French Foreign Legion information. An online project dedicated to the famous Foreign Legion.
The 10th of March 2022 marked the 191st anniversary of the creation of the French Foreign Legion. To commemorate this event, the Foreign Legion Music Band (MLE) performed a concert in Aubagne, the Legion’s Mother-house, a day earlier. During this performance, a Ukrainian folk song – Shabelina – was played in support of the Ukrainian families of the victims of the ongoing war.
Read moreForeign Legion Music Band: A song performed in support of Ukrainian families
Last week, the commander-in-chief of the French Foreign Legion made an address to his Ukrainian legionnaires and their families, in view of the current sad conflict in their country.
In February 2022, at Camp Canjuers, legionnaires of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) were firing MMP guided missiles for the very first time.
Learn about an infantry regiment of the French Army consisting of foreign volunteers that served as the predecessor to the current French Foreign Legion. It was constituted by a 1815 royal decree, after the defeat of Napoleon I at Waterloo, to replace the eight foreign regiments serving in Napoleon’s army. After its dissolution in early 1831, the unit was replaced by the Foreign Legion.
Read moreHistory: Learn about the predecessor to the French Foreign Legion
In February 2022, the 5th Squadron cavalrymen of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) trained at Camp Larzac, a military training area located in Southern France.
In February 2022, new Palmeurs (combat swimmers) were decorated and integrated in the 13th Foreign Legion Half Brigade (13e DBLE). They are the newest elements within the regiment.
February 9, 2022 marks the first anniversary of the death of Zygmunt Jatczak, most likely the last-known Polish survivor of the First Indochina War (1946-54); he passed away at 97. To honor his memory, an English version of the book with his Legion story has been published.
Read moreZygmunt Jatczak & Krzysztof Schramm: I Regret Nothing (English version)
Since late January 2022, a new rule for joining the French Foreign Legion has been applied. A PCR test no older than 24 hours is required now to enter the recruting centers and begin the selection process. According to the recruiting officers of the Legion, this new rule applies for all candidates from all countries, regardless of the degree of risk of infection, even for vaccinated individuals and people who have recently recovered from Covid.
Read moreJOINING: PCR test no older than 24 hours is required to join the Foreign Legion
40 years ago, in early February 1982, a common French military exercise was planned in Djibouti, a country in the Horn of Africa. A French Foreign Legion airborne platoon was to participate. The Legion paratroopers were ordered to carry out a routine training jump over a drop zone located nord-west of the capital. They boarded their aircraft and took off…
In late January 2022, a platoon of enlisted volunteers from the French Foreign Legion’s 4th Foreign Regiment (4e RE) finished their initial four-week instruction and were allowed to make a military oath. The ceremony took place at Camp Carpiagne, home to another Legion unit, the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC). As a matter of interest, the French national rugby team – Les Bleus – was present during the ceremony.
In the mid-1950s, violence against French military, administrative, and civilian targets spread across French North Africa, which included Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. At the beginning of 1956, several Foreign Legion units were stationed in Morocco. One of those units was the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI), commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jacquot. The regiment was based in northern Morocco, in the Taza region. The area was already well known to the Legion.