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A march battalion (French: Bataillon de Marche, German: Marschbatallion, Italian: Battaglione di marcia or Polish: Batalion marszowy) is a military unit comprising replacement and support personnel, usually for a regiment or brigade-sized formation.
The term rear echelon – especially in the armies of the UK and other Commonwealth countries – refers to units serving analogous functions, at military formations of any size. These have included, during the early 20th century, the replacement depots of the US Army, which supported larger formations, such as field armies (or "numbered armies"), army groups or entire military theaters.
A march battalion, in the narrowest and original sense of the term, is a temporary unit made up of assorted replacement personnel destined for the regular battalions of an infantry regiment or brigade. March battalions were intended to maintain military discipline and give personnel a command structure while they were being transferred to operational duties and/or during a transitional period.
In the broader sense, a march battalion may be a standing unit that includes both company- or platoon-sized detachments of reserve or replacement personnel, prior to individuals receiving a specific field posting, as well as similar-sized support units, such as a headquarters company, military police, field security and/or guard detachments and units from service/logistics corps (such as field kitchens).