>>30300331
For which nations military?

>>30300331
1st and 2nd lts are called platoon cmdrs. They command platoons.

companys made up of platoons are controlled by 1st(bout to get promoted) lts or captns sometimes majors if they're a boatload.

companies make up a battalion and are commande by majors or lt cols

battalions are put in regiments commanded by a bout to get promoted ltcol or cols.

>>30300331

Officers:

1. Are first in the stack.
2. Are responsible for filling specialty roles when someone on the team is incapacitated, e.g. scout sniper, EOD.
3. Lead fire-teams into combat.
4. Direct PT training and set an example.
5. Are the most experienced in CQB in the platoon.
6. Have over 300 confirmed kills.

>>30302283
America.

>>30300331
2nd and 1st LT's command platoons. That means if it is a combat arms platoon leading the platoon in battle. I.E. Lt. Col. or Major orders Captain to secure region/large town. Captain orders Lt's to secure small town/village/areas.

You come up with attack plan and organize and position units then execute.

NCO's make sure you dont fuck it up.

>>30300331
If you want I can run you through text book platoon level OPORD and mission.

>>30300331
They mostly kick it in the FOB doing COC watch shifts, PTing, whatever fobbits do in their cans.

Then they get a wild hair up their ass and attach themselves to your squad for a patrol. Usually fuck things up telling your squad leader to do stuff when Squad leader or you know better. My platoon commander ordered me not to fire on a sniper spotter, almost got men killed shortly after.

>>30302544
Yes please.

>>30302625
This is for basic infantry platoon leader (2 LT or 1 LT) and only if you dont suck shit.
So basically company will have some mission in an area. Company Commander will be like how do I accomplish this or might be told specific shit to do. Company commander divvies up platoons to accomplish tasks. You get OPORD (i.e. mission briefing).

Oporord basically runs like this:

I) Situation
A) Enemy Forces
Who
What
Where
Why
How
Arms Assessment

Shit will read something like "Force recon has spotted 8-12 man teams conducting ambushes along route blue and operating out of base at ET12345678 armed with small arms and explosives with the intent of disrupting patrol and supplie operations in the AO.

B) Friendly Forces
What the battalions mission is and what they are currently doing

What the company is doing.

This provides important situational details.

C) Adjacent units
Tells you what all the other platoons are doing and where. I.e. 2nd platoon establishes blocking positions north, 1st and 4th platoon provide perimeter security east and west.

D) What the civilians are doing and if they are supportive or not. How will they react, best way to handle them etc etc etc

E) Attachments or Detachments -> Who else is with you.

II) MIssion
What are you doing. Will read like:

3rd platoon conducts coordinated a assault on objective thor in vicinity of ET12345678 NLT 1500 Zulu or H+ 1500 IOT eliminate enemy opposition.

III) Execution
High level. Basically what does commander want, why. What are the key tasks they want you to accomplish and be mindful of, what is the end result they want.

A) CONOP, time line, transportation to objective, syncing shit with other units, basically how your commander wants shit to go down on a high level.

2) Fires - Do you have fire support, if so what, precedence, how to call etc.

B) task to subordinates - what your squads do,

>>30302625
c) coordinating instructions
important misc info, reporting instrutions.

IV) Sustainment - all the logistics
A) Supplies - see classes of supply
B) transportation means
C)casualty collections
D)Enemy POW collections
E) Services
F) Medevac request
G) Misc

V) Command and Signal - communication, challenge pass (star - thunder), running pass, where to meet up at if shit goes to hell.

------------

Thats the order. When YOU receive it along with your PSG. It will be company level and your shit will be in task to sub units. You have to break it down to platoon level.

You will either in the fob, or wherever or at an objective rally point nearby the object while you are gearing op for the shit. You issue a warning order (summary) to the squad leaders. Do some shit to make sure squad leaders can brief squads. Then YOU and PSG have to come up with the ACTUAL plan of attack. Timing, positioning, how do we do it, etc. And YOU actually have to execute. Conduct the attack, perform actions on, gtfo, report throughout the process and write after action review.

You will get trained in all the basic tactics and how t actually shoot, fight etc.

Thats what an infantry platoon leader does in combat. HOWEVER! That is textbook. Theory. Vietnam era as well.

You still follow the basic premise because its doctrine but in practice it is usually a bunch of training shit on the fob then you go actually do shit and your PSG carefully hand holds the whole way and makes sure you aren't full retard. Plus 9/10 times you have a ton of support or you are just on patrols with a ton of support and its way less "glorious" unless you specifically try to get into combat intensive areas and you dont suck.

But yes as a combat arms junior officer you will actually plan and lead men into battle. Just on a really low and controlled level. ANd if you fuck up it is because you are a retard and you get everyone killed....

What is the highest rank (US) that actually gets put in danger on the battlefield?

>>30302625
Forgot to mention after you and PSG come up with plan you need to brief full plan to squad leaders, who then brief to squads, then you need to conduct combat rehearsals and shit to make sure everyone knows whats up. Again thats just textbook theory though. Its never that cookie cutter. But your squad leaders and Team Leaders are going to be (or should be) well trained NCO's (same with your PSG) and Joe should be pretty competent as well so you can usually just provide direction like, use that part for cover, 1st squad breach here, 2nd quad cover, weapons squad positioned here and here for cover. Bang bang. Dead insurgents. Actions on. Regroup, move out.

Or just call for fire... usually just call for fire.

>>30303492
Captain usually. Major and Lt. Col's to lesser extent depending on whats going on or if the FOB gets hit.

It honestly depends on what you are doing, where you are, the situation, etc. Most infantry field officers are Captains. Like if you are out and about and there are officers overseeing combat or taking part it is usually a captain managing a bunch of LT's and grizzly old NCO's wishing every officer but the Captain was a fucking E1.

>>30303558
Are Captains/ Majors/ Lt. Colonel's badasses when they do fight? Or do they try to stay out of it and be protected by lesser ranks or suck at it cause they don't do it often?

>>30303672
....This isnt a video game. Higher rank != higher power level.

Its about experience. Knowing the right way to conduct operations and react and having done so enough that you are trusted over others.

They can be, but that is true of any one. Audie Murphy was a joe when he showed himself to be a bad ass. I have a family member who was an LTC who was pretty badass because he was an ariborne ranger and sapper.

>>30303672
Also any officer that hides behind subordinates has no business being there and should/will get ousted fast.

Lead from the front. Usually CPT will attach himself to the platoon he has designated for the primary platoon. Like if you are conducting an attack you have a specific platoon doing that while others do AO shit to facilitate it, CPT will attach himself to the assault platoon.

>>30303891
also not to be a dick but from your mentality thus far you would be a very toxic /shitt officer....

You need to do a 180 on your thinking or stay out of it entirely.

>>30304001
fuck I meant>>30303672

>>30304001
I'm not OP or military at all.

>>30300331
As in infantry officer in the Army, listen to this guy(>>30302474). He summed it up fairly well as far as general combat related responsibilities of junior officers in combat arms goes.

There's a whole lot more to it than [fill in generic catch all job description] though. Just for Infantry alone, as a PL your responsibilities can vary immensely whether youre mechanized, in an airborne unit, light, Pathfinder coded, etc etc. You might not even be leading infantryman, I've known a handful of infantry officers who lead armor platoons and so on.

And that's if you're lucky, passed ranger school, and got a platoon. You could be a desk monkey locked up in the S3 shop like any other POG.