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The 'Danish Home Guard' (Danish: ''Hjemmeværnet'') HJV is the fourth service of the Danish military, concerned exclusively with the defence of Danish territory. Service is voluntary and unpaid, except that the most basic expenses are covered. Albeit workshop and depot staff plus clerks and senior officers are all paid. As a result of women's lib, the unarmed Women's Army Corps (''Lottekorpset'') was merged in 1989 with the then all-male Home Guard to the present, armed unisex Home Guard.
Its top authority is the Home Guard Command HJK, which, unlike Army Operational Command HOK, Navy Operational Command SOK and Tactical Air Command FTK, is managed directly by the Danish Ministry of Defence FMN. Only in times of tension and war will the Danish Defence Command FKO assume command over the Home Guard.

Contents

Organization

History

See also

External links

Organization

As of 2004, it consists of 58,640 active members, of which 9,152 are women. It is divided into four branches:

★ The Army Home Guard (''Hærhjemmeværnet'') HHV is numerically the largest part of the Home Guard, and works closely with the regular army.

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★ Denmark is divided into five Army Home Guard Regions HJVR, led by paid colonels, and subdivided into 18 Army Home Guard Districts HJVD, led by paid majors, plus Bornholm Home Guard.

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★ Every municipality has at least one "army home guard company" - HJVK, led by an unpaid captain.

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★ The Police Home Guard (''Politihjemmeværnet'') PO-HJV consist of 47 Police Home Guard compagnies, led by professional police persons. The ordinary members have slightly more authorization than other citizens. Used for traffic control at festivals, searches for victims and guarding community installations. They are never used where there are risks of direct confrontation with civilians (riot control or planned arrests). The companies are part of the Army Home Guard.

★ The Air Force Home Guard (''Flyverhjemmeværnet'') FHV, deals with securing airports, aerial environmental patrols of national waters (oil spill observation) and reporting enemy air activity.

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★ Denmark is divided into Western and Eastern Air Force Home Guard Districts, led by paid Squadron Leaders, plus a department on Bornholm.

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★ Municipalities with airfields or in the vicinity of airports have "air force home guard squadrons" - HVE (100-150 riflemen), led by unpaid Flight Lieutenants.

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★ As a trial, ''Flyverhjemmeværnet'' is leasing four civilian general aviation aircraft, flown by members possessing Private Pilot's License.

★ The Naval Home Guard (''Marinehjemmeværnet'') MHV patrols the Danish territorial waters, and aids in Search and Rescue missions.

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★ Denmark is divided into Western and Eastern Naval Home Guard Districts, led by paid Lieutenant Commanders.

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★ 39 seaward municipalities have "naval home guard flotillas" - HVF (100-150 riflemen or a small vessel), led by unpaid ''kaptajnløjtnanter'' (naval lieutenants).

★ The Infrastructure Home Guard (''Virksomhedshjemmeværnet'') VHV ensures that civilian companies and authorities can operate even in times of emergency.

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★ Employees at power plants, water works and purification plants can participate in the four ''Energihjemmeværnet'' HJVK VE-companies.

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★ Employees at railway companies can participate in the six ''Jernbanehjemmeværnet'' HJVK VJ-companies. Predecessor founded in 1913.

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★ Employees in postal services can participate in the eight ''Posthjemmeværnet'' HJVK VP-companies.

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★ Employees at telecommunications companies can participate in the eight ''Telehjemmeværnet'' HJVK VT-companies. Predecessor founded in 1914.

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★ They shall keep their places of work intact and prevent sabotage with use of lethal force.

History

Created after World War II, the Danish Home Guard was inspired by the Danish Resistance Movement during the war. It was always implied (though never explicitly stated) that the primary objective was defence and guerrilla activity against a Soviet invasion.
When founded on June 11 1945 in the city of Odense, the 250 representatives of resistance movements and those of the government, both had demands to the new Home Guard. The resistance movements were not interested in a people's army run by the government and the government was not interested in a people's army which was independent and run solely by a military figure without parliament representation. Because of these bi-lateral demands, a simple solution to the problem was made. The Home Guard would have two chief executives: A Major General and a representative chosen by parliament.
Naturally, the organization would be funded by parliament, but organized directly under the Ministry of Defence, so that both sides had an overview of what the Home Guard was doing.
For some very simple reasons, the Danish Home Guard would ultimately owe its loyalty to the will of the people, and not the government. The reason for this was, that if a situation like that of World War II was ever to occur again, whether in peace or wartime, the Home Guard would be a guarantee brought by the people, for the people, that the organization do all in its power to protect the individual citizen from crimes against humanity. Among these would be persecution due to political and religious stands, direct oppression and genocide. It would above all ensure that democracy, or people's rule, would be enforced. The Home Guard was well respected among the public as many members were former resistance fighters; people who fought for and had an interest in the individual person, their families, friends and loved ones.
With the creation of the Home Guard the founding members swore to protect the Danish people against all enemies, both foreign and domestic, this referring to the then led Danish government who supported the Nazi party of Germany by handing over Danish citizens to the Gestapo. Despite this, members who had a seat in the government during the occupation, claim in their defense that such actions were performed to protect the rest of the people from further war crimes.
The Home Guard would be a military wing aiding the defense of Denmark from foreign aggressors, and also a constant reminder for politicians who would be tempted by their political powers and influence, that they cannot do whatever they please.
With the fall of the Soviet Union, the Home Guard, with its costly training and equipment, was by many Danes perceived as a useless expense, and an organization obsolete, referring to people's attention that for the past four decades had been drawn outside of Denmark to an enemy that constantly swayed at the back of everyone's mind. Very little attention had therefore been accredited the Home Guard as an organization providing a stabilizing factor between peoples-will and government power.
In response to the people's view on the Home Guard, the Danish government entrusted the organization with additional responsibilities in 2004. Not only should the members be trained for defense of Danish territory in wartimes, but also be able to take on tasks to help civilians during disasters of most kinds, and thereby rebalancing the expenses many had thought of as unnecessary. All this against the values of the Home Guard.
In recent years, changes within the Danish political system, which owes some of its structure to Montesquieu's separation of powers, has brought new times for the Home Guard. On its English webpage, the organization states that: "The overall mission for the Home Guard is to reinforce and to support the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force in fulfilling their missions".
With the Home Guard being incl. in the government's De fence Act along with the Home Guard's own public commercials drawing emphasis on emergency relief, as opposed to being an armed counter-weight ensuring that any Danish government, now or in the future, stays in place, a debate can be initiated of whether or not this organization now voluntarily owes its loyalty to the government rather than the people.

See also

★ Hjemmeværnets Patruljer

External links

★ Danish Home Guard official website, in English

★ Danish Home Guard official website, in Danish