Nice, interesting private pictures from the French Foreign Legion of the 1982 – 1995 period, in the slideshow made by a former legionnaire from the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC).
GPLEA: 21e CPLE, 22e CPLE, 23e CPLE
Units of the French Foreign Legion forgotten by time. Independent, self-governing autonomous motorized infantry companies serving in Algeria, established at the turn of the year 1954/1955 in response to rising rebel activity in French North Africa. The companies were equipped with Jeeps, Dodges WC 6×6, M3 Scout Cars (22e CPLE in 1955) and with AM-M8 Greyhound armored cars. They were often supported or even transported by helicopters and co-operated in several military operations with Foreign Legion paratroopers from 1er REP. In February 1956, the companies were grouped into a motorized group: GPLEA.
2e REP: Change of Command at Camp Raffalli
On July 18, a Change of Command ceremony took place at Camp Raffalli, the headquarters of the Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP), based near Calvi, Corsica. During the ceremony, the colonel Jean-Michel Meunier became the new regiment commander of 2e REP, replacing the colonel Benoît Desmeulles.
1er REG: 30-year-old regiment
On July 1, the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG) of the French Foreign Legion celebrated its 30th aniversary. 1er REG is one of the two engineering regiments of the current Legion. Its legionnaires are deployed in the Central African Republic (CAR) right now.
Foreign Legion for the first time in Peru
Last month, the French Foreign Legion appeared for the first time in Peru (South America). On 29 July 2014, a detachment composed of legionnaires (mostly Senior corporals) from the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3e REI) of the Foreign Legion, a regiment based in South America as well, participated in a large military ceremony conducted by the Peruvian Army in Lima, the capital of Peru.
Legion’s youngest Saharan motorized company
An almost unknown unit of the French Foreign Legion. An independent, autonomous motorized infantry company formed in 1955 to serve in Algeria during the Algerian War. A few months later, it became the 4th Legion Saharan Motorized Company (4e CSPL). The youngest of the four legendary Saharan motorized companies of the Foreign Legion.
2e REP: 2nd “Mountain” Company Clip
See a nice, though unofficial, personally made video clip presenting the 2nd Company (called Mountain Company due to its mountain warfare specialization) of the Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP), its only airborne regiment, based on the island of Corsica.
2e REI: Exercise with US Marines of July 2014
Between 7 and 11 July of 2014, US Marines from a battalion of the 8th Marine Regiment, attached to the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response (SP-MAGTF Crisis Response), trained with the Foreign Legion’s 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e REI) at Camp des Garrigues, an urban warfare military camp near Nimes, France. See 4 videos…
French Foreign Legion Operations – July 2014
Mali, Central African Republic, French Guiana, New Caledonia near Australia… See the locations of units of the French Foreign Legion participating in operations outside of France, in July 2014.
The Foreign Legion only unit ever based in Libya
A hardly known self-governing, autonomous motorized infantry unit of the French Foreign Legion, established in 1949 to guard the Fezzan region of Libya, being under the French administration. The 3rd Legion Saharan Motorized Company (3e CSPL), one of the four legendary Saharan motorized companies of the Legion. In the late 1950s, 3e CSPL left Libya to participate in the Algerian War.
1er REG: Paying Homage to Major Nikolic
On July 22, 2014, legionnaires from the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (1er REG) took part in a ceremony honoring their comrade-in-arms, Adjudant-chef Dejvid Nikolic, who was killed in Mali a week earlier, on July 14, and posthumously promoted to the rank of Major. The ceremony took place at Quartier Général Rollet in Laudun, the 1er REG’s garrison.