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Source: Combat Camera<br />
The answer to this question of numbers is that the number of soldiers does not matter, provided<br />
the section is controllable and can handle casualties. Sections (squads) have ranged from<br />
eight (U.K.) to nine (U.S. Army) to 10 (Canadian Army) to 13 (U.S. Marines). The Australians<br />
have a modular view of the section which puts it between 8 and 12 (more on this below). There<br />
is no specific tactical or doctrinal reason for the Canadian Army to settle on 10‐person sections,<br />
as other combinations and sizes have shown to be equally resilient on the battlefield; rather, it<br />
was decided based on the uncritical assertion that it was simply “the way things have been<br />
done.” Analyst William F. Owen points out that “modern infantry organizations are essentially<br />
arbitrary, and underpinned with a rationale that supports the status quo” and that modern<br />
infantry organizations are “more shaped by cost, career, and manpower issues, [leading to a<br />
debate] between soldier and accountant....” 6<br />
60 THE CANADIAN ARMY JOURNAL VOLUME 16.2 2016
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