How many people were in a troop in the Vietnam war?

Answer 1

Speaking about the US Army in Vietnam and discounting the USMC, and US Army Armor & Infantry battalions; there were TWO types of mounted forces in the war:

1. US Mechanized Infantry battalions

2. US Armored Cavalry Squadrons

Both of those types of units fielded about 900 men, with the Cav units sometimes exceeding 1,000 men due to their organic aviation (helicopers) & artillery troops/batteries.

There was nearly no difference between a Mech & Cav unit. The only real way to tell them apart (besides looking at their insignias, if they bore them) was if they had tanks with them (after 1969, they would be M551 Sheridan tanks (made of aluminum, and officially called "assault vehicles").

If they were all tracks (all M113 ACAVs) then they were most likely a mech unit. If they had Sheridans with them, they were a cav outfit.

Brigade=Regiment

Battalion=Squadron

Company=Troop (Company=Battery in the Artillery)

A US Cav Trp consisted of roughly 3 platoons and a HQ platoon.

A US Cav Plt consisted of roughly 3 Sheridan tanks, 4 Scout tracks (ACAVs), 1 Grunt track (Infantry ACAV), 1 Mortar track (M125 looks like an ACAV), 1 commo track, 2 Radar tracks (GSR-Ground Surveillance Radar), and a Plt HQ track. About 13 tracks total (tanks were also called tracks sometimes); and about 64 cavalrymen total per plt. Times three (to equal a troop) roughly 200 cavalrymen when counting the command group of officers and men.

Alot different than an "old west" frontier US Cav horse unit which might only have about 40 cavalrymen per troop. They didn't have mortars, radar, commo, etc.