In July 2022, Colonel Henri Leinekugel Le Cocq and an important part of his 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) arrived in Lebanon in the Middle East. On the 14th, the colonel took over the command of the 43rd mandate of France’s Force Commander Reserve (FCR). The FCR, consisting of about 700 soldiers, is a main reserve force of the UNIFIL, a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
2e REI, 13e DBLE: 2022 Bastille Day in Nimes, Rodez
While their units are currently deployed to Africa’s Sahel, Ivory Coast or Djibouti, the men of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) and 13th Foreign Legion Half Brigade (13e DBLE), the largest regiments within the French Foreign Legion, participated in military parades in France on the French national holiday.
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60 years ago: A unit helping to install the Foreign Legion in France was created
Following the end of the Algeria War in March 1962, the French Foreign Legion headquarters was forced to leave North Africa for France. Because of that, a new unit had to be formed with a special task: to prepare for the installation of the Foreign Legion in France and Corsica. As a result, a new task force saw its birth 60 years ago, on August 1, 1962.
Read more60 years ago: A unit helping to install the Foreign Legion in France was created
1er RE, 2e REG: 2022 Bastille Day Military Parade in Marseille
See images from Marseille, Southern France, from July 14, 2022, when a Foreign Legion detachment paraded there. It consisted of elements provided by the same two regiments that also took part in the 2022 Bastille Day Military Parade in Paris on the same day: the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE) and the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG).
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1er REG: 2022 Bastille Day in Ivory Coast
Like their comrades from the 2e REG parading in Paris, even the combat engineers from the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG) celebrated the French national day – Bastille Day – which took place on July 14. Not only in France, but in West Africa as well, in Ivory Coast.
2022 Bastille Day Military Parade
The 14th of July marks the French national day, Bastille Day. As usual, a large military parade took place in Paris to celebrate that most important holiday. As every year, the French Foreign Legion participated. See images.
2e REP: 5th Company in New Caledonia 2022
Since June 2022, the 5th Company of the French Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) has been deployed to New Caledonia, a special overseas collectivity of France in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia.
13e DBLE: 2022 Operation Barkhane
Since early June 2022, an important part of the 13th Foreign Legion Half Brigade (13e DBLE) has been deployed to West Africa to take part in anti-terrorist Operation Barkhane.
1er REC, 2e REI, 1er REG: A new mission in Djibouti from June 2022
Last week, several units of the French Foreign Legion landed in Djibouti, a country in the Horn of Africa, for carrying out the usual mission to maintain order and a French presence in this former colony of Frence. Their mission would last four months.
Read more1er REC, 2e REI, 1er REG: A new mission in Djibouti from June 2022
100 years ago: A cavalry regiment was officially created within the Foreign Legion
In late June 1922, a decree issued by the then French President of the Republic, Alexandre Millerand, ordered the creation of “…a cavalry regiment named 1er R.E.C…” within the French Foreign Legion, which was to be composed of a depot squadron and four combat squadrons. Thus, the very first cavalry regiment of the Legion was officially created, with the HQ stationed in Tunisia. To commemorate this important event, a new article was dedicated to this unit to map its entire history, from the early 1920s until nowadays.
Read more100 years ago: A cavalry regiment was officially created within the Foreign Legion
Foreign Legion: Quick workout with Major Gérald
No time to exercise? Major Gérald has the 10 Minute solution for you! According to him, everyone can find at least ten minutes in their day. Thus, the head of the Sports Office of the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE) presents you a workout called “Flash” that is adapted for legionnaires in combat conditions when they have no time to waste. Compact and ultra-efficient, the 10 minute workout fits into even the busiest of schedules.