Revised December 13, 2005
III.ii.2.H.1.aArmy Echelons and Appropriate Designations
The table below lists the Army echelons and appropriate designations.
| Echelons | Designations |
|---|---|
| Army | Numerical/Geographical |
| Corps | Roman numeral |
| Division | Numerical by combat arm |
| Brigade | Numerical or combat command, such as Alpha |
| Regiment | Numerical by combat arm |
| Group | Numerical by combat arm |
| Battalion | Numerical/battle group numerical/squadron numerical |
| Company | Alpha/Battery - Alpha/Troop - Alpha |
| Platoon | Numerical/Detachment – Numerical |
| Squad | Numerical |
| Fire Team | --- |
III.ii.2.H.1.bAvailability of Organizational Records
Rosters, morning reports, and sick reports may be available down to the company level. Note: The Army discontinued morning reports in 1974/1975.
III.ii.2.H.1.cOther Organizational Units that May Have Created Records
Records, including clinical and medical records, may exist for other organizations and units, such as
- garrison-type units, and
- hospitals.
Important: If a unit was considered independent from higher echelons, it may have created its own records.
2Navy Organizational Structure
This topic contains information on the Navy organizational structure, including
- Navy echelons and appropriate designations
- echelons for the
- Naval Air Force
- Naval Surface Force, and
- Naval Submarine Force
- ship designations, and
- shore establishment organization.
Revised August 13, 2009
III.ii.2.H.2.aNavy Echelon and Appropriate Designations
The table below lists the Navy echelon and appropriate designations. For clarification, samples of unit designations are shown in italics.
| Echelon | Designations |
|---|---|
Fleet-Atlantic Pacific | Numbered fleets |
Fleet | Numerical (7 th Fleet; 7thFlt.) |
Task force | Task force number and type of force (CTF-45 Battle Force) Notes:
|
Fleet Marine Force | Reference: For more information on the Fleet Marine Force, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.H.4. |
U.S. Naval Forces Europe | --- |
Middle East Force-Persian Gulf | --- |
III.ii.2.H.2.bEchelon for the Naval Air Force
The following list shows the echelon for the Naval Air Force:
- carrier strike group (CSG 5)
- carrier air wing, and (CVW-2)
- squadron (VFA-2; VAQ-131)
Notes:
- Carrier strike groups were historically designated carrier battle groups.
- Carrier air wings were historically designated carrier air groups.
III.ii.2.H.2.cEchelon for the Naval Surface Force
The following list shows the echelon for the Naval Surface Force:
- flagship, and
- Cruiser Destroyer Group Squadron (CCDG-5; DESRON-23)
Note: The Cruiser Destroyer Group Squadron consists of the Surface Group, Service Group Squadron, Amphibious Group Squadron, Mine Group Division, and Special Warfare Group.
III.ii.2.H.2.dEchelon for the Naval Submarine Force
The following list shows the echelon for the Naval Submarine Force:
- submarine group, and
- submarine squadron (SUBRON 11)
III.ii.2.H.2.eShip Designations
Individual ships under the above echelons are identified as USS (name of ship) followed by an alpha-numerical hull number which
- distinguishes the ship from other ships with the same name that may have preceded or may have followed it, and
- identifies the type of ship.
Example: USS Independence CVA-62.
III.ii.2.H.2.fShore Establishment Organization
Shore establishments, such as non-moveable shore installations, were organized as bureaus (technical in nature) that, with the exception of personnel and medicine and surgery, became the Naval material command in 1963. Other system type commands have followed this tradition.
3Air Force Organizational Structure
This topic contains information on the Air Force organizational structure, including
- Air Force echelons and appropriate designations
- availability of organizational records, and
- other organizational units that may have created records.
Revised December 13, 2005
III.ii.2.H.3.aAir Force Echelon and Appropriate Designations
The table below lists the echelon of Air Force units and appropriate designations.
| Units | Designations |
|---|---|
| Command | Geographical/specified mission |
| Air force | Numerical/geographical |
| Air Division | Numerical |
| Wing | Numerical/specified mission |
| Group | Numerical/specified mission |
| Squadron | Numerical/specified mission/alpha |
| Flight | Numerical—Alpha |
III.ii.2.H.3.bAvailability of Organizational Records
Other organizational records may be available, such as
- medical records
- rosters
- morning reports
- courts martial, and
- academic records.
Notes:
- Some records may have a limited retention period.
- Academic records dated after 1967 may be obtained from another National Archives and Records Administration center, if still retained.
- Morning reports were discontinued in June 1966.
III.ii.2.H.3.cOther Organizational Units That May Have Created Records
Records, including clinical and medical records, may exist for other organizations and units, such as
- agency center
- hospital
- office
- service, and
- academy.
4Marine Corps Organizational Structure
This topic contains information on the Marine Corps organizational structure, including
- Marine Corps echelons and appropriate designations
- division echelons, and
- availability of organizational records.
Revised January 5, 2017
III.ii.2.H.4.aMarine Corps Echelons and Appropriate Designations
The table below lists the Marine Corps echelons and appropriate designations. For clarification, samples of unit designations are shown in italics.
| Echelon | Designation |
|---|---|
Fleet Marine Force | Atlantic/Pacific (FMFPac) |
Marine Amphibious Force Note: Consists of the
| Roman numeral (I MAF) (operational) |
Division Note: Major sub-elements consist of
| Numerical (3rdMarDiv) Reference: For more information on the echelons of a division, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.H.4.b. |
Wing Note: Major sub-elements consist of
| Numerical (1stMAW) Note: Squadrons are designated alpha-numerically. (VMA-211; HMM-262) |
Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) Note: Marine Air ground task force for operations and exercises which consists of the
| Roman numeral (III MEF) |
Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) Note: Marine Air ground task force for operations and exercises which consists of the
| Numerical (3d MEB) |
Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Note: Marine Air ground task force for operations and exercises which consists of the
| Numerical (31 MEU) |
Notes:
-
Expeditionary units replaced historically designated amphibious units.
-
Logistics units replaced historically designated force service support units.
III.ii.2.H.4.bDivision Echelons
The table below lists the Marine Corps division echelons and appropriate designations.
| Echelon | Designation |
|---|---|
| Regiment | Numerical (7 th Marines; 7th Mar.) |
| Battalion | Numerical (2 nd Battalion; 2nd Bn) |
| Company | Alpha or phonetic (D Company; Delta Co.) |
| Platoon | Numerical (1 st Platoon; 1st Plt.) |
| Squad | Numerical (3 rd Squad; 3rd Sqd.) |
III.ii.2.H.4.cAvailability of Organizational Records
The organizational records listed below are available for the years shown.
- Muster rolls are available for the years 1801 through present.
- Indexes are available for the years 1897 through 1939.
- Unit diaries are available for the years 1949 through 1964.
- Bound diaries are available back to 1901.
Notes:
- Unit diaries have been microfilmed and are stored on the 5th floor of the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). These unit records may include
- command chronologies
- operational situation reports (sitreps), and
- operation after-action reports.
- Some individual reels may be unusable due to poor storage conditions.
- Marine Corps headquarters maintains duplicate copies of the unit diaries.
- Many Marine Corps unit records are stored on compact discs (CDs) and accessed via the Stressor Verification page.
Reference: For more information on accessing these records, see
- the Veterans Benefits Administration broadcast transcripts of
- December 17, 2003, “Researching Marine Corps Records,” and
- May 18, 2004, “C&P Military Records Research Information,” and
- M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.E.6.d.
5Guide for Service Numbers 1 through 9,999,999
This topic contains a guide to service numbers 1 through 9,999,999, including
- Army service numbers
- Navy service numbers
- Marine Corps service numbers, and
- Coast Guard service numbers.
Revised July 23, 2018
III.ii.2.H.5.aArmy Service Numbers
The table below lists the numbers used for Army enlisted personnel for the periods shown. Notes:
- The Army originally assigned Air Force service numbers lower than 10,000,000.
- Omitted blocks of numbers were not assigned.
| Series | Dates Assigned |
|---|---|
1 through 5,999,999 | 1918 through 1919 |
6,000,000 through 7,999,999 | 1919 through 1940 |
8,000,000 through 8,999,999 | 1948 and after (for Women only) |
III.ii.2.H.5.bNavy Service Numbers
The table below lists the numbers used for Navy enlisted personnel for the periods shown.
| Series | Dates Assigned |
|---|---|
1,000,000 through 1,999,999 | 1885-1918 |
2,000,000 through 9,999,999 | 1918-1965 |
100,000 and higher (Letter Prefix) | 1965 and after |
III.ii.2.H.5.cMarine Corps Service Numbers
The table below lists the numbers used for Marine Corps enlisted personnel for the periods shown.
| Series | Dates Assigned |
|---|---|
20,000 through 99,999 | 1905 through 1917 |
100,000 through 349,999 | 1917 through 1941 |
350,000 through 670,899 | 1941 through 1947 |
700,000 through 799,999 | reserved for female enlisted personnel only |
800,000 through 999,999 | 1943 through 1947 |
1,000,000 through 1,699,999 | 1944 through 1957 |
1,700,000 through 1,799,999 | reserved for female enlisted personnel only |
1,800,000 through 1,999,999 | 1956 through 1965 |
2,000,000 and higher | 1964 and after |
III.ii.2.H.5.dCoast Guard Service Numbers
The table below lists the numbers used for Coast Guard enlisted personnel for the periods shown.
| Series | Dates Assigned |
|---|---|
100,000 through 199,999 | through 1930 |
200,000 through 254,999 | 1930 through 1942 |
255,000 through 349,999 | 1945 through 1962 |
350,000 through 499,999 | 1962 until 1974 |
500,000 through 999,999 | 1941 through 1945 |
2,000,000 through 2,199,999 | 1948 through 1974 |
6Guide for Service Numbers 10,000,000 through 19,999,999
Revised December 13, 2005
III.ii.2.H.6.aRegular Army and Regular Air Force Enlisted Service Numbers
The table below lists the numbers used for regular Army and regular Air Force enlisted personnel for the periods shown. Notes:
- Series 10,000,000 through 10,999,999 are used for initial enlistments occurring outside the continental limits.
- The Army originally assigned Air Force service numbers lower than 10,000,000.
| Series | Dates Assigned |
|---|---|
10,000,000 through 10,999,999 | 1940 and after |
11,000,000 through 11,142,500 | 1940 through 1945 |
11,142,501 through 11,188,000 | 1946 through 1948 |
11,188,001 through 11,238,500 | 1949 through 1951 |
11,238,501 through 11,283,000 | 1952 through 1954 |
11,283,001 through 11,344,500 | 1955 through 1957 |
11,344,501 through 11,384,000 | 1958 through 1960 |
11,384,001 through 11,999,999 | 1961 and after |
12,000,000 through 12,242,000 | 1940 through 1945 |
12,242,001 through 12,321,000 | 1946 through 1948 |
12,321,001 through 12,393,500 | 1949 through 1951 |
12,393,501 through 12,469,000 | 1952 through 1954 |
12,469,001 through 12,553,375 | 1955 through 1957 |
12,553,376 through 12,614,900 | 1958 through 1960 |
12,614,901 through 12,999,999 | 1961 and after |
13,000,000 through 13,197,500 | 1940 through 1945 |
13,197,501 through 13,299,700 | 1946 through 1948 |
13,299,701 through 13,408,700 | 1949 through 1951 |
13,408,701 through 13,511,500 | 1952 through 1954 |
13,511,501 through 13,621,140 | 1955 through 1957 |
13,621,141 through 13,705,500 | 1958 through 1960 |
13,705,501 through 13,999,999 | 1961 and after |
14,000,000 through 14,204,500 | 1940 through 1945 |
14,204,501 through 14,300,770 | 1946 through 1948 |
14,300,771 through 14,454,000 | 1949 through 1951 |
14,454,001 through 14,547,500 | 1952 through 1954 |
14,547,501 through 14,661,000 | 1955 through 1957 |
14,661,001 through 14,745,000 | 1958 through 1960 |
14,745,001 through 14,999,999 | 1961 and after |
15,000,000 through 15,201,000 | 1940 through 1945 |
15,201,001 through 15,280,500 | 1946 through 1948 |
15,280,501 through 15,465,760 | 1949 through 1951 |
15,465,761 through 15,530,600 | 1952 through 1954 |
15,530,601 through 15,593,615 | 1955 through 1957 |
15,593,616 through 15,639,615 | 1958 through 1960 |
15,639,616 through 15,999,999 | 1961 and after |
16,000,000 through 16,201,500 | 1940 through 1945 |
16,201,501 through 16,307,000 | 1946 through 1948 |
16,307,001 through 16,398,890 | 1949 through 1951 |
16,398,891 through 16,481,925 | 1952 through 1954 |
16,481,926 through 16,600,497 | 1955 through 1957 |
16,600,498 through 16,638,100 | 1958 through 1960 |
16,683,101 through 16,999,999 | 1961 and after |
17,000,000 through 17,183,500 | 1940 through 1945 |
17,183,501 through 17,254,500 | 1946 through 1948 |
17,254,501 through 17,338,810 | 1949 through 1951 |
17,338,841 through 17,410,300 | 1952 through 1954 |
17,410,301 through 17,512,785 | 1955 through 1957 |
17,512,786 through 17,592,940 | 1958 through 1960 |
17,592,941 through 17,999,999 | 1961 and after |
18,000,000 through 18,247,100 | 1940 through 1945 |
18,247,101 through 18,360,800 | 1946 |
18,360,801 through 18,546,000 | 1947 through 1957 |
18,546,001 through 18,607,725 | 1958 through 1960 |
18,607,726 through 18,999,999 | 1961 and after |
19,000,000 through 19,235,500 | 1940 through 1945 |
19,235,501 through 19,324,485 | 1946 through 1948 |
19,324,486 through 19,420,000 | 1949 through 1951 |
19,420,001 through 19,520,770 | 1952 through 1954 |
19,520,771 through 19,590,665 | 1955 through 1957 |
19,590,666 through 19,597,661 | 1958 |
19,597,662 through 19,999,999 | 1959 and after |
7Guide for Service Numbers 20,000,000 and Higher
Revised December 13, 2005
III.ii.2.H.7.aService Numbers 20,000,000 and Higher
The table below lists the service numbers 20,000,000 and higher, the time periods in which they were issued, and the service categories to which they were issued.
| Series | Period Issued | Service Category |
|---|---|---|
20,000,000 through 20,999,999 | 1940 through 1946 | Enlisted National Guard in active duty. |
21,000,000 through 29,999,999 | 1946 and after | Enlisted National Guard of the U.S. |
30,000,000 through 39,999,999 | 1940 through 1946 | Enlisted personnel inducted into the Army of the U.S. |
40,000,000 through 41,999,999 | --- | Apparently not used or allocated. |
42,000,000 through 46,999,999 | 1943 through 1946 | Enlisted personnel inducted into the Army of the U.S. |
47,000,000 through 49,999,999 | --- | Apparently not used or allocated. |
50,000,000 through 59,999,999 | 1948 through 1966 | Army and Air Force Emergency Interim Issue (EM). Note: Regular Army and Air Force are not included. |
60,000,000 through 69,999,999 | 1966 and after | Army and Air Force EM. Note: Regular Army and Air Force are not included. |
70,000,000 through 89,999,999 | --- | Apparently not used or allocated. |
90,000,000 through 99,999,999 | 1940 through 1945 | Only a limited number, about 20,000 within this series, were used for the Philippine Army during World War II. Note: There is no evidence of other usage. |
End of Part III, Subpart ii, Chapter 2, Section H