Country France Branch French Army | Allegiance French Foreign Legion Type Infantry | |
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Active Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion
November 11, 1915 - present Role Light Infantry
Jungle Warfare
Security assistance
Counter-drug operations | ||
The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (French: 3e Régiment étranger d'infanterie, 3e REI) is an infantry regiment of the French Foreign Legion. The regiment is stationed in French Guiana. Missions for the regiment are numerous and vary while also including the protection of the Centre Spatial Guyanais, a European Space Agency facility.
Contents
History, creation and different nominations
World War I (1914-1918)
The most decorated regiment in the Foreign Legion, the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3ème R.E.I) is heir to the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion (R.M.L.E) created in 1915. The R.M.L.E distinguished itself during the siege of de Belly-en-Santerre, on July 4, 1916; then found glory on September 14, 1918 during the piercing of the Hidenberg Line, under orders of regimental commander Lieutenant-Colonel Rollet, the father of the Legion. With 9 citations earned at the orders of the armed forces during the World War I, the R.M.L.E obtained the double fourragère with ruban colors of the Legion of Honour and the Croix de guerre 1914-1918.
World War II (1939-1945)
The R.M.L.E joined Morocco in 1920, where nominated for the first time as the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, the regiment took part in combat in the Rif and in various campaigns around the country. In 1943, the R.M.L.E was reformed and subsequently combat engaged the German forces at Mansour mountain, in Tunisia, before participating to the campaign of France from 1944 to 1945 within the ranks of the 5th Armored Division. Following events, the regiment reached the Rhine, conquered Stuttgart, and made way to Austria during the moment of the armistice. With three new citations, the regiment obtained a fourragère with ruban colors of the Croix de guerre 1939-1945, materialised on the double fourragère obtained during the first World War. The R.M.L.E was also decorated by the " United Distinguished Badge U.S. " with inscription " Rhine-Bavarian Alps ".
The Legion recorded that 42,883 men served on the western front in the Marching Regiments of the 1st Foreign Regiment and 2nd Foreign Regiment of the R.M.L.E having suffered 5,172 killed and around 25,000 wounded or missing, a total of 70% casualties over the course of the war. With the ending of the war, the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion, R.M.L.E was the second most decorated regiment in the French Army.
1945 - 1973
Following World War II, the R.M.L.E returned to Morocco and retook the denomination of 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment. Nevertheless, idle time was short termed and the regiment rejoined Indochina as of December 1945. Following events, the regiment took positions around colonial routes 3 and 4. Ambushes, base and convoy attacks followed. In 1948, the first known parachute unit was founded; mainly the Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, Para Co. 3ème R.E.I before being dissolved one year later at the corps of the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion, 1er B.E.P.
While combats intensified on July 25, 1948; the battle of Phu Tong Hoa took place. The combat company of Captain Cardinal resisted heroically and held the line for 9 hours against non-stop assaults of the Viet Minh. In 1950, chef de battalion commander Forget and behind him following the total of the 3rd battalion disappeared at Cao Bang on route colonial 4 in a traditional Foreign Legion battlefield. Nevertheless, the regiment was still found combatting at Dong Khe, Bac Khan and Dien Bien Phu in 1954. The regiment had already lost the equivalent of 5 battalions in Indochina. With four new citations, the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment obtained a fourragère with ruban colors of the Médaille militaire, with colors of the ruban of the Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures.
On December 1954, the regiment was disembarked at Bône in Algeria. The regiment was put in charge of the difficult sector of Aures Nementchas. Following the departure of the 3rd battalion for Madagascar, in 1957, the regiment intervened specially in the north contantinois and along the Tunisian barrage. In 1962, the regiment took base in Madagascar, at Diego Suarez, where the regiment proved the adaptation capacity of tropical surroundings.
1973 - Present
On September 11, 1973, the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment took garrison at Kourou in Guyana. In a fast tempo, the regiment marked the territory, took charge and pierced the route towards the east which is supposed to link Cayenne to the Brazilian frontier while investing time operations around the Guiana Space Centre, planetary mission accomplishments for which the regiment received the vermeil medal from the National Centre for Space Studies, C.N.E.S.
The Jungle Training Center, (C.E.F.E) sees daylight in 1986 at Régina, near the Approuague, which became the French reference in material of survival and jungle tropical forest combats. 35,000 jungle-brevets were issued by the C.E.F.E since creation.
The organization of the regiment witnessed several modifications during that time. In 1986, the equipment and materials company was dissolved and replaced by a reconnaissance company. In 1998, the 3rd combat company was replaced by a rotating combat company, also dissolved in 2003 for two proterre units, before being recreated permanently in 2010, in order to give way in response to the various accelerations of mission rhythms.
In 2004, the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment engaged in Operation Carbet, in Haiti. In 2008, the president of the republic launched Operation Harpie, with point to combat illegal activities in deep jungle (mainly illegal gold-mining activities). This mission became permanent and was also reinforced in 2010. The regiment was mainly in charge of sector Oyapock, at the Brazilian frontier, while supporting forces of the gendarmerie. At end of 2011, while the Ensemble de Lancement Soyouz became operational, the Regiment ensured protection around the area.
Since creation of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, 7216 Legionnaires have died for France. In 2013, the regiment celebrated the passing of 40 years in Guyana, where 50 legionnaires have thus far lost their lives.
Missions
The mission of the regiment revolves around the protection of the Guiana Space Centre (French: Centre Spatial Guyanais, CSG). Prior and before each space launch, under a prefectoral requisition at the corps of an inter-armed contingent, the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment conducts search reconnaissance patrols in the exterior zones around the launching area in order to prevent any compromising intrusion. Each planetary space launch requires the prevention deployment of 2-3 combat companies. Simultaneously, the regiment also ensures the defense of the sensitive installations in relation to the launch site towards low altitude aerial threats by the CA (Compagnie d'Appui). End of 2011, the Guiana Space Center, integrated the Soyouz and Vega launchers, to which the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment would ensure the usual front line surrounding protection.
Initiated in 2008 and reinforced in 2010, Harpie is an interministerial operation of significant magnitude aimed to fight against illegal clandestine mining activities. The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, intervened under prefectoral requisistion in support of forces of the gendarmerie. Launching operations from Saint-Georges and Camopi on the Oyapock, combat sections conduct jungle patrol warfare intervention operations that last from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. These jungle operations require specific operational preparations and perfect savoire-faire and connaissance around the equatorial jungle forests.
Centre d'entraînement en forêt équatoriale (C.E.F.E)
Situated in Regina, on the shores of the Approuague, in an exceptional environment, the Jungle Training Center (French: Centre d'entraînement en forêt équatoriale, C.E.F.E) is the French reference of equatorial forest domain, and one of the 4 "jungle instrcution centers" internationally recognized. The mission of the C.E.F.E is to train, teach, and combat ready French and foreign units who participate in various instructions related to combat in the jungle. The C.E.F.E is renowned around the world for being equipped with highly qualified if not the best jungle warfare senior instructors and aid-moniteur in the world. Created in 1986, the C.E.F.E graduated 35,000 brevet-badges.
The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment is projected in the Caribbean South America. The regiment is a prepositionned operational force capable to intervene at any moment in the Caribbean South America zone, such was the case in 2004 during Operation Carbet in Haïti.
Organization
The regiment is composed of around 675 men organised into 5 companies.
Regimental song
Chant de Marche : Anne-Marie du 3e REI lyrics in German:
Battle honours
Decorations
The 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, heir to the traditions and being the former Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion is actually in its class and in a single forming, the most decorated Regiment of France, along with the Marine Tank Infantry Regiment (RICM).
Regimental colors of the 3e REI are decorated with:
Honorary Regimental Arms Celebration
The annual celebration day of inheritance for the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment is the piercing of the Hindenburg Line on September 14, 1918 by the Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion.