Watch some nice images of young volunteers and fresh legionnaires doing their instruction whitin the French Foreign Legion’s 4th Foreign Regiment (4e RE), which is based in Castelnaudary, southwestern France.
French Foreign Legion: New units establishing
While the year of 2014 was marked by reorganization of the French Army with reducing its personnel and several unit dissolutions, including combat units within the Foreign Legion (e.g. 5th Squadron of 1er REC, 5th Company of 2e REI), the current year of 2015 is significant by reverse policy actions – increasing personnel serving in the French Army and (re-)creating the new combat units.
1er RE: Exercice Vaillant 2015
On November 2, the French Foreign Legion’s headquarters, the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE), carried out its November’s traditional short-term military exercise called Vaillant. It took place in Pourcieux (a small village in the Provence region in southeastern France) and lasted two days.
Documentary 2015: Foreign Legion – For adventure and for France
Watch an interesting, professional 2015 documentary about the French Foreign Legion created by M6, a private national French TV channel as a part of their Zone Interdite documentary series. The documentary shows two sides of the Legion. The first side represents enlisting volunteers and their way from joining in the Legion in Aubagne, through basic training at a farm of the 4e RE, till obtainig the famous Képi blanc (White kepi). The second one represents 2e REP legionnaires during an operation in the Sahara of northern Niger.
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2e REI: 5th Company training
As stated before, the re-created 5th Company from the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI), the French Foreign Legion unit based in Nimes, has been placed in Paris since last month to participate in Operation Sentinelle. The French government launched this operation in the wake of the Paris Islamist attacks in January 2015.
Armistice of 11 November 1918 Commemoration
On November 11, the French commemorate the Armistice of 11 November 1918, an agreement between the Allies and Germany during the First World War, that ended the fights on the Western Front. This day, the French also celebrate commemorate their fallen soldiers, mort pour la France during the conlict.
2e REI: 5th Company patrolling in Paris
As stated before, within the Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI), the 5th Company was re-created in June 2015. A few months later, the company is already en mission. Its legionnaires deployed to Paris, to participate in Operation SENTINELLE.
4e RE: Remise de Képis blancs – Mont-Saint-Michel 2015
Today, on 3 November 2015, French Foreign Legion volunteers from the 2nd Engaged Volunteers Company (2CEV), 4th Foreign Regiment (4e RE) having finished first four weeks of their 4-month-long basic training and were ready to obtain their Képi blanc (White kepi) and become the legionnaires. See some images from the Remise de Képi blanc (Obtaining the White kepi) ceremony at Mont-Saint-Michel (Saint Michael’s Mount), a well known island commune in Normandy, France.
Read more4e RE: Remise de Képis blancs – Mont-Saint-Michel 2015
2e REP: Para Legion 2016 Video Clip
Today, the French Foreign Legion launched a new promotional video clip presenting its paratroopers from the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP), an assault unit established in 1948 in Algeria and currently based on the island of Corsica.
2e REP: Legionnaire becomes a European kickboxing champion
On 3 October 2015, sergeant Maksim Boukalov, a legionnaire of Russian origin serving as a non-commissioned officer (NCO) within the French Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) on the island of Corsica, won the European Pro ISKA kickboxing light middleweight belt, when he beat Laurent Debono, the double European champion in full contact kickboxing.
Read more2e REP: Legionnaire becomes a European kickboxing champion
French Foreign Legion Operations: October 2015
See the official list of movements of the French Foreign Legion forces and their logistical support infrastructure outside of France, within operational areas around the world, in October 2015.