A division is a large
military unit or
formation
Formation may refer to:
Linguistics
* Back-formation, the process of creating a new lexeme by removing or affixes
* Word formation, the creation of a new word by adding affixes
Mathematics and science
* Cave formation or speleothem, a secondar ...
, usually consisting of between 6,000 and 25,000 soldiers.
In most armies, a division is composed of several
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
s or
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
s; in turn, several divisions typically make up a
corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
. Historically, the division has been the default
combined arms
Combined arms is an approach to warfare
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme vio ...
unit capable of independent
operations. Smaller combined arms units, such as the American
regimental combat team
A regimental combat team (RCT) is a provisional major infantry unit which has seen use by branches of the United States Armed Forces. It is formed by augmenting a regular infantry regiment with smaller combat, combat support and combat service ...
(RCT) during World War II, were used when conditions favored them. In recent times, modern Western militaries have begun adopting the smaller
brigade combat team
The brigade combat team (BCT) is the basic deployable unit of maneuver in the U.S. Army. A brigade combat team consists of one combat arms branch maneuver brigade, and its assigned support and fire units. A brigade is normally commanded by a ...
(similar to the RCT) as the default combined arms unit, with the division they belong to being less important.
While the focus of this article is on army divisions, in naval usage "
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
" has a completely different meaning, referring to either an administrative/functional sub-unit of a department (e.g., fire control division of the weapons department) aboard naval and coast guard ships, shore commands, and in naval aviation units (including navy, marine corps, and coast guard aviation), to a sub-unit of several ships within a
flotilla
A flotilla (from Spanish, meaning a small ''flota'' (fleet) of ships), or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet.
Composition
A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class ...
or
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
, or to two or three sections of aircraft operating under a designated division leader. Some languages, like Russian, Serbian, Croatian and Polish, also use a similar word, ''
divizion/divizijun/dywizjon'', for a
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
-size artillery or cavalry unit.
History
Origins
In the West, the first general to think of organising an army into smaller combined-arms units was
Maurice de Saxe
Maurice, Count of Saxony (german: Hermann Moritz von Sachsen, french: Maurice de Saxe; 28 October 1696 – 20 November 1750) was a notable soldier, officer and a famed military commander of the 18th century. The illegitimate son of Augustus I ...
(d. 1750),
Marshal General of France
Marshal General of France, originally "Marshal General of the King's camps and armies" (french: maréchal général des camps et armées du roi), was a title given to signify that the recipient had authority over all of the French armies, in the da ...
, in his book ''
Mes Rêveries''. He died at the age of 54, without having implemented his idea.
Victor-François de Broglie put the ideas into practice. He conducted successful practical experiments of the divisional system in the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
.
Early divisions
The first war in which the divisional system was used systematically was the
French Revolutionary War
The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Prussia ...
.
Lazare Carnot
Lazare Nicolas Marguerite, Count Carnot (; 13 May 1753 – 2 August 1823) was a French mathematician, physicist and politician. He was known as the "Organizer of Victory" in the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars.
Education and early ...
of the
Committee of Public Safety, who was in charge of military affairs, came to the same conclusion about it as the previous royal government, and the army was organised into divisions.
It made the armies more flexible and easy to maneuver, and it also made the large army of the revolution manageable. Under
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
, the divisions were grouped together into
corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
, because of their increasing size. Napoleon's military success spread the divisional and corps system all over Europe; by the end of the
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, all armies in Europe had adopted it.
World War II
The divisional system reached its numerical height during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The Soviet Union's
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
consisted of more than a thousand division-sized units at any one time, and the number of rifle divisions raised during the
Great Patriotic War
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), and Sout ...
of 1941–1945 is estimated at 2,000.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
had hundreds of numbered and/or named divisions, while the United States employed up to 91 divisions.
A notable change to divisional structures during the war was completion of the shift from
square division A square division is a designation given to the way military divisions are organized. In a square organization, the division's main body is composed of four "maneuver," i.e., infantry regimental elements. Other types of regiments, such as artillery, ...
s (composed of two brigades each with two regiments) to
triangular division A triangular division is a designation given to the way military divisions are organized. In a triangular organization, the division's main body is composed of three regimental maneuver elements. These regiments may be controlled by a brigade head ...
s (composed of three regiments with no brigade level) that many European armies had started using in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
This was done to increase flexibility and to pare down chain-of-command overhead. The triangular division structure allowed the tactic of "two forward, one back", where two of the division's regiments could engage the enemy with one regiment in reserve.
All divisions in World War II were expected to have their own artillery formations, usually (depending upon the nation) the size of a regiment. Divisional artillery was occasionally seconded by corps-level command to increase firepower in larger engagements.
During the war the US also used
regimental combat team
A regimental combat team (RCT) is a provisional major infantry unit which has seen use by branches of the United States Armed Forces. It is formed by augmenting a regular infantry regiment with smaller combat, combat support and combat service ...
s, whereby attached and/or organic divisional units were parceled out to infantry regiments, creating smaller combined-arms units with their own armor and artillery and support units. These combat teams would still be under divisional command but had some level of autonomy on the battlefield.
Organic units within divisions were units which operated directly under divisional command and were not normally controlled by the regiments. These units were mainly support units in nature, and included signal companies, medical battalions, supply trains and administration.
Attached units were smaller units that were placed under divisional command temporarily for the purpose of completing a particular mission. These units were usually combat units such as tank battalions, tank-destroyer battalions or cavalry-reconnaissance squadrons.
Modern divisions
In modern times, most military forces have standardized their divisional structures. This does not mean that divisions are equal in size or structure from country to country, but divisions have, in most cases, come to be units of 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers with enough organic support to be capable of independent operations. Usually, the direct organization of the division consists of one to four
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
s or
battle groups of its primary combat arm, along with a brigade or regiment of combat support (usually
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
) and a number of direct-reporting
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
s for necessary specialized support tasks, such as
intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can b ...
,
logistics
Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...
,
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
, and
combat engineers
A combat engineer (also called pioneer or sapper) is a type of soldier who performs military engineering tasks in support of land forces combat operations. Combat engineers perform a variety of military engineering, tunnel and mine warfare tas ...
. Most militaries standardize ideal organization strength for each type of division, encapsulated in a
Table of Organization and Equipment
A table of organization and equipment (TOE or TO&E) is the specified organization, staffing, and equipment of Military unit, units. Also used in acronyms as 'T/O' and 'T/E'. It also provides information on the mission and capabilities of a unit as ...
(TO&E) which specifies exact assignments of units, personnel, and equipment for a division.
The modern division became the primary identifiable combat unit in many militaries during the second half of the 20th century, supplanting the
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
; however, the trend started to reverse since the end of the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
. The peak use of the division as the primary combat unit occurred during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, when the belligerents deployed over a thousand divisions. With technological advances since then, the combat power of each division has increased.
Types
Divisions are often formed to organize units of a particular type together with appropriate support units to allow independent operations. In more recent times, divisions have mainly been organized as
combined arms
Combined arms is an approach to warfare
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme vio ...
units with
subordinate
A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...
units representing various combat arms. In this case, the division often retains the name of a more specialized division, and may still be tasked with a primary role suited to that specialization.
Infantry division
An "infantry division" is a military formation composed primarily of
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
units
Unit may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''
* Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation
Music
* Unit (album), ...
, also supported by units from other
combat arms
Combat arms (or fighting arms in non-American parlance) are troops within national armed forces who participate in direct tactical ground combat. In general, they are units that carry or employ weapons, such as infantry, cavalry, and artillery ...
. In the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
and Russia, an infantry division is often referred to as a "rifle division". A "
motorised infantry
Motorized infantry is infantry that is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles, and from light infantry, which ...
" division is a division with a majority of infantry subunits transported on
soft-skinned motor vehicles. A "
mechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force).
As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is di ...
" division is a division with a majority of infantry subunits transported on
armored personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.
Ac ...
s (APCs) or
infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) or both, or even some other class of
armored fighting vehicles designed for the transportation of infantry. Mechanized infantry divisions in Nazi Germany were called "''
Panzergrenadier
''Panzergrenadier'' (), abbreviated as ''PzG'' (WWII) or ''PzGren'' (modern), meaning '' "Armour"-ed fighting vehicle "Grenadier"'', is a German term for mechanized infantry units of armoured forces who specialize in fighting from and in conjunc ...
'' divisions". In Russia, they were known as "motor rifle divisions".
Because of the ease and simplicity involved in forming divisions of infantry compared to other formations, infantry divisions have often been the most numerous in historical warfare. Most
US divisions during World War II were infantry divisions.
Infantry divisions were also expected to travel by foot from place to place, with transport vehicles or pack horses used to augment their travel. Divisions evolved over the course of time. For instance, in 1944, Nazi Germany designated some of their infantry formations as ''
Volksgrenadier
''Volksgrenadier'' was the name given to a type of German Army division formed in the Autumn of 1944 after the double loss of Army Group Center to the Soviets in Operation Bagration and the Fifth Panzer Army to the Allies in Normandy. The name ...
'' divisions, which were slightly smaller than the regular divisions, with wider issue of sub-machine guns, automatic and anti-tank weapons to reflect the reality that they were to be used in defensive warfare. In 1945, Nazi Germany seconded members of the ''
Kriegsmarine
The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...
'' to create "naval divisions", which were of lower quality than the infantry divisions of the ''Heer''. They also created "''Luftwaffe'' field divisions" from members of the ''
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
''.
Infantry divisions were sometimes given the responsibility of
garrison
A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...
work. These were named "frontier guard divisions", "static infantry divisions" and "fortress divisions", and were mainly used by Nazi Germany.
Cavalry division
For most nations,
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
was deployed in smaller units and was not therefore organized into divisions, but for larger militaries, such as that of the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
, United States,
First French Empire
The First French Empire, officially the French Republic, then the French Empire (; Latin: ) after 1809, also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Eu ...
, France,
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
,
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
,
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
,
Empire of Japan
The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent fo ...
,
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of ...
and
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, a number of cavalry divisions were formed. They were most often similar to the nations' infantry divisions in structure, although they usually had fewer and lighter support elements, with cavalry brigades or regiments replacing the infantry units, and supporting units, such as artillery and supply, being horse-drawn. For the most part, large cavalry units did not remain after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
While horse cavalry had been found to be obsolete, the concept of cavalry as a fast force capable of missions traditionally fulfilled by horse cavalry made a return to military thinking during the Cold War. In general, two new types of cavalry were developed:
air cavalry
For much of history, humans have used some form of cavalry for war and, as a result, cavalry tactics have evolved over time. Tactically, the main advantages of cavalry over infantry troops were greater mobility, a larger impact, and a higher pos ...
or airmobile, relying on helicopter mobility, and
armored cavalry, based on an autonomous armored formation. The former was pioneered by the
11th Air Assault Division (Test), formed on 1 February 1963 at
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees ...
, Georgia. On 29 June 1965, the division was renamed the
1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
, before its departure for the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
.
After the end of the Vietnam War, the
1st Cavalry Division was reorganised and re-equipped with tanks and armored scout vehicles to form armored cavalry.
The concept of a fast-moving, armored reconnaissance force has remained in modern armies, but these units are now smaller and make up a combined arms force used in modern brigades and divisions, and are no longer granted divisional status.
"Light divisions" were German horse cavalry divisions organized early in World War II which included motorized units.
Armored division
![Priest of 3rd Infantry Division in UK, 1944 (H 37994)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Priest_of_3rd_Infantry_Division_in_UK%2C_1944_%28H_37994%29.jpg)
The development of the
tank
A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
prompted some nations to experiment with forming them into division-size units. Many did this the same way as they did cavalry divisions, by merely replacing cavalry with
AFVs (including tanks) and motorizing the supporting units. This proved unwieldy in combat, as the units had many tanks but few infantry units. Instead, a more balanced approach was taken by adjusting the number of tank, infantry, artillery, and support units.
The terms "tank division" or "mechanized division" are alternative names for armored divisions. A "
Panzer division" was an armoured division of the ''
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
'' and the ''
Waffen-SS
The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occup ...
'' of Germany during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Since the end of the war, most armoured and infantry divisions have had significant numbers of both tank and infantry units within them. The difference has usually been in the mix of battalions assigned. Additionally, in some militaries, armoured divisions are equipped with more advanced or powerful tanks than other divisions.
Mountain division
Mountain divisions are infantry divisions given special training and equipment to
operate in hilly, mountainous or arctic areas. Some examples of these formations include the
US 10th Mountain Division
The 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) is a light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. Formerly designated as a mountain warfare unit, the division was the only one of its size in the US military to rec ...
, the German
1st Ski Division or the French
27th Alpine Infantry Division
The 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade (french: 27 Brigade d'Infanterie de Montagne, 27 BIM) is a mountain infantry formation of the French Army. The brigade is subordinated to the 1st Armored Division and specializes in mountain warfare.
History ...
.
Nazi Germany also organized "''Jäger'' divisions" to operate in more adverse terrain.
Italian Mountain divisions are called "
Alpini'' divisions".
Airborne division
An airborne division is an infantry division given special training and equipment for arrival on the battlefield by air (typically via parachute or glider-borne).
The US, Britain, and Germany experimented during World War II with specialized light infantry divisions capable of being quickly transported by transport aircraft or dropped into an area by parachute or glider. This required both high-quality equipment and training, creating elite units in the process and usually manned by volunteers rather than conscripts.
The German
1st Parachute Division, which was part of the
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
and not the
Heer, was instrumental in the 1941
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete (german: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, el, Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (german: Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island ...
. US and British airborne troops first participated during the 1943
invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis powers ( Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany). It bega ...
. The use of airborne divisions during the
Invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...
was crucial to its success. Further allied paratroop operations were made during the 1944
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an Allies of World War II, Allied military operation during the World War II, Second World War fought in the Netherlands from 17 to 27 September 1944. Its objective was to create a Salient (military), salient into G ...
and the 1945
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity (24 March 1945) was a successful airborne forces operation launched by Allied troops that took place toward the end of World War II. Involving more than 16,000 paratroopers and several thousand aircraft, it was the largest ai ...
.
When not being used for a specific airborne mission, airborne divisions usually functioned as light infantry divisions.
An "
air assault
Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind e ...
division" is an airborne division that mainly uses helicopters to transport its troops.
Artillery division
The
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
developed the concept of the specialized "artillery division" during the
Eastern Front of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in 1942, although plans were in place since the later stages of the
Russian Civil War
, date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...
. An artillery division serves as a specialized division using only artillery howitzers, anti-tank guns, rocket artillery (MRLs and tactical missiles) and mortars (both towed and self-propelled) (and historically siege artillery) and are usually tasked with providing concentrated firepower support to higher combined arms formations. They are mainly combat support formations most performing operations in support of the infantry and armor.
Security division
Nazi Germany organized Security divisions to operate in captured territory to provide rear-echelon security against
partisans and maintain order among civilians. Structured like an infantry division, a security division was more likely to contain lower quality troops and was not intended to serve directly at the front. SS units of this type were called "SS ''Polizei'' divisions".
The Soviet Union's People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (the
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union.
...
) organized security divisions (see
:Divisions of the NKVD in World War II). In a few cases, NKVD divisions were employed in front-line combat as rifle divisions.
[Zaloga, Steven J. ''The Red Army of the Great Patriotic War, 1941–45'', Osprey Publishing, (1989), pp. 21–22]
Nomenclature
Divisions are commonly designated by combining an
ordinal number
In set theory, an ordinal number, or ordinal, is a generalization of ordinal numerals (first, second, th, etc.) aimed to extend enumeration to infinite sets.
A finite set can be enumerated by successively labeling each element with the least n ...
and a type name (e.g.: "13th Infantry Division"). Nicknames are often assigned or adopted, although these often are not considered an official part of the unit's
nomenclature
Nomenclature (, ) is a system of names or terms, or the rules for forming these terms in a particular field of arts or sciences. The principles of naming vary from the relatively informal naming conventions, conventions of everyday speech to the i ...
, with divisions of the
Italian Army
"The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law"
, colors =
, colors_labels =
, march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...
being one of the exceptions. In some cases, divisional titles lack an ordinal number, often in the case of unique units or units serving as elite or special troops. For clarity in histories and reports, the nation is identified before the number. This also helps in historical studies, but due to the nature of intelligence on the battlefield, division names and assignments are at times obscured. However, the size of the division rarely makes such obfuscation necessary.
In the years leading up to the end of the cold war and beyond, the type names of various divisions became less important. The majority of US Infantry divisions were now mechanized and had significant numbers of tanks and IFVs, becoming de facto armored divisions. US armored divisions had more tanks but less infantry than these infantry divisions. Moreover, the sole
cavalry division
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating a ...
was structured the same way as an armored division.
With the introduction of modular brigade combat teams (BCT) in modern divisions, the nomenclature type is even less important, since a division can now be made of up any combination of light infantry, Stryker and armored BCTs. For example, the US 1st Infantry Division currentl
consists of two armored BCTsalong with support troops, with no light infantry units at all. By contrast, the current 1st Armored Divisio
consists of two armored BCTs and a Stryker BCTalong with its support troops.
Nevertheless, some US division types will retain their mission: The
82nd and
11th airborne divisions have airborne infantry BCTs, while the
10th Mountain Division has only light infantry BCTs.
National organizations
Australia
Historically, the
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
has fielded a number of divisions. During World War I, a total of six infantry divisions were raised as part of the all-volunteer
Australian Imperial Force:
1st,
2nd,
3rd
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
,
4th,
5th and
6th. The 1st Division and part of the 2nd saw service during the
Gallipoli Campaign in 1915 before later taking part in the fighting on the
Western Front between 1916 and 1918 along with the 3rd, 4th and 5th. The 6th Division existed only briefly in 1917, but was disbanded without seeing combat to make up for manpower shortages in the other divisions. Another infantry division, known as the
New Zealand and Australian Division
The New Zealand and Australian Division was a composite army division raised for service in the First World War under the command of Major General Alexander Godley. Consisting of several mounted and standard infantry brigades from both New Zea ...
, was also formed from Australian and New Zealand troops and saw service at Gallipoli. Two divisions of
Australian Light Horse
Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both cavalry and mounted infantry, who served in the Second Boer War and World War I. During the inter-war years, a number of regiments were raised as part of Australia's part-t ...
were also formed – the
Australian Mounted Division
The Australian Mounted Division originally formed as the Imperial Mounted Division in January 1917, was a mounted infantry, light horse and yeomanry division. The division was formed in Egypt, and along with the Anzac Mounted Division formed p ...
(which also included some British and French units) and the
ANZAC Mounted Division – both of which served in the
Sinai and Palestine Campaign during the war.
![Awm 005392 2nd11th](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Awm_005392_2nd11th.jpg)
In the inter-war years, on paper the Australian Army was organised into seven divisions: five infantry (1st through to 5th) and two cavalry, albeit on a reduced manning scale. During World War II, the size of Australia's force was expanded to eventually include 12 infantry divisions: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th,
7th
7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube (algebra), cube.
As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion ...
,
8th
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
,
9th
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
,
10th,
11th and
12th
12 (twelve) is the natural number following 11 and preceding 13. Twelve is a superior highly composite number, divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6.
It is the number of years required for an orbital period of Jupiter. It is central to many systems ...
. Of these, four – the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th – were raised as part of the all-volunteer
Second Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, or Second AIF) was the name given to the volunteer expeditionary force of the Australian Army in the Second World War. It was formed following the declaration of war on Nazi Germany, with an initial ...
, while the others formed part of the
Militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
, and were maintained through a mixture of volunteers and
conscripts
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day und ...
. In addition to the infantry divisions, three armoured divisions were formed:
1st,
2nd and
3rd
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
. The Australian divisions were used in various campaigns, ranging from
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
,
Syria and Lebanon, to the
South West Pacific
Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million as of ...
.
The Australian army currently has two divisions. The 1st Division is a skeleton organisation that acts as a deployable force headquarters, while the 2nd is a Reserve formation.
Bangladesh
![Monogram of Bogra Cantonment Majhira](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Monogram_of_Bogra_Cantonment_Majhira.jpg)
The 9th Infantry Division (Bangladesh), 9th Infantry Division was raised on 20 November 1975 in Dhaka as the first division of the Bangladesh Army. Currently, Bangladesh Army has List of formations of the Bangladesh Army, ten infantry divisions under its command. Each infantry division consists of one artillery brigade, 3 or 4 infantry brigades/regiments. In addition, few divisions have one armored brigade each. The active infantry divisions are:
* 7th Infantry Division (Bangladesh), 7th Infantry Division, headquartered at Sheikh Hasina cantonment, Patuakhali District, Patuakhali
* 9th Infantry Division (Bangladesh), 9th Infantry Division, headquartered at Savar Cantonment, Dhaka
* 10th Infantry Division (Bangladesh), 10th Infantry Division, headquartered at Ramu Cantonment, Cox's Bazar
* 11th Infantry Division (Bangladesh), 11th Infantry Division, headquartered at Bogra Cantonment, Bogra
* 17th Infantry Division (Bangladesh), 17th Infantry Division, headquartered at Jalalabad Cantonment, Sylhet
* 19th Infantry Division (Bangladesh), 19th Infantry Division, headquartered at Shahid Salahuddin Cantonment, Tangail
* 24th Infantry Division (Bangladesh), 24th Infantry Division, headquartered at Chittagong Cantonment, Chittagong
* 33rd Infantry Division (Bangladesh), 33rd Infantry Division, headquartered at Comilla Cantonment, Comilla
* 55th Infantry Division (Bangladesh), 55th Infantry Division, headquartered at Jessore Cantonment, Jessore Cantonment, Jessore
* 66th Infantry Division (Bangladesh), 66th Infantry Division, headquartered at Rangpur Cantonment, Rangpur District, Rangpur
Brazil
The Brazilian Army currently has five army divisions: the 1st Army Division based in Rio de Janeiro and subordinated to the Eastern Military Command (Brazil), Eastern Military Command, the 2nd Army Division, based in São Paulo and subordinated to the Southeastern Military Command (Brazil), Southeastern Military Command and 3rd Army Division, based in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Maria RS, the 5th Army Division based in Curitiba PR, the 6th Army Division based in Porto Alegre RS, the latter three being linked to the Southern Military Command (Brazil), Southern Military Command and the 7th Army Division based in Recife PE subordinated to the Northeastern Military Command (Brazil), Northeastern Military Command.
The other military forces of the Brazilian Army are subordinated directly to the area military commands, not having a commanding division. In this case, the employment of these troops is coordinated by the operations coordinating center of the area military commands.
Canada
The first division-sized formation raised by the Canadian Forces, Canadian military was the First Contingent of the Canadian Expeditionary Force; raised in 1914, it was renamed the Canadian Division in early 1915 when it took to the field, and became the 1st Canadian Division when a 2nd Canadian Division took to the field later that year. A 3rd Canadian Division and 4th Canadian Division saw service in France and Flanders, and a Fifth Canadian Division was disbanded in the United Kingdom and broken up for reinforcements. The four divisions (collectively under the command of the Canadian Corps) were disbanded in 1919.
Canada had nominal divisions on paper between the wars, overseeing the Militia (part-time reserve forces), but no active duty divisions. On 1 September 1939, two divisions were raised as part of the Canadian Active Service Force; a Third Division was raised in 1940, followed by a First Canadian (Armoured) Division and Fourth Canadian Division. The First Armoured was renamed the Fifth Canadian (Armoured) Division and the Fourth Division also became an armoured formation. The 1st and 5th Divisions fought in the Mediterranean theatre of World War II, Mediterranean between 1943 and early 1945; the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Divisions served in Western Front (World War II), Northwest Europe. A Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Division were raised for service in Canada, with one brigade of the Sixth Division going to Battle of Kiska, Kiska in 1943. By 1945, the latter three divisions were disbanded as the threat to North America diminished. A Third Canadian Division (Canadian Army Occupation Force) was raised in 1945 for Allied Occupation Zones in Germany, occupation duty in Germany, organized parallel to the combatant Third Division, and a Sixth Canadian Division (Canadian Army Pacific Force) was undergoing formation and training for the Operation Downfall, invasion of Japan when the latter country Surrender of Japan, surrendered in September 1945. All five combatant divisions, as well as the CAOF and CAPF, were disbanded by the end of 1946.
A First Canadian Division Headquarters (later renamed simply First Division) was authorized once again in April 1946, but remained dormant until formally disbanded in July 1954. Simultaneously, however, another "Headquarters, First Canadian Infantry Division" was authorized as part of the Canadian Army Active Force (the Regular forces of the Canadian military), in October 1953. This, the first peacetime division in Canadian history, consisted of a brigade in Germany, one in Edmonton and one at CFB Valcartier, Valcartier. This division was disbanded in April 1958.
The First Canadian Division was reactivated in 1988 and served until the 1990s when the headquarters of the division was transformed into the Canadian Forces Joint Headquarters and placed under the control of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Command. The CFJHQ was transformed back into Headquarters, 1st Canadian Division, on 23 June 2010, under command of the Canadian Joint Operations Command. The unit is based at CFB Kingston, Kingston. Canada currently has four other divisions and all these are under command of the Canadian Forces Land Force Command, Canadian Army.
*
![1 Canadian Infantry Division patch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/1_Canadian_Infantry_Division_patch.svg)
1st Canadian Division, headquarters is located in Kingston.
*
![2nd Canadian Division formation patch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/2nd_Canadian_Division_formation_patch.svg)
2nd Canadian Division, headquarters is located in Montreal.
*
![3rd Canadian Infantry Division Patch (Modern Correct Pantone)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/3rd_Canadian_Infantry_Division_Patch_%28Modern_Correct_Pantone%29.png)
3rd Canadian Division, headquarters is located in Edmonton.
*
![4 Canadian Armoured Division patch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/4_Canadian_Armoured_Division_patch.svg)
4th Canadian Division, headquarters is located in Toronto.
*
![5 Canadian Armoured Division patch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/5_Canadian_Armoured_Division_patch.png)
5th Canadian Division, headquarters is located in Halifax.
The 1st Canadian Division has approximately 2000 troops under its command, while the 2nd Canadian Division, 3rd Canadian Division, 4th Canadian Division, and 5th Canadian Division have approximately 10,000 troops each.
China
People's Republic
The People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF) is divided into five Theater commands of the People's Liberation Army, Theater Commands. The regular forces of the ground forces consist of 18 group armies: corps-size combined arms units each with 24,000–50,000 personnel. The group armies contained among them:
* 25 infantry divisions
* 9 armored divisions
* 2 artillery divisions
As of 2011, the PLA went from a division-dominated structure to a brigade-dominated one. Until 2017, there were a further three airborne divisions in the People's Liberation Army Air Force Airborne Corps, 15th Airborne Corps, but these were reformed into six airborne brigades and a special operations brigade as part of a reform program aimed at reorganizing all PLA divisions into brigades.
National Revolutionary Army
The NRA Division () was a military unit of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China. The original pattern of the infantry division organization of the early Republic was a
square division A square division is a designation given to the way military divisions are organized. In a square organization, the division's main body is composed of four "maneuver," i.e., infantry regimental elements. Other types of regiments, such as artillery, ...
. It was formed with two infantry brigades of two infantry regiments of three infantry battalions, an artillery regiment of fifty-four guns and eighteen machineguns, a cavalry regiment of twelve squadrons, an engineer battalion of four companies, a transport battalion of four companies, and other minor support units.
In the mid-1930s, the Nationalist government with the help of Sino-German cooperation (1911–1941), German advisors attempted to modernize their army and intended to form sixty German-trained divisions in the National Revolutionary Army, Reorganized Divisions and a number of reserve divisions. Under the strains and losses of the early campaigns of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese decided in mid-1938 to standardize their Divisions as
triangular division A triangular division is a designation given to the way military divisions are organized. In a triangular organization, the division's main body is composed of three regimental maneuver elements. These regiments may be controlled by a brigade head ...
s as part of their effort to simplify the command structure and placed them under Corps, which became the basic tactical units. The remaining scarce artillery and the other support formations were withdrawn from the Division and were held at Corps or Army level or even higher. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Republic mobilized at least 310 infantry divisions, 23 cavalry divisions, and one mechanized division (the 200th Division).
Colombia
In the Colombian Army, a division is formed by two or more brigades and is usually commanded by a major general. Today, the Colombian Army has eight active divisions:
* 1st Division of the Colombian National Army, 1st Division (Santa Marta) – Its jurisdiction covers the Northern Region of Colombia in which there are the departments of Cesar, La Guajira, Magdalena, Sucre, Bolívar and Atlántico.
* 2nd Division of the Colombian National Army, 2nd Division (Bucaramanga) – Its jurisdiction covers the north eastern Colombia in which there are the departments of Norte de Santander, Santander and Arauca.
* 3rd Division of the Colombian National Army, 3rd Division (Popayán) – Its jurisdiction covers the South West of Colombia in which there are the departamentos of Nariño, Valle del Cauca, Cauca, Caldas, Quindio, part of Santander and the southern part of the Chocó.
* 4th Division of the Colombian National Army, 4th Division (Villavicencio) – Its jurisdiction covers the eastern region of Colombia in which there are the departments of Meta, Guaviare, and part of Vaupés.
* 5th Division of the Colombian National Army, 5th Division (Bogotá) – Its jurisdiction covers the Central Region of Colombia in which there are the departments of Cundinamarca, Boyaca, Huila and Tolima.
* 6th Division of the Colombian National Army, 6th Division (Florencia, Caquetá, Florencia) – Its jurisdiction covers the southern region of Colombia in which there are the departments of Amazonas, Caquetá, Putumayo and southern Vaupés.
* 7th Division of the Colombian National Army, 7th Division (Medellin) – Its jurisdiction covers the western region of Colombia in which there are the departments of Cordoba, Antioquia, and part of the Chocó.
* 8th Division of the Colombian National Army, 8th Division (Yopal) – Its jurisdiction covers the northeastern region of Colombia in which there are the departments of Casanare, Arauca, Vichada, Guainía, and the municipalities of Boyaca of Cubará, Pisba, Paya, Labranzagrande and Pajarito.
Egypt
In the Egyptian Army, a division has four or five brigades and is usually commanded by Major General, however, a Brigadier General can also command a division. Today the Egyptian Army has 14 divisions (8 mechanized, 1 infantry, 4 armored, 1 Republican Guard). Mechanized divisions have more infantry and fewer tanks than armored divisions while armored divisions have less troops and more tanks than mechanized ones.
* 2nd Infantry Division (Egypt) One of the oldest units in the Egyptian Army, formed in 1947 and currently part of the Central Military Region (Egypt) the division was originally foot infantry but turned into mechanized in the late 1980s.
* 3rd Mechanized Infantry Division (Egypt) formed in 1951 as foot infantry and was fully mechanized in 1972. Currently part of the Northern Military Region (Egypt) alongside the 11th independent armored brigade. The division saw service in the Gulf War alongside the Egyptian 4th Armored Division during Operation Desert Shield.
* 7th Mechanized Infantry Division formed as foot infantry division in the mid 1960s (before Six-Day War). Currently a part of the Second Army (Egypt).
* 16th Mechanized Infantry Division formed in 1972 and participated in Yom Kippur War and currently part of the Second Army (Egypt)
* 18th Mechanized Infantry Division formed in 1972 and played a vital role in the Yom Kippur War as it accomplished its task of storming the El Qantara fortified points of the Bar Lev Line and liberating the town of El Qantara itself within 6/7 of October and successfully halted & destroyed several Israeli counterattacks on its sector. Currently part of the Second Army (Egypt)
* 19th Infantry Division Formed in 1972 and participated in Yom Kippur War and considered one of the most notable units of the Egyptian Army due to its heroic actions during Yom Kippur War where it was the only division to not lose a single battle. One of these battles was Battle of Suez. Currently part of the Third Army (Egypt).
* 20th Palestinian/Gaza Division during Suez Crisis.
* 23rd Mechanized Infantry Division formed in 1972 and participated in the Yom Kippur War. Currently part of the Third Army (Egypt)
* 33rd Mechanized Infantry Division formed in the early 2000s and currently part of the Western Military Region (Egypt).
* 4th Armoured Division (Egypt) the Division is considered one of the greatest, respected and oldest active formations in the Egyptian Army. It was formed in 1956 and participated in all of Egypt's modern conflicts and because of that, the division is nicknamed the Knights of Egypt and Crown of the Third Army. Its most notable service was during Yom Kippur War when the 3rd Armored Brigade advanced 12 kilometers deep into Sinai (over the actual sector) without the air, anti-tank and infantry support it requested. As the brigade surprise attacked the much larger Israeli forces, they gave them heavy casualties but since the Israeli units had air support, the brigade couldn't survive and lost its commander and most of its tanks in action. Still part of Third Army.
* 6th Armored Division formed in the mid-1960s as a Mechanized Division then by the late 1990s it was transformed into Armored Division. Currently part of the Second Army (Egypt).
* 9th Armored Division formed in 1987 with the main objective of protecting Southern Cairo and currently serves as part of the Central Military Region (Egypt).
* 21st Armoured Division (Egypt), 21st Armored Division formed in the mid-1960s and participated in the Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War. Currently serving in the Western Military Region (Egypt).
France
On July 1, 1999, all French divisions were disbanded or converted into brigades. Four Task force headquarters (''état-major de force'') were created in order to oversee NATO standard divisions in case of emergency.
The divisional level (''niveau divisionnaire'') was reintroduced on July 1, 2016. The French Army has now two active combined divisions:
* 1st Armored Division (France), 1 division (HQ in Besançon)
* 3rd Armored Division (France), 3 division (HQ in Marseille)
These two divisions are part of the Scorpion Force. Each division consists of 25,000 personnel and is made up of three brigades (one light, one medium, and one heavy). The 1st Division also included the French elements of the Franco-German Brigade.
There are also 11 "divisional level" (''niveau divisionnaire'') specialized commands :
* ''Commandement du renseignement'' (Strasbourg)
* ''Commandement des systèmes d'information et de communication'' (Cesson-Sévigné)
* ''Commandement de la logistique'' (Lille, Montlhéry)
* ''Commandement de la maintenance des forces'' (Lille, Versailles)
* French Army Light Aviation, ''Commandement de l'Aviation légère de l'Armée de terre'' (Vélizy – Villacoublay Air Base)
* French Army Special Forces Command, ''Commandement des forces spéciales Terre'' (Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Pau)
* Foreign Legion Command, ''Commandement de la Légion étrangère'' (Aubagne)
* ''Commandement Terre pour le territoire national'' (Paris)
* ''Commandement de l'entraînement et des écoles du combat interarmes'' (Mourmelon-le-Grand)
* ''Commandement des ressources humaines et de la formation'' (Tours)
* ''Service de la maintenance industrielle terrestre'' (Versailles)
Germany
The German Army has three divisions:
*
![1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/1._Panzerdivision_%28Bundeswehr%29.svg)
1st Armoured Division (Germany), 1st Panzerdivision, stationed in Hannover.
*
![10](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/10._Panzerdivision_%28Bundeswehr%29.svg)
10th Armoured Division (Germany), 10th Panzerdivision, stationed in Sigmaringen.
*
![Division Spezielle Operationen (Bundeswehr)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Division_Spezielle_Operationen_%28Bundeswehr%29.svg)
Special Operations Division (Germany), Rapid Forces Division, stationed in Veitshöchheim.
India
An Indian Army division is intermediate between a corps and a brigade. Each division is headed by a General Officer Commanding (GOC) holding the rank of major general. It usually consists of 15,000 combat troops and 8,000 support elements. Currently, the Indian Army has 40 divisions: four RAPIDs ("Reorganised Army Plains Infantry Divisions"), 16 infantry, 14 mountain, three armoured, and three artillery. Each division consists of several brigades.
Indonesia
The Indonesian Army has 3 infantry divisions (Indonesian language, Indonesian: ''Divisi Infanteri'') within the Kostrad strategic reserves command which plays a role for strategic defense operations. Aside from the infantry divisions, the Indonesian Army also hosts operational combat units from the territorial commands known as "Regional Military Command, Kodams", which are equivalent to divisions and are similarly organized as infantry divisions. The infantry divisions from the Kostrad are:
*
![LOGO DIVINF 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/LOGO_DIVINF_1.png)
1st Kostrad Infantry Division at Depok, West Java
*
![LOGO DIVINF 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a8/LOGO_DIVINF_2.png)
2nd Kostrad Infantry Division at Malang, East Java
* 3rd Kostrad Infantry Division at Gowa, South Sulawesi
The Kodam territorial commands are:
*
![Lambang Kodam Bukit Barisan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Lambang_Kodam_Bukit_Barisan.webp)
Kodam I/Bukit Barisan, I Military Regional Command/Bukit Barisan at Medan, North Sumatra
*
![Lambang Kodam Sriwijaya](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Lambang_Kodam_Sriwijaya.svg)
Kodam II/Sriwijaya, II Military Regional Command/Sriwijaya at Palembang, South Sumatra
*
![Lambang Kodam Siliwangi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Lambang_Kodam_Siliwangi.png)
Kodam III/Siliwangi, III Military Regional Command/Siliwangi at Bandung, West Java
*
![Lambang Kodam Diponegoro](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Lambang_Kodam_Diponegoro.png)
Kodam IV/Diponegoro, IV Military Regional Command/Diponegoro at Semarang, Central Java
*
![Lambang Kodam Brawijaya](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Lambang_Kodam_Brawijaya.png)
Kodam V/Brawijaya, V Military Regional Command/Brawijaya at Surabaya, East Java
*
![Lambang Kodam Mulawarman](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Lambang_Kodam_Mulawarman.png)
Kodam VI/Mulawarman, VI Military Regional Command/Mulawarman at Balikpapan, East Kalimantan
*
![Lambang Kodam Udayana](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Lambang_Kodam_Udayana.svg)
Kodam IX/Udayana, IX Military Regional Command/Udayana at Denpasar, Bali
*
![Lambang Kodam Tanjungpura](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Lambang_Kodam_Tanjungpura.png)
Kodam XII/Tanjungpura, XII Military Regional Command/Tanjungpura at Kubu Raya Regency, West Kalimantan
*
![Lambang Kodam Merdeka](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Lambang_Kodam_Merdeka.png)
Kodam XIII/Merdeka, XIII Military Regional Command/Merdeka at Manado, North Sulawesi
*
![Lambang Kodam Hasanuddin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Lambang_Kodam_Hasanuddin.svg)
Kodam XIV/Hasanuddin, XIV Military Regional Command/Hasanuddin at Makassar, South Sulawesi
*
![Lambang Kodam Pattimura](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Lambang_Kodam_Pattimura.png)
Kodam XVI/Pattimura, XVI Military Regional Command/Pattimura at Ambon, Maluku, Ambon, Maluku (province), Maluku
*
![Lambang Kodam Cenderawasih](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Lambang_Kodam_Cenderawasih.png)
Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih, XVII Military Regional Command/Cenderawasih at Jayapura, Papua (province), Papua
*
![Lambang Kodam Kasuari](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Lambang_Kodam_Kasuari.png)
Kodam XVIII/Kasuari, XVIII Military Regional Command/Kasuari at Manokwari, West Papua (province), West Papua
*
![Lambang Kodam Jaya](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Lambang_Kodam_Jaya.png)
Kodam Jayakarta, Military Regional Command Jayakarta at East Jakarta, Jakarta
*
![2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/2._LOGO_KODAM_IM.png)
Kodam Iskandar Muda, Military Regional Command Iskandar Muda at Banda Aceh, Aceh
The Indonesian Marine Corps also operates 3 divisions which are:
*Indonesian Marine Corps#Marine Force, 1st Marine Forces (Pasmar-1) at Sidoarjo, East Java
*Indonesian Marine Corps#Marine Force, 2nd Marine Forces (Pasmar-2) at Cilandak, South Jakarta
*Indonesian Marine Corps#Marine Force, 3rd Marine Forces (Pasmar-3) at Sorong, West Papua (province), West Papua
Kostrad infantry divisions are organized into two brigades of infantry (Raider qualified) and a field artillery regiment (the 3rd Division has no artillery regiment, instead it has artillery battalion, the 6th Field Artillery Battalion) as well as combat and service support elements. The regional commands' combat and combat support formations, organized operationally as infantry divisions, have one infantry brigade, an operational second brigade made up of battalions administratively under Military Areas and directly reporting infantry battalions under divisional command, and combat and service support battalions, plus an optional armoured cavalry reconnaissance troop. This organization may be adjusted to the individual needs of the regional commands, Kodam Jaya's division is made up of one infantry brigade, one armored cavalry brigade and one air defense artillery regiment, together with the support elements. The Marine Corps divisions are organized into an infantry brigade, an armored regiment (assault amphibian), an artillery regiment and a combat support regiment, plus an administrative regiment responsible for Marine Corps battalions deployed in support of naval bases and shipyards.
Israel
The Israeli Defense Forces operates 11 divisions of various sizes that are separated into three categories: regular, territorial and reserve. Regardless of type divisions are organized into brigades.
Regular divisions:
* 36th Division (IDF), 36th Armored Division
* 162nd Division (IDF), 162nd Armored Division
Territorial divisions:
* 80th Division (IDF), 80th Territorial Division (''Negev'')
* 91st Division (IDF), 91st Territorial Division (''Galilee'')
* Gaza Division, 143rd Territorial Division (''Gaza'')
* 210th Division (Israel), 210th Territorial Division (''Bashan'')
* Judea and Samaria Division, 877th Territorial Division (''Judea and Samaria'')
Divisions in reserve:
* 98th Paratroopers Division (IDF), 98th Paratrooper Division (''Reserve'')
* Sinai Division, 252nd Armored Division (''Reserve'')
* 319th Division (IDF), 319th Armored Division (''Reserve'')
* 340th Division (Israel), 340th Armored Division (''Reserve'')
Japan
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force divisions are
combined arms
Combined arms is an approach to warfare
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme vio ...
units with infantry, armored, and artillery units, combat support units and logistical support units. They are regionally independent and permanent entities. The divisions strength varies from 6,000 to 9,000 personnel. The division commander is a lieutenant general.
JGSDF currently has nine active duty divisions (one armored, eight infantry):
*
![JGSDF 1st Division](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/JGSDF_1st_Division.svg)
1st Division (Japan), 1st Division, in Nerima
*
![JGSDF 2nd Division](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/JGSDF_2nd_Division.svg)
2nd Division (Japan), 2nd Division, in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Asahikawa
*
![JGSDF 3rd Division](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/JGSDF_3rd_Division.svg)
3rd Division (Japan), 3rd Division, in Itami
*
![JGSDF 4th Division](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/JGSDF_4th_Division.svg)
4th Division (Japan), 4th Division, in Kasuga, Fukuoka, Kasuga
*
![JGSDF 6th Division](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/JGSDF_6th_Division.svg)
6th Division (Japan), 6th Division, in Higashine, Yamagata, Higashine
*
![JGSDF 7th Division](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/JGSDF_7th_Division.svg)
7th Division (Japan), 7th Division (Armored), in Chitose, Hokkaidō, Chitose
*
![JGSDF 8th Division](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/JGSDF_8th_Division.svg)
8th Division (Japan), 8th Division, in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kumamoto
*
![JGSDF 9th Division](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/JGSDF_9th_Division.svg)
9th Division (Japan), 9th Division, in Aomori, Aomori, Aomori
*
![JGSDF 10th Division](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/JGSDF_10th_Division.svg)
10th Division (Japan), 10th Division, in Nagoya
Pakistan
An Army division in the Pakistan Army is an intermediate between a corps and a brigade. It is the largest striking force in the army. Each division is headed by a General Officer Commanding (GOC) holding the rank of major general. It usually consists of 15,000 combat troops and 8,000 support elements. Currently, the Pakistani Army has 29 divisions: 20 infantry, two armoured, two mechanized, two air defence, two strategic and one artillery. Each division consists of several brigades.
Philippines
The Philippine Army is currently organized into 11 Infantry Divisions and 1 Mechanized Infantry Division across the Archipelago. A division is usually led by a Major General and comprises 3-4 Brigades of infantry or armor.
* 1st Infantry Division (Philippines), 1st Infantry "Tabak" Division
* 2nd Infantry Division (Philippines), 2nd Infantry "Jungle Fighter" Division
* 3rd Infantry Division (Philippines), 3rd Infantry "Spearhead Troopers" Division
* 4th Infantry Division (Philippines), 4th Infantry "Diamond" Division
* 5th Infantry Division (Philippines), 5th Infantry "Star" Division
* 6th Infantry Division (Philippines), 6th Infantry "Kampilan" Division
* 7th Infantry Division (Philippines), 7th Infantry "Kaugnay" Division
* 8th Infantry Division (Philippines), 8th Infantry "Storm Trooper" Division
* 9th Infantry Division (Philippines), 9th Infantry "Spear" Division
* 10th Infantry Division (Philippines), 10th Infantry "Agila" Division
* 11th Infantry Division (Philippines), 11th Infantry "Alakdan" Division
* Armor “Pambato” Division, Armor "Pambato" Division
Russia
USSR
In the Soviet Armed Forces, a division (russian: diviziya, дивизия) may have referred to a formation in any of the armed services, and included subunits appropriate to the service such as regiments and battalions, squadrons or naval vessels. Almost all divisions, irrespective of the service branch, had the 3+1+1 structure of major sub-units, which were usually regiments.
There is also a similarly sounding unit of military organization in Russian military terminology, called ''divizion'' (дивизион). A ''divizion'' is used to refer to an artillery or cavalry battalion, a specific part of a ship's crew (, 'ship battalion'), or a group of naval vessels ().
In Imperial Russia, infantry formations were designated as (russian: pekhoty), 'infantry'. But on 11 October 1918, all such formations in the new
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
were re-designated as (russian: strelkovaya, 'rifle'. This was deliberately chosen as a means of breaking with the Imperial past, while also giving these troops a sense of being an elite; in the Imperial Army, the riflemen had been the best of the foot soldiers outside the Guards. The new designation also hearkened back to the Streltsy of the 16th to early 18th Centuries, which were also elite troops.
All Soviet Army infantry, cavalry (until the 1950s) and armor divisions were organized on a unified TO&E of:
* Division HQ
* 3 infantry, cavalry or tank regiments (with an additional infantry (motor rifle) or tank regiment depending on divisional specialization)
* Divisional artillery brigade or later just one artillery regiment (horse artillery regiment and tachanka battalion for cavalry)
** One light and one heavy howitzer field artillery regiment for brigades
* Divisional anti-air defense artillery regiment or battalion (air defense guns, later argumented by air defense surface to air missile battalions)
* Divisional anti-tank artillery battalion
* Combat and service support companies or battalions
** CBRN defense
** Combat engineers
** Divisional reconnaissance
** Medical company
** Rear services (including transport)
** Signals
** Electronic warfare
Before the Second World War, besides the Mechanised corps (Soviet Union), mechanised corps, there were independent tank battalions within rifle divisions. These were meant to reinforce rifle units for the purpose of breaching enemy defences. They had to act in cooperation with the infantry without breaking away from it and were called tanks for immediate infantry support (russian: tanki neposredstvennoy podderzhki pekhoty).
After 1945, some Red Army rifle divisions were converted to mechanised (infantry) divisions. From 1957, all rifle and mechanised divisions became "motor rifle divisions" (MRDs). These divisions usually had approximately 12,000 soldiers. During the Soviet era, 25 different MRD staffing and equipage tables existed to reflect different requirements of divisions stationed in different parts of the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact countries and Mongolia. From 1970 to 1983, a motor rifle regiment was added to tank divisions and an independent tank battalion to motor rifle divisions, and major increases in artillery, mortars, and armoured personnel carriers, in line with the evolution of Soviet doctrine, which began to recognise the need for a conventional phrase, away from the previously expected purely nuclear operations. A typical tank division had some 10,000 soldiers, less than those of the infantry, with near identical organization.
Similar organizations of units were and still are a part of the Russian Airborne Forces.
A typical Soviet "frontal aviation division" consisted of three air regiments, a transport squadron, and associated maintenance units. The number of aircraft within a regiment varied. Fighter and fighter-bomber regiments were usually equipped with about 40 aircraft (36 of the primary unit type and a few utility and spares), while bomber regiments typically consisted of 32 aircraft. Divisions were typically commanded by colonels or major generals, or colonels or major generals of aviation in the Air Force. Soviet Naval Aviation and the Strategic Missile Forces divisions had either colonels or major generals as commanding officers while the ship divisions were led by captains 1st rank or captains 2nd rank.
Russian Federation
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russian tank and motor rifle divisions were reduced to near-cadre state, many being designated "bases for storage of weapons and equipment" (Russian acronym BKhVT). These bases, or "cadre" divisions, were equipped with all the heavy armaments of a full-strength motor-rifle or tank division, while having only skeleton personnel strength, as low as 500 personnel. The officers and men of a cadre division focus primarily on maintaining the equipment in working condition. During wartime mobilization, such a division would be reinforced up to full manpower strength; however, in peacetime, a cadre division is unfit for any combat.
After the 2008 Russian military reforms, most active divisions were disbanded or converted into brigades.
Since 2013, several divisions were reactivated. In 2020, the Russian Ground Forces have 10 divisions :
* 2nd Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division, 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division in Moscow
* 3rd Motor Rifle Division in Valuyki, Belgorod Oblast, Valuyki
* 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division, 4th Guards Tank Division in Naro-Fominsk
* 18th Machine Gun Artillery Division in Goryachiye Klyuchi, Kurilsky District, Sakhalin Oblast, Goryachiye Klyuchi
* 19th Motor Rifle Division in Vladikavkaz
* 42nd Guards Motor Rifle Division in Khankala
* 90th Guards Tank Division (2016–present), 90th Guards Tank Division in Chebarkul
* 127th Motor Rifle Division (Russia), 127th Motor Rifle Division in Sergeyevka, Primorsky Krai
* 144th Guards Motor Rifle Division, 144th Motor Rifle Division in Yelnya, Yelninsky District, Smolensk Oblast, Yelnya
* 150th Rifle Division (Soviet Union), 150th Motor Rifle Division in Novocherkassk
The Coastal Troops of the Russian Navy has :
* 18th Guards Motor Rifle Division in Kaliningrad
The Russian Airborne Forces have 4 divisions :
*
![Russian 7th Airborne Division patch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Russian_7th_Airborne_Division_patch.svg)
7th Guards Mountain Air Assault Division in Novorossiysk
*
![Russian 76th Airborne Division patch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Russian_76th_Airborne_Division_patch.svg)
76th Guards Air Assault Division in Pskov
*
![Russian 98th Airborne Division patch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Russian_98th_Airborne_Division_patch.svg)
98th Guards Airborne Division in Ivanovo
*
![Russian 106th Airborne Division patch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Russian_106th_Airborne_Division_patch.svg)
106th Guards Airborne Division in Tula, Russia, Tula
The Strategic Missile Forces have 12 divisions :
* 7th Guards Rocket Division at Vypolzovo
* 8th Rocket Division at Pervomaysky (urban-type settlement), Kirov Oblast, Pervomaysky, Kirov Oblast
* 13th Red Banner Rocket Division at Dombarovsky (air base), Dombarovskiy
* 14th Rocket Division at Yoshkar-Ola
* 28th Guards Rocket Division at Kozelsk
* 29th Guards Rocket Division at Irkutsk
* 35th Rocket Division at Barnaul
* 39th Guards Rocket Division at Novosibirsk
* 42nd Rocket Division at Nizhniy Tagil
* 54th Guards Rocket Division at Teykovo
* 60th Rocket Division at Tatischevo (airbase), Tatischevo
* 62nd Rocket Division at Uzhur
In addition to the Army divisions, a division is currently on active duty within the ranks of the National Guard of Russia:
*
![Separate division operational use](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Separate_division_operational_use.jpg)
Separate Operational Purpose Division in Moscow.
Also, a number of Aviation Divisions and Air Defense Divisions have been reactivated within the Russian Air Force.
South Africa
South Africa has fielded several infantry and armoured divisions in its military history:
* 1st Infantry Division (South Africa), 1 Infantry Division for battles waged in the North African theatre from 1940 to 1943.
* 2nd Infantry Division (South Africa), 2 Infantry Division also for the engagements of North Africa from 1940 to 1942.
* 6th Armoured Division (South Africa), 6 Armoured Division for the Italian Campaign of 1943 to 1945.
* 7 South African Infantry Division, 7 Infantry Division for the Border War fought in Southern Africa. It existed from 1965 to 1990 and consisted of three brigades.
* 8th Armoured Division (South Africa), 8 Armoured Division also for the Border War and existed from 1974 to 1997 and consisted of three brigades.
* 9th Division (South Africa), 9 Infantry Division was formed for geographical purposes but only existed for a short period from 1992 to 1997.
United Kingdom
![1 RRF engage Iraqi Army positions with their 81mm Mortars](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/1_RRF_engage_Iraqi_Army_positions_with_their_81mm_Mortars._Iraq._26-03-2003_MOD_45142764.jpg)
In the British Army, a division is commanded by a major general with a WO1 as the Command Sergeant Major and may consist of three infantry, mechanised and/or armoured brigades and supporting units.
Currently, the British Army has three active divisions:
*1st (United Kingdom) Division
*
![British 3rd Infantry Division2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/British_3rd_Infantry_Division2.svg)
3rd (United Kingdom) Division
*
![6th (UK) Division badge (2019)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/6th_%28UK%29_Division_badge_%282019%29.svg)
6th (United Kingdom) Division
The British Army previously had three other divisions.
*
![British 2nd Infantry Division](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/British_2nd_Infantry_Division.svg)
2nd Infantry Division (United Kingdom), 2nd Division – Scotland and Northern England, headquartered at Edinburgh
*4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom), 4th Division – Southern England, headquartered at Aldershot
*
![5th UK Infantry Division](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/5th_UK_Infantry_Division.svg)
5th Infantry Division (United Kingdom), 5th Division – Wales, English Midlands and Eastern England, headquartered at Shrewsbury
Additionally, most of the infantry regiments of the British Army are organised for administrative purposes into a number of organisations called "divisions":
* Guards Division – 1968–present
* Scottish, Welsh and Irish Division – 2017–present
* King's Division – 1968–present
* Queen's Division – 1968–present
* Scottish Division – 1968–2017
* Prince of Wales' Division – 1968–2017
* Light Division (United Kingdom), Light Division – 1968–2007
United States
A divisional unit in the United States Army typically consists of 17,000 to 21,000 soldiers, but can grow up to 35,000 to 40,000 with attached support units during operations, and are commanded by a Major general (United States), major general. Two divisions usually form a
corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
and each division consists of three maneuver brigades, an aviation brigade, an engineer brigade, and division artillery (latter two excluded from divisional structure as of 2007), along with a number of smaller specialized units. In 2014, divisional artillery (DIVARTY) organizations began to re-appear, with some fires brigades reorganizing to fill this role.
![10th Mountaineers advance on sniper](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/10th_Mountaineers_advance_on_sniper.jpg)
The United States Army currently has eleven active divisions and one deployable division headquarters (7th Infantry Division):
*
![US 1st Infantry Division SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/1st_Infantry_Division_SSI_%281918-2015%29.svg)
1st Infantry Division (United States), 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas
*
![United States Army 1st Armored Division CSIB](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/United_States_Army_1st_Armored_Division_CSIB.svg)
1st Armored Division (United States), 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas
*
1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas
*
![2nd Infantry Division SSI (full color)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/2nd_Infantry_Division_SSI_%28full_color%29.svg)
2nd Infantry Division (United States), 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Humphreys, South Korea and in Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington (state), Washington
*
![3rd Infantry Division SSI (1918-2015)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/3rd_Infantry_Division_SSI_%281918-2015%29.svg)
3rd Infantry Division (United States), 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and in Fort Benning, Georgia
*
![4th Infantry Division SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/4th_Infantry_Division_SSI.svg)
4th Infantry Division (United States), 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado
*
![7th Infantry Division SSI (1973-2015)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/7th_Infantry_Division_SSI_%281973-2015%29.svg)
7th Infantry Division (United States), 7th Infantry Division (Division Headquarters only) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington (state), Washington
* 10th Mountain Division (United States), 10th Mountain Division (Light) at Fort Drum, New York and in Fort Polk, Louisiana
*
![11th Airborne Division Insignia 2022](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/11th_Airborne_Division_Insignia_2022.png)
11th Airborne Division (United States), 11th Airborne Division at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska
*
![25th Infantry Division CSIB](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/25th_Infantry_Division_CSIB.svg)
25th Infantry Division (United States), 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
*
![82nd Airborne Division CSIB](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/82nd_Airborne_Division_CSIB.svg)
82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina
*
![US 101st Airborne Division patch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/US_101st_Airborne_Division_patch.svg)
101st Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky
The Army National Guard has a further eight divisions:
*
![28th Infantry Division SSI (1918-2015)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/28th_Infantry_Division_SSI_%281918-2015%29.svg)
28th Infantry Division (United States), 28th Infantry Division, Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania
*
![29th Infantry Division SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/29th_Infantry_Division_SSI.svg)
29th Infantry Division (United States), 29th Infantry Division, Fort Belvoir, Virginia
*
![34th 'Red Bull' Infantry Division SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/34th_%27Red_Bull%27_Infantry_Division_SSI.svg)
34th Infantry Division (United States), 34th Infantry Division, Rosemount, Minnesota
*
![35th Infantry Division SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/35th_Infantry_Division_SSI.svg)
35th Infantry Division (United States), 35th Infantry Division, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
*
![36th Infantry Division CSIB](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/36th_Infantry_Division_CSIB.svg)
36th Infantry Division (United States), 36th Infantry Division, Camp Mabry, Texas
*
![38th Infantry Division SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/38th_Infantry_Division_SSI.svg)
38th Infantry Division (United States), 38th Infantry Division, Indianapolis, Indiana
*
![40th Infantry Division CSIB](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/40th_Infantry_Division_CSIB.svg)
40th Infantry Division (United States), 40th Infantry Division, Los Alamitos JFTB, California
*
![42nd Infantry Division SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/42nd_Infantry_Division_SSI.svg)
42nd Infantry Division (United States), 42nd Infantry Division, Troy, New York
There are further nine divisions within the United States Army Reserve, Army Reserve that are responsible for training and support operations:
*
![78th Infantry Division SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/78th_Infantry_Division_SSI.svg)
78th Infantry Division (United States), 78th Division (Operations), Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst, New Jersey
*
![86 Inf Div SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/86_Inf_Div_SSI.jpg)
86th Infantry Division (United States), 86th Division (Decisive Action), Fort McCoy, Wisconsin
*
![US 91st Infantry Division](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/US_91st_Infantry_Division.svg)
91st Division (United States), 91st Division (Operations), Fort Hunter Liggett, California
*
![94th Regional Readiness Command SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/94th_Regional_Readiness_Command_SSI.svg)
94th Infantry Division (United States), 94th Division (Force Sustainment), Fort Lee (Virginia), Fort Lee, Virginia
*
![95TrainingDivSSI SVG](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/95TrainingDivSSI_SVG.svg)
95th Infantry Division (United States), 95th Division (Entry Training), Fort Sill, Oklahoma
*
![98th Infantry Division shoulder sleeve insignia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/98th_Infantry_Division_shoulder_sleeve_insignia.svg)
98th Infantry Division (United States), 98th Division (Entry Training), Fort Benning, Georgia
*
![100th Infantry Division SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/100th_Infantry_Division_SSI.svg)
100th Infantry Division (United States), 100th Division (Operational Support), Fort Knox, Kentucky
*
![102 INF DIV SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/102_INF_DIV_SSI.svg)
102nd Infantry Division (United States), 102nd Division (Maneuver Support), Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
*
![104TrngDivLdrTrngSSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/104TrngDivLdrTrngSSI.svg)
104th Infantry Division (United States), 104th Division (Leader Training), Fort Lewis (Washington), Fort Lewis, Washington
The United States Marine Corps has a further three active divisions and one reserve division. They consist of a headquarters battalion, two or three infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, and a reconnaissance battalion. Additionally, all Marine divisions (MARDIV), except 3rd MARDIV, have an assault amphibian (AA) battalion, a tank battalion, a light armored reconnaissance (LAR) battalion (two in 1st MARDIV), and a combat engineer (CE) battalion (two in 1st MARDIV). (3rd MARDIV has a combat assault battalion including one company each of AA, LAR, and CE. Tank support for 3rd MARDIV can be provided by tanks deployed with the 31st MEU or directly from one of the three divisional tank battalions under the Unit Deployment Program.)
*
![US 1st Marine Division SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/US_1st_Marine_Division_SSI.svg)
1st Marine Division (United States), 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California.
*
![2nd MarDiv](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/2nd_MarDiv.png)
2nd Marine Division (United States), 2nd Marine Division at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
*
![US 3d Marine Division SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/US_3d_Marine_Division_SSI.svg)
3rd Marine Division (United States), 3rd Marine Division at Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, Camp Smedley D. Butler, Okinawa, Japan.
*
![4THMARDIV](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/4THMARDIV.svg)
4th Marine Division (United States), 4th Marine Division (''Reserve'') with units located throughout the United States and headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana.
South Korea
Republic of Korea Army divisions are major tactical formations led by general officers. There are currently 39 Army and two Marine divisions. Of the 41 Army divisions, six are mechanized infantry divisions (combined arms formations centered around tanks, IFVs, APCs, and SPGs), 16 are infantry divisions (motorized divisions with various levels of mechanization), 12 are "Homeland Infantry Divisions" (향토보병사단, infantry divisions kept at a 40–50% manpower level, to be reinforced during national emergencies) and seven "Reserve Infantry Divisions" (동원보병사단, infantry divisions kept at 10–20% manpower level, to be reinforced during national emergencies). There are two Marine divisions organized similarly to their American counterparts. Though similarly formed, the 1st ROK Marine Division is specialized to perform amphibious landing operations while the 2nd ROK Marine Division performs more security operations and mans a sector of the DMZ facing the North Korean border.
Republic of Korea Army divisions are typically smaller than their foreign counterparts. Mechanized infantry divisions are fully formed at around 9,900, infantry divisions are fully formed at about 11,500 men, and other types of divisions are smaller in size during normal operations according to their reserve manpower levels. There are very few articles discussing Republic of Korea Marine Corps, ROK Marine Corps tactical organization, but an active duty force of 29,000 is divided into two divisions, two
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
s, and its supporting units.
Mechanized infantry, infantry, Homeland Infantry, and Marine divisions are led by major generals, while Reserve Infantry Divisions are led by brigadier generals. As a general rule no major ROKAF formation contains the number four in its name.
Venezuela
The Venezuelan Army is organized into 6 divisions, four of them infantry, one armored and one being armoured cavalry. All are organized into brigades or regiments, which in turn are organized into infantry battalions, cavalry squadrons, field artillery battalions, air defense artillery battalions and combat engineer battalions. They also contain any divisional service support elements. Usually there are two to five regiments or brigades per division.
The divisions are:
* 1st Infantry Division - with HQ in Maracaibo
* 2nd Infantry Division - HQ San Cristobal
* 3rd Infantry Division - HQ Caracas
* 4th Armored Division - HQ Maracay
* 5th Infantry Division (Jungle) - HQ Ciudad Bolívar
* 9th Cavalry Division - HQ San Fernando de Apure
See also
* Air Division (United States)
* List of military divisions
* Military organization
Notes
References
*
*
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*
External links
Infantry Divisions (British Army and British Indian Army) 1930–1956
{{Military units
Divisions (military units),
Military units and formations by size