A cross between the United States Marine Corps and the honor guards that perform ceremonial services, the carabinieri have distinct, easily-recognizable uniforms, but can swap them out for stand issue uniforms and join the front. They began as a unit of royal guards, selected meticulously for their appearance as much their skill, by King Victor Emmanuel I of Piedmont-Sardinia.

On this day, July 13, in 1814 a Royal Charter created the Carabinieri Regali, whose task in addition to royal escort would be to “to contribute to the necessary happiness of the State, which cannot be separated from protection and defense of all good subjects.”

One section within the Carabinieri Guardie is charged with protecting the royals, but in times of war the entire corps is dedicated in support of the country’s campaigns. In WW I a detachment fought alongside the British in Palestine, and in WW II many of them fought as part of the underground resistance to Nazi rule. In recent years Carabinieri units have also been dispatched on peacekeeping missions to Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.