Latvian National Guard
| National Guard of the Republic of Latvia Latvijas Republikas Zemessardze |
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|---|---|
Latvian National Guard emblem
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| Founded | August 23, 1991 |
| Country |
 Latvia
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| Allegiance |
 Latvian National Armed Forces
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| Type | Light Infantry volunteer force |
| Size | more than 8,000 |
| Part of | Latvian Armed Forces |
| Garrison/HQ |
 Rīga
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| Anniversaries | August 23, 1991 |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Brigade General Ainārs Ozoliņš |
The Latvian National Guard or NG (Latvian: Latvijas Republikas Zemessardze or ZS) is a part of the Latvian National Armed Forces. The National Guard is a basic land component, consisting of volunteers who perform traditional duties such as crisis response and support for military operations. It consists of the Staff Heaquarters and 3 brigades (formally - regions or novadi, which are divided into 18 battalions. The National Guard continued its development also after Latvia joined NATO.
The National Guard was established in August 23, 1991 by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia as a voluntary public military self-defense organization. Its roots can be traced to the pre-World War II Aizsargi 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 (Latvian: Latvijas Republikas Jaunsardze, JS), was established in 1992. It is the largest youth movement in Latvia, bringing together young people from the age of 12 to 18.
An aviation component of the National Guard was introduced in 1993, with a fleet of ex-Soviet DOSAAF light aircraft and gliders. In 2000 the aviation component became part of the Air Force.
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 regarding provision of public law and order, and continue the safeguarding of sites of national security importance.
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Wikipedia