Editing Sammarinese Armed Forces (section)

==== Uniformed Unit ====
[[Image:Guard of the Rock.JPG|thumb|300px|Three members of the Guard of the Rock, wearing the Number 2 uniform (informal ceremonial). A non-commissioned officer is in the centre.]]
The Guard of the Rock ({{langx|it|Guardia di Rocca}}) is a front-line military unit in the San Marino armed forces. Its precise origin is difficult to pinpoint due to amalgamations. Its role was last redefined by statute in 1987, and it probably came into being as a military branch in 1754; however, the unit also uses the name "Fortress Guards" which may be traced back to much earlier units of Sammarinese military. The Guard of the Rock are the state border patrol, with responsibility for patrolling borders and defending them.<ref name=guidelines>{{cite web |url=http://www.sanmarinosite.com/eng/corpimilitari.html |title=San Marino Military Organizations |access-date=2011-09-03 |author=San Marino Department of Tourism |year=2011 |language=en, it |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917042756/http://www.sanmarinosite.com/eng/corpimilitari.html |archive-date=2008-09-17 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In their role as Fortress Guards they are also responsible for the guarding of the Palazzo Pubblico in [[City of San Marino|San Marino City]], which is the seat of national government. In this role, they are the forces most visible to tourists, and known for their colourful ceremony of [[Changing the Guard]]. Under the 1987 statute, the Guard of the Rock are all enrolled as 'Criminal Police Officers' (in addition to their military role) and act to assist the police in investigating major crime.

The uniform of the Guard of the Rock is distinctively red and green,<ref name=guidelines/> with three dress standards. The ceremonial uniform (1) for festivals, usually worn only by the ceremonial Artillery Company, includes red trousers with a green stripe (two thinner gold stripes for officers), a double breasted green jacket (with red and white lanyard, red cuffs and collars, gold buttons, and red and white dress epaulettes (for officers the epaulettes are gold, and there is a gold edge to the red cuffs)), a black leather belt, and a black helmet decorated with red and white feathers. For normal guard duties (2) the uniform of the main (full-time) Fortress Guard Corps is similar to that described above, but with plain green epaulettes, and a simple black [[kepi]] with a single red feather plume in place of the helmet. For routine patrol duties (3) on the border the uniform is simple and modern, with red trousers, green bomber-jacket, and a green peaked hat. For ceremonial duties the Guard of the Rock carry [[Beretta BM 59]] rifles, with the sentry on duty having a fixed bayonet. For patrol duties they are armed with 9mm [[Glock 17]] pistols, and they patrol in green and white patrol cars (see illustrations in gallery, below).