Paramilitary

Legion of Frontiersmen, Edmonton Command, 1915 – a nationalist paramilitary group not officially affiliated with the Canadian Army.

Generaloberst von Falkenhorst with the sisters of the Lotta Svärd, a Finnish voluntary auxiliary paramilitary organisation for women, in the summer of 1941.

Paramilitary forces usually tend to wear similar but different uniforms to the military, for instance gray "urban camouflage".

A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces.^[1] Paramilitary units carry out duties that a country's military or police forces are unable, or sometimes unwilling, to handle.

Military compared to paramilitary[edit]

Though a paramilitary is not a military force, it is usually equivalent to a military's light infantry force in terms of intensity, firepower, and organizational structure. Paramilitary forces and organisations use "military" equipment, skills, tactics etc that are compatible with the civilian sector (IE: Urban environments etc). During peacetime, Paramilitary professions are usually found in areas such as high profile non-military sites such as laboratories, nuclear power plants, industrial explosive factories, seaports, airports, borders and government sites such as embassies, palaces, political summits etc tasked with roles of VIP protection, anti-terrorism etc. A paramilitary may also commonly fall under the command of a military, even despite not being part of the military or play an assisting role for the military in times of war.

Paramilitary forces can also include private military company missions.

Legality[edit]

Under the law of war, a state may incorporate a paramilitary organization or armed agency (such as a national police or a private volunteer militia) into its combatant armed forces. The other parties to a conflict have to be notified thereof.^[2]

Some countries constitutions limit freedom of association by prohibiting paramilitary organizations outside government use. In most cases, there is no definition of paramilitary, and court decisions are responsible for defining that concept.

Types[edit]

Depending on the definition adopted, "paramilitaries" may include:

Law enforcement[edit]

Police departments of many countries are organized in a manner similar to military forces.
Semi-militarized law enforcement personnel within civilian police forces, such as SWAT teams in the United States and various IRTs and Special police units in other countries.
Gendarmeries, such as the Dutch Royal Marechaussee, Egyptian Central Security Forces, European EUROGENDFOR and Chilean Carabineros de Chile.
Border guards, such as Australian Border Force, India's Border Security Force, Bangladesh's Border Guards Bangladesh and Turkey's Village guards.
The United States' Federal Protective Forces and NASA's Emergency Response Teams.
Security forces of ambiguous military status: internal troops, Railroad Guards, or railway troops.

Government agencies[edit]

CIA - Special Activities Center (SAC) (specifically the Special Operations Group (SOG), staffed by Paramilitary Operations Officers)
CIA - Global Response Staff

Home guards[edit]

Volunteer Defence Corps, such as Volunteer Defence Corps in Thailand, Volunteer Defence Corps in Australia, Shanghai Volunteer Corps, and Royal Hong Kong Regiment.

Civil defense[edit]

The fire departments of many countries are often organized in a manner similar to military or police forces despite being unarmed.
The Belgian Civiele Bescherming and Singapore Civil Defence Force.
The Australian State Emergency Service.
The Ukrainian Teroborona
The Lithuanian Riflemen's Union.

Examples of paramilitary units[edit]

Paramilitary uniforms and equipment[edit]

The likes of a SWAT vehicle shown here would be a Paramilitary equivalent to, for instance, an Armoured personnel carrier used by the actual Military.

Due to status and legal reasons, Paramilitary forces tend to be issued similar/capable equipment etc but not issued to the Armed Forces as they have a completely different function and role.^{[citation needed]}

Commercially manufactured non-government issue "tactical gear" sold to the civilian market can be also classed as Paramilitary gear.

References[edit]

^ "paramilitary". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. June 2011 [online edition; original published in June 2005]. Retrieved 2011-09-13. Designating, of, or relating to a force or unit whose function and organization are analogous or ancillary to those of a professional military force, but which is not D regarded as having professional or legitimate status.
^ "Customary IHL - Section B. Incorporation of paramilitary or armed law enforcement agencies into armed forces". Icrc.org. Retrieved 2013-07-27.

External links[edit]

Global Security

[Reference-OED-paramilitary-1] "paramilitary". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. June 2011 [online edition; original published in June 2005]. Retrieved 2011-09-13. Designating, of, or relating to a force or unit whose function and organization are analogous or ancillary to those of a professional military force, but which is not D regarded as having professional or legitimate status.

[2] "Customary IHL - Section B. Incorporation of paramilitary or armed law enforcement agencies into armed forces". Icrc.org. Retrieved 2013-07-27.

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Paramilitary

Contents

Military compared to paramilitary[edit]

Legality[edit]

Types[edit]

Irregular military[edit]

Auxiliary forces[edit]