The saber guard is one of several items required when wearing the Army Officer saber. Despite the name, it doesn’t actually serve as a guard against the saber or even the scabbard. Instead, it comes with a metal clip or post to which the top clip of the
Officer Saber Chain is attached. Saber guards are looped around either the ceremonial belt or the leather saber belt.
Neither Officer Sabers nor Noncommissioned Officer Swords are mentioned in either of the Army’s two primary sets of uniform regulations, DA 670-1 and AR 670-1. Field Manual 3-21.5, Drill and Ceremonies, has a brief section explaining Saber and Sword nomenclature, as well as a synopsis of when Officers wear sabers while on duty (“The saber is worn by officers while participating in ceremonies with troops under arms, or as directed”) and how it is to be worn (“It is carried on the left side of the body attached to the belt by the scabbard chain with the guard of the saber to the rear”).