guardsman

A guardsman is a person who serves in a guard unit or as a sentry, typically involved in guarding people, property, or ceremonial sites. The term can denote either a specific rank or a broader designation for someone who performs guard duties. It is used in various countries and military or security contexts, and can also appear in historical or ceremonial settings.

In the British Army, guardsmen are soldiers attached to the Foot Guards regiments (such as Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish, and Welsh Guards). Within these units, guardsman is the lowest enlisted rank, roughly equivalent to private in other regiments. Guardsmen perform a wide range of duties, including ceremonial tasks like Changing of the Guard, as well as operational deployments and peacekeeping assignments.

In the United States and some other countries, the term guardsman commonly refers to a member of the National Guard, a reserve component that can be mobilized for federal or state service. Guardsmen may serve in combat arms, support roles, or specialized occupational fields, and can be activated for disasters, national emergencies, or military operations.

Historically, guardsman has also described a person who guards a residence, fortress, or important site. In modern usage, such roles are more commonly described as security guards or watchmen, though the term may appear in formal or ceremonial contexts.

See also: guard, guard unit, national guard, royal guard, security guard.