Squad / section. A
squad, which is the
smallest element in the
Army structure, is
typically made up of four
to 10 soldiers and
normally is commanded
by a sergeant or staff
sergeant. Some units
have two squads that
made up a section,
commanded by a staff
sergeant.
Platoon. Normally, a
platoon includes 16 to 44
soldiers and is led by a
lieutenant with an NCO
as second in command.
A platoon usually consists
of three to four squads or
sections.
Company. A company
contains three to five
platoons and a total of 60
to 200 soldiers. It's
commanded by a
captain with a first
sergeant as the
commander's principal
NCO assistant. If the
element is an artillery
unit, it's called a battery
rather than a company.
If it's armored or air
cavalry, it's called a
troop. A company is a
tactical sized unit and
can perform a battlefield
function on its own.
Battalion. A battalion
encompasses four to six
companies and between
300 and 1,000 soldiers. A
battalion normally is
commanded by a
lieutenant colonel, and a
command sergeant
major serves as principal
NCO assistant. A
battalion can conduct
independent operations,
if they're of limited scope
and duration, and
operates its own
administration. An
armored or air cavalry
unit of equivalent size is
known as a squadron.
3-14
Military Mission and Operations
Florence Military Reservation’s mission is to provide the facilities needed to train
AZARNG units and other National Guard troops, including firing ranges, maneuver areas,
and other activity areas. It serves as Arizona’s primary training site for individual
weapons qualifications. Primary elements of the mission include the administration of
firing ranges and the operation of an integrated training area for small arms, land
navigation, and helicopter training. Florence Military Reservation also supports the
Arizona Regional Training Institute, Officer Candidate School, Military Occupation
Specialty, and Non Commissioned Officer (NCO) Education System courses. Due to the
nature of military training activities that occur at FMR, there are no units based there.
The facilities at FMR are adequately operated and managed by four full‐time personnel
on a daily basis, but other operators are present when units are using the installation.
Florence Military Reservation is a Level V Training Center and serves as the Desert
Training Environment for the AZARNG. A Level V Training Center supports individual and
collective training up to company level. Florence Military Reservation is an important
asset to the AZARNG’s training capabilities because the environment is similar to areas
where troops are deployed, and it also provides realistic training grounds that facilitates
troops’ success in their respective missions. Florence Military Reservation’s training
capabilities include small arms ranges, grenade ranges, machine gun ranges, land
navigation courses, maneuver areas, mine detection lanes, improvised explosive device
(IED) defeat lanes, rock crusher training, drop zones, landing zones, high mobility
multi‐wheeled vehicle (HMMWV) driver training, bivouac, obstacle courses, an MOUT
mock village with 50 buildings, and restricted airspace to test and train unmanned aerial
systems. The installation also offers virtual combat systems in small arms engagement
skills, HMMWV vehicle rollover, and virtual convoy operations training. National Guard
use of FMR occurs primarily during weekend drills and two‐week annual training periods.
Approximately 5,100 National Guard Soldiers train at FMR each year, averaging
29,000 man use days (use by one person for one day) annually.
Future Missions
There are no future missions or changes to existing missions currently planned at
Florence Military Reservation. There have been some preliminary concepts considered
for a public‐private partnership between the AZARNG and a private stakeholder to
develop facilities on a portion of the DoD‐owned land to support additional military or
technology‐based training and usage to expand the capabilities of the reservation. There
have also been some conceptual ideas to expand the main garrison area with additional
administrative and support facilities. As of the writing of this JLUS, none of these
concepts have been finalized for implementation.
Arizona Army National Guard Profile