A 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 colonel (O-6) although in some cases a brigadier general (O-7) may assume command. A brigade combat team contains combat support and combat service support units necessary to sustain its operations. BCTs contain organic artillery training and support, received from the parent division artillery (DIVARTY).
Currently, the U.S. Army is structured around the brigade combat team. In this program, divisions that previously had not deployed individual brigades due to lack of integral support have now been restructured. The 1st Armored Division, 25th Infantry Division, etc. now have the ability to deploy one or more BCTs anywhere in the world. These BCTs are intended to be able to stand on their own, like a division in miniature. Typically, soldiers assigned to a BCT will stay at their assignment for three years; this is intended to bolster readiness and improve unit cohesion.
Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) are a way to organize a self sufficient fighting force from A to Z. Here we'll look at how this model can apply to video gaming, specifically Arma 3.
Intro
Let's start with the basics of U.S. Army unit structure...
Traditionally, an Infantry Brigade was composed 'only' of:
• 3x line rifle battalions
• Little to no support at the battalion level
ALL other combat support and services were allocated at the Division level (artillery, recon, signal, support etc)
This format created several 'issues':
• Units did not get to train together
• It took longer for a large force to deploy because it had to be assembled
• There weren't enough support units to field all at once
To combat this deficiency, the BCT (Brigade Combat Team) model was formed.
This allowed Infantry units to deploy with ALL the necessary support units to fight for a sustained period of time.
Now, each Brigade has the necessary:
• Service support (ammo, fuel, repair)
• Combat Support (Engineers, Communication)
• Artillery
• Recon
To add to this, each Division also has extra:
• Combat Service and Support units
• Artillery
• Recon
• *** A CAB (Combat Aviation Unit) ***
Generally speaking there are 3 types of BCTs:
• Heavy (Armor)
• Stryker (Armored Personnel Carrier)
• Infantry (Light, Air Assault and Airborne)
S-Shops
The S-Shops are a series of offices that deal with ALL the military needs for a Battalion or bigger.
For gaming purposes, such as Arma 3, the S-Shop can be used for even a platoon level unit.
An Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT), as of 2014, contains approximately 4,400 soldiers and is organized around three battalions of infantry. Each type of brigade (light infantry, air assault, or airborne) has the same basic organization. Each infantry brigade is equipped and capable of air assault operations, whether or not it is officially designated as an air assault brigade. Also, most units typically maneuver in HMMWVs when deployed and operate as "motorized infantry" to facilitate speed of movement. The Infantry BCT can conduct entry operations by ground, air, and amphibious means.
The infantry brigade combat team consists of seven battalions: one cavalry, one brigade support, one engineer, three infantry and one field artillery.
A Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) is a mechanized infantry force structured around the Stryker eight-wheeled variant of the General Dynamics LAV III. A full Stryker brigade was intended to be C-130 Hercules air transportable into theatre within 96 hours, while a division-sized force is expected to need 120 hours. The Stryker brigade is an organic combined arms unit of lightly-armored, medium-weight wheeled vehicles, and is organized differently from the infantry or armored brigade combat teams. The Stryker brigades are being used to implement network-centric warfare doctrines, and are intended to fill a gap between the United States' highly mobile light infantry and its much heavier armored infantry. The BCT Ground Combat Vehicle Program was the planned successor of the interim armored vehicle before being cancelled in 2014. The team also receives training in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense (CBRN defense).
Each Stryker brigade combat team consists of three infantry battalions, one reconnaissance (cavalry) squadron, one fires (artillery) battalion, one brigade support battalion, one brigade headquarters and headquarters company, and one brigade engineer battalion. A Stryker brigade is approximately made up of more than 300 Stryker vehicles and 4,500 soldiers.
Starting in 2015, the anti-tank company was reflagged from the brigade engineer battalion to the cavalry squadron, to form a weapons troop—also incorporating the mobile gun systems from the infantry battalions.
A Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) or Heavy Brigade Combat Team (HBCT) is the army's primary armored force. It was designed around combined arms battalions that contain both M1 Abrams tanks and M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs). Other vehicles, such as HMMWVs and M113 armored personnel carrier, operate in a supporting role. In the future, it will also contain vehicles from the Future Fighting Vehicle and the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle.
An armored brigade combat team consists of seven battalions: three combined arms battalions, one cavalry (reconnaissance) squadron, one artillery battalion, one engineer battalion and one brigade support battalion. As of 2014, the armored brigade combat team is the largest brigade combat team formation with approximately 4,700 soldiers. Prior to 2012, the armored brigade combat team was named the heavy brigade combat team.
An ABCT includes approximately 87 Abrams, 152 Bradley IFVs, 18 M109s and 45 armed M113 vehicles.[10] The operational cost for these combat systems is $66,735 per mile. The range of the Abrams limits the brigade to 330 km (205 miles), requiring fuel every 12 hours. The brigade can self-transport 738,100 L (195,000 gallons) of fuel, which is transported by 15 19,000 L (5,000 gal) M969A1 tankers and 48 9,500 L (2,500 gal) M978 tankers.
Example Elements of a Brigade Combat Team (Infantry)
Battalion Headquarters Unit • Headquarter and Headquarters Company (HHC) - to run day to day affairs
• Communication Company
• Military Intelligence Platoon
• UAV/UAG Platoon
• Sniper Section x3
Recon Battalion • 2 Motorized units
• 1 Dismounted unit
• Forward Support Company
Infantry Battalion #1 • 3 Dismounted Companies
• 1 Mounted Company
• Forward Support Company
Infantry Battalion #2 • 3 Dismounted Companies
• 1 Mounted Company
• Forward Support Company
Infantry Battalion #3 • 3 Dismounted Companies
• 1 Mounted Company
• Forward Support Company
Cavalry Squadron/
• 2x Mounted cavalry troops
• Dismounted cavalry troop
Artillery Battalion • 3 Artillery Batteries
• Target Acquisition/Counter Artillery Platoon
• Forward Support Company
Special Troops Battalion • Engineers Company (mobility/countermobility)
• Maintenance Company (repair)
• Distribution Company (supplies/ammo)
• Medical Company
Gaming Modified Brigade Combat Team (Arma 3)
It is possible to have a much smaller "BCT" for gaming application
Headquarters Section Command Staff • Officer in Charge
• 2nd in Command
• Executive Officer
S-Shops:
• S1- Personnel (day to day operations)
• S2 - Military Intelligence
• S3 - Operations (current/future)
• S4 - Logistics
• S5 - Civil/Military Ops
• S6 - Communication
You can have:
• 1 person per S-Shop
• 1 person for 2 or more S-Shops
For gaming purposes, especially for Arma, each Battalion that makes up a BCT can be turned into a smaller unit comparable to squad size and a few players to man the S-Shops
Recon Battalion becomes:
• 1 Recon Squad with UAV/UAG capabilities
Infantry Battalion becomes:
• Infantry Platoon
Artillery Battalion becomes:
• Artillery/mortar Section
Support Battalion becomes:
• Support Squad (Repair/Refuel/Rearm)
A hybrid of the CAB (Combat Aviation Brigade) becomes: