2e REG: 2023 French Guiana

In early June 2023, men from the French Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) started their four-month deployment to French Guiana, South America. They will reinforce French troops there.

Led by Captain François-Joseph Richard, who recently took over their 2nd Company, the legionnaires were assigned to the 9th Marine Infantry Regiment (9e RIMa). This unit, alongside the Legion’s famous 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI), is stationed in French Guiana (France’s overseas department) to guard the territory and keep French presence there.

Both regiments are combined units consisting of regular personnel (rotating every two to three years) and elementary units (platoons/companies) coming from different French Army branches and usually rotating every four months. While the 3e REI is based in the town of Kourou, the 9e RIMa is garrisoned some 40 miles (65 km) south-east, at Cayenne.

In Guiana, the 2e REG legionnaires temporarily became the 4th Company, 9e RIMa while replacing their colleagues from the 3rd Engineer Regiment (3e RG) who had spent the prescribed four months there and returned to France.

The main task of engineer rotating elements in French Guiana is renovating of remote military posts to improve the living conditions of 3e REI legionnaires and 9e RIMa marines serving deep in the jungle. Besides, the 2e REG legionnaires will also search and destroy logistics constructions built by illegal gold miners in the jungle, near the border with Brazil.

Foreign Legion - 2023 - French Guiana - 2 REG - 2nd REG - 2nd Company - Captain Richard
Captain Richard from the 2nd Company, 2e REG in French Guiana, early June 2023.
Foreign Legion - 2023 - French Guiana - 2 REG - 2nd REG - 2nd Company - Captain Richard
2nd Company, 2e REG parading behind their captain in French Guiana, early June 2023.
Foreign Legion - 2023 - French Guiana - 2 REG - 2nd REG - 2nd Company - Colonel - 9e RIMa
Colonel of the 9e RIMa reviewing his troops. In the background, the 2nd Company, 2e REG, early June 2023.
Foreign Legion - 2023 - French Guiana - 2 REG - 2nd REG - 2nd Company - Sergeant
A sergeant with the 2nd Company, 2e REG in French Guiana, early June 2023.

Related posts:
2e REG: French Guiana 2020-2021
2e REG: 2022 Saint Barbara Day
2e REG: March 2022 Mountain Training
2e REG: In the mountains 2016