The 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (french: 2^e Régiment Etranger de Génie, 2^e REG) is one of two

combat engineer A combat engineer (also called pioneer or sapper) is a type of soldier who performs military engineering tasks in support of land forces combat operations. Combat engineers perform a variety of military engineering, tunnel and mine warfare tas ...

regiments of the Foreign Legion in the

French Army History Early history The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...

. The regiment provides the combat engineering component of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade. Stationed, since its creation in 1999, on the former site of the French Strategic Nuclear Missiles at Saint Christol,

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

History

The regiment was created in 1999 and is an heir to one of the 18 combat engineer formations of the Foreign Legion in

Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west an ...

. The regiment participated to the conservation of the indochinese patrimony of the 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment 5^e REI, "The Tonkin Regiment". The regiment is a unit component of the military engineers (french: génie militaire) of the

. The regiment like all Legion regiments is composed of foreign legionnaires.Official Website of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, Historique et Traditions, Creation of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment
/ref> The younger legionnaires are issued from the

4th Foreign Regiment The 4th Foreign Regiment (french: 4e Régiment étranger, 4e RE) is a training regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. Prior to assuming the main responsibility of training Legion recruits, it was an infantry unit which participated ...

4^e RE while the older legionnaires are selected from other legion regiments. Since creation, the regiment is stationed in garrison Maréchal Koenig, based on plateau Albion, on the commune of

Saint-Christol, Vaucluse Saint-Christol (; oc, Sant Cristòu) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. See also *Communes of the Vaucluse department The following is a list of the 151 communes of th ...

, which housed previously the 1st Strategic Missiles Groupment (french: 1^er Groupement de Missiles Stratégiques) (1^er GMS) of the Strategic Air Forces, on Aerial Base 200 Apt-Saint-Christol. The missions of the regiment at the corps of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade (27^e BIM) are intelligence gathering, direct combat, mobile support (demining, clearing paths, etc.) to any counter mobilities and the deployment amongst combat units.
Official Website of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, Mission, The men 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. The regiment has been present on most exterior theatres of operations since creation. 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 Martinique ( , ; gcf, label= Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...

and metropole

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

during interior operations.

Campaigns ( 1999 - present)

Engineer Combat Missions Since creation in 1999, the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (french: 2^e Régiment Etranger de Génie, 2^e REG) has been present in the following theatres of exterior operations: *

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

with the 13^e DBLE *

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre i ...

French Guiana French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label= French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic coast of South America in the Guianas ...

at the corps of the 3^e REI *

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

, Kosovo *

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...

Opération Baliste Opération Baliste was a French aeronaval operation off Lebanon aimed at securing citizens of the European Union in the context of the 2006 Lebanon War. Components Opération Baliste employed 1,700 men under Counter Admiral Xavier Magne. The ...

launched by

French President The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is ...

Jacques Chirac Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a Politics of France, French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to ...

, during the month of July 2006. Following the

Israeli Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli (b ...

bombardments of the bridges in

Southern Lebanon Southern Lebanon () is the area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. The two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s. The Rashaya and Western Beqaa Districts, the southernmost distri ...

, the

world In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

needed a combat engineer regiment to intervene quickly and efficiently in the reconstruction of bridges based on the old

Bailey bridge A Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It was developed in 1940–1941 by the British for military use during the Second World War and saw extensive use by British, Canadian and American military engineering units ...

system whose concept dates back to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. This intervention while very little publicized due to the estival period, allowed to consolidate the operational character in material of intervention of the military capability of combat engineers (french: génie de combat) in the

Legion Legion may refer to: Military * Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army * Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army * Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...

and more particularly at the 2^e REG. * The regiment intervenese regularly in internal security operations: SATER Plan (french: Plan SATER), "SATER", (french: Sauvetage Aéro-Terrestre, SATER), (aero-terrestrial specialized French rescue put into motion at the departmental level with objectif of terrestrial search and precise localization of airborne capable civilian or military in distress) supported by elements of the

French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Ar ...

. Elements of SATER Plan was used to support protective operations around all the depots before the use of the

euro The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...

, in 2001. * The regiment intervenes regularly in internal security operations:

Vigipirate Vigipirate (french: Plan Vigipirate) is France's national security alert system. Created in 1978 through interministerial sessions and falling within the responsibilities of the prime minister, it has since been updated three times: in 1995 (f ...

, a mission shared and contributed by all other regiments. Humanitarian Missions *The regiment also served in metropole

, while barely being created, within operations of the Orsec Disposition (french: Dispositif Orsec), "ORSEC" (french: Organisation de la Réponse de SÉcurité Civile),(ORSEC - Response Organization for Civil Security; the response rescue organization responsible to manage natural disasters and catastrophes beyond level of normal emergencies), at the end of 1999, following the storming thundering path of Cyclone Lothar and Martin which caused the devastation and destruction of a part of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

Organization

The regiment is composed of around 900 to 925 men organized into 6

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...

. *Compagnie de Commandement et de Logistique (CCL) - Command and Logistics Company * Legion Pionniers Groups *Compagnie d'Administration et de Soutien (CAS) - Administrative and Services Company *1^re Compagnie de Combat - 1st Combat Company (3 combat sections, a support section and a command section) *2^e Compagnie de Combat - 2nd Combat Company (3 combat sections, a support section and a command section) *3^e Compagnie de Combat - 3rd Combat Company (3 combat sections, a support section and a command section) *Compagnie d'Appui (CA) - Support Company (5 specialist sections) * PCG Teams (Combat Engineer Divers, french: Plongeurs du Combat du Génie) former DINOPS Teams of Nautical Subaquatic Intervention Operational Detachment ( french: Détachement d'Intervention Nautique Operationnelle Subaquatique ) specialized in

Parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, w ...

Underwater demolition Underwater demolition refers to the deliberate destruction or neutralization of man-made or natural underwater obstacles, both for military and civilian purposes. History Charles Pasley In 1839 Charles Pasley, at the time a colonel of the Royal ...

, Diving and Mountain Commando Group ( GCM ) in some cases as double specialties.

Traditions

Insignias

File:Insigne 27e brigade d'infanterie de montagne.svg, Insignia of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade, 27^e BIM File:Insigne de béret du 2e REG.jpg, Beret insignia of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, 2^e REG File:Insigne 2e régiment étranger de génie.jpg, Regimental insignia of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, 2e REG

Regimental Colors

Regimental Song

''Chant de Marche: Rien n'empêche'' featuring: 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

croix de la Valeur militaire The Cross for Military Valour (french: Croix de la Valeur Militaire) is a military decoration of France. It recognises an individual bestowed a Mention in Dispatches earned for showing valour in presence of an enemy, in theatres of operations wh ...

with one palm since January 3, 2012. * Another citation for the croix de valeur militaire was attributed on June 20, 2013, the regiment since that date wears the

fourragère The ''fourragère'' () is a military award, distinguishing military units as a whole, in the form of a braided cord. The award was first adopted by France, followed by other nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and Luxembourg. Fou ...

with colors of the croix de la Valeur Militaire. File:Croix de la Valeur Militaire France AVERS.jpg,

Honors

Battle honours

* Camerone 1863
Official Website of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment,Camerone

Regimental Commanders

* 1999 - 2001 : colonel Nebois * 2001 - 2003 : colonel Autran * 2003 - 2005 : colonel Fradin * 2005 - 2007 : colonel Boucher * 2007 - 2009 : colonel Chavanat * 2009 - 2011 : colonel Kirscher * 2011 - 2013 : colonel Bonini * 2013 - 2015 : colonel Reussner * 2015 - 2017 : lieutenant-colonel De Sercey * 2017 - 2021 : colonel De Boisfleury * 2021 - 20** : colonel Emmanuel Combe

Notes

References

*www.legion-etrangere.com *

External links

*Official website
2e Régiment étranger de génie
{{French Foreign Legion navbox French Army Foreign Engineer Regiment, 2nd Military units and formations established in 1999 1999 establishments in France