army chain of command
Army Chain of Command
Army chain of command represents the power structure in the US Army. In this interesting article, we will take a look at the hierarchy of the US army...
In an organization we report to our immediate superiors, who in turn report to their managers and this chain goes all the way to the CEO or the Managing Director of the company. We follow a hierarchy, a pyramid like structure and although the CEO may have many advisers, it is he who decides what course of action has to be taken. The US army also has its own rank structure. You can think of the President of the United States as the CEO, with many high-ranking officials as advisers. The army chain of command has the soldier as the basic or the building block. A group of soldiers organized together is known as a squad.
Organization of US Army
The President is the Commander-in-Chief of the chain of command in the army. An effective chain of command ensures that the army is prepared for any eventuality. Also, the people holding these important designations have been given individual powers so that there is no ambiguity about the power structure. The different ranks have specific roles and responsibilities. The US army is well structured and one of the best in the world.
- Squad: A squad is made up of 9 to 10 soldiers. A Sergeant or a Staff Sergeant commands the squad.
- Platoon: A platoon has typically 16 to 45 soldiers. It is commanded by a Lieutenant with a NCO as Second in Command.
- Company: It is made up of around 62 to 190 soldiers. It is commanded by a Captain with a First Sergeant as commander's NCO assistant. Three to five platoons together make up a company.
- Battalion: A battalion is made up of around 300 to 1000 soldiers. It is led by a Lieutenant Colonel with a Command Sergeant Major as principal NCO assistant. Four to six companies combined together make up a battalion.
- Brigade: A brigade is responsible for managing two to five battalions. 3000 to 5000 soldiers combine together to make up a brigade. It is commanded by a Colonel and a Command Sergeant Major as Senior NCO.
- Division: Brigades combined together make up a division. It has roughly around 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers and is commanded by a Major General.
- Corps: Two or five divisions constitute a Corps and it has around 20,000 to 45,000 soldiers. A Lieutenant General is in command of the Corps.
- Army: An army is a combination of two or more Corps. It has typically more than 50,000 soldiers.
| Designation | Person in-charge |
| Commander-in-Chief | Barack H. Obama |
| Secretary of Defense | Leon Panetta |
| Secretary of the Army | John McHugh |
| Chairman, Joint Chief of Staff US Army | Admiral Martin Dempsey |
| Army Chief of Staff | General Raymond Odierno |
| TRADOC Commander | General Robert Cone |
| Accessions Command Commander | LTG Benjamin Freakely |
| Cadet Command Commander | Major General James McDonald |
| 4th Brigade Commander | Col. Ronald P. Elrod |
| Sergeant Major Of The Army | SMA Raymond F. Chandler |
| TRADOC CSM | CSM David M. Bruner |
| Accessions Command CSM | CSM John Troxell |
| Cadet Command CSM | CSM Hershel L. Turner |
| 4th Brigade CSM | SGM Steven F.Ziebarth |