French Foreign Legion Information

PHOTOS: A Legionnaire’s Photographs from My Tho, French Indochina, 1947–1949

May 22, 2026 · Posted in history, indochina, photos

This is a new part in our PHOTOS series. Once again, we turn to French Indochina — this time to southern Vietnam in the late 1940s. The photographs presented here were shared with us by a French reader whose grandfather, Emile Louis André, served there with the Foreign Legion. His granddaughter, Ms. Alcina Machado, provided some basic details about his service, while the rest had to be researched or pieced together from the photographs themselves. She also shared a few lines about her grandfather’s life, giving us a glimpse into the personal story of one of the tens of thousands of legionnaires who were deployed to the First Indochina War (1946–1954).

2e REP: Exercise Libecciu 2026

May 20, 2026 · Posted in 2rei, 2rep

From May 11 to 20, 2026, Exercise Libecciu 2026 took place across several regions of western and central France, primarily in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Centre-Val de Loire. The exrcise was conducted by the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP), an elite airborne regiment of the Foreign Legion. Based at Calvi, Corsica, it serves as one of the French Army’s rapid-response units.

65 Years Ago: Military Revolt Failed

May 16, 2026 · Posted in 1rep, Algeria, history

65 years ago, in late April 1961, a military revolt failed in Algeria, then an integral part of France in North Africa. The revolt became one of the most controversial events in France’s modern history. The Foreign Legion actively participated, and the consequences of this failed coup affected the Legion for many years to come.

Foreign Legion: 2026 Victory in Europe Day

May 11, 2026 · Posted in 13dble, 1rec, 1reg, 2reg, 2rei, 2rep, 3rei, grle

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 REG: Legionnaire Died During Training

May 6, 2026 · Posted in 1reg

On the night of May 4–5, 2026, a legionnaire of the French Foreign Legion’s 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG) died during a night military diving exercise in the Maine River in Angers, western France. A second French soldier also died in the same incident.

Foreign Legion: 2026 Camerone Day

May 6, 2026 · Posted in 13dble, 1re, 2reg, 2rei, 2rep, 4re, 5re, camerone, grle

On April 30, 2026, the French Foreign Legion observed the 163rd anniversary of the Battle of Camerone, the legendary action that forged the Legion’s identity and esprit de corps. On that day in Mexico in 1863, a company of 62 legionnaires led by Captain Jean Danjou stood against some 2,000 Mexican soldiers. The legionnaires refused to surrender and fought until only three of them remained standing. As every year, the anniversary was commemorated across all Legion units and garrisons, in France and abroad. Below are images from several of these ceremonies.

1er REC: 2026 Saint George’s Day

April 29, 2026 · Posted in 1rec

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.

CARDS: Foreign Legion Camerone Cards

April 24, 2026 · Posted in camerone, cards

CARDS series. This post is dedicated to Camerone invitation cards — formal invitations issued by French Foreign Legion units for the celebration of Camerone Day, the Legion’s most important day, commemorating the 1863 Battle of Camerone in Mexico. Camerone Day is observed every year on April 30, and the approaching anniversary makes this the most fitting time to present this part of the series.

2e REG: 2nd Company Ready for Overseas Deployment

April 17, 2026 · Posted in 2reg

In early April 2026, the 2nd Company of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) of the French Foreign Legion completed its training at Camp La Courtine in central France. This phase marked the culmination of several weeks of intensive, targeted preparation before an upcoming overseas deployment.

Full-Body Circuit Training with Major Gérald

April 14, 2026 · Posted in 1re, Major Gerald, sports

In his latest training video from early April 2026, Major Gérald, the popular senior non-commissioned officer of the French Foreign Legion and head of the Sports Office at the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE) in Aubagne, presents a comprehensive circuit training session designed to develop overall physical conditioning. The session is intended for soldiers and fitness enthusiasts who want to maintain a versatile and functional level of fitness using minimal equipment, adaptable to both military settings and home environments.

4e RE: 2026 Remise de Kepi blanc at the IILE in Puyloubier

April 7, 2026 · Posted in 4re, IILE

In early March 2026, the Foreign Legion Institution for Disabled Veterans (IILE) in Puyloubier, southern France, hosted a White Kepi Ceremony (Remise de Képi blanc). During the ceremony, around thirty recruits from the 2nd Platoon, 1st Company of Enlisted Volunteers of the 4th Foreign Regiment (4e RE) donned the iconic White kepi, took the Legion’s traditional oath to serve with “Honor and Fidelity,” and officially became legionnaires.