The French Foreign Legion and its structure fully updated for 2018. The data reflect changes which occurred in the current Foreign Legion units in the previous year.
Knut Flovik Thoresen: Norwegians in the Foreign Legion from 1831 until 2017
Knut Flovik Thoresen, a Norwegian military officer and historian, has released his new work this month. An author interested in less-known history of the Norwegian military, he decided to map the stories of Norwegian men serving in the French Foreign Legion from 1831, the year of its first establishment, until nowadays.
Read moreKnut Flovik Thoresen: Norwegians in the Foreign Legion from 1831 until 2017
New Documentary: Legionnaire, my brother
The French Foreign Legion is an exceptional multicultural society, having no parallel on this planet. Consisting of around 8,500 men of more than 140 nationalities (of all races and religions), the Legion runs like clockwork for decades, even in heavy combat conditions. Its strict policy of “close your mouth, forget about your past and adapt you to your new family as quickly as possible”, which forms the newcomers into a solid block of men being ready to fight and even lay down their life for the new Fatherland, always fascinates the rest of the world. This Monday, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces (since May 2017, formerly Ministry of Defence) released a new documentary about the Legion to show slightly how this policy looks in practice.
Lt Colonel Eric Hildebert: 40 years in the Legion
In mid-March 2017, Lieutenant Colonel Eric Hildebert left the Foreign Legion, after his 40 years of service. An officer à titre étranger (a commissioned foreigner), he enlisted in the Legion as a young volunteer in 1977.
Legion to recruit 1,700 candidates in 2017
The French Foreign Legion will recruit 1,700 candidates also in the year of 2017, according to General Hervé Wattecamps, the Chief of the French Army human resources direction (DRHAT). The Foreign Legion has already recruited 1,700 candidates in 2016, contrary to some 950 candidates recruited between 2013-15.
Foreign Legion units structure in 2017
Our info pages regarding the current structure of Foreign Legion units were fully updated to the 2017 situation. If you are interested which companies or even platoons the current Legion units are composed of, just follow the links below.
Foreign Legion Operations: March 2016
See the official list of deployments of the French Foreign Legion units and their logistical support infrastructure outside of France, in operational areas around the world, and a list of deployments in mainland France in support of Operation Sentinelle, both in March 2016.
French Foreign Legion: 185th Anniversary
On March 10, 2016, the French Foreign Legion commemorates the 185th anniversary of its founding on March 10, 1831. That day, a decree of the Council of State ratified the royal ordinance signed by Louis Philippe, the King of the French, on March 9. In the Article 1re of this three-article ordinance, the king authorized to form a Legion of Foreigners (Légion d’Etrangers) inside France.
Foreign Legion Operations: January 2016
See the official list of deployments of the French Foreign Legion units and their logistical support infrastructure outside of France, in operational areas around the world, in January 2016.
Keep smiling during the hard times
Every man knows that the difficult moments he was confronted with during his life and managed them, they will transform later into great memories. The difficulties and the fun are the essences which the man needs to live a good life. The French Foreign Legion, and the army in general, provides men with both a little bit of difficulties and a little bit of fun…
French Foreign Legion: New units establishing
While the year of 2014 was marked by reorganization of the French Army with reducing its personnel and several unit dissolutions, including combat units within the Foreign Legion (e.g. 5th Squadron of 1er REC, 5th Company of 2e REI), the current year of 2015 is significant by reverse policy actions – increasing personnel serving in the French Army and (re-)creating the new combat units.