INTERIOR GUARD DUTY

DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. OFFICER OF THE DAY - An officer acting directly under the commanding

officer who is responsible on a given day for the execution of all orders of the
commanding officer relating to interior guard duty and other duties as may be
assigned.
2. COMMANDER OF THE GUARD - The senior officer or Non-commissioned
officer who is responsible for the instruction, discipline, and performance of duty
of the guards. He is the member of the guard next junior to the Officer of the Day.
3. SERGEANT OF THE GUARD - The senior officer of Non-commissioned
officer of the guard. He supervises the enlisted members of the guard and is
responsible to the Commander of the Guard for the execution of all orders related
to guard duty.
4. GUARDHOUSE - A building occupied by men detailed for interior guard
duty. It might include guard tent or any other designated location for the
headquarters of the guard.
5. CHALLENGE - The command “HALT. WHO IS THERE?” is used to cause
an unidentified party or person to halt and to be identified. If secret challenge is
used, it follows the original challenge and consists of a word or distinctive sound.
6. PASSWORD - A word or distinctive sound used to answer a challenge
identifies the person or party desiring to enter or pass and is always secret.
7. COUNTERSIGN - A countersign consists of a secret challenge and a
password. The words comprising the countersign are issued from the principal
headquarters of a command to aid guards and sentinels in their scrutiny of person
who apply to pass the lines.
8. CONFINEMENT OFFICER - A military police officer assigned to a stockade
and charge with the security, administration, care, and custody of all prisons
confined in the local stockade or hospital prisoner ward
9. RELIEF - The procedure whereby members of the post is relieved and
members is posted in his place.
10. RELIEVED - To direct any members of the guard to cease performance of
duty.
11. WATCH - A period of time during which member of the guard performed the
prescribed duties beginning where he is posted and terminated his duties.
12. STOCKADE - A confinement facility under the jurisdiction of an instillation
commander used for the confinement of military persons.

PROCEDURES FOR CHALLENGING AND REPLYING A PASSWORD

1. In reporting a sentry post, report to your superior: Sir, AM Cruz posting at post
number 1, all secured sir

2. CHALLENGING ONE PERSON AIR FORCE SENTRY

a. To a person about to enter his post:
“HALT WHO GOES THERE”
b. Sentry orders the person forward
“ADVANCE, TSG DELA CRUZ TO BE RECOGNIZED”
c. When a person close enough to be identified. The Sentry commands:
“HALT” (He does not recognize TSG DELA CRUZ)
d. The Sentry has identified the person, he will permit him to proceed.
 “PASS SIR”

PERSON CHALLENGED

a. On halt immediately and answers:

TSG JUAN DELA CRUZ, THE OPERATION NCO”

b. The person will advance without replying.

c. Person will halt and wait for further instruction.

d. The person challenged will give the reply in low voice.

CHALLENGING A GROUP SENTRY

a. To a group of person about to enter his post:

“HALT, WHO GOES THERE”

b. Sentry will order the Senior forward:

“ADVANCE LT MORE TO BE RECOGNIZED”

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Commanding Officer (CO) - Provides sentinel for security. Prescribes

regulations and special orders of the guard and receives the report of the Officer
of the Day.
2. Officer of the Day (OD) - Responsible for the performance of the Guard.
Protects life and properties in case of alarm, provides signature of the Guard report
and responsible for the guard.
3. Commander of the Relief - Responsible for the instruction, performance, and
discipline of the guard. Prepares the daily report, responsible for the lowering and
raising of the National Flag and forms the reserve guard in case of alarm.
4. Sergeant of the Guard (SO) - Supervises the Non-Commissioned Officer of the
Guard, responsible for the posting of relief at proper time, cleanliness of the Guard
house and its surroundings and forms the guard in case of emergency.
5. Corporal of the guard (COG) - Assigns members of the guard to their post,
reports to the sergeant of the guard all violations of orders and unusual incidents
and posts himself at the guard house.
6. Sentinels -Memorize, understand, and complied with the general orders and
special orders.

General Orders
ELEVEN (11) GENERAL ORDERS

1. To take charge of this post and all government property in view.

2. To walk my post in a military manner keeping always on the alert and observing
everything that takes place within sight or hearing.
3. To report all violations of orders I am instructed to enforce.
4. To repeat all calls from post more distant from the guardhouse than my own.
5. To quit my post only when properly relieved.
6. To receive, obey and pass to the sentinel who relieves me all orders by the
Commanding Officer, Officer of the Day and Non-commissioned officer of the
guard only.
7. To talk to no one except in the line of duty.
8. To give the alarm in case of fire or disorder.
9. To call the Corporal of the Guard in any case not covered by instruction
10. To salute all officers, colors and standard not cased.
11. To be specially watchful at night and during the time of challenging, to
challenge all persons on or near my post and to allow no one to pass without
proper authority.

SPECIAL ORDERS
Orders promulgated by the commanding officers which prescribe the
special duties for the main and special guards.

Military Professionalism
Men who adopt the profession of arms submit their own free will to a law
of perpetual constraints of their own accord.
They reject their right to live where they choose, to say what they think, to dress
as they like.
From the moment they become soldiers, It needs but an order to settle them from
this place to move them to that, to separate them their families and dislocate their
normal lives.
In the word of commands, they must rise, march, run, endure bad weather, go
without sleep or food, be isolated in some distant post, work until they drop.
They have ceased to be the masters of their own fate.
If they drop on their tracks, their ashes shall be scattered into the four winds,
that is all part and parcel of their job.