| 2e Régiment étranger de parachutistes | |
|---|---|
Badge of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment |
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| Active | 9 October 1948–present |
| Country | France |
| Allegiance | French Foreign Legion |
| Branch | French Army |
| Type | Airborne Light Infantry |
| Role | Primary Tasks: • Air Assault Other Roles: • Urban Warfare (1 CIE) • Mountain warfare (2 CIE) • Amphibious warfare (3 CIE) • Sniping and Demolitions (4 CIE) |
| Size | 1,190 men |
| Part of | 11th Parachute Brigade |
| Garrison/HQ | Calvi, Corsica France |
| Nickname | The REP |
| Motto | Honneur et Fidélité (Honour and loyalty) |
| Colors | Green and Red |
| March | La Legion Marche (vers le front) |
| Anniversaries | Camerone Day (30 April), Saint-Michel Day (29 September) |
| Engagements | First Indochina War *Battle of Route Coloniale 4 *Battle of Hoa Binh *Battle of Na San *Battle of Dien Bien Phu Algerian War Battle of Kolwezi |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Eric Bellot des Minieres |
| Notable commanders |
Rémy Raffalli, Paul Arnaud de Foïard Philippe Erulin Alain Bouquin |
| Insignia | |
| Badge of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment worn on Green Berets. This badge is also worn by French Army Paratroopers on Maroon Berets. | |
| Abbreviation | 2 REP |
The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (French: 2ème Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes, 2ème REP) is an Airborne regiment of the French Foreign Legion. It is a part of the 11e Brigade Parachutiste and the spearhead of the French Rapid reaction force.
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As a consequence of the successes of the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion (1er BEP) in the First Indochina War, the 2eme Battalion Étranger de Parachutistes or 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion (2ème BEP) was formed on 9 October 1948, at Legion's main cantonment at Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria. The battalion was deployed to Indochina in January 1949, where they served as 'sector troops' from February to November.
In 1950, the battalion became a part of the General Reserve in Indochina. Following the French defeat on Route Coloniale 4 in October 1950, the battalion was transported by ship to North Vietnam. The battalion took part in several battles, including the first battle of Nghia Lo (October 1951), the Black River (November–December 1951), and the fight for Route Coloniale 6 (January–February 1952) during the Battle of Hoa Binh.
The battalion made a parachute drop on Dien Bien Phu as reinforcement during the Battle of Dien Bien Phu (March–May 1954). Fighting without reinforcements, remnants of the 1er and 2e BEP were overwhelmed after a final assault by Viet Minh forces; fewer than 100 legionnaires of the 2e BEP were taken prisoner. On 1 December 1954, after the surviving members of the battalion had returned from captivity after the Armistice, the 2e BEP was later reconstituted with replacements, and returned by ship to French Algeria.
On 5 June 1956, the 2ème BEP was enlarged to a full regiment, and was redesignated the 2ème Régiment Étranger de Parachutistes (2ème REP), or 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment.
In May 1978, a force of gendarmes katangais entered the Katanga province of Zaire from Angola and occupied the mining town of Kolwezi. They began to loot the town and kill government soldiers and civilians (including several Belgian and French employees of a mining company). At the request of the government of Zaire, 2 REP was airlifted to Kinshasa and dropped on Kolwezi. The operation was a success and the town was quickly recaptured with minor casualties in the ranks of the paratroopers. Some 120 civilian hostages died in the occupation.
2 REP deployed to Afghanistan from January to July 2010, as part of Task Force "Altor". Two Legionnaires from the regiment were killed in action.
The 2nd REP forms part of the 11e Brigade Parachutiste as well as the French Rapid Reaction Force, and is based near the town of Calvi on the island of Corsica, just south of mainland France.
Selection for 2 REP takes 4 weeks. The first 2 weeks are physical tests across terrain. Parachute training takes place at Camp Raffalli and runs for 2 weeks with a total of 6 jumps.[1][2]
The regiment consists of 1140 men divided into 9 companies[3], as follows:
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