KENT G

The company was the command echelon below the battalion and above the platoon. It was commanded by a captain with a first lieutenant as executive officer and a first sergeant as assistant. A typical U.S. rifle company numbered 1902 men and consisted of three rifle platoons and a machine gun or heavy weapons platoon with three 60mm mortars, three bazookas, and two medium machine guns. Companies in other armies, which put less emphasis on firepower, omitted the heavy weapons platoon but sometimes included a fourth rifle platoon.