Editing Republican Guard (France) (section)

==Organization==
The Republican Guard belongs to the French National Gendarmerie. It is made up of approximately 2,800 men and women (drawn from an overall body of 100,000 gendarmes). As a historically Parisian organization, the guards wear the armorial bearings of the city on their uniforms.

It consists of two [[infantry]] [[regiment]]s (one includes a [[motorcycle]] squadron) and a horse [[cavalry]] regiment. It also has four [[Military band|musical formations]], as well as display teams demonstrating prowess in horseback or motorcycle maneuvers. The Guard is commanded by a ''general de division'' (major general). It is headquartered in the ''Quartier des Célestins'',<ref>''Quartier'' is used for barracks housing cavalry and other mounted troops while ''caserne'' is used for infantry, engineers and non-mounted troops.</ref> Paris, built in 1895–1901, designed by the renowned French architect [[Jacques Hermant]].

=== Cavalry regiment ===
[[Image:BastilleDay FrenchRepublicanGuard (pixinn.net).jpg|thumb|Cavalry]]
[[Image:French Republican Guard Bastille Day 2007 n2.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Cavalry officer]]
[[Image:French Republican Guard Bastille Day 2007 n3.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|Mounted band]]

Headquartered in the Quartier des Célestins, and Quartier Carnot barracks the cavalry regiment is made up of approximately 480 gendarmes and civilians of whom a little more than 10% are women. It has approximately 550 horses (11% mares) and remains the last mounted regiment in the French armed forces.

The regiment is composed of:
* Three squadrons<ref>A French ''escadron'' is equivalent to a US troop or a British squadron.</ref> of cavalry (the first is based at Quartier des Célestins, in Paris, and two others based at Quartier Carnot, also in Paris at the fringe of Bois de Vincennes),
* Reserve squadron 
* A squadron ''hors rang'' (based at Les Célestins) and composed of:
** [[French Republican Guard Band|mounted band]]
** horse-shoeing (farriers),
** veterinary service.
* The training centre (centre d'instruction) at Quartier Goupil [[Saint-Germain-en-Laye]]
* Hunting Horns Platoon (''Trompes de Chasse de la Garde'')

This unit has a section of high level sportsmen, in particular [[Hubert Perring]], dressage champion of France in 2005, and member of the French team for the World Equestrian Games of 2006.

The Guard Cavalry Regiment is twinned with the British [[Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment]], the Italian [[Carabinieri Cavalry Regiment]] and the Senegalese [[Red Guard of Senegal|Red Guard]].

==== Special displays of the cavalry regiment ====
[[Exhibition drill]] squads present five shows and reenactments:
*le carrousel des lances (the lancer's carrousel);
*la maison du Roy (the King's household cavalry);
*la reprise des tandems (the tandem riders);
*la reprise des douze (demonstration/lesson with 12 riders);
*l’équipe de démonstration de sécurité publique (modern mounted police demonstration)

<gallery class="center" perrow="4" caption="Special displays of the cavalry regiment">
CARNOT 28 SEPTEMBRE 2013 363.jpg|The lancer's carrousel
CARNOT 28 SEPTEMBRE 2013 127.jpg|''La Maison du Roy'' reenactment
CARNOT 28 SEPTEMBRE 2013 122.jpg|The tandem riders
CARNOT 28 SEPTEMBRE 2013 081.jpg|Public security demonstration team
</gallery>

=== Infantry regiments ===
[[Image:French Republican Guard Bastille Day 2007 n4.jpg|thumb|upright| Republican Guard Infantry in ceremonial uniform.]]
The Republican Guard has two regiments of infantry:

* The first infantry regiment is composed of :
** Regimental HQ
** The [[French Republican Guard Band|Republican Guard Band and Bugles]] ([[military band]] and [[fanfare band|fanfare battery unit]])
** Motorcycle squadron
** ''Compagnie de sécurité de la Présidence de la république'' (presidential palace security company)
** Three ''compagnies de sécurité et d'honneur'' (security and honor companies)
* the second infantry regiment is composed of :
** Regimental HQ
** ''Compagnie de sécurité de l'Hôtel Matignon'' (prime minister security company)
** ''Compagnie de sécurité des palais nationaux'' (CSPN) (national palaces security company; i.e., national assembly and senate)
** Four ''compagnies de sécurité et d'honneur'' (CSH)
** Auxiliary platoon

Each of the seven security and honor companies is composed of three regular sections (i.e., platoons) and one peloton d'intervention (intervention platoon). The regular sections perform ceremonial duties and guards. The intervention platoons provide special security in the government buildings and palaces protected by the Guard. They are also tasked with police missions in support of the Gendarmerie in the Paris area (home arrests, escorts etc.). One of the seven intervention platoons is permanently deployed on a rotational basis to either [[French Guiana]] in support of forces combating illegal gold mining or to another French oversea territory (typically Guadeloupe or Saint Martin).

==== Special displays of the infantry regiments ====
* Bayonet drill team (quadrille des baïllonnettes; 1st régiment)
* The battery [[fanfare band]]
* The Napoleonic Drumline, made up of drummers wearing uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars 
* Emperor's grenadiers company, serving as a reenacting unit (2nd régiment)
* Motorcycle display teams

<gallery class="center" perrow="4" caption="Special displays of the infantry regiments">
CARNOT 28 SEPTEMBRE 2013 214.jpg|''Quadrille des baïonnettes''
CARNOT 27 SEPTEMBRE 2014-1 823.jpg|''Carrousel motocycliste''
CARNOT 28 SEPTEMBRE 2013 277.jpg|''Équipe d'acrobatie''
</gallery>

=== [[French Republican Guard Band|Band and Orchestra of the Republican Guard]] ===
[[File:Orchestre GR.jpg|thumb|Orchestra of the Republican Guard]]
Depending on needs, the orchestra performs in three configurations:

* the concert band (80 musicians)
* the string orchestra (40 musicians), likely to be presented in configurations of 24 or 12 bows, or in string quartets
* Symphony orchestra (80 musicians)

It was founded in 1848 by [[Jean-Georges Paulus]].

=== [[Choir of the French Army|Armed Forces Choir]] ===
[[File:Chœur de l'Armée française au théâtre de Lons-le-Saunier.jpg|thumb|[[Choir of the French Army|Armed Forces Choir]]]]
This men's choir is composed of 46 professional singers. In spite of its name (Choir of the French army), it is part of the Guard and thus reports to the Gendarmerie and through the Ministers of the Armed Forces and Interior (owing to the military character of the service). The choir performs mainly during official ceremonies and commemorations but also during festivals and sport events of national and international importance. Since 2007, it has been led by a woman, Major [[Aurore Tillac]], who serves as choir master and director.