How to Do Guard Duty

The General Orders of the Guard states, "I will guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved. I will obey my special orders and perform all of my duties in a military manner. I will report violations of my special orders, emergencies, and anything not covered in my instructions to the commander of the relief." To learn what this responsibility entails in actual practice, follow these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Receive a guard brief from the officer of the guard. This is usually done by a sergeant. In this brief you will be told what your post is, and what you can and cannot do while on duty. Among other things, guards cannot read or smoke wiile on duty. When you are dismissed, go to your post.
2. Identify yourself to the guard on duty. He can't quit his post until he's verifies the identity of his relief.
3. Guard your post from post to post, as they like to say in the Army. It simply means do your job. If you are on roving patrol, walk around your area. At one time, soldiers would guard the perimeters of their camps by walking back and forth between posts that had been erected to identify each guard's area of responsibility. If you are in a fixed position, get comfortable and scan your sector.
4. Challenge visitors. Politely, but firmly, ask anyone who approaches to stop and identify themselves.
5. Report anything unusual or suspicious to the person in charge of your guard shift. That could be the Sergeant of the Guard, The Officer of the Guard or the Base Defense Operations Center.
6. Wait to be properly relieved. Don't leave your guard post for any reason until your relief arrives. Leaving your guard post unattended is grounds for court martial.