Armies, navies, and air forces are organized hierarchically into progressively

smaller units commanded by officers of

progressively lower rank. The prototypical units are those of the army. The
smallest unit in an army is the squad,
which contains 7 to 14 soldiers and is led by a sergeant. (A slightly larger unit
is a section, which consists of
10 to 40 soldiers but is usually used only within headquarters or support
organizations.)
Three or four squads make up a platoon, which has 20 to 50 soldiers and is
commanded by a lieutenant.
Two or more platoons make up a company, which has 100 to 250 soldiers and is
commanded by a captain or a major.
The function of administration is introduced at this level, in the form of a
headquarters platoon administered by
a sergeant and containing supply, maintenance, or other sections

Medieval army ranks.

Constable (comes stabuli = Count of the stable) ( Conn�table de France) (Lord High
Constable in England)

Marshal (marhskalk = Stable Servant) (Earl Marshal in England)

Master of the crossbowmen

Admiral

Provost Marshal (assistant to the Marshal and serving as military police)

Lieutenant Governor (One in each province in France. Often a Duke or Count)

Lieutenant G�n�ral (subordinate to the Governor. Often a Count or Baron)

Lieutenant du roi (appointed by the King and subordinate to the Lieutenant G�n�ral.
Often a Baron, Viscount or Lord)

Captain (capitaneus) (a Lord and his retinue)

Lieutenant (lieu = place) (tenant = holder) (the placeholder to the Lord, usually
his eldest son, a knight, knight banneret or subordinate Lord or Baron)

Knight banneret (someone flying his own banner with subordinate knights, squires
and men-at-arms. If he held the title Captain he was equal to a Captain holding the
title of Baron, but subordinate to a Captain holding the title of Earl/Count)

Knight bachelor

Millenar (the leader of 1,000 archers in an English army)

Esquire (a title in its own right in the 15th century, but also someone who aspire
to be a Knight)

Centenar (the leader of 100 archers in an English army)

Men-at-arms/Gentlemen/lance � cheval/hommes d'armes (heavy cavalry equal to an
esquire. However, an esquire could be the son of a king, duke or earl etc. Men-at-
arms could be merchants, mercenaries/professional soldiers, poor landowners, or
second or third son from a noble family with esquire as title. In this case they
were gentlemen)

Lance � pied/Foot Lancer (often mounted archers with armor in France. They have the
armor but not the right horse, barding and mounted combat training)

Armatii/homines armati/homines armatos/homines armetz (footmen with full armor)

Sergeant (serviens or servient = one who serves or to serve)
Gros Valet (armored servant)
Vintenar (the leader of 19 archers)
Hobelar/Mounted Sergeant
Mounted Archers

Foot Archers
Infantry

When the formation of regiments took place, the Colonel title was introduced

Captain General (from 1520 in England and permanent commander of the armies. They
soon dropped Captain)

Lieutenant General (the Lieutenant to the Captain General.)

Sergeant Major General (the leading servant to the Captain General.

They decided to drop Sergeant i.e Major General because it became a commissioned
rank)

Colonel (he was also often the temporary General in an army and at the same time
head of a regiment
and captain of his own company, serving in three position at the same time)

Lieutenant Colonel ( second in command of the regiment but usually de facto leader,
because
the Colonel was usually occupied elsewhere. He also had his own company)

Major (once more, the Sergeant part was dropped. Third in command and de facto
second in command of a regiment,
but also captain of his own company because it became a commissioned rank. So he�s
the Major Captain)

Captain (leader of a Company)

Lieutenant (second in command of a company)

Sergeant (assistant to an officer