Prague Castle – the Castle Guard

Castle Guard – Armed Forces for the Safety of the Czech Republic. While walking through the Prague Castle, everyone certainly meets men in uniforms standing at the main entrance or patrolling in other places. You probably know these men from TV, as well. You can always see them close to the President during important politic actions. Yes, we are speaking about the Castle Guard, armed forces providing the safety of the Czech Republic. Now we will look closely at the guard’s activities.

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Important facts:
Castle guard is directly subordinate to the Military Office of the President of the Republic. Its servicemen are selected and supplemented from the ranks of the Army of the Czech Republic (ACR) or recruited under specific criteria.

Special enrolment criteria:
These special criteria have four parts. First, there are Qualification prerequisites and educational requirements. The applicant for the service at the Castle Guard must meet basic qualification prerequisites according to a provision of an act on professional soldiers. Officer’s position can be achieved with a Bachelor’s or Master’s university degree, warrant officer’s position with a complete secondary education concluded with a school leaving examination and sergeant position secondary technical education with a certificate.

Second, there is a psychological examination during which the applicant must successfully pass the basic psychological examination of a professional soldier and a special psychological examination for performance of guard service at the Castle Guard.

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Third, there are security audits. The applicant must verify his/her security capability – CONFIDENTIAL or CLASSIFIED according to Act No 412/2005 Coll., on protection of classified information and on safety security clearance, as subsequently amended.

And fourth, the applicants must meet physical prerequisites. Their height must be between 178 – 188 cm, the weight must correspond to the height – they must not be overweight. They also should be without visible cosmetic defects, tattoos and piercing or earrings. Hairstyle of a castle guard is also important. It must be trim, sideburns can reach only the half of an ear lobe. Female applicants must have short hair. Applicants must also have excellent health condition (health classification „A“) and must not wear glasses for guard service. They all must be in good physical condition – they must pass assessment of examination of physical training excellent or good.

Organizational structure:
This military unit has a total of 660 persons (86 officers, 110 warrant officers, 412 sergeants, 52 civil employees). The Guard is organised into: Headquarters comprising from Castle Guard headquarters, personnel headquarters and logistics. Then 1^st and 2^nd battalion, Castle Guard Orchestra, Police of CR and the Security company.

Armament:
The Castle Guard is armed with model 52/57 nickel-coated rifles and then with cutting weapons for ceremonial purposes. The main weapon of the main guard is so called “Scorpio” submachine gun (model 61) with model 59 machine-gun.

Uniform:
You can recognize a Castle Guard soldier thanks to his/her uniform which was introduced in 1990. The uniform contains several historical emblems such as associate legionnaire’s emblem, legionnaire’s buttons, epaulettes with designs of linden leaves and a type of an indication of a rank. The Castle Guard disposes of summer (light blue color) and winter uniforms (dark blue color) for service and ceremonial purposes.

A day of a Castle Guard soldier:
Every Castle Guard soldier gets up at six am. Then there is his/her common job – the guards perform order-drill, defence training and shooting practice and all this conclude with a 24-hour duty. The duty includes an hour stand-up, then service at the guard room, and a rest which can be followed by sleep. Well, this was a brief summary a day of a Castle Guard soldier.

Guard Company:
The 1^st and 2^nd battalion of the Guard Company provide surveillance of external areas of the Castle. This company also guards the premises of Lany chateau and other premises which belong to temporary seats of the President, as well as prominent guests providing their security in crisis situations which can occur during their stay in the Czech Republic.

Castle Guard Orchestra:
The Castle Guard Orchestra plays a very important part in all ceremonial acts in the Prague Castle concerning the President. They accompany e.g. appointments of generals, awarding state decorations, appointment of judges and inauguration audiences. The Orchestra also holds benefit concerts for various associations, trusts and foundations.

Other tasks of the Orchestra are for example preparation and performance of protocol acts of the President, the Military Office of the President and the Castle Guard. They also prepare and perform service events, piety acts, adjurations and inauguration audiences. The Orchestra also provides professional training with Castle Guard units; performs benefit concerts, ceremonial concerts, concerts for army and civil organizations. They also organize and provide musical performance at the ceremonial changing of the Castle Guard in the First Courtyard of the Prague Castle and also on the occasion of opening the Southern Gardens and the Royal Garden. The Orchestra also cares for musical performance at masses and other acts held by the Military Chaplaincy of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic.

Security Company:
The main task of this company is the support of units of the Castle Guard in the course of their service. Therefore the unit comprises of the transport platoon, motorcycle platoon, storage platoon and the dog-handling platoon. Now, let us see activities of individual company units.

Transport platoon:
Let us start with the transport platoon which is responsible mainly for transport of persons or material upon the needs of the Castle Guard and the Military Office of the President. These persons or materials are transported to places designed for performance of tasks set.

Motorcycle platoon:
The motorcycle platoon is responsible for the security of leading representatives of foreign countries within their ceremonial receptions by the President. Members of the motorcycle platoon perform special tasks set by the Castle Guard and the Military Office of the President. The platoon uses various types of specially modified BMW motorcycles.

Storage platoon:
The Security Company must provide material support for Castle Guard units during their main service.

Dog-handling platoon:
Support of the Guard Company, especially in active protection of seats of the President – that’s what soldiers of the dog-handling platoon must do. These tasks are performed by watch dogs or special dogs. Watch dogs are prepared for a guard service in a close contact with a dog-handler, special dogs are used for example to search explosive systems.

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As you see, the life of a Castle Guard soldier is in no way easy. Starting with difficult training and ending for example with performing tasks for security of the President or a long-hour-duty which also includes guarding the main gateway of the Prague Castle. Here, you can see them motionless on either side of the gate at any weather and you can also see their ceremonial changing here.

Address:
Pražský hrad
119 08 Praha 1

GPS: Loc: 50°5′23.591″N, 14°23′59.79″E

Public transport:
tram: number 1,8,15,18,20,22,26,
subway station , underground stop – Line A – Malostranská
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