Home Guard: Difference between revisions

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You have your army, perhaps it is a [[Badass Army]], or just a [[Redshirt Army]], but in any case, it is the standing army of your nation, with everything that entails. Of course, not everybody in the army does it for a living. Some folks just do it for the bit of extra pay, or the college benefits, or as a way to keep connected with the military after they retire and settle down to [[Babies Ever After|start a family.]]

These guys are the [[Home Guard]]. Typically, they will get called up when the nation [[This Means War|goes to war]], or in the event of a natural disaster or civil unrest. Many of them will be military veterans who got out of the regular army, or folks who had imminent life plans that precluded being away from home permanently. In more desperate situations, the Home Guard might include people who otherwise would not have been accepted into the military, but are being organized into a militia as a last ditch defense of their homes. Depending on a variety of circumstances, they might be equipped with [[Break Out the Museum Piece|obsolete weapons and equipment from decades past]], or [[Torches and Pitchforks|even less]]. In more ideal situations, they will use the same equipment as the regular troops, to better allow them to serve along side them in combat when needed.

These guys are the '''Home Guard'''. Typically, they will get called up when the nation [[This Means War|goes to war]], or in the event of a natural disaster or civil unrest. Many of them will be military veterans who got out of the regular army, or folks who had imminent life plans that precluded being away from home permanently. In more desperate situations, the Home Guard might include people who otherwise would not have been accepted into the military, but are being organized into a militia as a last ditch defense of their homes. Depending on a variety of circumstances, they might be equipped with [[Break Out the Museum Piece|obsolete weapons and equipment from decades past]], or [[Torches and Pitchforks|even less]]. In more ideal situations, they will use the same equipment as the regular troops, to better allow them to serve along side them in combat when needed.

Even the version of the trope where the Home Guard is little more than a [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits]] armed with whatever they have on hand, it can be [[Justified]] as freeing up more troops to fight the enemy ''before'' they can invade the home country.

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If they end up getting invaded and defeated, expect these guys to help form [[La Résistance]].

Named for the British [[Home Guard]] troops who were formed to protect Great Britain in the event of German invasion during [[World War II]].

Named for the British '''Home Guard''' troops who were formed to protect Great Britain in the event of German invasion during [[World War II]].

See also [[Training the Peaceful Villagers]] and [[Instant Militia]].

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== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

* The ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'' equivalent is the PDF (Planetary Defense Forces). Their quality is variable: depending on the people settling there (usually long-serving Guard regiments), a planet's PDF could be those of a sedentary population too stupid to dodge the draft or a bunch of veterans from one of the Imperial Guard's more experienced and successful regiments. Nonetheless, they are considered as underequipped and far less competent by the Imperial Guard. We repeat: the ''Imperial Guard'', [[Butt Monkey]] [[Cannon Fodder]] extraordinaire, believes the PDF to be beneath them.

** The Cadian Interior Guard is one of the better-equipped PDF ~~units-- one~~ in ten soldiers, regardless of skill, are recruited to the PDF, so Cadia actually has a home guard better than many planets' best troops. Seeing how as Cadia is a [[World of Badass]] sitting right in front of a giant [[Hell Gate]] [[Negative Space Wedgie]], it's probably for the best.

** The Cadian Interior Guard is one of the better-equipped PDF units—one in ten soldiers, regardless of skill, are recruited to the PDF, so Cadia actually has a home guard better than many planets' best troops. Seeing how as Cadia is a [[World of Badass]] sitting right in front of a giant [[Hell Gate]] [[Negative Space Wedgie]], it's probably for the best.

** The planet of Perlia got a "speedbump's speedbump" in the form of the Planetary Defence Volunteers, established by [[Ciaphas Cain]] in the sixth novel of the series. The author also used it as a chance to make an extended [[Shout-Out]] to [[Dad's Army|Dads Army]].

== [[Truth in Television]] ==

* The [[Trope Namer]] is the British [[Home Guard]], formed during the early years of [[World War II]] (and disbanded soon after, when they were no longer needed).

* The [[Trope Namer]] is the British Home Guard, formed during the early years of [[World War II]] (and disbanded soon after, when they were no longer needed).

** Normally the role is taken by the Territorial Army, which was formed in 1908 and currently forms about a quarter of the British Army's manpower. Since the TA was automatically mobilised when the war started, they needed a 'reserve for the reserves' once things [[It Got Worse|got worse]].

** It was never quite as poorly-equipped as some fictional examples, however; whilst most of its members were exempt from the draft by virtue of age or a minor disability, most agricultural workers were exempt from the draft, and a fair percentage of them owned their own shotguns and varmint rifles which they knew how to use.

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** In modern times, National Guardsmen typically are equipped with the same gear as their "Regular" Active Duty brethren, although up until the later years of the Cold War, it wasn't unusual for them to use obsolete equipment that had been cast off by the regular service, particularly for the Air Guard, since military aircraft are considerably more expensive than an infantryman's kit.

*** In addition to the National Guard, certain states even have a State Guard, essentially a National Guard writ small, which the Federal government has no claim to without the Governor's consent. These are typically intended to guarantee that the state will have at least a small reserve force of trained personnel if a crisis arises locally while the National Guard is deployed elsewhere.

* The Civil Air Patrol is a civilian organization whose mission includes serving as an Auxiliary of the Air Force when needed. <ref> Contrary to common belief, they are ''only'' an Auxiliary of the Air Force when serving in that role. The rest of the time, they are essentially a very large, civic-minded private flying club.</ref> They are known for their [[Iconic Item|red and white Cessnas]], which they use both for pilot training and for performing search and rescue operations over the American wilderness.

* The Civil Air Patrol is a civilian organization whose mission includes serving as an Auxiliary of the Air Force when needed.<ref>Contrary to common belief, they are ''only'' an Auxiliary of the Air Force when serving in that role. The rest of the time, they are essentially a very large, civic-minded private flying club.</ref> They are known for their [[Iconic Item|red and white Cessnas]], which they use both for pilot training and for performing search and rescue operations over the American wilderness.

** They also serve a function similar to the Boy Scouts or Junior ROTC, training youths and giving them something to do with their free time and giving them a chance to help their communities (among other things, kids in the organization can be trained and serve as Observers on official CAP missions, aiding in Search-and-Rescue operations, and many of them are certified as Disaster First Responders.)

** Those brightly colored civilian airplanes they fly around in? During [[World War II]], they became something of a [[Lethal Joke Character]], when the CAP flew yellow-and-red Piper Cubs off the coasts looking for German U-Boats. There was little one of these planes could do to a U-Boat, given that they were unarmed (at first), but they could use their radios to [[Summon Bigger Fish|call for the]] [[Death From Above|Air Corps]], who would happily send a bomber to blow the interloper out of the water.