Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces

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Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces

The Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces is the Serbian Armed Forces’ honor guard unit. It performs ceremonial duties and also handles security and logistics for the military.

History
- The Guard was formed on May 6, 1830, by Prince Miloš Obrenović, starting with about 73 volunteers.
- In 1838 it gained legal status, and in 1883 it became the Royal Guard.
- During World War I the Royal Guard fought with the Royal Serbian Army.
- In World War II it served under the Royal/occupied forces and Yugoslav Partisans.
- After the war, the Guards Brigade evolved through several reorganization stages, becoming part of the Yugoslav People’s Army.
- In 1991 it participated in the Yugoslav conflicts, including the Battle of Vukovar.
- The Guard in its current form was created on November 30, 2006, when the Serbian Armed Forces were formed.

Missions
- Ceremonial duties: provides military honors for visiting foreign and domestic officials and guards the President and important state buildings.
- Security missions: guards the Novi Dvor (the President’s residence), the Ministry of Defence, the General Staff, and official residences of top officials.
- Logistics missions: provides logistics support for the General Staff and the Ministry of Defence.
- The Cobras, a dedicated protection unit, handle very close protection for the President, the Minister of Defence, and the Chief of the General Staff. The Cobras are not part of the Guard.

Structure
- Based in Belgrade.
- Four battalions and support units:
- Guards HQ
- Command Battalion
- Honor Guard Battalion (includes the Band of the Guard and the Cavalry Platoon)
- 25th Military Police Battalion (military police, including a motorcycle escort unit)
- Logistics Battalion
- The Honor Guard Battalion performs ceremonial duties; its Ceremonial Rifle is the Zastava M59/66. The band, cavalry platoon (the only mounted unit in the Serbian Armed Forces, based at Karađorđevo estate), and a gun-salute platoon are part of this battalion.

Traditions
- Anniversary: May 6, commemorating the Guard’s formation in 1830.
- Slava (patron saint): Saint George (Sveti Đorđe).
- Colors: royal blue and black with red trim for full dress uniforms.
- March music: Gardijski marš (Guard March).

Decorations
- Order of the National Hero (1958)
- Order of the War Banner (2000)
- Order of the White Eagle with swords (2015)

Notes
- The Guard’s primary public role is ceremonial, but it also conducts security and logistics tasks for Serbia’s top defence institutions.