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Military & Defence vocabulary · Units & Organisation

Platoon

Meaning in military & defence, with examples

/pləˈtuːn/nounCore term

In military & defence, platoon means: A unit of about 20 to 50 soldiers, formed of several squads or sections and normally led by a lieutenant with a platoon sergeant.

In Turkish: takım

How it is used

Each company usually has three or four platoons. The platoon commander (UK) or platoon leader (US) is usually a young officer, supported by an experienced sergeant.

Example sentences

  1. The platoon spent the morning practising first aid.

  2. She commands a platoon of thirty-two soldiers.

Common collocations

  • platoon commander
  • platoon leader
  • platoon sergeant
  • rifle platoon
  • companyA unit of roughly 80 to 250 soldiers, made up of several platoons and usually commanded by a captain or a major.
  • squadA small group of about eight to fourteen soldiers led by a sergeant or corporal; one of the smallest units in an army.
  • lieutenantA junior officer rank, usually the first one an officer holds after training; in the army a lieutenant often commands a platoon.
  • sergeantA non-commissioned officer rank above corporal; a sergeant leads a small group of soldiers and makes sure standards and discipline are kept.

More terms: Units & Organisation

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