31st Brigade (France)

The 31st Brigade was a French and Foreign inter-arm brigade created in 1981 and dissolved in 1984. On July 1, 1981, the Chief of Staff of the French Army (C.E.M.A.T) enacts the creation of an inter-arm brigade placed under the orders and command of the Foreign Legion Groupment (G.L.E) headed by Général Jean-Claude Coullon.

Organization

The 31st Brigade consisted of :

• Command element
• 31st Command and Transmission Company
• Operational Group of the Foreign Legion (G.O.L.E.) (French: Groupement opérationnel de la Légion étrangère) stationed in Bonifacio, Corsica, forming major elements of the 2nd Foreign Regiment (2e R.E.) which was redesignated as the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2e R.E.I) in 1980 during the arrival to Nîmes.
• 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment, (1e R.E.C)
• 1st Foreign Regiment, (1e R.E.)
• 21st Marine Infantry Regiment, (21e R.I.M.a)
• 501st Combat Tank Regiment, (501e R.C.C)
• 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment Detachment, (17e RGP)

The headquarters of the brigade was stationed in Aubagne. The brigade took part in peacekeeping operations in Lebanon in 1983 within the constituent ranks of the Multinational Force in Lebanon, some of which regiments were already present and were also redeployed within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon active in ground operations since 1978. While commanding the brigade and essentially the Foreign Legion Groupment, général Coullon was also in charge of landing the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment in 1982, through Operation Épaulard I. General Coullon lead and witnissed in effect the transformation designation of the Foreign Legion Groupment to the Foreign Legion Command in 1984 and also headed simultaneously the command of the newly established C.O.M.L.E. While the 31st Brigade was then dissolved in 1984 and replaced with the 6th Light Armoured Division which became the 6th Light Armoured Brigade following the Gulf War in 1991, formed mainly by the same combat regiments; the integrated airborne contingents forming the 31st Brigade were consequently reattached to the 11th Parachute Brigade.

Traditions

Insignias

The Insignia of the 31st Brigade features Poseidon, other known in Roman mythology as Neptune, with his Trident between Legion colors (green and red) and Troupe de Marine colors (blue and red).

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  Regimental Insignia of the 1st Foreign Regiment, 1e R.E

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  Regimental Insignia of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment, 1e R.E.C

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  Regimental Insignia of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment, 2e R.E.I

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  Regimental Insignia of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment, 17e R.G.P

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  Regimental Insignia of the 501st Combat Tank Regiment, 501e R.C.C

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  Regimental Insignia of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment, 21e R.I.M.a

Brigade Commander

• 1981–1984: Brigadier General Jean-Claude Coullon

See also

• 6th Foreign Engineer Regiment
• 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment
• Foreign Legion Pioneers

Foreign Legion Command French Foreign Legion Honneur et Fidélité History of the French Foreign Legion Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers) List of French paratrooper units Képi Blanc (publication) Current Foreign Legion Units Administrative Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments 1st Foreign Regiment Foreign Legion Command Foreign Legion Recruiting Group Infantry & Parachute Infantry 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte Cavalry 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment Engineer & Parachute Engineer 6th Foreign Engineer Regiment 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment Training 4th Foreign Regiment Jungle Training Center Combat Training Center at Arta Beach Defunct Foreign Legion Units Administrative and Training Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments Parachute Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion 3rd Foreign Parachute Battalion Foreign Air Supply Company 3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company Infantry 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment 4e régiment de marche du 1er étranger 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 11th Foreign Infantry Regiment 12th Foreign Infantry Regiment 21st Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 22nd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 23rd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers Cavalry 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment 97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division Transport Armored Train of the Foreign Legion Disciplinary Disciplinary Company of the Foreign Regiments in the Far East Foreign Legion Brigades 31st Brigade (France)