To replace legionnaires leaving the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI), the French Foreign Legion’s unit based in French Guiana of South America, another rotation of this year arrived in August.
2e REI: 2020 Change of Command
At the Caserne colonel Chabrières, the military headquarters of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) in southern France’s Nîmes, a Change of Command ceremony occurred in early August 2020.
Foreign Legion: Old documentaries – 1er RE, 13e DBLE, 1er REC, 2e REI
If you are interested in the French Foreign Legion, you can watch some rare and interesting French documentaries from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, recently posted on YT, showing the then Legion and legionnaires.
Read moreForeign Legion: Old documentaries – 1er RE, 13e DBLE, 1er REC, 2e REI
1er REG + 2e REG: Mission in Beirut
To reply to the disaster in Beirut, the legionnaires from the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG) and 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) were alerted and sent to the capital of Lebanon. They arrived there on August 13.
20 years ago: Five legionnaires died in basic training
On August 7, 2000, an enlisted volunteer platoon from the 4th Foreign Regiment (4e RE), the training unit of the French Foreign Legion, had achieved their first month of instruction at a remote farm and were going back to the regimental military base. Nevertheless, one of two military trucks transporting the fresh legionnaires left the road and crashed into a tree.
Read more20 years ago: Five legionnaires died in basic training
13e DBLE: 2020 Change of Command
In late July 2020, a Change of Command ceremony took place at Camp Larzac, the military base of the 13th Foreign Legion Half Brigade (13e DBLE), currently the last surviving “half-brigade” (demi-brigade) within the French Army.
Zygmunt Jatczak & Krzysztof Schramm: Niczego nie żałuję (Je ne regrette rien)
In July 2020, Krzysztof Schramm, a Polish historian and an honorary member of Poland’s French Foreign Legion Veterans and Friends’ Association released a second edition of memories of Zygmunt Jatczak, most likely the last-known surviving Polish veteran of the First Indochina War (1946-54).
Read moreZygmunt Jatczak & Krzysztof Schramm: Niczego nie żałuję (Je ne regrette rien)
Foreign Legion: 2020 Change of Command
As on the 1st of August 2020, a new commander of the French Foreign Legion will be appointed to replace the current one, after his two years of command.
2e REP: Training in June 2020
See three video showing the legionnaires from the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) while being trained in Corsica in June 2020.
2020 Bastille Day Military Parade
This Tuesday marks the French National Day of the 14th July, called Bastille Day in the English-speaking world. As usually, a military parade occurred in Paris. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bastille Day military parade was significantly reduced. Nevertheless, the Foreign Legion was still represented. See videos.
13e DBLE: 4th Company in Martinique 2020
In June 2020, the 4th Company of the 13th Foreign Legion Half Brigade (13e DBLE) carried out a training course in France’s tropical commando training center (CNEF) in Martinique. See some images.