Republican Guard (France)
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The Republican Guard (French: Garde républicaine) is the ceremonial unit of the French Gendarmerie. It consists of two infantry regiments (one includes a motorcycle squadron) and a horse cavalry regiment. It also has four musical formations, as well as groups demonstrating prowess in horseback or motorcycle maneuvers.
Its missions include:
- Guarding important public buildings in Paris such as the Élysée Palace, the residence of the Prime Minister of France, Hôtel Matignon, the Senate, the National Assembly, the Hall of Justice, and keeping public order in Paris.
- Honor and security services for the highest national personalities and important foreign guests;
- Support of other law enforcement forces (with intervention groups, or horseback patrols);
- Staffing horseback patrol stations, particularly for the forests of the Île-de-France region;
- Transporting and escorting urgent organ transplants.
The close physical protection of the President of France is entrusted to the GSPR (Groupe de Sécurité de la Présidence de la République), and the SPHP (Service de Protection des Hautes Personalités), neither are part of the Guard.
The Republican Guard also fulfills an important diplomatic role, representing France at sporting and cultural events abroad and receiving important dignitaries at home. Controversially, they will frequently accept colors and other honors from regiments of allied countries, but they will usually award their own honors, such as the famed spurs of the Republican Guard, only to royalty or to individuals of historic standing.
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[edit] Organization
The republican Guard belongs to the French national Gendarmerie. 3200 men and women make it up (on a total of 105,000 in gendarmerie). Intrinsically related to Paris, the guards wear the armorial bearings of the city (nave) on their uniforms.
It consists of two regiments of infantry and a regiment of cavalry. A regiment is commanded by a colonel and has a Staff.
[edit] Duty
“The republican Guard has a popularity which exceeds the borders”, it contributes “to the prestige of the French Army and France” (Minister for Defense, October 2002)
[edit] Missions of honor
The honors are returned mainly by the 1st regiment of infantry, the regiment of cavalry and sometimes by the 2nd regiment of infantry.
Detachments of the regiment of cavalry reinforce the two regiments with infantry in their missions of honor and safety in the palates of the State. The prestigious hosts are accommodated on the perron of the Elysium or Matignon (or in other places) by riders with foot. These riders belong to the regiment of cavalry and not to the infantry whose mission is to take care of the safety of these palates and the authorities. Certain services of honors (guards of honour) are rendered at the time of official visits in the museums or the opera or at the time of the descent of the academicians under the cupola of the French Academy.
Formerly, one could rent Republican Guards for the private fashionable evenings but this possibility was removed by Giscard d'Estaing.
The republican Guard is with the service of the State, which explains the suppression in its name in 1979 of the reference in Paris. The republican Guard of Paris became under president Giscard d'Estaing the republican Guard.
[edit] Special Missions
Some guards are assigned to more specific missions:
- Security of Diplomatic bags entering and leaving the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the airports.
- Safety of the Tour de France by the motorcycle squadron.
- One of the more discrete missions of the republican guard is the transport of bodies intended for transplantation. The squadron motorcyclist is charged to ensure transport of it in order to guarantee the safety of this invaluable cargo and his delivery in time and hour at the various hospitals of the Paris area. For this purpose, it assists in its Agency of Biomedecine (Seine-Saint-Denis) and carries out some 600 escorts per annum.
[edit] Regiment of cavalry
Houses in the Caserne des Célestins, Paris, built in 1895-1901, designed by the renowned french architect Jacques Hermant.
The Cavalry also includes the Fanfare of Cavalry and the Brass band of Cavalry. It also includes more than 500 soldiers and civilians which includes a growing number of women (a little more than 8 %). It has approximately 550 horses (11 % of mares) and remains the last unit with horse of the French Army.
The regiment is composed:
- Center of Instruction (Goupil district in Saint German),
- Three squadrons of cavalry (first is based with the district of Célestins and the two others with the Carnot district),
- A squadron hors rang (based in Célestins) and composed:
- brass band of cavalry,
- horse-shoeing (blacksmiths},
- veterinary service.
This unit has a section of high level sportsmen, in particular Hubert Perring, champion of France of Raising in 2005, member of the team of France for the World Equestrian Plays of 2006.
[edit] Cavalry Regiment
The regiment of cavalry presents four activities:
- the carrousel of the lances;
- the Royal House;
- the Tandem Riders;
- the resumption of the twelve.
[edit] Infantry Regiments
The republican guard has two regiments of infantry:
- The first regiment of infantry (which the motorcyclist squadron and musicians)
- the second regiment of infantry
[edit] Activities of the Infantry Regiments
- Squares bayonets;
- The Battery-Brass band;
- The Napoleon Brass band;
- Pomegranates of the Emperor.
[edit] Orchestra of the Republican Guard
Depending on staff availability, this formation is composed of two great sets:
- the Orchestra of Harmony (80 musicians)
- the String Orchestra (40 musicians), likely to be presented in configurations at 24 or 12 bows, or in string quartet
It was founded in 1848 per Jean-George Paulus.
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