Is it a big enough command?

[JMISBEST]

Hi guys

I am thinking of A idea for A Army Style Campaign and want to know if this is a big enough force for A Colonel to command or is it too small

280 rank and file, 28 sergeants each commanding either 2 5 man or 1 10 man squad, 7 lieutenants who 4 sergeants each, 2 lesser captains who command half the force each, 1 senior captain who is 2nd in command and the colonel himself/herself who is more often then not of noble blood and, if so, has at least 11.4% less experance then the senior captain

 

[legozhodani]

How is he 11.4% less experienced? Odd stat!

 

[locarno24]

Again, why 11.4%?


Depends. Is this his permanent command, or detached to him on a mission, or what?

Colonel literally means "column commander" - the size of his command is entirely dependent on the organisation of the military force he's in. In a NATO military, you'd expect him to have a battalion (about 600 soldiers). By comparison, the Vatican Swiss Guard are only 100 strong, and also colonel's command.

Generally, elite forces will have a smaller force for the same rank (on the theory that they have the same military effect). Are these guys conscripts, line forces, elites, what?


I guess it's not too far out of scale - you've given him only two companies, but both are rather over-strength.

2 companies is fine top down, and 28 sergeants making 7 platoons bottom up is fine, but how do you split 7 platoons between two companies? You can have one companies bigger than the other but it seems an unnecessary fiddle.

 

[Condottiere]

Three hundred seems to be the lower limit, with or without organic support elements.

The battalion commander can be a Major, Lieutenant Colonel, or Colonel, though that's more for a permanent appointment in an established military; private military contractors can call themselves whatever they want.

Your second in command can be a major, your adjutant a captain.

How you really organize the subunits tends to come down to number of senior NCOs and commissioned officers, and the available equipment, and whether heavy weapons are distributed to the subunit, or held centrally.

If the battalion is mechanized, size of subunits may depend on the capacity of the personnel carriers.