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A division is a large Military Unit or Formation usually consisting of around ten to fifteen thousand soldiers. In most armies a division is composed of several Regiment s or Brigade s, and in turn several divisions make up a Corps . HISTORY Pre-modern divisions The term division came into use as armies began to grow and become mass formations. The division was originally an organizational structure under the Corps to assist in command and control of various regiments and brigades. The corps remained the primary maneuver unit of the army, while heraldry and unit identification remained primarily a matter of the regiment. The modern division In modern times, the divisional structure has been standardized by most military forces. This does not mean that divisions are equal in size or structure from military to military, but generally divisions have in most cases come to be units of 10,000 to 20,000 troops with substantial enough support organic to the unit to be capable of independent operations. Usually the direct organization of the division consists of one to four brigades or regiments of the combat arm of the division along with a brigade or regiment of combat support (usually Artillery ) and a number of direct-reporting Battalion s for various specialized support tasks (often Reconnaissance and Combat Engineers ). In most militaries, ideal organization strength is standardized for each type of division, encapsulated in a Table Of Organization And Equipment , or TO&E, which specifies exact assignments of units, personnel, and equipment for the division. The modern division has become in many militaries the primary identifiable combat unit, supplanting the regiment. The peak of use of the division as the primary combat unit was during World War II , when hundreds of divisions were deployed. Presently, smaller numbers of divisions represent significant combat power. The recent Invasion Of Iraq was completed with only a handful of divisions with significant support forces. 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 are more often organized as a Combined Arms unit with Subordinate 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 The most common form of divisions formed throughout most of history have been Infantry divisions. Often, in small militaries, all divisions were infantry and therefore the term ''division'' is synonymous with ''infantry division'' in those forces. The basic infantry division is usually formed with a number of infantry regiments (usually three), an artillery regiment, and a few support battalions. Infantry divisions are often formed for specific purposes, and these are sometimes reflected in their name. Basic infantry, without its own transportation (thus relying on leg and horse mobility), is in modern times often considered ''light'' infantry, thus the formation of the ''light infantry division''. Its primary value in today's military environment is that it is easy to transport and keep supplied due to its lack of heavy equipment. It is ideal for Low-intensity Conflict , but lacks firepower for full scale warfare. Another kind of infantry division is ''mountain'' infantry. These units are designed to move and fight in alpine environments, and thus their training and equipment must be able to withstand rugged terrain and inclement conditions. Mountain units are often considered Elite units, and they may be used in more conventional environments when high-quality troops are needed. Another popular elite infantry formation is the ''airborne'' infantry, commonly called ''parachute'' infantry (or ''paratroopers''). These units are designed to drop their forces by air (both parachute and glider) and maintain combat operations autonomously behind enemy lines. More so than mountain divisions, these units require special training and equipment. A recent off-shoot has been the ''air-mobile'' infantry, designed to use helicopter insertion versus traditional airborne operations. All of these units are often employed as elite infantry in traditional combat situations. During World War II, infantry units began becoming more and more mechanized. Many were given enough trucks to carry their entire force, sometimes becoming known as ''motorized'' infantry. Some were equipped with halftracks and other armored carriers, and were known as ''armored'' infantry (Germany's units were given the name ''Panzergrenadier''). As these units were developed after the war, the term ''motorized'' became common regardless of the type of transportation. For example, the Soviet Union made wide use of Armored Personnel Carrier s in its '' Motor Rifle Division s'', as did the United States Army in its ''infantry (motorized)'' divisions. Cavalry For most nations, Cavalry was deployed in smaller units and was not therefore organized into divisions, but for larger militaries, 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. For the most part, large cavalry units did not remain after World War II . 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 types of ''new cavalry'' were developed: Armored Cavalry , based on an autonomous armored formation, and Air Cavalry or airmobile, relying on helicopter mobility. The latter was formed into the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division during the Vietnam War , although this was essentially air-mobile infantry with significant support units. Armored divisions The development of the Tank near the end of World War I prompted some nations to experiment with forming them into division-size units. Many did this the same way as they did cavalry, by merely replacing infantry with tank units and giving motorization to the support units. This proved unwieldy in combat, as the units had many tanks but few infantry units. Instead, a more balanced approach of balancing the number of tank, infantry, and artillery units within the division took place. By the end of World War II, in most cases ''armored division'' referred to divisions with significant tank battalions and motorization for its infantry, artillery, and support units. ''Infantry division'' referred to divisions with a majority of infantry units. Since the end of the war, most armored 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, armored divisions would be equipped with the most advanced or powerful tanks - such as the M1A2 Abrams in the United States. NOMENCLATURE In most nations, divisions are designated by combining an Ordinal Number and a type name. Nicknames are often assigned or adopted although these often are not considered an official part of the unit's Nomenclature . In some cases, divisions are titled without an ordinal number, often in the case of unique units, or units serving as elite or special troops. For clarification in histories and reports, the nation is identified previous to the number. It is important to note that division names are completely subject to the whim of whatever controlling body names the unit. Fanciful and incongruous names are commonly found. It is common for the ordinal number to not be sequential, leading to high numbers without that many divisions existing. Types as well are not always indicative of the actual structure or mission of the unit. Germany raised a parachute armoured division (''Fallschirmpanzer-Division'') during World War II which obviously never conducted, nor was intended to conduct, a parachute drop. The primary purpose of nomenclature is to give each unit a unique identification to assist in command and control of units. This is also helpful 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 makes such obfuscation rarely necessary. NATIONAL ORGANIZATION Canada The first division sized formation raised by the 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 First Canadian Division when a Second Canadian Division took to the field later that year. A Third Canadian Division and Fourth 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 between 1943 and early 1945; the 2nd, 4th and 5th Divisions served in Northwest Europe. A Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Division were raised for service in Canada, with one brigade of the Sixth Division going to 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 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 invasion of Japan when the latter country 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 peace-time Division in Canadian history, consisted of a brigade in Germany, one in Edmonton and one at Valcartier. This Division was disbanded in April 1958. The First Canadian Division was reactivated one last time in 1988, but is no longer on the official order of battle. Canada currently has no active duty divisions. United Kingdom In the British Army a division is commanded by a major-general and consists of three infantry, mechanised and/or armoured brigades and supporting units. Currently, the British Army has five active divisions:
United States In the United States Army , a divisional unit typically consists of 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers commanded by a Major General . Two divisions usually compose a Corps and each division is composed of about three maneuver Brigade s, an aviation Brigade , an engineer Brigade , and division artillery, along with a number of smaller specialized units. The United States Army currently has ten active divisions:
Plans in 2004 and 2005 have been authorized by Congress to gradually increase to 12 Active Army divisions over the next 6 years. While a still subtantial increase in response to availiblility problems related to the Iraq War, this is less than the 18 Active divisions in existence during the 1991 Gulf War and the 24 in 1987 (the height of Cold War military numerical strength). The United States Marine Corps has a further three active divisions. They consist of three Infantry regiments, one artillery regiment, a tank battalion, and a Light Armored Vehicle battalion, in addition to supporting elements
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