2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment

2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment
(2e Régiment étranger de génie)

Regimental badge of 2e REG
Active 1 Jul. 1999 – present
Country  France
Allegiance French Foreign Legion
Branch French Army
Type Engineer
Role

Foreign Combat Engineer
Foreign Airborne Combat Engineer

Foreign Mountain Commando
Size 900-925 men
Part of 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade
Garrison/HQ Saint Christol, France
Motto(s) Rien n'empêche (Nothing Prevents)
Colors Green & Red
March Rien n'empêche
Anniversaries Camerone Day (30 April)
Saint Barbara (4 December)
Engagements

Opération Baliste
Global War on Terrorism (2001-present)

Battle honours Camerone 1863[1]
Commanders
Current
commander
Lieutenant-colonel Guillaume de SERCEY
Insignia
Insignia of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment
Abbreviation 2e REG
Each year, the French Foreign Legion commemorates and celebrates Camarón in its headquarters in Aubagne and Bastille Day military parade in Paris; featuring the Pionniers leading and opening the way.

The 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (French: 2e Régiment étranger de génie, 2e REG) is one of two combat engineer regiments in the French Foreign Legion. The regiment provides the combat engineering component of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade.[2] Stationed, since its creation in 1999, on the former site of the French strategic nuclear missiles at Saint Christol, Vaucluse, southern France.

History

The 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (French: 2er régiment étranger de génie, 2e REG) is the combat engineer regiment of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade.[3] The regiment was created in 1999 and is an heir to one of the 18 combat engineer formations of the French Foreign Legion in Indochina. The regiment participated to the conservation of the indochinese patrimony of the 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment (French: 5e régiment étranger d'infanterie, 5e REI) "the Tonkin Regiment". The regiment is a unit component of the military engineers of the French Army.

The regiment like all Legion regiments is composed of foreign legionnaires.[3] The younger legionnaires are issued from the 4th Foreign Regiment while the older legionnaires are selected from other legion regiments.[3]

Since creation, the regiment is stationed in garrison Maréchal Koenig, based on plateau Albion, on the commune of Saint-Christol, Vaucluse, the previous housed 1st strategic nuclear missile group, (1e GMS) French Air Force base, Aerial Base 200 of Saint Christol Albion.[3]

The missions of the regiment at the corps of the 27th Mountain Brigade (27e BIM) are intelligence gathering, direct combat, mobile support (demining, clearing paths, etc.) to any counter mobilities and the deployment amongst combat units.[3][4] The particularity of the mountain brigade imposes adaptation to techniques that are demanding and specific in either relieving infantry units or replacing their combat role in operations of area control.[3][4]

The regiment has been present on most exterior theatres of operations since creation.[3] Projecting each year a number of legionnaires in various fields of operations, the regiment was engaged in Djibouti at the corps of the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion and in Afghanistan, Ivory Coast, French Guiana; similarly, at the corps of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, in the Balkans, in Martinique and metropole France during interior operations.[3]

Campaigns ( 1999 - present)

Engineer Combat Missions

Since creation in 1999, the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (French: 2er régiment étranger de génie, 2e REG) has been present in the following theatres of exterior operations:

Humanitarian Missions

Organization

The regiment is composed of around 900 to 925 men organized into 6 companies.[5]

Traditions

Insignias

Regimental Colors

Regimental Colors of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment

Regimental Song

Chant de Marche : Rien n'empêche featuring:[7]

De la boue des rizières aux plateaux du Tonkin
Honneur, Fidélité pour unique refrain
Le feu, l'eau et la terre comme seul univers
Il s'avance et combat, le sapeur légionnaire,
Brisant tous les assauts quand la mitraille explose
Sur cette terre d'Indo où tant d'anciens reposent.

Dans le froid, la tourmente, à la mort à la vie
Rien n'empêche le deuxième étranger de génie. (bis)


Aujourd'hui la mémoire sonne le rappel.
Nous, légionnaires du 2 répondons à l'appel.
Ouvrir, tracer la route c'est pour le régiment
Passer coûte que coûte, voilà notre serment
Foi, vaillance et courage comme seul héritage
Nul obstacle et nul homme pour nous faire barrage.

Refrain

Sur les cimes de l'Alpe quand le combat résonne
Du fracas de la foudre et que l'orage tonne
En avant képis blancs, à nous les grands espaces.
En tout lieu en tout temps, il nous faut faire face.
Relever les défis, voilà notre ambition.
Ne jamais faire défaut, c'est notre tradition.

Refrain

Decorations

Honors

Battle honours

Regimental Commanders

See also

Notes

  1. Camerone is a Battle Honour shared by all Foreign Legion Regiments, no matter when it was formed.
  2. "La brigade". Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Official Website of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, Historique et Traditions, Creation of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment
  4. 1 2 Official Website of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, Mission, The men
  5. "Création du 2° Régiment étranger de génie". Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  6. Official Website of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, 2e Regiment Etranger de Genie ( 2e REG ); Structure du 2ème Régiement Etranger de Génie
  7. Official Website of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment. Historique et Traditions, Les chants du 2e REG et des compagnies
  8. Site de la Légion étrangère
  9. Article sur le site du régiment
  10. Official Website of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment,Camerone

References

External links

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