In the U.S. Army, individual squads are combined to form platoons of 1

Hello, lakshya14. I will admit that I took a minute (well, 58 seconds exactly) to tease out what separated the two contenders before I opted for (B). What separates the two? Clarity of meaning, the silver bullet of SC. Although people talk the way the original sentence is phrased, each of which can, at first glance, seem to refer to soldiers instead of the earlier platoons (even if I would expect whom instead of which to be used if such were the intended meaning). Look at the sentence again:

(A) In the U.S. Army, individual squads are combined to form platoons of 16 to 44 soldiers, each of which consists of a lieutenant and an NCO (non-commissioned officer), who are first and second in command, respectively.

(B) In the U.S. Army, individual squads are combined to form platoons of 16 to 44 soldiers, each platoon consisting of a lieutenant and an NCO (non-commissioned officer), who are first and second in command, respectively.

There is no question about what consists of a lieutenant and an NCO in (B). Clear and direct expression of meaning is preferred on the GMAT™, plain and simple. If there is any doubt between one answer choice like (A) and another like (B), play it safe and steer clear of the iffy one.

- Andrew