On July 14, 2025, units of the French Foreign Legion took part in regional ceremonies across France to mark the country’s national holiday, Bastille Day. Each regiment participated in local commemorative events held in the vicinity of their respective garrisons, in coordination with civil and military authorities. In some cases, Legion elements were also present at celebrations held outside their usual locations.
Foreign Legion: 2025 Victory in Europe Day
On May 8, 2025, Foreign Legion units took part in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. Honor guards from various regiments participated in ceremonies held primarily in their garrison towns, with several detachments also representing the Legion in other cities across their regions. Below are images from this year’s commemorations.
Foreign Legion: 2025 Camerone Day
April 30, 2025, marked the 162nd anniversary of the Battle of Camerone, the defining event in the French Foreign Legion’s history, when 62 legionnaires under the command of Captain Jean Danjou faced a force of 2,000 Mexican troops. Refusing to surrender, they fought to the very end, with only three able-bodied legionnaires left standing. Commemorations of this anniversary were held across all Legion units and garrisons, both in France and abroad. The following post includes images from several of these ceremonies.
3e REI: Fer de Lance 2025 in French Guiana
From March 24 to April 5, 2025, Exercise Fer de Lance 2025 took place in French Guiana. The goal of this international training was to improve teamwork and fast response in difficult situations like natural disasters or security crises. The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI) participated.
3e REI: 2025 Foum Zabel Challenge
In French Guiana (South America) in March 2025, the HQ and Logistics Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI) organized a sports challenge in honor of their predecessors who, from October 1927 to March 1928, constructed the famous Foum Zabel Tunnel in Morocco, North Africa.
Foreign Legion: 2024 Christmas Challenges
Christmas Eve marks the second most important holiday in the French Foreign Legion. Before the actual celebrations, each Foreign Legion regiment organizes Christmas challenges. The challenges help to maintain cohesion within the units and provide a bit of fun for their hard-working men. See several images taken in different Foreign Legion regiments during the Christmas challenges that took place in late 2024.
3e REI: Visit from General Youchtchenko
In late November 2024, the French Foreign Legion’s commander-in-chief, General Cyrille Youchtchenko, came to visit the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI) stationed in French Guiana, South America.
Foreign Legion: 2024 Armistice Day
Today, on November 11, 2024, the French Foreign Legion detachments participated in the ceremonies commemorating Armistice Day, to honor the memory of military veterans and those who died in the line of duty. See images.
PHOTOS: 3e REI in Madagascar in 1965
Another part of the PHOTOS series. Today we share rare photographs presenting the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI) in 1965. At that time, the regiment was stationed in Madagascar, a large island in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Southern Africa. The island was a French colony until 1960.
3e REI: 2024 Fourragere Day
On September 13, 2024, the French Foreign Legion’s 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI) commemorated the 106th anniversary of the 1918 Battle of Vauxaillon.
80 years ago: Foreign Legion’s last artillery batteries were disbanded
With the conflict in Ukraine, a long-neglected component of Western armies, artillery, has once again stepped to the fore. It might come as a surprise to many Foreign Legion enthusiasts that a 1920 law allowed the Foreign Legion to establish, along with a cavalry regiment, also a separate artillery regiment. Equally surprising might be the fact that, in 1941, the legionnaires probably served in as many as 11 artillery batteries at the same time. The last of these units were disbanded 80 years ago, in 1944.
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