On October 15, 2026, the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) of the French Foreign Legion held its annual Foreign Legion Triathlon. The race is known as the Triathlon du Royal Étranger, after the regiment’s traditional nickname. It ran from La Ciotat, a coastal town east of Marseille, to Camp Carpiagne, the 1er REC’s base near the city.
1er REC: Irish Cavalrymen Visit Cavalry Legionnaires at Carpiagne
In October 2026, members of the Irish Defence Forces’ Cavalry Corps visited the Foreign Legion’s 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) at Camp Carpiagne, its base near Marseille. Discussions centered on the modernization of the French cavalry and the introduction of the EBRC Jaguar, a six-wheeled armored reconnaissance and combat vehicle. The program included technical briefings, an exchange of experience, and a practical part in the field.
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Foreign Legion: 2026 Bastille Day
July 14 marks France’s national holiday, Bastille Day. Beyond the main military parade in Paris, where the French Foreign Legion was represented once again this year, Legion units also take part in local celebrations held across the country and in France’s overseas territories.
Foreign Legion: 2026 Victory in Europe Day
On May 8, 2026, French Foreign Legion units commemorated the 81st anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, marking the definitive overall surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied forces in 1945. As every year, legionnaires took part in ceremonies held both in France and overseas to honor the veterans and fallen soldiers of the conflict.
1er REC: 2026 Saint George’s Day
On April 23, 2026, the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) of the French Foreign Legion commemorated Saint George, the patron saint of cavalrymen, at Camp Carpiagne near Marseille in southern France.
2e REI, 1er REC: Exercise Cold Response 26
In March 2026, Exercise Cold Response 26 is underway across northern Norway and northern Finland. French forces are among the allied troops taking part in the Arctic training event, including infantry and cavalry units of the French Foreign Legion.
100 years ago: A heroic battle in Lebanon
100 years ago, in the Middle East in late November 1925, the French Foreign Legion cavalrymen held a fortress in a Lebanese village, then besieged by thousands of Druze fighters. For the Legion cavalrymen, the battle became their own “Camerone”, a last-stand defense carried through to the very end.
Foreign Legion: 2025 Armistice Day
On November 11, 2025, detachments of the French Foreign Legion participated in ceremonies marking Armistice Day, honoring the memory of military veterans and those who died in the line of duty.
1er REC: 4th Squadron left Mayotte
At the end of October 2025, the 4th Squadron of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) departed Mayotte in the Indian Ocean. The unit had been deployed there since July of this year, serving as the 1st Company of the 5th Foreign Regiment (5e RE).
85 years ago: Foreign Legion reconnaissance regiment was deactivated
85 years ago, in late September 1940, a Foreign Legion reconnaissance regiment was deactivated in Tunisia after taking part in the 1940 Battle of France. Little known today, it was the only Legion unit in that campaign composed entirely of active-duty legionnaires.
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100 years ago: An important battle in Syria
100 years ago, on September 17, 1925, the Foreign Legion held a Syrian village against thousands of Druze fighters during the Great Syrian Revolt. Their costly but decisive stand became the first major French victory of the conflict and one of the defining moments in the Legion’s history in the French Levant (Syria, Lebanon).