The Republican Guard Brigade (), also known as the Presidential Guard Brigade, is a unit of the Land Component of the
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), attached to the Directorate-General of the
Presidency of Lebanon.
Insignia
The insignia of the Presidential Guard Brigade consists of:
# The Lebanese flag in the form of a
shield
A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...
.
# A
wreath
A wreath () is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs, or various materials that is constructed to form a ring shape.
In English-speaking countries, wreaths are used typically as household ornaments, most commonly as an Advent and C ...
composed of two fronds of laurel and
oak
An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...
leaves.
# Two crossed swords.
#
# The background of the insignia is a shield colored
navy blue
Navy blue is a dark shade of the color blue.
Navy blue got its name from the dark blue (contrasted with naval white) worn by officers in the Royal Navy since 1748 and subsequently adopted by other navies around the world. When this color name, ...
.
The
Coat of arms of Lebanon
Lebanon never officially adopted a coat of arms or emblem. However, various unofficial coats of arms have been used since the proclamation of independence on 7 December 1943. The main variant consists of a red shield with a white bend (heraldry) ...
is in the middle of the insignia, the two swords in its background, the wreath surrounding it.
above it are inscribed the words "Republican Guard".
Structure and organization
The brigade comprises a 1st
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
, 2nd
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
, a Support
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
, and a Logistics
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
. The brigade was established on May 14, 1984, and was stationed in Baabda. Up until 1949, the Lebanese Republican Guard Brigade was called the Dragon brigade. The commander in 2005 was
Brigadier General Mustafa Hamdan, who was accused of complicity in the assassination of former
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
Rafic Bahaa El Deen al-Hariri (; 1 November 1944 – 14 February 2005) was a Lebanese businessman and politician who served as prime minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 to 2004.
Hariri headed five cabinets during his tenu ...
in February 2005 and later released from prison without being cleared as innocent along with three other generals in April 2009. When President Lahoud stepped down at the end of his office, the brigade was reattached to the Army General Command.
Role

The brigade's duties include providing escorts not only for the
Lebanese President and its family, but also to the
Prime-Minister and cabinet members or to foreign visiting heads-of-state, and
guards-of-honour at official public acts. They are also entrusted with guarding important public buildings in
Beirut
Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
such as the
Parliament House
Parliament House may refer to:
Meeting places of parliament
Australia
* Parliament House, Canberra, Parliament of Australia
* Parliament House, Adelaide, Parliament of South Australia
* Parliament House, Brisbane, Parliament of Queensland
* P ...
at
Nejmeh Square
Nejmeh Square () or Place de l'Étoile is the central square in the Downtown area of Beirut, Lebanon. It is home to the Lebanese Parliament and its complementary buildings, two cathedrals, a museum, and several cafes and restaurants. Most notable ...
and the nearby
Grand Serail, an
Ottoman-era palatial complex which houses the Prime-Minister and the Council of Ministers' offices, and the
Presidential Palace
A presidential palace is the official residence of the president in some countries. Some presidential palaces were once the official residences to monarchs in former monarchies that were preserved during those states' transition into republics. ...
itself.
See also
*
Army of Free Lebanon
*
Lebanese Arab Army
*
Lebanese Armed Forces
*
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War ( ) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 150,000 fatalities and led to the exodus of almost one million people from Lebanon.
The religious diversity of the ...
*
Internal Security Forces
*
Weapons of the Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War was a multi-sided military conflict that pitted a variety of local irregular militias, both Muslim and Christian, against each other between 1975 and 1990.
A wide variety of weapons were used by the different armies and ...
*
Zgharta Liberation Army
*
2nd Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
*
3rd Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
The 3rd Infantry Brigade (Lebanon) is a Lebanese Army unit that fought in the Lebanese Civil War, being active since its creation in January 1983 until its disbandment in December 1984, being subsequently re-formed in June 1991.
Origins
In the ...
*
5th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
*
6th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
*
7th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
*
8th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
*
9th Infantry Brigade (Lebanon)
*
1958 Lebanon crisis
The 1958 Lebanon crisis was a political crisis in Lebanon caused by political and religious tensions in the country that included an American military intervention, which lasted for around three months until President Camille Chamoun, who had re ...
References
External links
Lebanese Republican Guard official page
Guards regiments
Military units and formations of Lebanon
Protective security units
1984 establishments in Lebanon
Guards of honour
{{Lebanon-gov-stub