echelon
Military term for a formation of troops, ships, aircraft, or vehicles arranged in a stepwise or staggered manner. Also used in organizational contexts for a level or tier of command.
The troops advanced in echelon formation.
The headquarters issued orders to each echelon.
Compound of 梯 (ladder, stairs) and 団 (group, corps). The term is a direct translation of the military concept 'echelon', which derives from French échelon (rung of a ladder).