Home guard

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A Latvian National Guard soldier guards the battalion tactical operations center during the Strong Guard 2016 (Zobens 2016) distinguished visitor's day. A Zemessardze (Latvian National Guardsman) guards the battalion tactical operations center during the Strong Guard 2016.jpg
A Latvian National Guard soldier guards the battalion tactical operations center during the Strong Guard 2016 (Zobens 2016) distinguished visitor's day.

Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense.

Contents

The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting with units formed by German immigrants in Missouri, and may derive from possible historical use of the term Heimwehr ("home guard") to describe units officially known as Landwehr ("country guard"), or from an attempted translation of landwehr.

Military units

Active

CountryNameActive
RBR Colour Logo - PNG.png Flag of Bermuda.svg Bermuda Royal Bermuda Regiment 1965–
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Canadian Rangers 1942–
Flag of the Cayman Islands.svg Cayman Islands Cayman Islands Regiment 2020–
Danish Home Guard logo.svg Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark Danish Home Guard 1949–
Kaitseliit emblem.svg Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia Estonian Defence League 1918–1940, 1990–
Coat of arms of the Falkland Islands (1925-1948).svg Flag of the Falkland Islands.svg Falklands Falkland Islands Defence Force 1892–
Emblem of the Heimatschutz.png Flag of Germany.svg Germany Heimatschutz of Bundeswehr 1965–2007, 2019–
New Royal Gibraltar Regiment Cap Badge.png Flag of Gibraltar.svg Gibraltar Royal Gibraltar Regiment 1958–
Delhi home guard symbol.png Flag of India.svg India Indian Home Guard 1962–
Latvian National Guard emblem.svg Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia Latvian National Guard 1991–
Insignia of Sauliu sajunga.svg Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania Lithuanian Riflemen's Union 1918–1940, 1989–
Insignia of National Defense Volunteer Forces (Lithuanian Land Forces) Brass version.png Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces 1991–
Lithuanian Armed Forces Commandant's Offices Command Insignia.png Lithuanian Armed Forces Military Commandant's Offices Command 2025–
RMDF Crest.jpg Flag of Montserrat.svg Montserrat Royal Montserrat Defence Force 1898–
Coat of arms of the Norwegian Home Guard.svg Flag of Norway.svg Norway Norwegian Home Guard 1946–
POL Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej.svg Flag of Poland.svg Poland Polish Territorial Defense Force 2017–
Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka Sri Lankan Home Guard 1986–
Hemvarnet vapen bra.svg Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden Swedish Home Guard 1940–
Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg Turks and Caicos Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment 2020–
Territorial Defence Forces branch SSI.svg Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces 2022–
SDFBranchInsigniaColor.jpg Flag of the United States.svg United States State defense forces of State governments and Territory governments 1917–

Historical & Defunct

Similar units

Other

See also

References

  1. Conduct of Anti-Terrorist Operations in Malaya, Director of Operations, Malaya, 1958, Chapter III: Own Forces