Danish Home Guard

The Danish Home Guard (Hjemmeværnet) is a branch of the Danish military, concerned exclusively with the defence of Danish territory. Service is voluntary and unpaid, except that expenses are covered.

As of 2004, it consists of 58,640 active members, of which 9,152 are women. It is subdivided into four branches:

• The Army Home Guard (Hærhjemmeværnet) is the numerically largest part of the Home Guard, and works closely with the regular army.
• The Aviation Home Guard (Flyverhjemmeværnet) deals with securing airports and reporting enemy air activity.
• The Naval Home Guard (Marinehjemmeværnet) patrols the Danish territorial waters, and aids in Search and Rescue missions.
• The Company Home Guard (Virksomhedshjemmeværnet) ensures that civilian companies can operate even in times of emergency.

Created after World War II, the Danish Home Guard was inspired by the Danish Resistance Movement during the war. It was always implied (though never explicitly stated) that the primary objective was defence and guerilla activity against a Soviet invasion.

External Links

• Danish Home Guard official website, in English
• Danish Home Guard official website, in Danish