Is this an invasion or a war?

Russian tanks pass the line of departure in attack formation. Convoys of supply trucks and armored personnel carriers wind their way through the countryside bringing supplies to encampments. Artillery shells explode, decimating buildings, while rockets and missiles pound cities and rural settlements, indiscriminately killing innocent inhabitants. These are the things of war and the current situation in Ukraine. So, is this an invasion or a war? In either case, it is undoubtedly a psychotic notion of an addle-padded beetlehead.

No matter what we call it, it is still WAR, pitting army against army. So, while we watch this humanitarian disaster unfold before our eyes and see the war machine in action, we may wonder who is in command of this fiasco and what exactly is an army?

Armies of the world are similar in organization and purpose, organized by a “Table of Organization and Equipment,” commonly referred to as TO&E. Each type of unit has its own TO&E. For instance, an infantry battalion is configured for combat capability, whereas a medical team has appropriate medical purposes. In addition, a modified TO&E can change mission capability.

By combining different units, a “Task Force” is formed. For instance, an engineer platoon tasked with a minesweeping operation may request a platoon of tanks (four tanks) and a platoon of infantry (30) for security during the mission. On the other hand, a more significant task force could be a mechanized infantry battalion, a company of tanks (14), and a company of engineers for a road clearing operation.

The U.S. Army is America’s largest military branch consisting of a regular active Army and reserve components of the Army Reserve and the National Guard. It has over 480,000 active-duty soldiers and 336,000 in the National Guard. The Army reserve has 188,000. According to the Army website, the combined component strength is 1,005,725 soldiers

The Army has numerous branches and functional areas. Three of these are Infantry, Armor (tanks), and Field Artillery. These are the “Combat Arms” branches on the front lines of battle followed by news media, showing actual combat operations. The reality of combat comes alive when featured in news clips with artillery or laser-guided bombs exploding while we watch.

Army commands are assigned specific geographical areas. Our Army has the First United States Army, Central Command, Northern Command, Southern Command, and the U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The Eighth United States Army is our only “Field Army” and commands forces in Korea.

Smaller commands answer to their respective higher authorities. Here is a basic breakdown, starting with the smallest unit, the squad. It has ten soldiers, with four squads making a platoon — four platoons in a company and four companies in a battalion. A battalion additionally has a Headquarters company.

There are two or more battalions in a brigade, sometimes called a regiment, and several brigades can serve in a division with 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers. The corps is next with 20,000 to 45,000 soldiers, with two or more corps in an army.

The XVIII Airborne Corps, headquartered at Fort Bragg, N.C., is the parent of several airborne divisions in this “American Contingency Corps.” Two of these divisions are the storied “Screaming Eagles” 101st Airborne Division, headquartered at Fort Campbell, Ky., and the famous 82nd Airborne Division of Fort Bragg, with the slogan “Death from Above.” The 82nd A.A. shoulder patch stands for “All American.”

As the war in Ukraine continues, our military is on duty in land-sea-air operations supporting Ukraine’s defensive efforts. Shipments of equipment and supplies are delivered to replenish Ukraine’s fighting force. In addition, a flotilla of naval ships are on station on surrounding seas, and state-of-the-art combat jets patrol the skies with their NATO counterparts. But unfortunately, NATO countries provide everything but boots-on-the-ground troops to combat the Russian hoard. Adding troops would possibly trigger World War III.

As Russia continues the invasion, the world supports Ukraine with humanitarian and military supplies. Maybe Comrade Putin will get the message and end this war.

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Jack Evensizer is a resident of Dalton Gardens and a veteran of the U.S. Army Infantry.