Unit Identification on maps

[kawaiku]

I have no real idea where to put this, but this section seemed to be the best.

When I looking at maps or reading books I notice a lot of units have a number then a slash mark then another number that help identify the unit. Example 1/3, I dont quite understand what it means and I sorta have an idea but then Im not quite sure if I correct about it so any help with this would be great.

[gafkiwi]

kawaiku
they numbers normally denote the unit or the battalion / then the regiment it belongs to i.e.
3/502 is the 3rd battalion, of the 502nd regiment
you may see other stuff written before that, that denotes the platoon and company

[kawaiku]

Alright thanks for help clearing that up I got really lost reading a book because of that mishap.

[mi35d]

You can stretch the designation even further to include Company or even Platoon level within the system

1/A/1/101 (1st Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Battalion of the 101st.)

[Jedburgh]

FM 101-5-1/MCRP 5-2A Operational Terms and Graphics (http://www.nd.edu/~bhenness/FM10151.pdf)

Read Chapter 4 - Unit Symbols. It begins on page 234 of the pdf file.

[kawaiku]

Thanks I really appreciate the help, and also that link.. that was really cool and came come in handy.

Pray and Spray,kawaiku

[Zapp Brannigan]

In the United States Army, slashes separate echelons, but a dash is used for regiments, since in most cases these are traditional designations rather than echelons.

Thus, 1/A/1-15 IN would be 1st Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment. C/3-6 FA would be Battery C, 3rd Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment.

Because it is an actual regiment, rather than a traditional designation, you will see both the dash and the slash for the 75th Ranger Regiment, for example A/3-75 or A/3/75. Special Forces Groups also use slashes; thus A/1/10 SFG(A) would be Company A, 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

[mi35d]

It can get confusion and annoying. Especially with a combined arms mission. (Then there's all the bad guys stuff...)

[Hellfish]

It also depends on the symbol that has the numbers. For example:

*** (three dots above a box) = platoon
I (I above a box) = comapny
II (II above a box = battalion
III (III above a box = US/warsaw pact regiment_
X Brigade
XX Division

So if you saw something like

***
3 ------ A = 3rd Platoon, Alpha Company
| |
------

II
3 ------ 15 = 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment
| |
------

It can get confusing. :)

Edit - my boxes aren't showing up as boxes (damn autoformatting!) but use your imagination.