Canadian units. The following are some examples of differences between U.S. and Canadian terminology:
U.S.
Canada
Squad
Section
Platoon
Troop
Company
Squadron
Battalion
Regiment
Squad leader
Section commander
Platoon leader
Troop commander
Platoon sergeant
Troop warrant offcer
Master sergeant
Master warrant offcer
Command sergeant major
Chief warrant offcer
Company frst sergeant
Squadron sergeant major
Company commander
Squadron commander
The training required to become a qualifed engineer
offcer in the Canadian Army takes longer than in the U.S.
Army. Commissioning sources for the Canadians include
the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario (equivalent to the U.S. Military Academy); direct-entry offcer programs (similar to U.S. Army offcer candidate schools); and
a university (similar to the U.S. Reserve Offcer Training
Corps). Before starting their offcer basic courses, Canadian Army engineer offcers undergo preliminary training
during the summers before graduation from their commissioning source. The typical engineer offcer with no prior
service arrives at the basic engineer offcer course (BEOC)
as a second lieutenant, with promotion to frst lieutenant
upon graduation. The BEOC is divided into two phases and
is 3 months longer than the equivalent U.S. Army 6-month
course. BEOC students may feel like they are "drinking from
a fre hose" with all the information they receive. During
BEOC, students spend up to 7 weeks in the feld to complete three feld training exercises. Unlike the U.S. Army
offcer who fnds himself back in the classroom for one more
course (Engineer Captains Career Course) before assuming company command, Canadian offcers must graduate from six additional courses before becoming company
A Badger armored engineer vehicle gathers concertina wire with its telescoping arm.
May–August 2013
Engineer 29