Task 1 Read the text and complete the chart. Then answer the questions.

An Infantry Battalion in the British Army

With a total strength of 625 officers and men, the battalion is the basic tactical unit in the infantry and is
commanded by a lieutenant colonel, known as the Commanding Officer or CO. The battalion comprises the
Battalion Headquarters (HQ) Company, a Support Company and three rifle companies. The CO commands from
the HQ Company, which provides the battalion’s administration, command and logistic elements. The Support
Company comprises the battalion’s fire support assets and is equipped with mortars, anti-tank weapons and
machine guns.
Each rifle company is commanded by a major, known as the Officer Commanding or OC, and consists of a
Company HQ and three rifle platoons. Platoons are numbered in sequence, for example A Company consists of
1, 2 and 3 Platoons and B Company comprises 4, 5 and 6 platoons. Each platoon comprises a Platoon HQ and
three sections. Each section has a strength of eight men and is divided into two fire teams known as Charlie and
Delta. A fire team consists of an NCO* and three soldiers.
During wartime or of any kind of operation, the Battalion is task organised for a specific mission and becomes a
battle group. The battlegroup is made up of the Battalion HQ Company, Support Company and one or more rifle
companies plus attached elements from armour, engineer and aviation units. On operations, the battlegroup is
assigned to a brigade, which is made up of three or four battlegroups, plus artillery, aviation and support
elements. The brigade forms part of a division, which is made up of three or four brigades with a total strength of
about 15,000 soldiers.
Organisation Strenght Compositon commander
division 15,000 3-4 brigades major general
Formations
brigade 5,000 3-4 battlegroups brigadier
HQ Company and Support Company + 3
UNIT (1)………………. 625 (2)…………………
companies
company 100 Company HQ + 3 platoons (3)………………..
(4)……………… 28 PI HQ + 3 sections lieutenant
Sub-units
section (5)………… 2 fire teams corporal
(6)……………… 4 1 NCO and 3 men corporal / lance corporal

1. What is the difference between the terms OC and CO?

2. How many rifle platoons are there in the battalion?
3. What is the difference between a battle group and a battalion? * NCO – Non-Commissioned
officer

Task 2 Match the words with the definitions.

airdrop drop zone jumpmaster pass stick (or chalk) wave
1. A short run by an aircraft at a target. ……………..
2. The area paratroops land or equipment is dropped by a parachute. …………………..
3. A group of paratroops assigned to one aircraft. ………………….
4. The person who controls paratroops from entering the aircraft until they exit. ………………..
5. A formation of forces that land at the same time. ………………….
6. When troops or equipment leave an aircraft. …………………….

Task 3 Read paragraph 1 and find the differences between the terms.
1 ship and boat 3 forward and aft
2 topside and below 4 embark and debark

Naval vessels are called ships, except submarines, which are called boats. The front part of a ship is the bow and
the back part is the stern. If you are facing the bow, then your left is port and right is starboard. If you walk
towards the bow, you go forward and if you go towards the stern, you go aft. You never go upstairs on a ship,
you go topside and when you go downstairs, you go below. When you go onboard a ship you embark and when
you leave, you disembark or debark.
Floors on a ship are called decks and the openings from one deck to another are hatches. Ships have
compartments and passageways, rather than rooms and corridors. The walls of compartments are called
bulkheads and the ceiling is overhead. If you can see the sea from your compartment, then you are looking out of
a port, not a window. If you are hungry, then don’t ask for the kitchen, ask for the galley, and if you want the
bathroom, ask for the head.
Now read paragraph 2 and find words that mean …
1 bathroom …………….. 5 kitchen ………………….
2 wall ………………… 6 ceiling …………………..
3 corridor ………………… 7 room ……………………
4 floor ……………….. 8 window …………………
 *ANSWERS*

Task 1 Read the text and complete the chart. Then answer the questions.
An Infantry Battalion in the British Army
With a total strength of 625 officers and men, the battalion is the basic tactical unit in the infantry and is
commanded by a lieutenant colonel, known as the Commanding Officer or CO. The battalion comprises the
Battalion Headquarters (HQ) Company, a Support Company and three rifle companies. The CO commands from
the HQ Company, which provides the battalion’s administration, command and logistic elements. The Support
Company comprises the battalion’s fire support assets and is equipped with mortars, anti-tank weapons and
machine guns.
Each rifle company is commanded by a major, known as the Officer Commanding or OC, and consists of a
Company HQ and three rifle platoons. Platoons are numbered in sequence, for example A Company consists of
1, 2 and 3 Platoons and B Company comprises 4, 5 and 6 platoons. Each platoon comprises a Platoon HQ and
three sections. Each section has a strength of eight men and is divided into two fire teams known as Charlie and
Delta. A fire team consists of an NCO* and three soldiers.
During wartime or of any kind of operation, the Battalion is task organised for a specific mission and
becomes a battle group. The battlegroup is made up of the Battalion HQ Company, Support Company
and one or more rifle companies plus attached elements from armour, engineer and aviation units.
On operations, the battlegroup is assigned to a brigade, which is made up of three or four
battlegroups, plus artillery, aviation and support elements. The brigade forms part of a division, which
is made up of three or four brigades with a total strength of about 15,000 soldiers.
Organisation Strenght Compositon commander
Division дивизия 15,000 3-4 brigades major general
Formations Brigade бригада
5,000 3-4 battlegroups brigadier
команда
HQ Company and Support Company + 3
UNIT (1)battalion 625 (2)lieutenant colonel
companies
Company
100 Company HQ + 3 platoons (3)major
отделение
Sub-units (4)platoon взвод 28 PI HQ + 3 sections lieutenant
section отделение (5)8 2 fire teams corporal
(6)fire team екип 4 1 NCO and 3 men corporal / lance corporal

4. What is the difference between the terms OC and CO? A CO is lieutenant colonel who commands a
battalion. An OC is usually a major and is the commander of a company рота, squadron ескадрон or
battery.
5. How many rifle platoons are there in the battalion? Nine (each rifle company has three rifle platoons)
6. What is the difference between a battle group and a battalion? The battalion is the basic tactical unit in
the infantry. During wartime (or any type of operation) a battalion becomes a battlegroup as it is task-
organised for a specific mission.* NCO – Non-Commissioned officer
Task 2 Match the words with the definitions.
airdrop drop zone jumpmaster pass stick (or chalk) wave
7. A short run by an aircraft at a target. pass
8. The area paratroops land or equipment is dropped by a parachute. Drop zone
9. A group of paratroops assigned to one aircraft. Stick (or chalk)
10. The person who controls paratroops from entering the aircraft until they exit. jumpmaster
11. A formation of forces that land at the same time. wave
12. When troops or equipment leave an aircraft. Airdrop
Task 3 Read paragraph 1 and find the differences between the terms.
1 Naval vessels are called ships. Submarines are called boats
2 When you go upstairs on a ship you go topside. When you go downstairs on a ship you go below.
3 If you go towards the bow, you go forward. If you go towards the stern, you go aft.
4 When you go onboard a ship you embark. When you leave, you disembark or debark
Naval vessels are called ships, except submarines, which are called boats. The front part of a ship is the bow and
the back part is the stern. If you are facing the bow, then your left is port and right is starboard. If you walk
towards the bow, you go forward and if you go towards the stern, you go aft. You never go upstairs on a ship,
you go topside and when you go downstairs, you go below. When you go onboard a ship you embark and when
you leave, you disembark or debark.
Floors on a ship are called decks and the openings from one deck to another are hatches. Ships have
compartments and passageways, rather than rooms and corridors. The walls of compartments are called
bulkheads and the ceiling is overhead. If you can see the sea from your compartment, then you are looking out of
a port, not a window. If you are hungry, then don’t ask for the kitchen, ask for the galley, and if you want the
bathroom, ask for the head.
Now read paragraph 2 and find words that mean …
1 bathroom - head 5 kitchen - galley
2 wall - bulkhead 6 ceiling - overhead
3 corridor - passageway 7 room - compartment
4 floor - deck 8 window - port