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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Read more4e RE: 2026 Remise de Kepi blanc at the IILE in Puyloubier
3e REI: Camp Fabert Returns to Service
In mid-March 2026, the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI), based in Kourou, French Guiana, officially reopened Camp Fabert following several months of renovation work.
55 Years Ago: A Campaign Ended in Africa
55 years ago, in late 1970, the last men of the French Foreign Legion returned from Central Africa, where they had been deployed as part of Operation Limousin in Chad – the first French operation of this scale since the end of the Algerian War. For the Legion, playing the leading role, it confirmed its ability to conduct prolonged interventions far from its bases, under demanding conditions and with limited resources. This website is the first medium, in France and beyond, to offer a complete and detailed study of the Legion’s involvement in this campaign.
1er REG: Exercise Terra Nostra 2026
From March 16 to 25, 2026, the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG), a combat engineer unit of the French Foreign Legion garrisoned at Laudun-L’Ardoise in southern France, conducted Exercise Terra Nostra 2026.
155 years ago: A war ended in France
155 years ago, in mainland France in early 1871, a tragic conflict with German states ended. For the Foreign Legion, the war marked a significant moment: for the first time in their history, the legionnaires fought on French soil. However, they had to face harsh conditions, bitter cold, and a war that was already lost.