Paramilitary

A paramilitary organization is a semi-militarized force whose organizational structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not formally part of a country's armed forces.^[1]

Legality

Under the law of war, a state may incorporate a paramilitary organization or armed agency (such as a national police or a private volunteer militia) into its combatant armed forces. The other parties to a conflict have to be notified thereof.^[2]

Though a paramilitary is not a military force, it is usually equivalent to a military's light infantry force in terms of intensity, firepower, and organizational structure. A paramilitary may also commonly fall under the command of a military, even despite not being part of the military or play an assisting role for the military in times of war. Paramilitary forces can also include private military company missions.

Types

Depending on the definition adopted, "paramilitaries" may include:

Irregular military forces: militias, guerrillas, insurgents, terrorists, etc.
The auxiliary forces of a state's military: national guard, presidential guard, republican guard, state defense force, home guard, royal guard, and imperial guard
Some police forces or auxiliary police: Indonesia's Mobile Brigade Corps (Brimob), Detachment 88, India's Assam Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Hong Kong Police Force, etc.
Armed, semi-militarized wings of existing political parties:
- those of the Weimar Republic; which was very common during this period, when every political party in strife-torn Germany had their own; examples include:
  - the Nazi Party's Sturmabteilung
  - the Monarchist German National People's Party's Der Stahlhelm
  - the Communist Party of Germany's Parteiselbstschutz
- Sinn Féin's Irish Republican Army
- the African National Congress's Umkhonto we Sizwe
Semi-militarized law enforcement personnel within normal police forces, such as SWAT teams in the United States and a number of other countries
Gendarmeries, such as Egyptian Central Security Forces and Russia's National Guard
Border guards, such as Russia's Border Guard Service, Australian Border Force, India's Border Security Force and Bangladesh's Border Guards Bangladesh
The United States' Federal Protective Forces
Security forces of ambiguous military status: internal troops, railroad guards, or railway troops
Volunteer Defence Corps, such as Volunteer Defence Corps in Thailand, Volunteer Defence Corps in Australia, Shanghai Volunteer Corps, and Royal Hong Kong Regiment
The fire departments of many countries and locales, although unarmed, are often organized in a manner similar to military or police forces.

Examples of paramilitary units

References

^ "paramilitary". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. June 2011 [online edition; original published in June 2005]. Retrieved 2011-09-13. Designating, of, or relating to a force or unit whose function and organization are analogous or ancillary to those of a professional military force, but which is not D regarded as having professional or legitimate status.
^ "Customary IHL - Section B. Incorporation of paramilitary or armed law enforcement agencies into armed forces". Icrc.org. Retrieved 2013-07-27.

External links

Global Security

[Reference-OED-paramilitary-1] "paramilitary". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. June 2011 [online edition; original published in June 2005]. Retrieved 2011-09-13. Designating, of, or relating to a force or unit whose function and organization are analogous or ancillary to those of a professional military force, but which is not D regarded as having professional or legitimate status.

[2] "Customary IHL - Section B. Incorporation of paramilitary or armed law enforcement agencies into armed forces". Icrc.org. Retrieved 2013-07-27.

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