The Latvian National Guard or NG ( lv, Latvijas Republikas Zemessardze, ZS) is a part of the

Latvian National Armed Forces The Latvian National Armed Forces ( lv, Latvijas Nacionālie bruņotie spēki), or NBS, are the armed forces of Latvia. Latvia's defense concept is based on a mobile professional rapid response force and reserve segment that can be called upon re ...

. The National Guard is a basic land component, consisting of volunteers who perform traditional

national guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

duties such as crisis response and support for military operations. It consists of the Staff Headquarters and 4 brigades (formally - regions or novadi), which are divided into 18 battalions. The National Guard continued its development also after Latvia joined

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

History

The National Guard was established on August 23, 1991 by the

Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia The Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvijas Republikas Augstākā Padome) was the transitional parliament of Latvia from 1990 to 1993, after the restoration of independence. The Supreme Council was elected on 1990 as the Sup ...

as a voluntary public military self-defense organization. Its roots can be traced to the pre-

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Aizsargi Aizsargi (literally: "Defenders", "Guards") was a volunteer paramilitary organization or militia ( lv, Aizsargu organizācija, "Guards Organization", AO) in Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially ...

organization. It is the largest NAF structure in terms of numbers. The National Guard has always played an essential role in the national defense system by allowing the public to be involved in national defense. A number of National Guard battalions have been transformed into high-readiness reserve forces, which can be deployed immediately on international military operations. The youth organization of the National Guard, the Youth Guard ( lv, Latvijas Republikas Jaunsardze, JS), was established in 1992. It is the largest youth movement in Latvia, bringing together young people from the age of 10 to 21. An aviation component of the National Guard was introduced in 1993, with a fleet of ex-Soviet

DOSAAF DOSAAF (russian: ДОСААФ), full name ''Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy'' (russian: Добровольное общество содействия армии, авиации и флоту), was a parami ...

light aircraft and gliders. In 2000 the aviation component became part of the

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

Mission

The main task of the National Guard is to support the regular Land Force units by defending the national territory during military threat and to perform NAF combat support and combat logistics functions. At the same time, the National Guard will continue providing assistance to the public regarding crisis control, as well as to the Latvian

State Police State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...

regarding provision of public law and order, and continue the safeguarding of sites of national security importance.

Structure

''(as of April 20, 2021:)'' National Guard (NG) Headquarters (

Rīga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava (river), Daugava river where ...

) * NG

Cyber Defense Proactive cyber defence means acting in anticipation to oppose an attack through cyber and cognitive domains. Proactive cyber defence can be understood as options between offensive and defensive measures. It includes interdicting, disrupting or d ...

Unit (Rīga) * NG special task force * NG Special

PSYOPS Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), have been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations (MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and Mi ...

Support Platoon (

Valmiera Valmiera (; german: link=no, Wolmar; pl, Wolmar see other names) is the largest city of the historical Vidzeme region, Latvia, with a total area of . As of 2002, Valmiera had a population of 27,323, and in 2020 – 24 879. It is a state city ...

) * NG Veterans' Union (Rīga) * Central Band of the National Guard (Rīga) National Guard 1st Brigade (Rīga HQ): * NG ''Student'' Infantry Battalion (Rīga) * NG 13th Infantry Battalion (Rīga) * NG 17th Combat Support Battalion (

Mārupe Mārupe (german: Marienbach) is a town in and the centre of Mārupe Municipality, Latvia. Mārupe is in practice a suburb of the Latvian capital, Riga, and is the headquarters of the Latvian Bandy Federation. A small river Mārupīte flows thro ...

) * NG 19th Combat Service Support Battalion (

Ulbroka Ulbroka is a village in Stopiņi Parish, Ropaži Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It is the administrative center of Stopiņi Parishand municipality. The village is crossed by two first category roads Rīga-Ērgļi (P4) and Rīga-Ogr ...

) * NG 53rd Infantry Battalion (

Bauska Bauska () is a town in Bauska Municipality, in the Zemgale region of southern Latvia. Bauska is located from the Latvian capital Riga, 62 km (38.5 mi) from Jelgava and from the Lithuanian border on the busy European route E67. The to ...

) * NG CBRN Defense Company (Rīga) National Guard 2nd Brigade (Valmiera HQ): * NG 22nd Combat Service Support Battalion (

) * NG 25th Infantry Battalion (

Gulbene Gulbene (; german: Schwanenburg) is a town in northeastern Latvia. It is an administrative center of Gulbene Municipality. The area of this region is , with a population of 29,797 inhabitants (69,369 sealen, 10,015 urban, 19,782 rural populat ...

) * NG 27th Infantry Battalion (

Cēsis Cēsis (), (german: Wenden, liv, Venden, et, Võnnu, pl, Kieś) is a town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Vidzeme Upland, Central Vidzeme Upland. Cēsis is on the Gauja, Gauja River valley, and is built on a series of ridges ...

) * NG 31st Infantry Battalion (

Alūksne Alūksne ()) is a town on the shores of Lake Alūksne in northeastern Latvia near the borders with Estonia and Russia. It is the seat of Alūksne municipality. Alūksne is the highest elevated Latvian city, located in East Vidzeme Upland at 217 ...

) * NG 54th Combat Support Battalion (

Ogre An ogre ( feminine: ogress) is a legendary monster depicted as a large, hideous, man-like being that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Ogres frequently feature in mythology, folklore, and fiction throughout the wor ...

) National Guard 3rd Brigade (Rēzekne HQ): * NG 32nd Infantry Battalion (

Rēzekne Rēzekne (, ; German: ''Rositten'') is a state city in the Rēzekne River valley in Latgale region of eastern Latvia. It is called ''The Heart of Latgale'' (Latvian ''Latgales sirds'', Latgalian ''Latgolys sirds''). Built on seven hills, Rēzekn ...

) * NG 34th Infantry Battalion (

Daugavpils Daugavpils (; russian: Двинск; ltg, Daugpiļs ; german: Dünaburg, ; pl, Dyneburg; see other names) is a state city in south-eastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. The parts of the c ...

) * NG 35th Infantry Battalion (

Preiļi Preiļi (; german: Prely; ''russian: Прейли'', previously also ''Прели'') is a town in Preiļi Municipality in the Latgale region of Latvia. It is also the administrative center of Preiļi Municipality. History Preiļi is one of the o ...

) * NG 36th Combat Support Battalion ( Lūznava) * NG 55th Infantry Battalion (

Aizkraukle Aizkraukle (german: Ascheraden) is a town in Vidzeme region in Latvia, the administrative centre of Aizkraukle Municipality on the right bank of the Daugava River. The population in 2020 was 7,018. History In the second half of the 14th century ...

) * NG 56th Combat Service Support Battalion (

Jēkabpils Jēkabpils (; german: Jakobstadt; pl, Jakubów) is a state city in Jēkabpils Municipality in southeastern Latvia roughly halfway between Riga and Daugavpils and spanning the Daugava River. Historic Jēkabpils lies on the left bank, in Selonia ...

) National Guard 4th Brigade (Liepāja HQ): * NG 44th Infantry Battalion (

Liepāja Liepāja (; liv, Līepõ; see #Names and toponymy, other names) is a state city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea. It is the largest-city in the Kurzeme Planning Region, Kurzeme Region and the third-largest city in the country after R ...

) * NG 45th Combat Service Support Battalion (

Kuldīga Kuldīga () (german: Goldingen) is a town in the Courland region of Latvia, in the western part of the country. It is the center of Kuldīga Municipality with a population of approximately 13,500. Kuldīga was first mentioned in 1242. It joine ...

) * NG 46th Infantry Battalion (

Ventspils Ventspils (; german: Windau, ; see other names) is a state city in northwestern Latvia in the historical Courland region of Latvia, and is the sixth largest city in the country. At the beginning of 2020, Ventspils had a population of 33,906. It ...

) * NG 51st Infantry Battalion (

Dobele Dobele (; german: Doblen) is a town in the cultural region Zemgale in Latvia, and is located near the center of Latvia on the banks of the river Bērze. It received town rights in 1917 whilst being a part of the German occupied Courland Govern ...

) * NG 52nd Combat Support Battalion (

Jelgava Jelgava (; german: Mitau, ; see also other names) is a state city in central Latvia about southwest of Riga with 55,972 inhabitants (2019). It is the largest town in the region of Zemgale (Semigalia). Jelgava was the capital of the united Duch ...

)

Equipment

Weapons

Military vehicles

Cooperation

The National Guard has established close co-operation with similar organizations abroad – the US

Michigan Army National Guard The Michigan Army National Guard is the Army component of the Michigan National Guard and a reserve component of the United States Army. During the Cold War only the 156th Signal Battalion was federalized on 1 October 1962 at its home stations in ...

, the

Australian Army Reserve The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen ...

, the UK Territorial Army, and the

Home Guard 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. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting wi ...

organizations of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

and

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

Gallery

File:Zemessardze's parade at 20 anniversary 052.JPG, 54th Engineer Battalion on parade at the 20th anniversary of the Zemessardze, 2011. Enlisted soldiers are wearing the now-obsolete

U.S. Woodland The U.S. Woodland is a camouflage pattern that was used as the default camouflage pattern issued to the United States Armed Forces from 1981, with the issue of the Battle Dress Uniform, until its replacement in the mid to late 2000s. It is a four ...

camouflage pattern. File:A Zemessardze (Latvian National Guard) soldier pulls security alongside a United States Marine.jpg, A NG soldier at the Strong Guard 2016 exercise near

Tukums Tukums (; german: Tuckum; liv, Tukāmō) is a town in the Zemgale region of Latvia. History The historical center of Tukums developed between trade routes leading from the mouth of the Daugava River to Prussia. The oldest part is today's Ta ...

, wearing the LATPAT pattern File:1st Lt. Adam Kunkle, a CH-47 Chinook pilot, discusses defenses strategies with Soldiers from the Latvian National Guard.jpg, Joint exercise with U.S. Army soldiers in 2017. All of the three patterns are visible. File:Michigan National Guard (40059085200).jpg, Servicemembers from the NG's Student Battalion and the

Michigan National Guard The Michigan National Guard consists of the Michigan Army National Guard and the Michigan Air National Guard. The State adjutant general is Major general Paul D. Rogers. Units Michigan Army National Guard units include: * Recruiting Office: Bay ...

at the National Clean-up Day in 2018

References

External links

Latvian National Guard Official Website
{{Military of Latvia Military of Latvia Militias in Europe Military units and formations established in 1991 1991 establishments in Latvia