The Operation Group of the Foreign Legion () was a unit of the Foreign Legion with an operational vocation. Created on August 1, 1971 from elements of the

1st Foreign Regiment The 1st Foreign Regiment () is a depot regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is located at Aubagne. The regiment is also responsible for running special institutions of the Legion. These include the magazine ''Képi Blanc'', the ...

, themselves regrouped at the corps of the Foreign Legion Groupment (G.L.E), which included the attachment of the

Instruction Group of the Foreign Legion The Instruction Group of the Foreign Legion () was stationed at Bonifacio (Corsica) for instruction and at Corté (Minoterie) for the instruction of the cadres and specialists (CICS), then at the citadel of Corté at the beginning of the years 1960 ...

() at the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2^e RE, recreated on September 1, 1972. In 1976, while the Instruction Group of the Foreign Legion departed to the

4th Foreign Regiment The 4th Foreign Regiment () 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 in campaigns in Morocco, Levant, Fren ...

4^eRE of

Castelnaudary Castelnaudary (; ) is a commune in the Aude department in the Occitanie region of southern France. It is located in the former province of the Lauragais and famous for cassoulet of which it claims to be the world capital, and of which it ...

and while being integrated within the

1^er RE; the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2^e RE took charge of regimental operations. The operational group was stationed in Bonifacio, Corsica until 1977, the year of dissolution of the (G.O.L.E) to become a main composing elements of the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2^e RE, designated originally back in 1980: the

2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment The 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment () is an infantry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. The regiment is one of two mechanized infantry regiments of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. Since the regiment's arrival from Bonifacio in ...

2^e REI.

History of the garrisons, campaigns and battles

The G.O.L.E was engaged from 1978 to 1979 in Tchad, where the 7th company endured two 2 killed and 5 wounded in combat. The G.O.L.E was engaged in 1976 in the

French Territory of the Afars and the Issas The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas (FTAI; ) was the name given to present-day Djibouti between 1967 and 1977, while it was still an Overseas territory (France), overseas territory of France. The area was formerly known as French Soma ...

in a counter-terrorist children rescue mission in 1976 in the LOYADA affair where the 6th company deplored 6 killed in a helicopter crash.collectif, ''Légion étrangère Histoire et dictionnaire'', , Éditions Robert Laffont, Paris, 2013

Organization

At creation, the G.O.L.E regrouped 3 combat companies, reinforced in operations by the 4th squadron of the

1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment The 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment () is the only cavalry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is one of two armoured cavalry regiments of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. The regiment has been stationed at Camp Carpiagne near ...

1^e REC. Initially, the G.O.L.E consisted of the 5th, 6th

combat Combat (French language, French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent Conflict (process), conflict between multiple combatants with the intent to harm the opposition. Combat may be armed (using weapons) or unarmed (Hand-to-hand combat, not usin ...

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

as well a support combat company (). However, the 5th and 6th combat companies didn't exist in 1971, the 5th was the C.M.L.E and the 6th combat company was the 3rd combat company commanded by Captain Braun. The G.O.L.E was created in 1971 and commanded by

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Letestu. Later in 1975, the 7th combat company of the G.O.L.E would be created in

Comoros The Comoros, officially the Union of the Comoros, is an archipelagic country made up of three islands in Southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Moroni, ...

Mayotte Mayotte ( ; , ; , ; , ), officially the Department of Mayotte (), is an Overseas France, overseas Overseas departments and regions of France, department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is one of the Overseas departm ...

and would rejoin Bonifacio.

Chef de Corps

* Général d'armées Michel Guignon

References

External links

GOLE 1971-1977
- History & images of the GOLE {{French Foreign Legion navbox Units of the French Foreign Legion Military units and formations established in 1971 Military units and formations disestablished in 1977

History of the garrisons, campaigns and battles

Organization

Chef de Corps

See also

References

External links