French Foreign Legion information. An online project dedicated to the famous Foreign Legion.
During May 25 – June 02, 2014, about 120 paratroopers from across the United States’ 82nd Airborne Division trained with the legionnaires from the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) of the Foreign Legion, on the island of Corsica, the 2e REP’s base.
Read more2e REP: 82nd Airborne Division trained with the Foreign Legion
As noted, a team of the Surveillance & Direct Action Platoon (Section de renseignement et d’intervention offensive, SRIO) of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) of the Foreign Legion is participating, together with other regiment’s and Legion’s units, in Operation Serval in Mali right now. See some nice images from an operation, in which the legionnaires-sappers of SRIO secured a road clearing for a military convoy of the French regular army forces.
Yesterday, on May 28, the Foreign Legion launched a video showing an instruction to avoid the danger of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) during military operations. The instruction took place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a garrison of the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion (13e DBLE), in March 2014.
Legionnaires of the French Foreign Legion have kept the long tradition of their Pioneers-Sappers history. The bearded Legion Pioneers are well known, an inseparable part of every larger parade of legionnaires. In the 1970s, the modern Legion Pioneers from the very little-known 61st Engineer Legion Mixed Battalion (61e BMGL) participated in the construction of the largest military camp in Western Europe: Camp Canjuers. See the 61e BMGL’s rare images & history.
Read moreThe legionnaires, who built up the largest military camp in Western Europe
On May 13, 2014, the ceremony to pay homage to the Sergent-chef Marcel Kalafut was organized within the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP). The legionnaire Kalafut was killed in Mali on May 8, during Operation Serval. The ceremony was headed by the French Defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
Read more2e REP: Pay Homage Ceremony to Sergent-chef Kalafut
The smallest Foreign Legion’s operational unit, Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte (DLEM), composed of around 280 men organised into 2 companies, has released without a fuss its nice official video clip, published on DLEM’s official page in early May.
During Camerone Day 2014 at Camp Raffalli, the base of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) located near Calvi, Corsica, the legionnaires-paratroopers from the regimental Krav Maga club demonstrated its mastery of this self-defense system in front of a live audience.
On May 8, 2014, Slovak legionnaire Marcel Kalafut became the second member of the Parachute Commando Group (Groupement des Commandos Parachutistes, GCP), 2e REP to be killed in Mali, after SCH Harold Vormezeele killed in Mali in 2013.
On April 30, 2014, the legionnaires of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC), the only cavalry regiment of the Foreign Legion, celebrated its last Camerone Day (Camerone) in Orange (southeastern France). As stated before, the 1er REC will change its headquarters in the summer this year. See the great video made with video shots & photos, accompanied by the speech about the Battle of Camerone.
The 151st anniversary of the Battle of Camerone was also celebrated in Nimes (southern France), headquarters of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI). Camerone Day (Camerone) took part in the local elliptical Roman amphitheatre (Arènes), the best-preserved Roman arena in France. See some images.
On April 30, 2014, the French Foreign Legion celebrated the 151st anniversary of the Battle of Camerone. This day is known as “Camerone Day” (Camerone); it commemorates the Legion’s bravery and a determination of fighting to the death. It is the most important day for the legionnaires.