Guardsman is a
rank
Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as:
Level or position in a hierarchical organization
* Academic rank
* Diplomatic rank
* Hierarchy
* H ...
used instead of
private in some military units that serve as the official bodyguard of a
sovereign or
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state (polity), state#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international p ...
. It is also used as a generic term for any member of a guards unit of any rank.
Canada
In the
Canadian Forces
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The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Ai ...
, the rank is used by privates in the
Governor General's Foot Guards
The Governor General's Foot Guards (GGFG) is the senior reserve infantry regiment in the Canadian Army. Located in Ottawa at the Cartier Square Drill Hall, the regiment is a Primary Reserve infantry unit, and the members are part-time soldiers.
...
and the
Canadian Grenadier Guards
, colors =
, march = Quick: " The British Grenadiers""Slow: "Grenadiers Slow March""Slow: "Scipio"
, mascot =
, identification_symbol = White (left side of bears ...
. This honour was awarded by King George V in 1918 to mark the service of regiments of Foot Guards during the First World War. General Order 138 of 1923 promulgated this honour.
The rank is considered non-gender specific and therefore applies equally to female soldiers and is inclusive of any person who has earned the rank. The rank badge is identical to that of private, a single
chevron.
Scandinavia
Guards units in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...
all use the rank. This includes the
Danish Army
The Royal Danish Army ( da, Hæren, fo, Herurin, kl, Sakkutuut) is the land-b