On January 31, 2015, the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) of the French Foreign Legion received its first VBCI armored personnel carriers, replacing the previous armored vehicles of the regiment – VAB, used in 2e REI since 1982.
2e REP: More than 450 para-legionnaires taking part in military operations
According to the official website of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP), the only airborne unit of the French Foreign Legion, more than 450 of its troops are joining military operations beyond France’s borders now, in January 2015.
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1er REC: Patrolling in Marseille
While around 1,350 French soldiers have been patrolling in Paris since the attacks of 7th January 2015, legionnaires from the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) are patrolling now in Marseille, the second largest city in France.
Video: Foreign Legion and its influence
Today, the Foreign Legion published a nice French documentary about the art within the Legion and how the Legion had (and still has) an influence on artists – painters, poets, novelists, singers etc.
Foreign Legion patrolling in Paris
After the recent attacks in Paris, the French government decided to deploy another hundreds of soldiers to the capital to boost security. In Paris, there had already been around 1,000 military personnel since the end of December as part of Vigipirate, France’s national security alert system. Since January 11, around 1,350 French soldiers have been patrolling in the streets. The members of the Foreign Legion are among these troops: legionnaires and even the reservists (non-legionnaires) serving within the Legion.
Video: Exercise Iberian Star with the Spanish Legion
As previously mentioned, Exrcise Iberian Star 2014 took part in Spain in November 2014. Spanish legionnaires from Spanish Legion’s VIII Bandera (8th Battalion) and French legionnaires from the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) were involved in this exercise, together with Welsh and Irish soldiers from the British Army. See video.
Read moreVideo: Exercise Iberian Star with the Spanish Legion
French Foreign Legion Operations – December 2014
French Foreign Legion units participate in operations outside of France, throughout the world. See the list of their deployment in December 2014.
IBERIAN STAR 2014: French and Spanish legionnaires trained together
In the second half of last month, November 2014, Exercise IBERIAN STAR 2014 took place on the Chinchilla Training Area in the province of Albacete, southern Spain. Legionnaires of the French Foreign Legion and the Spanish Legion (former Spanish Foreign Legion), together with British soldiers were involved in the exercise.
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2015
The FOREIGNLEGION.INFO website wishes you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2015, and all the best the holiday and a new year have to offer…
From CRTRLE and 6e REG to 1er REG: History of the Legion’s first engineer regiment
See history and images of the French Foreign Legion’s first engineering regiment, the 6e REG.
Read moreFrom CRTRLE and 6e REG to 1er REG: History of the Legion’s first engineer regiment
2e REG: Sainte Barbe 2014
As stated before, the French Foreign Legion’s engineering units celebrated Sainte Barbe (Saint Barbara), the patron of military engineers, on 3 and 5 December 2014. While her feast day is on December 4, the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e REG) conducted a parade in honor of Sainte Barbe on December 3.