Division (military)

A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to fifteen thousand soldiers. In most armies a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions make up a corps.

History

Pre-modern divisions

The term division came into use as armies began to grow and become mass formations. The division was originally an organizational structure under the corps to assist in command and control of various regiments and brigades. The corps remained the primary maneuver unit of the army, while heraldry and unit identification remained primarily a matter of the regiment.

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The modern division

In modern times, the divisional structure has been standardized by most military forces. This does not mean that divisions are equal in size or structure from military to military, but generally divisions have in most cases come to be units of 10,000 to 20,000 troops with substantial enough support organic to the unit to be capable of independent operations. Usually the direct organization of the division consists of one to four brigades or regiments of the combat arm of the division along with a brigade or regiment of combat support (usually artillery) and a number of direct-reporting battalions for various specialized support tasks (often reconnaissance and combat engineers). In most militaries, ideal organization strength is standardized for each type of division, encapsulated in a Table of Organization and Equipment, or TO&E, which specifies exact assignments of units, personnel, and equipment for the division.

Related Topics:
Artillery - Battalion - Reconnaissance - Combat engineer - Table of Organization and Equipment

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The modern division has become in many militaries the primary identifiable combat unit, supplanting the regiment. The peak of use of the division as the primary combat unit was during World War II, when hundreds of divisions were deployed. Presently, smaller numbers of divisions represent significant combat power. The recent Invasion of Iraq was completed with only a handful of divisions with significant support forces.

Related Topics:
World War II - Invasion of Iraq

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