armed forces have deviated/modified the practices of the former Soviet colour guard; evident with the colour guards of the Turkmen Ground Forces, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, whose colour guards dip their flags as a form of salute. The customs practiced by the colour guards of the former Soviet Armed Forces was also adopted by the Mongolian Armed Forces, given the historical relationship between the two countries. Other countries such as Afghanistan, Cuba (replacing the United States practice after 1959), North Korea and Vietnam have adopted this variant of the Soviet system. Romania A standard template for a colour guard formation in the Romanian Armed Forces follows French precedent but with the addition of a colour officer leading the formation. The front of the guard is made up of the ensign, a junior officer, flanked by two armed or unarmed escorts, together with the colour officer, with three rear escorts behind the ensign. From 1949 to 1986 the Army of the Socialist Republic of Romania and Securitate followed Soviet practice in colour guard training and protocols. Since that year the old tradition was restored in the uniformed organizations and thus remains till today in the country. Colours of battalions and brigades are not provided with a colour guard at all since they were introduced in the 2000s. Serbia Given a shared heritage with Austria and Turkey plus its own traditions, the modern Serbian Armed Forces maintains a colour guard component. Every unit of the Armed Forces has a colour company that includes the colour company commander and the colour guards; which includes one ensign, usually a subaltern officer, two armed senior NCOs serving as colour escorts, and two honour guard platoons guarding the colour from the rear also armed. Unlike in other countries the colour guard company wears either full or combat dress. The Guard of the Serbian Armed Forces has its colour company wearing dress uniform. Sweden In Sweden the colour guard can be composed in three distinct manners: Greater colour guard, smaller colour guard and an officers guard. Each regiment, or military unit that carries a colour, in Sweden sets up its own colour guard. The Swedish military rank of fänrik (and the corresponding cavalry rank of kornet) was originally intended for the holder of the company flag. This duty was considered so prestigious that an officer was necessary to carry it out. Today, it is a