Garrison (various spellings) (from the
French garnison, itself from the verb
garnir, "to equip") is the collective term for a body of
troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, of more than 50 men, but now often simply using it as a home base. The station is usually a
city,
town,
fort,
castle or similar. For example, the 1st Battalion, 1st Infantry (U.S.) is garrisoned at
West Point.
Garrison town is a common expression for any town that has a military
barracks.
British garrison
In the modern
British Army,
garrison also specifically refers to any of the major military stations such as
Aldershot,
Catterick,
Colchester,
Tidworth,
Warminster and
London, which have more than one barracks or
camp and their own military
headquarters, usually commanded by a
Colonel,
Brigadier or
Major-General, assisted by a
Garrison Sergeant Major. In Ireland, Association Football (as distinct from Gaelic Football) has historically been termed the "garrison game" due to its connections with British military serving in Northern Ireland.It can also be described as a piece of clothing.
Israeli garrison
In
Israel, a
garrison unit (;
cheil matzav) is a regular unit defending a specified zone such as a city, a
province, a castle or fortress, or even a single building.