On April 30, as every year since 1931, the French Foreign Legion celebrated their most important holiday, Camerone Day. That day, all officers and legionnaires of the Foreign Legion commemorate the Battle of Camerone, an action which occurred in Mexico 157 years ago, in 1863.
2e REI: Task Force Dragon in April 2020
In April 2020, 600 legionnaires from the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) continue to search and neutralize the Terrorist Armed Groups (GAT) in the remote three-border region of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, in the Sahel area of Africa.
Knut Flovik Thoresen: Narvik 1940
In early April 2020, Knut Flovik Thoresen, a Norwegian military officer and historian, released his another work dedicated to the Foreign Legion. He decided to map the allied expedition in northern Norway in April-May 1940 and, chiefly, the heroic fighting of the Foreign Legion’s 13th Foreign Legion Half Brigade (13e DBLE), which resulted in first allied victories over German forces in WWII.
2e REG: Training for young legionnaires
In early March 2020, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) organized a multinational winter exercise in Norway, near Narvik, called Cold Response 2020. Young legionnaires from the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) participated. See the video how they were prepared for.
3e REI: Operation Harpie north of Saül
A few weeks ago in French Guiana (South America), legionnaires of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI) participated in a joint operation aimed at illegal gold miners who destroy the local Amazonian rainforest.
2020 Operation Monclar in the Sahel
In March 2020, a three-week military operation to search and neutralize terrorist elements took place in the three-border area of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Two Foreign Legion task forces were involved in the operation in this deserted land.
1er REC: Neutralisation of two terrorists during Operation Barkhane in Mali
On 4 March 2020, during anti-terrorist Operation Barkhane in Mali (West Africa), a reconnaissance group of the 2nd Squadron, 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) got contact with two armed terrorist group members and neutralized them. The action was captured by reporters from Paris Match, a popular French newspaper. See video.
Read more1er REC: Neutralisation of two terrorists during Operation Barkhane in Mali
Foreign Legion: Abdominal exercises with Major Gérald
Watch another useful video published by the official French Foreign Legion channel on YouTube to improve your core strength. This video is dedicated to simple and effective physical training techniques for developing your abdominal muscles. They are, as always, presented by Major Gérald (the most senior warrant officer), the head of the Sports Office of the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE), the Legion’s HQ.
Read moreForeign Legion: Abdominal exercises with Major Gérald
Warning: Recruitment suspended!
Today, on 17 March 2020, the recruitment of candidates for the French Foreign Legion was suspended until further notice due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
66 years ago: A major confrontation with the Viet Minh began
66 years ago, on 13 March 1954, a major confrontation between French troops and the Viet Minh movement began in then French Indochina. The confrontation transformed into a two-month bloody battle that occurred in a remote valley of Dien Bien Phu, situated in northeastern Vietnam. The battle started by a furious assault on a defensive position held by a Foreign Legion battalion. After several hours of severe fighting, the position is overrun… For those interested in this famous battle, see the well-ordered article supplemented with many images and additional information.
Read more66 years ago: A major confrontation with the Viet Minh began
2e REP: A South African fighting in Mali
In January 2020, several companies of the Foreign Legion’s 2e REP arrived in Africa’s Sahel region to reinforce French troops in their fight against local terrorist groups. Between these paratroopers, a legionnaire from South Africa.