2e REP: 2019 Saint Michael Day | French Foreign Legion Information

As every year since 1948, French Foreign Legion paratroopers celebrated the day of Saint Michael the Archangel, their patron. The annual ceremony took place at Camp Raffalli, the regiment’s headquarters located near Calvi, Corsica, on the 29th of September. This day also marks the regimental holiday. See photos.

Saint Michael the Archangel (Saint Michel in French) was adopted as the patron of all French paratroopers in Hanoi, the then capital of French Indochina, in June 1948. At that time, legionnaires of the Parachute Company of 3e REI had already served there. The same year also saw the creation of three first airborne units of the Foreign Legion. Besides the already mentioned Cie Para, also the 1er BEP and 2e BEP, future 1er REP and 2e REP. The latter survived the two previous units and remains currently the only airborne unit of the Legion.

Before the holiday itself, the 2e REP organized traditional regimental challenges. Also, their freshly renovated regimental Hall of Honor was inaugurated. The inauguration was presided by General Mistral, the chief of the Legion, and General Benoît Puga, a former Chief of the Military Staff of the President of the Republic. He participated as a young platoon leader with the 2e REP in the 1978 Battle of Kolwezi and served as the commanding officer of the regiment in 1996-1998.

The regiment celebrated their patron without the 2nd Company, which is deployed to Mayotte (Indian Ocean) right now to reinforce the DLEM for four months.

PHOTOS. 2e REP: 2019 Saint Michael Day in Corsica + the inaugurated Hall of Honor (with 3D virtual images) + Regimental challenges.
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