1er REG: Retirement of the Legion’s only British officer

In late November 2025, the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG) of the French Foreign Legion announced the retirement of Captain Stephen H., an exceptional figure in today’s Legion and its only serving British officer in recent decades.

Captain Stephen H. began his Legion career as an ordinary legionnaire in June 1988. After basic training, he joined the 6e REG, which became the 1er REG in 1999. Over the years, he served on deployments in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Jordan, Qatar, Lebanon, French Guiana, Gabon, and Djibouti. In 2016, he joined the officer corps.

Given the very small number of British nationals currently serving in the Foreign Legion, an officer with his background is a genuine rarity – and it remains uncertain when another British officer might follow.

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