guard of honour; honor guard
A ceremonial military unit that performs formal duties such as welcoming dignitaries or participating in state events.
The guard of honour lined up at the airport to welcome the state guest.
A gun salute was performed by the honor guard at the ceremony.
Refers to the ceremonial weapons or the act of bearing arms in a formal setting, while 儀仗隊 is the unit itself.
Standard kanji spelling.
Irregular kanji usage; 杖 (staff/cane) is sometimes substituted for 仗 (weapon/arms).
Compound of 儀仗 (ぎじょう, 'ceremonial arms') + 隊 (たい, 'group/corps'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with formal military ceremony.