French Foreign Legion information. An online project dedicated to the famous Foreign Legion.
Watch another helpful video from the official French Foreign Legion YouTube channel, designed to improve your core strength. This session focuses on simple yet effective exercises for developing your abdominal muscles. As always, the workout is presented by Major Gérald, a senior non-commissioned officer and head of the Sports Office at the 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE), the Legion’s headquarters.
Read moreForeign Legion: Abdominal exercises with Major Gérald
Today, on 17 March 2020, the recruitment of candidates for the French Foreign Legion was suspended until further notice due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
66 years ago, on 13 March 1954, a major confrontation between French troops and the Viet Minh movement began in then French Indochina. The confrontation transformed into a two-month bloody battle that occurred in a remote valley of Dien Bien Phu, situated in northeastern Vietnam. The battle started by a furious assault on a defensive position held by a Foreign Legion battalion. After several hours of severe fighting, the position is overrun… For those interested in this famous battle, see the well-ordered article supplemented with many images and additional information.
Read more66 years ago: A major confrontation with the Viet Minh began
In January 2020, several companies of the Foreign Legion’s 2e REP arrived in Africa’s Sahel region to reinforce French troops in their fight against local terrorist groups. Between these paratroopers, a legionnaire from South Africa.
A royal ordinance of Louis Philippe I, King of the French, was issued 189 years ago, on 10 March 1831. That ordinance ordered the formation of a Foreign Legion with the aim of engaging foreign deserters asking to serve France and, too, foreign soldiers of then the freshly disbanded Hohenlohe Regiment (ex-Hohenlohe Legion or Royal Legion). Until the 2000s, the 10th of March 1831 had marked the official birthday of the current French Foreign Legion which derived its origin from that original 1831 Legion. Nevertheless, the lineage of the current Legion is far more complex. See a more detailed article.
As the other regiments of the French Foreign Legion in 2020, even the 13th Foreign Legion Half Brigade (13e DBLE) have deployed several of its companies overseas, including the “Cheetahs” of the 2nd Combat Company. The latter returned back to the former homeland of the 13e DBLE, Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. See some images.
On February 29, 1940, Prince Aage, Count of Rosenborg, died after a short illness. A famous French Foreign Legion officer, he was born in Denmark to the Danish royal family. This article was written to honor his memory.
In late February 1940, a little-known Foreign Legion regiment is activated in France, at the beginning of the Second World War. Its legionnaires will participate in the fighting with German forces on the Western Front in May-June 1940. Unfortunately, the provisional regiment will suffer heavy casualties and have to be disbanded.
Read more80 years ago: A Foreign Legion regiment is activated in France
See another interesting video published by the official French Foreign Legion channel on YouTube. It is the sixth video of a series dedicated to simple and effective physical training techniques for developing a military close quarter combatant. They are presented by Major Gérald (the most senior warrant officer), the head of the Sports Office, 1st Foreign Regiment (1er RE), the Legion’s HQ.
Read moreForeign Legion: Basic fighting stance & movement training with Major Gérald
Like the other regiments of the French Foreign Legion, even the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG) and the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) are to be largely deployed overseas this year.
In 2020, at least three compagnies of the 13th Foreign Legion Half Brigade (13e DBLE) are to be deployed overseas this year, according to their commanding officer, Colonel Jacques Bouffard. Two of them will serve in Africa.
Read more13e DBLE: Three companies to deploy overseas in 2020