Between June 22-23, 2018, the Foreign Legion HQ participated in the French Army’s Journée des Blessés (Wounded Soldier Day) and arranged a meeting + several cohesion activities for its wounded legionnaires.
Foreign Legion’s Engineering Companies in the First Indochina War
Learn about engineering companies of the French Foreign Legion serving in then French Indochina during the First Indochina War (1946-54). Although very little-known units, even in France, these companies were among first Foreign Legion elements joining the military operations in Indochina and provided an important combat support in the following war.
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2e REP: Sniper training at Caylus 2018
See the legionnaires-snipers of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP), the only airborne unit of the French Foreign Legion, while training at Camp Caylus for a coming annual sniper challenge.
New documentary: Battle of Camerone
Last week, the French Foreign Legion released its own documentary dedicated to the Battle of Camerone. The battle is a holy symbol of the Foreign Legion and an example of bravery and determination of fighting until the finish.
2e REI: U.S. Marines at Camp des Garrigues in 2018
In late May 2018, Marines from 1st Battalion, 6th Marines traveled to France for the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Belleau Wood (Bois Belleau), which took place northeast of Paris from June 6 to 26, 1918, during World War I. While in France, the Marines also visited Camp des Garrigues near Nîmes to conduct a firing exercise with the help of legionnaires from the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI).
13e DBLE: Firing exercise at Larzac
In May 2018, legionnaires of the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion (13e DBLE) conducted a firing exercise at Camp Larzac, their garrison in southern France.
1er REG: Training for French Guiana 2018
Before being deployed to French Guiana (South America), the legionnaires of the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG) took part in several military exercises outside France. They were trained for being fully operationally capable to carry out well their mission in Guiana.
GOLE: 42nd anniversary of the deadly accident in the Horn of Africa
In late May 1976, during a military exercise in the then French Territory of the Afars and the Issas (TFAI, today’s Djibouti), a country located in the Horn of Africa, a French Army helicopter crashed. Eight men on board were killed, including six legionnaires from GOLE (Foreign Legion Operational Group). At the time, the incident became the deadliest accident for the Legion since the end of the Algerian War (1962). It has still remained the second deadliest accident for the Legion since then. Nevertheless, for unknown reasons, the fatal crash has been completely forgotten in France.
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40 years ago: A successful rescue operation in Kolwezi
On May 19, 1978, the legionnaires of the Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) jumped over Kolwezi, a city located in then Zaire, Central Africa. Their task was to rescue over 2,000 Europeans captured and held by local rebels. Thanks to the success of the operation and the international media coverage at the time, the regiment became popular across the world…
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2e REP: 2018 Camerone Day Challenges
An interesting videoclip showing legionnaires of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP), the only airborne unit of the French Foreign Legion, during 2018 Camerone Day challenges in Corsica.
1961: A failed military revolt in Algeria
In late April 1961, a failed military revolt took place in Algeria, the then integral part of France located in North Africa. The revolt became one of the most controversial event in France’s modern history, with a strong participation of the Foreign Legion.