This Saturday, the French commemorated their National Day of the 14th July, called Bastille Day in the English-speaking world. As always since 1880, a large military parade in Paris occurred. Traditionally, the Bastille Day military parade took place on the Champs-Elysées, a well-known avenue in the 8th arrondissement. The Foreign Legion participated.
Legion: Training for 2018 Bastille Day Parade
As every year these days, members of the French Foreign Legion are training dutifully for the Bastille Day Military Parade, which will take place in Paris this Saturday, on July 14, 2018. Apart from Foreign Legion Pioneers and the Music Band, legionnaires of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) and the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) will also participate in the parade.
Mali: Voices from the Foreign Legion 2018
In April-May 2018, the English branch of France’s state-owned 24-hour international news television network FRANCE 24 published several interesting English language videos showing legionnaires of the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion (13e DBLE) during their deployment in Mali (West Africa) in the first half of 2018.
2e REI: Four wounded legionnaires in Mali
Four legionnaires of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) were badly wounded during a terrorist attack in Mali, West Africa. Their armored vehicle was hit by a suicide car loaded with explosives, driven by a member of the local JNIM group.
3e REP: The shortest living regiment of the Foreign Legion
The 3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment (3e REP) has remained the shortest living regiment of the Foreign Legion. The almost unknown regiment served in North Africa in mid-1950s and helped to form its much famous successor, the 2e REP. Formed as a battalion in Algeria in 1949, the unit trained young volunteers to become elite paratroopers of the Legion fighting in the First Indochina War (1946-54).
Read more3e REP: The shortest living regiment of the Foreign Legion
Foreign Legion: 2018 Wounded Soldier Day
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.
Read moreForeign Legion’s Engineering Companies in the First Indochina War
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.