Squad
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The word squad has many different applications in military and other organizations.
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[edit] Public Safety
- See also: Heavy rescue vehicle
In United States public safety departments, a squad has a variety of meanings. For police departments, a patrol car is known as a "Squad Car". For fire departments, it has several meanings. The first is as a manpower unit. Up until the 1970's, the term described units which had very little equipment on them but had the ability to carry large numbers of firefighters to larger incidents. Squad was a shortened form of Manpower Squad. The Chicago Fire Department operated several such units.
Another common usage refers to is an engine company with a complement of rescue tools. This usage is popular with many larger departments, including the Fire Department of New York, which has seven such engines. They are able to respond to structure fires as an engine company but can also handle technical rescue and hazardous materials calls. Yet a third usage of squad refers to a ground ambulance. This term is popular in the various parts of the United States.
[edit] Military terminology
In military terminology squad refers to a small military unit (led by a non-commissioned officer) that is subordinate to an infantry platoon. In countries following the British Army tradition, including the Australian Army and the Canadian Forces Land Force Command, this organization is referred to as a section. In most armies a squad consists of eight to twelve soldiers, sometimes as many as fourteen, and may be further subdivided into fireteams.
[edit] Organization
In the United States Army, a squad is composed of two fireteams of four or five soldiers each. In the United States Marine Corps, a squad is typically composed of three fireteams of four Marines and a squad leader who is a junior non-commissioned officer.
[edit] Leadership
A squad is led by an NCO known as a Squad Leader. His second in command is known as an Assistant Squad Leader. In Britain and the Commonwealth, these appointments are known as Section Commander and Section 2 i/c, respectively.
Typical ranks for squad leaders are:
- US Army: Staff Sergeant
- US Marine Corps: Sergeant
- Canadian Forces: Sergeant
- British Army: Corporal
- German Army: Unteroffizier
- Swedish Army: Korporal or Furir
- Danish Army: Sergent
[edit] Other military uses
In the Canadian Army, the term "squad" can actually refer to a portion of a drill movement. This is generally used when a group of soldiers is learning a new drill movement, as it is easier to learn step by step, then all at once.
[edit] Irish war of Independence
In the Irish War of Independence 1919-21, "The Squad" was a small clandestine unit of the Irish Republican Army in Dublin set up by Michael Collins which was used to assassinate Police and British Army Intelligence officers. The unit was nicknamed the "Twelve Apostles". See Twelve Apostles (Irish counter-intelligence organisation).
