The Home Guard is a part of the Swedish Armed Forces' operational force, and at some 22,000-strong, it is always on high alert, with mobilisation times measured in hours rather than days or weeks. It supports the entire range of defence activities – from civil support in peacetime to armed combat in war. Home Guard units are primarily tasked with protecting, monitoring, and supporting society at times of crisis, thereby providing a national and territorial bulwark for the defence and protection of Sweden.