Last week, on March 22, a military ceremony took part in the headquarters of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) of the Foreign Legion, to salute the flag of the 5th Squadron, for the last time in its history. The sqadron has been disbanded since March 2014, due to the reorganization of the French Army of 2014-2019.

Roughly 70 legionnaires of the disbanded squadron were transferred to remaining units of the regiment. The majority of that legionnaires joined the 4th Squadron, which has became the Reconnaissance and Intervention Squadron (Escadron de Reconnaissance et d’Intervention, ERI). The rest of legionnaires merged with 2nd and 3rd squadrons.

However, that reorganization is not the only change affecting the life of 1er REC in 2014. As stated before, 1er REC will be moved from Orange to the Carpiagne military camp near Marseille, in summer 2014.

The 1er REC is the only cavalry regiment of the Legion. It was created at the end of 1921. A majority of the original legionnaires (128 of 156) were former soldiers of the Russian White movement (or White Army), a confederation of Anti-Communist forces that fought the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War (1917–1922).

Because of the reorganization of the French Army for 2014-2019, dissolution will also affect the 2e REI of Nimes. This year, its current five combat comapines will be reduced to only four.

© Photo credit: LeDauphine.com

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Information source:
LeDauphine
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