Bodyguard I.

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Bodyguards!

Romans and Reds!

Both from the times of the ancient Romans and also during the modern era we find the phenomenon of the seniror military commander, a general officer, having at his disposal a personal bodyguard of handpicked troops. Protecting the personage of the general, his most important military assets, and also available to be used during battle at the most critical of moments.

1. Ancient Rome.


Cohors praetoria: "The term Praetorian derived from the tent of the commanding general or praetor of a Roman army in the field—the praetorium. They were an elite recruitment of Roman citizens. It was a habit of many Roman generals to choose from the ranks a private force of soldiers to act as guards of the tent or the person. They consisted of both infantry and cavalry. In time, this cohort came to be known as the cohors praetoria, and various notable figures possessed one, including Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Augustus (Octavian)."

[the cohors praetori guarding a military commander in the field and NOT to be confused with the Praetorian Guard!]


"The first credible example of bodyguard-type cohorts dates to 133 BCE, when Scipio Aemilianus organized 500 of his clients into a so-called 'troop of friends.'"

"The most prestigious of such troops raised by high ranking officers were the oath-bound bodyguards, the buccellarii, who were not part of the army at all. Far more they were seen as a general's personal bodyguard."

2. Soviet Red Army.

 According to Suvorov "Inside the Soviet Army""

Those Soviet and now Russian too [?] general officers having at their disposal a personal bodyguard consisting of the most carefully selected and manned tank units - - at divisional, army, front, and strategic direction:

Divisional: "An independent tank battalion - - the divisional commander's bodyguard, which protects divisional headquarters and the rocket battalion, and which can be used in battle when the divisional commander needs all his resources."

Army: "An independent tank battalion - - the Army Commander's personal guard. This defends the Army's control [command] post and the rocket brigade and is brought into action only in the most critical situations, when everything is at stake."

Front: "An independent tank brigade - - The Front Commander's personal guard, which defends his command post and the Front's rocket brigades. This brigade is only brought into action in the most critical situations."

Strategic Direction: "The commander of a Strategic Direction, too, has his personal tank guard . . . This guard consists of a single special independent tank division or, in some cases of a tank corps made up of two divisions."

Specially hand-picked troops in all cases, loyal to a fault almost, and again, deployed in a guard-like role for the most part - - but able to be used in combat at that most critical juncture of a battle, when an all-or-nothing effort is mandated and guading as well those rocket and missile units which present a battlefield nuclear capability

As with the Romans, so with the Reds!!

coolbert.