See the official overseas deployments of French Foreign Legion units planned for the first half of 2018, in operational areas around the world. France remains the only European country with such long list of deployments for its troops. The volunteers asking for service in the Legion know it well. And to be sure, this list is not complete yet.
2e REI: A legionnaire died in Iraq
Yesterday, March 21, 2018, a legionnaire of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) died in Iraq. Since February 2018, with his platoon, he was involved in Operation Chammal to train Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF). In August 2018, he would have completed his fifth year in the Legion.
2e REI: VBCI Armored Vehicle presentation
See a nice video presentation of the VBCI, a modern armored infantry fighting vehicle of the French Army. Within the Foreign Legion, VBCIs have been used, since 2015, by the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI). In the video, a sergeant from the 5th Company, 2e REI will demonstrate you (in French) all aspects of this vehicle.
64 years ago: Major confrontation with the Viet Minh started
64 years ago, a major confrontation between the French and the Viet Minh started. It took place in northeastern Vietnam, in then French Indochina. On March 13, 1954, the French garrison of Dien Bien Phu was attacked. After several hours of bloody assaults, the enemy would overrun one of the important French strongpoints…
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2e REI: Training with US Marines 2018
In February 2018, legionnaires of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) conducted a joint military exercise in southern France, together with men of the United States Marine Corps (USMC).
MLE: Foreign Legion Music Band opening a France-Italy rugby match
Last Friday, February 23, 2018, the Foreign Legion Music Band (MLE) participated in opening an international rugby match at the stade Orange Vélodrome of Marseille, France. The Band opened the match by playing France’s national anthem, La Marseillaise. See the nice videos.
Read moreMLE: Foreign Legion Music Band opening a France-Italy rugby match
Foreign Legion: French Documentaries 2018
In January and February 2018, two French TV channels published new documentaries portraying the Foreign Legion, its recruiment process, basic training at the farm near Castelnaudary and the life in the Legion. Enjoy watching these interesting videos.
Foreign Legion: Units to receive HK 416 F
As part of the modernization of the French Armed Forces, a new assault rifle will be delivered to French units within the next ten years. The German-made Heckler & Koch HK 416 F (French version). Hundreds of them have already been delivered to several French Foreign Legion units in 2017. Other HK 416 F rifles would be delivered to legionnaires in 2018.
Foreign Legion: 2017 in Retrospective
The official channel of the French Foreign Legion released a new video showing the previous year of 2017 in retrospective, to present the most important events captured on camera by the Legion.
MLE: Foreign Legion Music Band in Paris
Yesterday, February 7, 2018, the Foreign Legion Music Band (MLE) performed an excellent concert in Paris, dedicated to the soldiers wounded during military operations and the families of those soldiers killed in action. The annual charitable concert is organized by the Military Governor of Paris. For its high prestige, the Foreign Legion Music Band was asked to be the main participant in this important event.
36th anniversary: 1982 Mont Garbi Accident
36 years ago, in early February 1982, an air accident occurred in Djibouti, Horn of Africa. A French military aircraft crashed into Mont Garbi. An entire Foreign Legion platoon of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP) perished. This accident has remained the most tragic event for the Legion since the end of the First Indochina War (1954).