Prague Castle Guard


The Prague Castle Guard or simply the Castle Guard is a specific and autonomous unit of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic directly subordinate to the Military Office of the President of the Czech Republic. Its main task is to guard and defend the seat of the President of the Czech Republic at the Prague Castle.The Castle Guard was fouded by the first Czechoslovak president T. G. Masaryk on 7. December 1918. During the period 1939 to 1945 its duties were performed by the 1st Battalion of the Government Army.
Although its most visible activity comprises ceremonial duty within the Prague Castle, most of the unit's 650 soldiers are tasked with actual protection of compounds belonging to the Presidential Office, whereby they serve in standard uniforms armed with modern weaponry.
Since 2018, soldiers of the Prague Castle Guard are also being deployed in Afghanistan as part of Czech Army deployment in Resolute Support Mission. There they serve as Guardian Angels providing protection outside of allied military bases primarily to Czech Army helicopter instructors that are training Afghan National Army pilots.

Armaments

As of April 2018, the Castle Guard consisted of 672 soldiers and 43 civilian employees. These were armed primarily with the following weaponry:
Other weapons include:

Ceremonial duty

Standard duty