About The Guards

The work of the Regiments

Today the Foot Guards maintain their historic role as infantry soldiers, using vehicles to move around the battlefield but fighting on foot. They only use the light weapons they can carry with them, such as machine guns and mortars.

Find out what each of the 5 Regiments specialise in.

In all they do the Foot Guards are supremely professional.

Over the centuries they have fought in almost all major campaigns that the British Army have been involved in and still do so today; all five regiments of Foot Guards were deployed on operations in Afghanistan. Their ongoing training readies them for new operations around the world.

Their high standard of training is recognised world-wide and the NCOs and Warrant Officers are often called on by numerous countries to instil in their own forces the ethos, of both the ceremonial training and the intricacies of command and control of modern warfare.

The Grenadier Guards

The Grenadier Guards specialise in Light Role Infantry operations, often using light vehicles such as quad bikes to get around. Their recent operations include tours to Iraq (Operation Shader), Afghanistan (Operation Toral) and South Sudan (Operation Trenton).

The Coldstream Guards

The Coldstream Guards specialise in Light Role operations: performing reconnaissance, operating machine guns and mortars, and engaging enemy troops on foot and in light vehicles. Their recent operations include Malawi (Operation Corded) where they train the rangers responsible for the day-to-day protection of animals from poachers.

The Scots Guards

The Scots Guards are Mechanised Infantry and use armoured vehicles to cross the battlefield quickly and launch onto difficult objectives. Their recent operations include UN peacekeeping in Cyprus (Operation Tosca 29) and they are due to be one of the first STRIKE Mechanised Infantry units with a new fleet of vehicles.

The Irish Guards

The Irish Guards are experts in infantry combat: reconnaissance, engaging enemy troops with machine guns and mortars, sniping and more. Their recent activities include training exercises in Kenya and America in readiness for upcoming deployments.

The Welsh Guards

The Welsh Guards specialise in the light mechanized infantry role, leading from the front as a mobile attack force. They use Foxhound armoured vehicles. Their recent operations include Afghanistan (Operation Toral) and training in Kenya.