Platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squad s depending on the nationality , branch of service , and mission type . In US military organization , the platoon can contain from as few as 9 ( e . g . , Communications Platoon , Headquarters and Headquarters Company [ HHC ] , Infantry [ Airborne , Air Assault , Light ] Battalion ) to over 100 members ( e . g . , Maintenance Platoon , HHC , Infantry [ Mechanized ] Battalion ] . Platoons are normally organized into a company , which typically consists of three , four or five platoons . A platoon is typically the smallest / lowest echelon military unit led by a commissioned officer — the platoon leader or platoon commander , usually a lieutenant ( O - 1 / 2 ) . However the rank of the officer may range from warrant officer ( W - 1 ) to captain ( O - 3 ) , or even major ( O - 4 ) , in rare cases . He / She is usually assisted by a senior non - commissioned officer — the platoon sergeant . In some instances , especially whenever the platoon commander ranks above lieutenant , there is a second officer of lower rank assigned as assistant platoon commander ( e . g . , USMC Fleet Anti - terrorism Security Team [ FAST ] Platoon ) . In some armies , platoon is used throughout the branches of the army . In others , such as the British Army , most platoons are infantry platoons , while some carry other designations such as tank , mortar , or heavy weapons platoon s . In a few armies , such as the French Army , a platoon is specifically a cavalry unit , and the infantry use " section " as the equivalent unit . Early usage . Etymology . The word is derived from the 17th - century French " peloton " , meaning a small detachment of soldiers . The word came from " pelote " meaning a small ball . The suffix " - on " is in principle a diminutive suffix in French , so " peloton " is a diminutive of " small ball " . It then took the meaning of a small group of people , in particular a small group of soldiers , a platoon or , more specifically , a firing squad . The modern French word " peloton " , when not meaning platoon , refers to the main group of riders in a bicycle race ( as opposed to any group or individual rider either well in the lead or trailing the main group ) . There is no evidence that " peloton " may have originally meant " volley " ( of musket balls ) . " Pelote " , but not " peloton " , also means a little ball ( used for various games ) ; there is no record that peloton may have originally indicated a single musket ball . It is thus not correct to say that the name corresponds to the original purpose of a platoon which was to be the basic unit for volley firing . " Pelote " itself originally comes from the low Latin " pilotta " from Latin " pila " , meaning " ball " , and the French suffix " - on " derives from the Latin suffix " - onus " . Use as a firing unit . The platoon was originally a firing unit rather than an organisation . The system was said to have been invented by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden in 1618 . In the French Army in the 1670s , a battalion was divided into 18 platoons who were grouped into three " firings " ; each platoon in the firing either actually firing or reloading . The system was used in the British , Austrian , Russian and Dutch armies as well . Modern usage . On 1 October 1913 under a scheme by General Sir Ivor Maxse , the British Army was reorganised from the previous eight company to a battalion structure to a four company structure with each company having four platoons as separate units each commanded by a lieutenant with a platoon sergeant as his deputy . Each platoon was divided into four sections each commanded by a corporal . When there was a shortage of officers , a non commissioned officer rank of Platoon Sergeant Major was created in 1938 and ceased in 1940 . Australian organization . In the Australian Army , a platoon has twenty - four soldiers organized into three eight - man sections plus a lieutenant as platoon commander and a sergeant as platoon second in command , accompanied by a platoon radioman and medic ( full strength of twenty - eight men ) . A section comprises eight men led by a corporal with a lance corporal as second in command , similar to the British Army platoon . Each section has two fireteam s of four men , one led by the corporal and the other by the lance corporal . Each fireteam ( also called a " brick " by Australian soldiers ) has one soldier with a F89A1 light machine gun and the other three armed with F88 assault rifle s . One rifle is equipped with an attached M203 grenade launcher for the grenadier ' s role while another has a C79 optical sight for the designated marksman role . The platoon may also have three MAG 58 general - purpose machine guns , one M2 Browning heavy machine gun or a Mk 19 grenade launcher at its disposal . British organization . In the British Army , a rifle platoon from an infantry company consists of three sections of eight men , plus a signaller ( radio operator ) , a platoon sergeant ( a Sergeant ) , the platoon commander ( either a second lieutenant or lieutenant ) and a mortar man operating a light mortar ( full strength of 27 men and one officer ) . Each section is commanded by a corporal , with a lance corporal as second - in - command and six private s divided into two four - man fireteams . Other types of platoons ( such as mortar or anti - tank platoons ) are generally smaller and are commanded by a lieutenant or captain . An armoured " platoon " is known as a " Troop " . Bangladeshi organization . In Bangladesh Army infantry regiment s , platoons are commanded by a major or a captain , assisted by two to four lieutenants ( or combination of lieutenants and Junior Commissioned Officer s ) and at least two sergeants . . The platoon strength is typically thirty to fifty soldiers . These platoons are equipped with at least one heavy machine gun , rocket launcher or anti - tank gun , with the crews of these weapons commanded by a corporal . In addition , there are at least two light machine gun s , each commanded by a lance corporal . Each soldier is armed with an automatic or semi - automatic rifle and all commissioned officer s carry a side arm . Canadian organization . In the Canadian Army , the infantry Platoon Commander is a Lieutenant or Second Lieutenant , assisted by a Platoon Warrant ( who may hold the rank of Warrant Officer , but is often a Sergeant ) . It is usually divided into three eight man section s and a heavy weapons detachment which will deploy a GPMG , and a Carl Gustav , depending on mission requirements . Sections are commanded by a Sergeant or Master Corporal with a Master - Corporal or Corporal in the second in command , or 2IC , position ; 6 of the eight soldiers in a section will carry C7 or C8 assault rifles fitted with either optics or a grenade launcher and two members will carry C9 LMG ' s . A section is broken into two assault groups of 4 with one LMG and three assault rifles , similar to British and Australian organization . Three to five infantry platoons will make up a typical infantry company , sometimes with a heavy weapons or support platoon in addition . Specialist platoons like reconnaissance , or " recce " , platoons that may be attached to a battalion may be led by a Captain and assisted by a Warrant Officer . Some very large specialist platoons will actually have a Lieutenant as the second - in - command . In many corps , platoon - sized units are called troop s instead . Prior to 1940 , a platoon might be commanded by either a warrant officer WO III or a lieutenant . An officer was referred to as " platoon commander " while a WO III in the same position was called a " Platoon Sergeant Major " or PSM . Colombian organization . Within the Colombian Army a training platoon ( in Spanish " pelotón " ) is often commanded by a higher - ranking soldier known as a " dragoneante " , who is selected for his excellence in discipline and soldiering skills . However , a " dragoneante " is still a soldier and can be removed from his position if his commander sees fit . For combatant platoons ( platoons engaged in combat with guerrilla rebels ) , a corporal or sergeant would be the most likely commander . French organization . In the French military , a peloton is a unit of cavalry or armor corresponding to the platoon , equivalent in size to an infantry section , and commanded by a lieutenant or sergeant . It may also mean a body of officers in training to become noncommissioned officers , " sous - officiers " or officers ( peloton de caporal , peloton des sous - officiers ) . Finally , " peloton d ' exécution " is the French term for a firing squad . Georgian organization . The Georgian Armed Forces equivalent of the platoon is the so - called Ozeuli . Translated it means " Group of 20 " but has no more connection whatsoever with the number . It has been transferred into modern usage from medieval army reforms of the Georgian king David the Builder . Originally it was meant to be a small detachment of exactly 20 men to be led by a leader of corresponding rank . Almost all smaller formations are based on the designations of those reforms , which originally suggested tactical flexibility by keeping the size of small units in whole numbers ( 10 , 20 , 100 ) . Battalions and brigades were not affected by that system . It is unknown whether that usage was abandoned in the late 20s of the 19th century or earlier , but in present days a Georgian platoon still called " Ozeuili " has a similar size to that of other armies . Normally for infantry it are 32 men but can vary depending on type of unit . German organization . The German Army equivalent of the platoon is the Zug ( same word as for a " train " ) , consisting of a platoon headquarters ( HQ ) squad " ( Zugtrupp , a literal translation of platoon troop ) " of four to six men . Three of these squads " ( Gruppen ) " of eight to eleven men each function as a platoon . Three " Züge " make up a company " ( Kompanie ) " , with the first platoon usually commanded by a company - grade officer " ( Kompanieoffizier ) " , usually a first ( " Oberleutnant " ) or second lieutenant ( " Leutnant " ) , who is also the company ' s second - in - command . The second and third " Zug " are led by experienced NCOs , usually master sergeants ( " Hauptfeldwebel " ) . In the first platoon a master sergeant is assistant to the platoon leader , with this role filled by a Sergeant I cl ( " Oberfeldwebel " ) in the second and third platoons . Each squad is led by a sergeant I cl ( " Oberfeldwebel " ) and its size corresponds to the typical passenger capacity of its squad vehicle ( either wheeled or armoured ) . Another of these vehicles is used for the platoon troop itself . The task of the platoon HQ squad is to provide support for the platoon leader and as a reserve force ( such as two additional snipers or an anti - tank weapon crew ) . Another sergeant I cl is in charge of the platoon troop ; seargeants of inferior rank act as assistant squad leaders in the other squads . " Fallschirmjäger " ( airborne infantry ) platoons ( " Fallschirmjägerzug " ) have special operations responsibilities , and have command positions one rank higher compared to their corresponding position in a standard infantry platoon . A captain ( " Hauptmann " ) is the platoon leader , assisted by a first lieutenant and each squad has a second lieutenant or a master sergeant in charge , often supported by a long - service sergeant or skilled senior corporal . New Zealand organization . In the New Zealand Army , an Infantry Platoon is commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant or a Lieutenant with a Platoon Sergeant , a Platoon Signaller and a medic ( where relevant ) comprising the Platoon Headquarters . The Platoon is sub - divided into three section of between 7 - 10 soldiers , each commanded by a Corporal with a Lance - Corporal as the Section 2iC . Each section can be sub - divided into two fire - teams , commanded by the Section Commander and 2iC respectively , as well as normal two man Scout , Rifle and Gun Teams . There are three Platoons in a Rifle Company , which is commanded by a Major , and Three Rifle Companies within an Infantry Battalion , which is commanded by a Lieutenant - Colonel . An Infantry Battalion will also contain an organic Support Company ( Mortars , Machine - Guns etc . ) and a Logistics Company ( Transport and Stores ) . Singapore organization . In the Singapore Army , a platoon is a Lieutenant billet . In practice , usually a Second Lieutenant is appointed the platoon commander , and will eventually be promoted to this rank . A typical infantry platoon consists of three seven - man section s of riflemen and a machine gun team , both commanded by Third Sergeant s , a platoon sergeant and a platoon medic for a total of 27 soldiers . Beginning in 1992 , the Singapore Armed Forces has allowed warrant officers to be appointed as platoon commanders . Thai organization . In the Royal Thai Army , a platoon is commanded by a Lieutenant or Second Lieutenant assisted by a Platoon Sergeant , usually of the rank of sergeant major . In infantry units , rifle platoons are generally made up of five squads ( three rifle squads , one machine gun squad and command squad ) . United States organization . United States Army . In the United States Army , Rifle Platoons are normally composed of 42 soldiers . They are led by a Platoon Leader ( PL ) , usually a second lieutenant ( 2LT ) , and with a Platoon Sergeant ( PSG ) , usually a Sergeant First Class ( SFC , E - 7 ) . Rifle Platoons consist of three nine - man Rifle squad s and one nine - man Weapons squad each led by a Staff Sergeant ( E - 6 ) . The Platoon Headquarters includes the PL , PSG , along with the PL ' s Radio - Telephone Operator ( RTO ) , Platoon Forward Observer ( FO ) , the FO ' s RTO and the Platoon Medic . United States Marine Corps . In the United States Marine Corps , rifle platoons are led by a platoon commander , usually a second lieutenant ( O - 1 ) , assisted by a platoon sergeant , a staff sergeant ( E - 6 ) . The platoon headquarters also includes a platoon guide , a sergeant ( E - 5 ) , who serves as the assistant platoon sergeant and a messenger ( Pvt or PFC ) . Rifle platoons consist of three rifle squad s of 13 men each , led by a sergeant ( E - 5 ) . A weapons platoon will usually have a first lieutenant ( O - 2 ) and a gunnery sergeant ( E - 7 ) because of the larger number of Marines and the more complex employment of the weapon systems included in these platoons . A weapons platoon has a 60mm mortar section of ten Marines and three M224 60mm mortar s , an assault section of 13 Marines and six SMAW s and a medium machine gun section of 22 Marines and six M240G s . Marine rifle or weapons platoons would also have one or more Navy hospital corpsmen assigned along with the Marines . United States Air Force . The United States Air Force Security Forces have a similarly sized and configured unit called a flight . It is made up of three 13 - member squads , a flight commander ( a second lieutenant , first lieutenant or captain ) , a flight sergeant ( usually a non - commissioned officer of technical sergeant or master sergeant rank ) , and three other NCOs ( usually staff sergeants ) for a total of 44 members . The three additional NCOs are an acting Supply NCO , an acting Communications NCO , and an acting Intelligence NCO . USSR organization . A motorised rifle platoon in the Soviet Armed Forces was mounted in either BTR armoured personnel carrier s or BMP infantry fighting vehicle s , with the former being more numerous by the late 1980s . Both were led by a platoon leader and assistant platoon leader and consisted of three 9 - man rifle squads mounted in three vehicles . In both BMP and BTR squads the driver and vehicle gunner stayed with the vehicle when the rest of the squad dismounted , and one squad in the platoon would have one of their rifleman armed with an SVD sniper rifle . There was either one empty seat in each BTR or two empty seats in each BMP to accommodate the platoon leader and assistant platoon leader . Tank platoons prior to the late 1980s consisted of a platoon headquarters squad and tank squads , each consisting of one T - 64 , T - 72 or T - 80 tank for 12 personnel and 4 tanks total ; platoons which used the older T - 54 , T - 55 or T - 62 s added an additional crewmember for a total of 16 . However tank units operating in Eastern Europe began to standardize their platoons to just two tank squads , for a total of 3 tanks and 9 personnel .