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Ok so what i want to know is, what organizational markers do squads have?

For example (using the IG regiment structure) if I'm in X squad of 3rd platoon of 1st company. What would my squad designation/name be? Are they named after the squad leaders, are they numbered, or letters or colours? Are the platoons and companies named as such as well?

Uhhh well I would imagine it depends on which military. Like which nation and stuff. Couldn't tell you much but I'm pretty sure no-one names their squads after the sergeants like terminators.

Squad iconography does not exist as such in real world armies. You simply wear the patch of your unit (usually division), some armies have experimented with using geometric shapes to mark smaller formations but that never stuck.

@Almarine - Im not really fussed about individual countries military's. Im just looking for a kind of general idea.

@EmilCrane - What do the patches look like?

Brother Azul wrote:@Almarine - Im not really fussed about individual countries military's. Im just looking for a kind of general idea.

@EmilCrane - What do the patches look like?

Like this



or this



Worn as a small iron on patch on the shoulder of a soldiers uniform

Brother Azul wrote:

@EmilCrane - What do the patches look like?

All sorts of things, usually some icon that matches the units name (such as the 101st airborne, the screaming eagles, would have an eagle and also sometimes the name itself) or sometimes its just geometric shapes

Oh Kenshin you are a bloody legend. That is exactly the kind of thing i was looking for.

The levels of organization between militaries vary slightly, but often at squad level the only differences you'll see are home-made. IE: in my company, in all of the morale items (flags, shirts, etc.), each platoon in the company was reflected as different anthropomorphic characters. In our combat uniforms, the only way to distinguish us from another brigade even was the color of our boots and personal morale items with our battalion logo. In dress uniform, our corps designation, brigade, and battalion were all reflected.

Equipment, however, was marked with colored tape. Non-personal weapons (MAG and Negev machineguns) were marked with colored tape, as were our optics. 1st platoon was green, second platoon was blue, and third platoon was red.

I assume this is for an IG army,


the IG typically has the Regimantel Number(Cadian 8th for example would have the number 8) on one shoulder pad, and the platoon number on the other(2nd platoon)

to distinguish squads, that can vary. you could have different colors instead of numbers(so Red squad would have the platoon number in Red)


so a Guardsmen with a 146 on, say, his right shoulder and a blue 7 on his left would be from the 146th Randomplanetian regiment, 7th platoon, Blue squad.

Nuggz has got it. Below the Platoon level, there is no official way of designation. Because the squads in a platoon can be switched around at any time. This can be seen by the German army toward the end of world war 2. Because they didn't have enough soldiers to fill full units, squad sizes were extremely variable, and changed constantly.

In several nepoleonic armies subtle differences in color, uniform design, even number and grouping of buttons determined the difference between regiments. The british old model army is probably best representative of the subtitles. The ceremonial uniforms of the current Palace Guards are easy to find on the Internet.
Especially in the Prussian tradition the coat lining, viewed on the buttoned out portions of the coat as a wide trim stripe could denote regimental affiliation, or the color of the waistcoat.
Or were you looking for more modern ideas. Most of those responses here are correct that affiliation below the regimental/brigade level are rare.

Almarine wrote:Uhhh well I would imagine it depends on which military. Like which nation and stuff. Couldn't tell you much but I'm pretty sure no-one names their squads after the sergeants like terminators.

Yeah, we don't have sergeant at all...
And this planet has around 170 countries, around 90% of them have it's own military.
It's to big difference, and most of them don't have that kind of tech.

Oh feth, Korea has Ultramarines?!

OnTopic: As has been mentioned, numbers are probably the standard for IG. Given how each Regiments differ from another, though, you could feel free to just come up with your own system as well. I'd make it dependent on what kind of style you're aiming at - a formation that is big on discipline and uniformity like Krieg would favor numbers or simplistic symbols, whereas troops like the Savlar Chem-Dogs or a unit recruited out of a Hive gangs might favor more elaborate iconography or even "gang colours".

NuggzTheNinja wrote:Equipment, however, was marked with colored tape. Non-personal weapons (MAG and Negev machineguns) were marked with colored tape, as were our optics. 1st platoon was green, second platoon was blue, and third platoon was red.

Oh excellent, thanks very much for this. This is spot on for what i needed to know.

AustonT wrote:In several nepoleonic armies subtle differences in color, uniform design, even number and grouping of buttons determined the difference between regiments. The british old model army is probably best representative of the subtitles. The ceremonial uniforms of the current Palace Guards are easy to find on the Internet.
Especially in the Prussian tradition the coat lining, viewed on the buttoned out portions of the coat as a wide trim stripe could denote regimental affiliation, or the color of the waistcoat.
Or were you looking for more modern ideas. Most of those responses here are correct that affiliation below the regimental/brigade level are rare.

Yes i was looking for more a more modern approach but the thing about the buttons is interesting none the less.

Lynata wrote:OnTopic: As has been mentioned, numbers are probably the standard for IG. Given how each Regiments differ from another, though, you could feel free to just come up with your own system as well. I'd make it dependent on what kind of style you're aiming at - a formation that is big on discipline and uniformity like Krieg would favor numbers or simplistic symbols, whereas troops like the Savlar Chem-Dogs or a unit recruited out of a Hive gangs might favor more elaborate iconography or even "gang colours".

I think my regiment would be a standard kinda Cadian 8th style although "gang colours" could go along way for penal legion and conscript squads.



Thank you all for your replies. They have been very helpful.

Brother Coa wrote:
Yeah, we don't have sergeant at all...

Just Commissars

Grey Templar wrote:

Brother Coa wrote:
Yeah, we don't have sergeant at all...

Just Commissars

No, we have Desetar's.

I really am overly nitpicky.
Destar is the equivalent rank to Corporal
Vodnik is a Sergeant.
I can only guess that you live somewhere in former Yugoslavia.

I may be wrong, but IIRC the Russian army didn't have a Squad equivilant in the normal army during WW2(maybe they do now)

they simply operated in Platoons and that was as low down as they went. smaller units were simply Ad Hoc without any official ranks.

AustonT wrote:I really am overly nitpicky.
Destar is the equivalent rank to Corporal
Vodnik is a Sergeant.
I can only guess that you live somewhere in former Yugoslavia.

Serbia, and you are little wrong.

Desetar is man who leads group of 10 solders ( on our language Deset = ten ).
Vodnik is above Desetar, you may say he is a Sargent in some manner.

I can only work from vague recollection and briefings I found from a deployment file for Macedonia.

AustonT wrote:I can only work from vague recollection and briefings I found from a deployment file for Macedonia.

It's ok, you didn't mistaken anything.

In the US, There are various divisions such as the big red one, screaming eagles, thunderbirds, etc. Each division divides into 5 companies, which are usually named by letters (alpha bravo charlie etc.). Each company is divided into 3 (?) platoons, which are divided into sqauds, and so on and so forth. Really, the only things named are the divisions, not counting the lettering of the companies.

Well, I was formerly in 2nd squad, of 2nd platoon, of Bravo company, of the 588th Engineer battalion, of the Engineer brigade, of the 2nd Armored Division (Hell On Wheels)
We had five platoons in the company and in field exercises our radio call signs were based on five colors red (1st platoon), white (2nd platoon), blue (3rd platoon) and black and gold for Assault Operations and Headquarters platoons
This is a bit different from a standard infantry organisation, since I was a combat engineer

The color codes could be good on a tabletop for guardsmen, red badges with a "1" on first squad's knees, blue with "3"s for third squad
If I misremember any of those details, it's been awhile.

-edit
if I were asked what unit I was with, I would have answered "Bravo Company, 588th Engineers" which platoon or squad would be kind of a trivial detail unless we were in the field

Jollydevil wrote:In the US, There are various divisions such as the big red one, screaming eagles, thunderbirds, etc. Each division divides into 5 companies, which are usually named by letters (alpha bravo charlie etc.). Each company is divided into 3 (?) platoons, which are divided into sqauds, and so on and so forth. Really, the only things named are the divisions, not counting the lettering of the companies.

Erm...no.
A Division is made up of either regiments or brigades. Since the last major Army doctrine change each division is made up of 4 brigade combat teams. Each BCT is made up of about 5 battalions, it varies by the actual type of Brigade. An Infantry BCT is composed of 2 Infantry Battalions, 1 Calvary Squadron, 1 Artillery Battalion, 1 Special Troops Battalion, and 1 Brigade Support Battalion.
The Infantry Battalion is composed of 3 Rifle Companies, 1 Headquarters Company, and 1 Weapons Company. Each Infantry Company is made up of 3 Rifle Platoons and a Weapons Platoon.

AustonT wrote:

Jollydevil wrote:In the US, There are various divisions such as the big red one, screaming eagles, thunderbirds, etc. Each division divides into 5 companies, which are usually named by letters (alpha bravo charlie etc.). Each company is divided into 3 (?) platoons, which are divided into sqauds, and so on and so forth. Really, the only things named are the divisions, not counting the lettering of the companies.

Erm...no.
A Division is made up of either regiments or brigades. Since the last major Army doctrine change each division is made up of 4 brigade combat teams. Each BCT is made up of about 5 battalions, it varies by the actual type of Brigade. An Infantry BCT is composed of 2 Infantry Battalions, 1 Calvary Squadron, 1 Artillery Battalion, 1 Special Troops Battalion, and 1 Brigade Support Battalion.
The Infantry Battalion is composed of 3 Rifle Companies, 1 Headquarters Company, and 1 Weapons Company. Each Infantry Company is made up of 3 Rifle Platoons and a Weapons Platoon.

When was the last major army doctrine change?

2003 started fourth brigades started standing up around 05. Before that the same units were in place just under different organizational leadership. Artillery was in fires brigade cav in the cav regiment etc