On March 3, 2026, the 5th Foreign Regiment (5e RE) of the French Foreign Legion celebrated its regimental day in Mayotte, a French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean. The ceremony honored the memory of the legionnaires who fought and won the Siege of Tuyen Quang in 1885, during the Sino-French War in what is now northern Vietnam — a battle whose name is inscribed on the regiment’s flag.
CARDS: Foreign Legion Menu Cards – II. Part
CARDS series. The second part, again focusing on formal dinner invitations — menu cards. As in the first part, these invitation cards were produced by units of the French Foreign Legion for special occasions such as Camerone Day, Bastille Day (July 14), Armistice Day (November 11), and Christmas.
4e RE: 2026 Remise de Kepi blanc at the Prytanée
On February 12, 2026, recruits from the 1st Platoon, 2nd Company of Enlisted Volunteers of the French Foreign Legion’s 4th Foreign Regiment (4e RE) officially became legionnaires during a White Kepi Ceremony (Remise de Képi blanc) held at the Prytanée national militaire in La Flèche, a small town in the Sarthe department of northwestern France.
160 years ago: A tragic battle in Mexico
160 years ago, in northern Mexico in early March 1866, a column of legionnaires charged toward a fortified hacienda. What followed was one of the most controversial battles in the history of the Foreign Legion. A few hours later, nearly all men were dead or captured.
13e DBLE: Exercise Gevaudan 2026
In February 2026, the 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade (13e DBLE), a motorized infantry regiment based at Camp Larzac in southern France, led Exercise Gevaudan 2026 (Gévaudan 26) in the Lozère department.
2e REP: 3rd Company in New Caledonia from 2025 to 2026
Since October 2025, the 3rd Company of the French Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) has been deployed to New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the Pacific, on a Short-Term Mission (Mission de Courte Durée, MCD).
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3e REI: 2026 Ariane 64 Rocket Launch
On February 12, 2026, legionnaires from the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI), based in Kourou, French Guiana, helped secure the area around the Guiana Space Center (CSG) during Operation Titan. Their mission was to protect the spaceport and the Ariane 64 launch campaign from any external threat, including intrusion or disruption from outside the site.
CARDS: Foreign Legion Menu Cards – I. Part
This post starts a new series on this website: Foreign Legion cards. These are invitation cards made by French Foreign Legion units for special occasions, such as Camerone Day, Bastille Day (July 14), Armistice Day (November 11), and Christmas. This first part focuses on formal dinner invitations – menu cards.
13e DBLE: 2026 Night Combat Course
In January 2026, the 4th Company of the 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade (13e DBLE) completed a four-week specialist course focused on night combat operations, a core specialization of the company.
5e RE: Legion Commander Visits Mayotte
In late January 2026, General Cyrille Youchtchenko, the commander of the French Foreign Legion, visited the 5th Foreign Regiment (5e RE) stationed in Mayotte, a French overseas territory in the Indian Ocean.
50 Years Ago: The Foreign Legion’s First Counterterrorism Operation
In early February 1976, two French Foreign Legion units participated in an counterterrorism operation to rescue 31 French children kidnapped by Somali militants in the Horn of Africa. The extraordinary operation constitutes a significant episode in the history of the French Foreign Legion.
Read more50 Years Ago: The Foreign Legion’s First Counterterrorism Operation