Troop(s)

[tapper]

What is the correct usage of the word troop(s)? I see on news websites and on TV broadcasts the usage of troop to mean an individual--"Six Troops Injured" where they actually mean six soldiers injured. Doesn't the word troop mean a group of soldiers and troops, more than one group of soldiers?

[Ramoney]

What is the correct usage of the word troop(s)? I see on news websites and on TV broadcasts the usage of troop to mean an individual--"Six Troops Injured" where they actually mean six soldiers injured. Doesn't the word troop mean a group of soldiers and troops, more than one group of soldiers?

Troop does mean group of soldiers. The individual in the troop is refered to as a trooper.

Which news organization are you talking about? Is it Fox? :p

[DanielScocco]

Yeah I am curious to know who wrote or said that as well :).

[alicevee]

According to my husband, a veteran of both the Army and the Navy, it's common military slang to use troop to indicate a single soldier.

[Vismay]

I looked up the word in an online dictionary, it tries to explain it with "45 troops were killed"!!! But again contradicts itself by saying that it is "a body of soldiers"!!

[saby60]

As the word `troop' stands for a group of soldiers, I too wonder how "45 troops were killed"!!! This is a gross misuse of the word.

[michael420ts]

From what I understand troops is fine when referring to a group of paramilitary or military personnel.

[DanielScocco]

As the word `troop' stands for a group of soldiers, I too wonder how "45 troops were killed"!!! This is a gross misuse of the word.

Unless it was really an awful massacre where 45 groups of troopers got killed :).

[bhatia]

I think it is common practise to use troop for a single soldier. If you search google you will find many news link that used troop as single person.

Check all these examples..
-Iraq: 31 US troops injured, three dead
-According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 1800 US troops are currently suffering from traumatic brain injuries. INJURED TROOPS: For the ...
-Two more soldiers were reportedly injured during the fire by advancing troops.

[--Deb]

Funnily, the first place I saw this ("troop" used as a single individual) was in the sci-fi Liaden books by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. It was only AFTER reading them that I started noticing it in things like news reports. Go figure!

[Denis]

Offtopic: Just to make things more interesting. The word that sounds exactly like English word "troop", means "dead body, corpse" in Russian.

So the phrase "45 troops were killed" sounds to me like it is about killed zombies. ;-)

[DanielScocco]

Interesting Denis :).

[tapper]

Troop does mean group of soldiers. The individual in the troop is refered to as a trooper.

Which news organization are you talking about? Is it Fox? :p

The CNN website uses it frequently as do the TV networks.

[Deborah H.]

Strictly speaking ... the words troop, troops, or trooper should be used exclusively for men in the cavalry. They are called troopers---not soldiers, who are infantry.

[Sigma-6]

Strictly speaking, yes, It refers to cavalry troopers, which means that nowadays it refers to Armoured soldiers (Tank crewmen).

The same way that the smallest organizational level of an infantry regiment is the 'squad,' or 'section,' (depending on the country, and disregarding fire teams), the smallest in an Armoured regiment is a 'troop,' usually consisting of four tanks and twelve men.

However, in nearly every part of the military, officers and NCOs refer to individual soldiers as 'troops'. For example:

"Good work, troop!"
"Okay, troops, form up!"

This is the form the media are using.

It's probably also worth noting that while 'troops' is common, 'troopers' is specific to armour and paratroops. Infantry officers or NCOs don't call their people 'troopers.'

[DanielScocco]

Strictly speaking ... the words troop, troops, or trooper should be used exclusively for men in the cavalry. They are called troopers---not soldiers, who are infantry.

Good point. We could do a post about all the difference classes actually.

[Tyree]

Strictly speaking, yes, It refers to cavalry troopers, which means that nowadays it refers to Armoured soldiers (Tank crewmen).

The same way that the smallest organizational level of an infantry regiment is the 'squad,' or 'section,' (depending on the country, and disregarding fire teams), the smallest in an Armoured regiment is a 'troop,' usually consisting of four tanks and twelve men.

However, in nearly every part of the military, officers and NCOs refer to individual soldiers as 'troops'. For example:

"Good work, troop!"
"Okay, troops, form up!"

This is the form the media are using.

It's probably also worth noting that while 'troops' is common, 'troopers' is specific to armour and paratroops. Infantry officers or NCOs don't call their people 'troopers.'
I'm in a cavalry unit (air cav, not mechanized) and we use "troop" instead of "unit."

"What troop are you in?"
"I'm in HHT."

Furthermore, I migrated to my current unit [troop] from under an armored division and we never used the word "troop" or any variation for anything. Individuals were referred to as "soldiers." I'm sure it has a lot to do with your location in the world. In the U.S. Army, we consider "paratrooper" a dated word and now use "airborne soldier." Seems a little silly to me that we turned a simple word into two words, but that's the way it is...at least where I am located. I still say "unit" instead of "troop" in my cavalry unit [troop]. I guess I'm slow to assimilate. However, depending on which military force you reside in, category names will vary.