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I think it really depends on the task at hand.

For example, conventional wisdom held that sniper teams should be very small to enhance their ability to avoid detection. But in Iraq American...

Yup, that's why I included both in the description




Yup, and for those who have been involved in the real thing that might well be an academic distinction without a difference. :)

But...

The following two books provide descriptions of hand-to-hand/CQB in Iraq. They won't provide stats on frequency but are certainly detailed.

Of the two I found House to House far more compelling...

The book Roughneck Nine One provides an excellent description of the Javelin being used under combat conditions for which it was intended (ie anti-tank rather than busting houses). The account...

That's what I realized about the other threads. They're a bit like an arguement in a bar over sports teams, never mind the whys or reasons.

If one wants 32-man platoons in 4 squads but another...

Good metaphor!

Hmmm...that was the point of my question above. I'm not proposing anything, I'm asking!

So let's try this.

To all individuals who proposed or commented upon TO&Es in related...

I defer to your experience since I think that you said it best in a related thread on battle drill:

My question about the operating environment is not quantitative.

In fact, the questions raised in the other threads are quantitative by neccessity: How many people should be in a squad? ...

Acutally, I think I'm doing the opposite. A question such as, "what's a good platoon TO&E" leads to comments such as the following from another thread:



Wow! Look at the vast chasm seperating...

Great in theory but the harsh reality is that at some point a congressman puts into place an appropriation for a weapon system, etc. and you end up with APCs that can't carry a squad or VTOLs that...

But the military is required to answer that question every day whether or not they want to.

The usual reply is that Darwinian journey from paper TO&E to survivable solution (if not winnable). ...

Excellent example of the need to define the operating environment relative to requirements and solution.

Protected mobility is great but protected from what and at what cost?

Another thread...

Yes, that's precisely the point of my questions (though not to that absurd extreme!). :)

A lot of bytes have been spilled in related threads about what battalions, companies, platoons, and squads...

Outstanding info! Love the the way the chart correlates weapon to frontage.

An interesting excercise would be to tag the weapons on the chart at the command level and concentration at which...

There have been several interesting proposals for squad through battalion-level organizations.

I'm interested in the relationships between organization, span of control, and "effective" weapon...

Also reminds me of Nigel from Spinal Tap..."But this one goes to 11."

:-)

That has always been my understanding. There does seem to be a disconnect bewteen peace-time or standard platoon organization and that used during actual fighting. It seems at times the "solid...

Perhaps those who have been recently trained as team, squad, and platoon leaders can shed some light on this. Is low level organization seen as a hard and fast rule or a framework for real-time...

The new Bradley organization seems to define "square peg in a round hole". I suppose they're trying to maintain a consistent squad-level organization regardless of transport (ie Bradely v Stryker v...