French Foreign Legion

The French Foreign Legion (French: Légion Étrangère) has been a unique and distinguished unit within the French Army since 1831. It takes its name from the fact that, as an exception in French military forces, foreigners enlist in its ranks.

Composition

Previously, the Legion was not stationed in mainland France except in wartime. Until 1962 the Legion headquarters were stationed in Sidi-Bel-Abbès, Algeria. Nowadays, some units of the legion are in Corsica or overseas possessions, while the rest is in the south of mainland France. Current headquarters are in Aubagne, France, just outside Marseille.

Related Topics:
Algeria - Aubagne - France - Marseille

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There are seven regiments:

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• Mainland France
• 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1 REC), based in Orange (armoured troops)
• 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2 REI), based in Nîmes,
• 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, to be based on the Plateau d'Albion,
• 1st Foreign Regiment (1 RE), based in Aubagne (Legion headquarters),
• 4th Foreign Regiment, based in Castelnaudary (training);
• in Corsica,
• 2nd Foreign Parachutist Regiment (2 REP), based in Calvi;
• French Overseas Territories,
• 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3 REI), based in French Guiana,
• detachment of the Foreign Legion (DLEM) in Mayotte;
• Africa
• 13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion (13 DBLE), based in Djibouti.