Editing Bulgarian Armed Forces (section)

===National guard unit===
{{main|National guard unit}}

The National Guard of Bulgaria, founded in 1879, is the successor to the personal guards of [[Knyaz]] [[Alexander I of Bulgaria|Alexander I]]. On 12 July of that year, the guards escorted the Bulgarian [[knyaz]] for the first time; today the official holiday of the National Guard is celebrated on 12 July. Throughout the years the structure of the guards has evolved, going from convoy to squadron, to regiment and, subsequent to 1942, to division. Today it includes military units for army salute and wind orchestra duties.

In 2001, the National Guard unit was designated an official military unit of the Bulgarian army and one of the symbols of state authority, along with the flag, the coat of arms and the national anthem. It is a formation, directly subordinate to the Minister of Defence and while legally part of the armed forces, it is totally independent from the Defence Staff.