Squad

In a military context, a squad is a sub-unit that is typically sub-ordinate to a platoon, consisting of between 5 and 15 soldiers, and is led by a. A squad may be an indivisible unit with no further sub-units or subdivided into smaller teams or groups. Terminology varies country-to-country, with common equivalents being the section, group, or team.

While the concept of a squad pre-dated the 20th century as completely subordinate units with little to no independence, primarily as a means to relay orders from the company level in combat or the march, squads did not become important or independent maneuver elements until the Grand Campaigns. Before the conflict, the company was typically the smallest independent maneuver element in the infantry. With the proliferation of specialized weapons—such as automatic rifles and light machine guns, rifle grenades, and hand grenades—platoons became increasingly important. The squad came into its own when these weapon systems began to be commonly integrated into single squads rather than being task organized at the platoon level.