The concept of platoon , coming from the French language, has several uses. Specifically, its etymological origin derives from the Gallic word “peloton” which, in turn, comes from the augmentative “pelote”. However, we must not forget that this word comes from the Latin “pilotellus”, which can be translated as “small ball”.
In racing sports , the notion refers to competitors who advance in a group .
The term is usually used in the field of cycling . This is the name, in road cycling , of the largest group of runners who ride together. Because those who make up the platoon are close to each other, they manage to reduce wind resistance and thus spend less energy.
Although it is made up of many cyclists, the peloton behaves as a unit . Each competitor must be attentive to the movements of the others to avoid collisions and falls.
In motorsports and motorcycling the idea of a platoon also appears. For example: “The Venezuelan driver managed to stay in the front pack for a large part of the race” , “Little by little, the leader separated himself from the pack and ended up comfortably achieving victory” , “The Italian rider expressed that he "I'm happy to be in the middle pack."
Another use of platoon is in the military field. This is the name given to a small-sized infantry unit that is led by a corporal or sergeant.
These platoons are usually made up of at least two squads . Several platoons gathered together, meanwhile, make up a section .
Likewise, we cannot ignore that one of the most emblematic comedy films of the 80s is precisely titled “The Crazy Platoon.” It premiered in 1981, is directed by Ivan Reitman and tells how a young man with a rebellious character decides to enlist in the army, where he will not follow the rules at all. And that will give rise to a series of the most surreal and picturesque situations.
Bill Murray heads the cast of this film, which also includes John Candy, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates and Sean Young.
A firing squad , on the other hand, is a group of soldiers or armed individuals who take on the task of killing an individual deprived of their liberty. This platoon applies the death penalty , executing the condemned by shooting.
In the Spanish Civil War and during the postwar period, marked by the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, there were firing squads. Specifically, after the aforementioned war conflict, said dictatorship brought with it the death of thousands and thousands of people before those aforementioned platoons. These citizens, some for their ideals and others for no reason or reason, saw how their lives ended before a wall where soldiers shot at the order of their superior.
The vast majority of those deceased ended up in mass graves and even in gutters. Many of them, more than forty years later, have still not been found by their relatives who only want to recover their bodies so they can give them a dignified burial.
A group of objects or human beings and a ball developed by the union of different substances are also called a platoon.