1er REG on pictures of August 2013 | French Foreign Legion Information

Some interesting pictures of the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG) of the French Foreign Legion during its missions outside of France in August 2013.

Some decades ago, French legionnaires were building commonly the new infrastructure in French colonies and territories – roads, public or military buildings, power or water transmission grid etc. Besides its regular combat platoons, modern demining groups or elite combat divers, the 1er REG is still conserving the tradition of these Legion’s bâtisseurs (builders) too.

1er REG in Mali

Not only the buildings and infrastructure construction. Legionnaires of the 1er REG also do the mine clearence/demining and bombs defusing job in Mali as a part of French troops placed there.

1er REG minesweeping in Mali — 1er REG legionnaire during the minesweeping in the region of Gao, Mali (*early August 2013*)

On August 27, a group of 1er REG legionnaires was helping to renovate the former Malian Department of Agriculture in Gao, which would become the future base of UN forces (Blue helmets).

1er REG renovating in Mali — The 1er REG renovating group leader co-operates with the local officers and building contractors in Gao, Mali (*August 27, 2013*)

1er REG in Ivory Coast

Legionnaires of the 1er REG build the infrastructure in most former French colonies of Africa. In August 2013, they were building the new road next to the airport of Abidjan (the capital of Ivory Coast) for three weeks.

1er REG builds a road in Ivory Coast — *Come on!* 1er REG legionnaire (a NCO) starts the road building in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
(*early August 2013*)

1er REG in French Polynesia in the Pacific

On August 16, because of a water transmission grid accident, legionnaires of the 1er REG helped to provide water to the local college at Hao, one of the atolls of French Polynesia in the southern Pacific Ocean. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Hoa atoll was one the main bases of the 5th Foreign Regiment (5e RE).

The old military constructions built at Hao by legionnaires in the 1960s and 1970s, have been renovating since 2009. The legionnaires-builders from the 1er REG spend usualy 4 months there on a renovating-mission. The renovating will has been finished before 2017.

1er REG providing water at Hao atoll — 1er REG legionnaires providing water to the college at Hao atoll, French Polynesia (*August 16, 2013*)

Photos and information source: The French Ministry of Defence official website

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