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Protective Guard A Secret History Of Close Protection Bodyguarding

By Dr Mark Yates

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 12Oct2009 Word count: 1413 Viewed: 344 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Before any business executive or protective guard assigned to close protection bodyguarding duties commences a security operation, it is wise to understand the secret history of protective service operations.

It is equally important to understand and identify the very premise of close protection and bodyguarding. A protective guard or protective guards only exist because there is an actual or perceived threat levied against a human or other valuable asset.

Generally human assets fear what they do not understand, in the case of hiring protective guards to supply close protection service the business executive asset typically does not understand professional security.

Hence they or their senior directors are fearful enough to engage protective guards to supply a close protection or bodyguarding protective service operations.

The security industry is booming, especially the sector dealing with executive protection where a protective guard is assigned to a business executive on close protection.

This article provides an introduction to protective guard a secret history of close protection bodyguarding. The information in this article has been taken from the training syllabus of the Law Enforcement & Bodyguard Association International - L.E.B.A.I

In this article I cover the following content matter...

1.Introduction to the secret history of close protectionbodyguarding 2.What are protective service operations

3.History of bodyguarding and protective guards

Protective Guard A Secret History Of Close Protection Bodyguarding

Introduction to Protective Service Operations

1. Introduction

In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, but in the experts mind there are few!

Executive VIP Protection is experiencing a major boom as we progress towards the end of the first decade of the new Millennium. This sector of the security business is set to become one of the largest growth areas connected to the International security industry.

The nineties saw the collapse of Communism in a major part of the world. The former Soviet Union, which alone covers one sixth of the world's land mass, is witnessing a phenomenal increase in the employment of protective guards and Executive Protection Officers, ( EPO's. )

There had never been a need for Executive Protection Officers prior to Perestroika, as private business was rigorously opposed by the communist regimes.

The introduction of private business in this part of the world has dictated the need for professionally trained Executive Protection Officers, especially as the various Mafia groups and organised crime lords openly battle for control of these new businesses.

As further political and business stability comes to these regions we will see a massive need for professional Executive Protection Officers.

This boom is not limited to the former Eastern Bloc countries. The West is also experiencing a huge increase in the employment of Executive Protection Officers.

Crime is steadily rising in most countries around the world, particularly crimes linked to violence. Whilst we continue to see this increase we will also experience a continued growth in the executive protection industry.

Most governments now openly admit that the private sector offers a much more reliable, cost efficient service than the traditional public sector.

It is anticipated that the European Parliament will officially recognise and regulate Executive Protection Officers in the same vein as the government of the U.S.A.

2. What Are Protective Service Operations?

Protective service operations are basically a security operation where an individual, or a team of Executive Protection Officers or protective guards, supply a complete protection service to a client or clients like a business executive who feel, or have actually been, threatened.

These threats can be written, verbal or physical.

A client or clients who fear for their personal safety would initially contact a security consultant who would recommend a professional protection team. The chief operational officer of the team would then organise the complete protective service operation.

The service operation would be a unique package, tailor made to suit the individual needs of the client. It would encompass such things as:

- Client Interview. - Threat Analysis. - Past Incident Research. - Present Day Risk Analysis. - Individual Client's Protection Team Formation. - Operational Pre-Briefing. - Operational De-Briefing.

A professional protective service operation can be organised for any low, medium or high risk scenario in any overseas location, providing the protection team have the relevant International Government and Law Enforcement contacts.

International Laws Concerning Executive Protection Service Operations Vary From Country To Country

3. History of bodyguarding

Most people's perception of bodyguarding is that it is a relatively new industry which only stretches back approximately 100 years; nothing could be further from the truth.

Visit www.asecurityonestopshop.com for a copy of The History of Bodyguarding by the British American Security Expert. Professional bodyguarding can be traced back thousands of years and is in fact one of the oldest professions known to man.

In order to understand the history it is essential to first understand the actual meaning of the word bodyguard.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the meaning as 'A person, or group of persons escorting and protecting another person, especially a dignitary'.

With this in mind a few of the best known individuals, and groups of people, who have utilised the services of professional bodyguards in the last two thousand years are named below.

Julius Caesar (Circa) 100 B.C.

At the height of his career as a General and Dictator of the Roman Empire it was estimated that he utilised the services of approximately two thousand professional bodyguards. Unfortunately for him many of them conspired in his death on the 15th March 44 BC (stabbed).

Spartacus 74-71 BC

Spartacus was a bandit and slave who trained as a gladiator. He formed an army of 90,000 slaves. His protection team consisted of fellow gladiators who had also escaped from the Gladiatorial School in Capua, Italy.

Attila The Hun 406-453

Became King of the Huns in 434. For the next 20 years he was protected by members of his warring nomad tribesmen as he conquered and plundered most of Europe.

El Cid circa 1043-1099

Spanish soldier and national hero (real name Rodrigo Diaz De Vivar) surrounded himself with protection from an army of brave and loyal men.

GENGHIS KHAN 1162-1227

Originally named Temujin, he created the Mongol Empire the largest empire in history. He achieved his success through brilliant leadership, strict discipline and unimaginable cruelty. He utilised Mongolian tribesmen as his bodyguards.

Oliver Cromwell 1599-1658

Lord Protector of Great Britain from 1653 to 1658,he utilised members of his New Model Army as bodyguards to deal with assassination attempts, especially from the Cavaliers, supporters of King Charles I.

Napoleon Bonaparte I 1769-1821

At the height of his career in November 1799 after the famous coup d'etat from which he became the new leader of France until his defeat at the battle of Waterloo, Napoleon utilised the services of a full company of soldiers as his personal bodyguards.

He was a definite high risk client who was regularly targeted by assassins. The first attempted explosive time bomb assassination attempt was against Napoleon.

Shaka circa 1787-1828

Shaka was the first great chief of the Zulu nation. He was protected by the elite of his fighting forces. He lived a high risk existence, especially after he put 7,000 of his own Zulu's to death as a sign of grief when his mother died.

Abraham Lincoln 1809-1865

Lincoln was assassinated whilst at the theater one evening by a fanatical supporter of the Southern States. He had dismissed his protection team for the evening (Shot).

Queen Victoria 1837-1901

Queen Victoria utilised bodyguards and survived between seven and twenty eight assassination attempts.

Although furnished with many protection officers, she preferred the company of one individual officer. Originally Irish Special Branch was created to protect her from the Irish Fenian Brotherhood.

Charles De Gaulle 1890-1970

President of France1958-1969, he survived many assassination attempts as he steered his country through political turmoil.

Lord Mountbatten

He ignored his Special Branch protection team's advice to take a boating holiday in a country other than Ireland. He was assassinated by the IRA in 1979.

Mrs Indira Gandhi 1917-1984

As Prime Minister of India she regularly used bodyguards, usually officers of the Indian Intelligence Service. She ignored their advice and also employed Sikh bodyguards, two of whom were the police officers who assassinated her in 1984.

*Some of the most professional bodyguards in history were the ancient 'Samurai' warriors from Japan. Their protection services were provided to feuding warlords and landowners.

This protective guard a secret history of close protection bodyguarding article has only covered the very early history of bodyguarding and close protection. Further historical updates will follow in a future article.

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