The military body of the first Solar Consortium, the Commonwealth of Sanctuary, and the Concordance of Free Worlds. Before the Kretonian Dark Age, it was the oldest and most powerful armed force in the galaxy. After a brief stint as a mercenary organization after Sanctuary's return to normalspace, it was purchased by Oswald Cottington and assigned as the defensive force of the CFW. In 3002, the Vanguard became integrated with the Sanctuary Defense Force, effectively ending its role as a military body. http://web.wt.net/~dmqpw/vanguard