Brigade, Regiment, Battalion, Company, and so on.

[THParent]

I did not see this explained anywhere, so I decided to take it upon myself to lay it out for the new applicants and parents;

The "Brigade" of Midshipmen is generally limited to around 4,400, which gives you four (4) average class sizes of 1,100 Midshipmen, each. The Brigade is then divided into two (2) Regiments of 2,200 Midshipmen each. Each of these Regiments is further divided into three (3) Battalions of fifteen (15) Companies each. Each Company has roughly 140 to 150 Midshipmen in it. Therefore, there are thirty Companies in the Brigade. See below for a more graphic representation (Companies are designated by a "C").

BRIGADE

1st Regiment

1st Battalion-------2nd Battalion------3rd Battalion
1C 2C 3C 4C 5C-----------6C 7C 8C 9C 10C---------11C 12C 13C 14C 15C


2nd Regiment

4th Battalion------5th Battalion-------6th Battalion
16C 17C 18C 19C 20C----21C 22C 23C 24C 25C-----26C 27C 28C 29C 30C


The 30 Companies are further broken down into Platoons, Squads, and Fire Teams. Typically, there are four (4) Platoons in each Company, comprised of three (3) Squads, which contain the smallest unit, called a Fire Team. Typically, a Fire Team is comprised of four (4) Midshipmen. A Squad is composed of one (1) Squad Leader and three (3) Fire Teams. See below for a more graphic representation (Fire Teams are designated by "FT").

Company
1st Platoon
1st Squad---------2nd Squad---------3rd Squad
Squad Leader---------Squad Leader-----------Squad Leader
FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4-----FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4------FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4

2nd Platoon
1st Squad---------2nd Squad---------3rd Squad
Squad Leader---------Squad Leader-----------Squad Leader
FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4-----FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4------FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4

3rd Platoon
1st Squad---------2nd Squad---------3rd Squad
Squad Leader---------Squad Leader-----------Squad Leader
FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4-----FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4------FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4

4th Platoon
1st Squad---------2nd Squad---------3rd Squad
Squad Leader---------Squad Leader-----------Squad Leader
FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4-----FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4------FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4

 

[thunderheadc6]

I did not see this explained anywhere, so I decided to take it upon myself to lay it out for the new applicants and parents;

The "Brigade" of Midshipmen is generally limited to around 4,400, which gives you four (4) average class sizes of 1,100 Midshipmen, each. The Brigade is then divided into two (2) Regiments of 2,200 Midshipmen each. Each of these Regiments is further divided into three (3) Battalions of fifteen (15) Companies each. Each Company has roughly 140 to 150 Midshipmen in it. Therefore, there are thirty Companies in the Brigade. See below for a more graphic representation (Companies are designated by a "C").

BRIGADE

1st Regiment

1st Battalion-------2nd Battalion------3rd Battalion
1C 2C 3C 4C 5C-----------6C 7C 8C 9C 10C---------11C 12C 13C 14C 15C


2nd Regiment

4th Battalion------5th Battalion-------6th Battalion
16C 17C 18C 19C 20C----21C 22C 23C 24C 25C-----26C 27C 28C 29C 30C


The 30 Companies are further broken down into Platoons, Squads, and Fire Teams. Typically, there are four (4) Platoons in each Company, comprised of three (3) Squads, which contain the smallest unit, called a Fire Team. Typically, a Fire Team is comprised of four (4) Midshipmen. A Squad is composed of one (1) Squad Leader and three (3) Fire Teams. See below for a more graphic representation (Fire Teams are designated by "FT").

Company
1st Platoon
1st Squad---------2nd Squad---------3rd Squad
Squad Leader---------Squad Leader-----------Squad Leader
FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4-----FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4------FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4

2nd Platoon
1st Squad---------2nd Squad---------3rd Squad
Squad Leader---------Squad Leader-----------Squad Leader
FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4-----FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4------FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4

3rd Platoon
1st Squad---------2nd Squad---------3rd Squad
Squad Leader---------Squad Leader-----------Squad Leader
FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4-----FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4------FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4

4th Platoon
1st Squad---------2nd Squad---------3rd Squad
Squad Leader---------Squad Leader-----------Squad Leader
FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4-----FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4------FT1 FT2 FT3 FT4

Thank you The Parent- Especially helpful was the company breakdown- I know my plebe's company but nothing about platoon or squad

 

[Old Navy BGO]

Curious, when was "Fire Team" implemented, and is it official Brigade policy or just in THP's son's Company ?
I certainly understand the concept, but not sure what is adds to to the Squad structure unless the goal is to assign specific Upperclass to Plebes for training. I saw no sign of any Fire Team structure when I visited.

 

[THParent]

It makes perfect sense to me. It's the Marine way

Typically, Marine squads have (3) 4-person Fire Teams + a squad leader = 13 people.
I think that USNA is using the "new" way with (4) 3-person fire teams + a squad leader (still equals 13).

 

[kinnem]

It makes perfect sense to me. It's the Marine way

Typically, Marine squads have (3) 4-person Fire Teams + a squad leader = 13 people.
I think that USNA is using the "new" way with (4) 3-person fire teams + a squad leader (still equals 13).

Either way makes sense. It's easier to get the word out and communicate when the squad leader can rely on the fire team leaders to handle their "phone chain". And as you say, it's the Marine way.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

It makes perfect sense to me. It's the Marine way
Typically, Marine squads have (3) 4-person Fire Teams + a squad leader = 13 people.
I think that USNA is using the "new" way with (4) 3-person fire teams + a squad leader (still equals 13).

Oh, I get it --- and that's the reason I questioned whether it was official Brigade wide or something done at the Company level. This sounds like something a gungy USMC Company Officer or Senior Enlisted Leader would implement. Perhaps it went Brigade wide when we had a USMC Commandant a few years back.

Back in the day, the Squad was the lowest level of formal organization. The size of the Squad was driven by the size of the tables in King Hall (My recollection it was 12 -- 2 at each end, 4 on each size), and much "training" was done at the Squad table during Noon meal. That seems to have changed a bit.

 

[pleber16]

It became a Brigade thing during my firstie year I believe, which coincides with Zeus coming in as Dant. I have a very faint recollection of sitting at a Dant's call and him announcing implementing it.

 

[THParent]

I have confirmation from my Plebe that USNA uses the "old way" (AKA: the correct way) with (3) 4-person fire teams, and a squad leader to fill out each squad.
I can't edit my OP to take the 4th fire team (FT4) off, but you people are smart. You get the idea.

 

[AROTC-dad]

I have confirmation from my Plebe that USNA uses the "old way" (AKA: the correct way) with (3) 4-person fire teams, and a squad leader to fill out each squad.
I can't edit my OP to take the 4th fire team (FT4) off,

@THParent - So does the chart below correctly depict what you are saying?

Company
1st Platoon
1st Squad--------------2nd Squad---------------3rd Squad
Squad Leader---------Squad Leader-----------Squad Leader
FT1 FT2 FT3 ---------FT1 FT2 FT3 -----------FT1 FT2 FT3

2nd Platoon
1st Squad--------------2nd Squad---------------3rd Squad
Squad Leader---------Squad Leader-----------Squad Leader
FT1 FT2 FT3 ---------FT1 FT2 FT3 -----------FT1 FT2 FT3

3rd Platoon
1st Squad--------------2nd Squad---------------3rd Squad
Squad Leader---------Squad Leader-----------Squad Leader
FT1 FT2 FT3 ---------FT1 FT2 FT3 -----------FT1 FT2 FT3

4th Platoon
1st Squad--------------2nd Squad--------------3rd Squad
Squad Leader---------Squad Leader-----------Squad Leader
FT1 FT2 FT3 ---------FT1 FT2 FT3 -----------FT1 FT2 FT3

 

[THParent]

Yes.

 

[TexMex2022]

While this isn’t the more important topic Mids care about, one distinction that must be made with squads that only Old Navy BGO mentioned is table sizes. In my company we have 4 platoons with 4 squads in each (with 3 fireteams per squad if there are enough 2/C). We have never dealt with fireteams, I really didn’t know they were a thing.
Splitting a ~40 person platoon into 3 squads would be 13 people yes, but a King Hall table only has 12 chairs (or 14 if King Hall staff is feeling motivated by sardine cans) so a squad usually has 3 plebes, 3 Youngsters, 3 2/C and 3 Firsties to equal 12. 1 firstie is the squad leader and the other two usually hold some other billet. The 2/C are fire team leaders (only really applicable for Plebe ProKnow). With attrition, study abroad, and out of company billets, the amount of 2/C and 1/C in a squad is usually closer to 2. So in all a true squad is about 10-11 people with spare seats at the table for squadless firsties and training staff.

 

[BDHuff09]

In my company it was 4 platoons of 3 squads each. YMMV. As said above, due to attrition and staff billeting there are usually only one or two firsties administratively assigned to a squad.

I think the idea behind fire teams was to establish a sort of mentorship chain, where a plebe (or two, if the numbers didnt work out) had one official 3/C mentor, who had one official 2/C mentor, who would in turn be mentored by the squad leader or another firstie in the squad. I think the idea behind it makes sense, and the administration seemed really intent on getting people to start utilizing that chain of command. As mentioned, the idea is only a few years old and not everybody has bought into it.

 

[usna1985]

In our day there were 36 companies. Each was much smaller than today both b/c the brigade was spread across more companies and there was more attrition. So companies 1-18 were in 1st Regiment and 19-36 in second. It's still hard to wrap may arms around my company being in a different battalion.

 

[NavyHoops]

We didn’t use the fire team structure, but it naturally worked that way. A firstie ran the squad. Usually a few Plebes were assigned to a certain 3/C and then 2/C. So regardless of having fire teams officially assigned it worked that way. We rarely had more than 1 1/C in a squad. As mentioned attrition was much higher than it is now. With out of company billets it was rare to have a second 1/C in a squad. Breakfast was also mandatory for us (cutrent Mids, it’s optional mostly now?). So morning formation my two room mates stood with my squad. One was Bridgade staff and the other was VGEP and neither were in a squad but came for accountability, get word and come eat. We never had more than 12 per squad so we always fit at a table. Between athletes, duty, etc you are usually missing even more at meals. There used to always be a squad or two who had to ‘float’ each week and they would join in and take the extra seats. As to skipping chain of command, that definitely didn’t happen. We lived by the CoC.

 

[OldRetSWO]

We didn’t use the fire team structure, but it naturally worked that way. A firstie ran the squad. Usually a few Plebes were assigned to a certain 3/C and then 2/C. So regardless of having fire teams officially assigned it worked that way. We rarely had more than 1 1/C in a squad. As mentioned attrition was much higher than it is now. With out of company billets it was rare to have a second 1/C in a squad. Breakfast was also mandatory for us (cutrent Mids, it’s optional mostly now?). So morning formation my two room mates stood with my squad. One was Bridgade staff and the other was VGEP and neither were in a squad but came for accountability, get word and come eat. We never had more than 12 per squad so we always fit at a table. Between athletes, duty, etc you are usually missing even more at meals. There used to always be a squad or two who had to ‘float’ each week and they would join in and take the extra seats. As to skipping chain of command, that definitely didn’t happen. We lived by the CoC.

My experiences that were 15 or so years earlier were similar. Most of the attrition took place plebe year so it was the norm to see fewer youngsters, second class, etc. For a squad of 12 which was typical in my company, I'd say the typical was 4 plebes, 3 youngsters, 2 second class and 2 firsties with one being the squad leader and the other having some other company duty like Academic Officer or the like. For meals, it was optimal to have 4 plebes for food passing reasons and the mix of the others was less important

 

[Old Navy BGO]

For meals, it was optimal to have 4 plebes for food passing reasons and the mix of the others was less important

From my observation this Fall, there is much less emphasis on the orderly passing of food at the table.

 

[TexMex2022]

From my observation this Fall, there is much less emphasis on the orderly passing of food at the table.

More mid input:
The reason I’ve attributed to the difference between now and the orderly passing in plebe summer isn’t the lack of rigor, nobody yelled at us to pass the food orderly in plebe summer, it just happened out of efficiency, but now (depending on the meal) almost half of my table doesn’t eat the given food. They grab a healthier or vegetarian option from one of the stations instead of table food so passing it doesn’t cross their minds.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

From my observation this Fall, there is much less emphasis on the orderly passing of food at the table.

More mid input:
The reason I’ve attributed to the difference between now and the orderly passing in plebe summer isn’t the lack of rigor, nobody yelled at us to pass the food orderly in plebe summer, it just happened out of efficiency, but now (depending on the meal) almost half of my table doesn’t eat the given food. They grab a healthier or vegetarian option from one of the stations instead of table food so passing it doesn’t cross their minds.

That is certainly part of the issue...instead of an orderly transition from noon-formation, to standing by your seats and answering rates before announcements and seats, Midshipman are scurrying around to the various food stations for alternative options that didn't exist in the day. However, I saw Midshipman grabbing fixing their Z -burgers before seats as well, and no clear hierarchy among the classes. My observation (and that of those I was with) was this was more in line with a cafeteria than a Wardroom).

 

[MidCakePa]

They grab a healthier or vegetarian option from one of the stations instead of table food so passing it doesn’t cross their minds.

If there wasn’t so much fried food at the table, mids would feel less compelled to grab the healthier options away from the table. And then they could restore orderly passing.

USNA, for all it does well, leaves much to be desired when it comes to healthier food choices.