-standard nicknames: “Killer Company.”
FORCE STRUCTURE
Soldier Individual
Squad/Section 9 to 10 Soldiers
Platoon 16 to 44 Soldiers; 2 to 4 squads
Company or Battery/Troop 62 to 190 Soldiers; 3 to 5 platoons
Battalion or Squadron 300 to 1,000 Soldiers; 4 to 6 companies
Brigade or Group/Regiment 3,000 to 5,000 Soldiers; 2 to 5 battalions
Division 10,000 to 15,000 Soldiers; 3 brigades
Corps 20,000 to 45,000 Soldiers; 2 to 5 divisions
Army 50,000+ Soldiers
ARMY UNITS