17th Parachute Engineer Regiment

17th Parachute Engineer Regiment
17e Régiment du Génie Parachutiste

Regimental insigne
Active March 1, 1944
Country France
Branch French Army
Type Airborne Engineer
Role Para Demining
Part of

1st Army
10th Parachute Division
25th Parachute Division
11th Light Intervention Division
Interarm Unit with 1st Parachute Hussard Regiment
Interarm Unit with 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment
11th Division
31st Brigade

11th Parachute Brigade
Garrison/HQ Montauban, France
Nickname(s) French: « Le couteau suisse » de la brigade parachutiste / « Les démineurs de l'espoir »
English: « The Swiss Dagger » of the Parachute Brigade / « Demining Specialists of Hope »
Colors Red and Black
Mascot Royal Eagle « Bac-Kan »
then Bald eagle « Malizia »
Engagements

World War II
First Indochina War
Algerian War
Lebanese Civil War

Gulf War
War on Terror (2001-Present)

Insignia
Badge of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment worn on Red Berets. This badge is also worn by French Foreign Legion Paratroopers on Green Berets.
Abbreviation 17e RGP

The 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment (French: 17e Régiment de Génie Parachutiste, 17e RGP) is heir to the traditions of the 17th Colonial Engineer Regiment (French: 17e Régiment Colonial du Génie, 17eRGC) which illustrated itself during World War II. It is the only airborne engineer unit of the French Army forming the engineering component of the 11th Parachute Brigade and secures all the specific airborne engineering missions relative to para assaulting at the level of deep reconnaissance as well as operations relative to para demining and handling explosives. The regiment has been present non-stop since 1975 on all theatres of operations (Lebanon, Tchad, New Caledonia, French Guiana, Pakistan, Kurdistan, Kuwait, Cambodia, Somalia, Rwanda, Gabon, Mozambique, ex-Yugoslavia, Albania, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Mali and others). For its various combat operational deployments, the 17e RGP was cited 3 times at the orders of the armed forces, 2 times at the orders of the armed forces corps, and three of its combat companies cited at the orders of the armed forces ( 2nd combat company) in addition to armed forces corps (1st and 3rd combat companies).

History since 1870

Creation and different nominations since 1944

Organization

The Regiment of volunteer paratroopers, the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment is articulated in 6 combat companies and 1 detachment:

Mascot

The mascot of the regiment was initially the Golden eagle named "Bac Kan" [2] in reference to the first mission participation of the Airborne engineers in Indochina during the airborne operation "Lea" on October 1947.

Since 2014, the mascot is a Bald eagle named "Malizia", name of François Grimaldi ( said "François la Malice") who in the 13th century conquered the Rock of Monaco.

Traditions

The Archangel Michael featured in Mont Saint-Michel and the Insignia of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment.
Circled Winged Armed Dextrochere worn on Red Beret of 17eRGP

Except for the Legionnaires of the 1er REG, 2e REG, 2e REP that conserve the Green Beret; the remainder of the French army metropolitan and marine paratroopers forming the 11th Parachute Brigade wear the Red Beret.

The Archangel Saint Michael, patron of the French paratroopers is celebrated on September 29.

The prière du Para (Prayer of the Paratrooper) was written by André Zirnheld in 1938.

Insginias

Just like the paratrooper Brevet of the French Army; the Insignia of French Paratroopers was created in 1946. The French Army Insignia of metropolitan Paratroopers represents a closed <<winged armed dextrochere>>, meaning a "right winged arm" armed with a sword pointing upwards. The Insignia makes reference to the Patron of Paratroopers. In fact, the Insignia represents <<the right Arm of Saint Michael>>, the Archangel which according to Liturgy is the <<Armed Arm of God>>. This Insignia is the symbol of righteous combat and fidelity to superior missions. The French Army Insignia of Marine Infantry Paratroopers is backgrounded by a Marine Anchor.

Regimental Colors

Honours

Battle Honours

Regimental Songs

  • L'Adieu suisse


Nous étions trop heureux, mon amie,
Nous avions trop d’espoir et d’amour,
Nous croyions nous aimer pour la vie, (bis)
Mais, hélas, les beaux jours sont si courts. (bis)

Le bonheur dure trop peu sur la terre !
Entends-tu tout là bas le tambour ?
Mon doux cœur je m’en vais à la guerre, (bis)
Ne crains rien jusqu'à l’heure du retour. (bis)

L’ennemi a franchi nos frontières,
Il a pris nos maisons et nos champs.
Défendons le pays de nos pères, (bis)
Il faut vaincre ou mourir bravement. (bis)

Mes amis si Dieu veut que je meure,
Retirez cet anneau de mon doigt.
Portez-le à ma Mie qui me pleure, (bis)
Dites-lui : « cette bague est pour toi ! ». (bis)

  • L'Echo du sapeur parachutiste


Sapeur parachutiste tu progresses loin là-bas,
En avant toujours prêt au combat,
En terres ennemies déjouant pièges et mines
Pour toujours le courage t’anime.

(Refrain)
Des rizières de l’Asie
Aux sables d’Arabie,
Partout, partout on salue notre ardeur,
Des hauteurs des Balkans
Aux vallées du Liban
Sapeur, Sapeur suis et Para demeure.


Parcourant le désert du Tchad
À l’immense horizon
Enthousiaste à remplir la mission,
Sur la terre africaine, sur la piste minée
La patience est ta fidèle alliée.

Tourné vers l’avenir, fidèle à ton glorieux passé,
Ton Drapeau fait toute ta fierté,
Germersheim, Indochine, Hommage à tes Anciens,
Derrière eux tu poursuis le chemin.

Decorations

The regimental colors of the 17th parachute regiment (17e RGP) is decorated with:

The Fanions of the 1st,2nd and 3rd combat companies are decorated with :

Battalion and Regimental Commanders since 1963

17e R.G.A.P
17th Parachute Airborne Regiment

  • 1963 - 1963: Chef de Bataillon Fanget
  • 1963 - 1966: Lt- Colonel Pantalacci
  • 1966 - 1968: Lt-Colonel Campet
  • 1969 - 1970: Lt-Colonel Marinelli
  • 1970 - 1971: Lt-Colonel Du Boucher
  • 1974 - 1976: lt-Colonel Martin
  • 1976 - 1978: Lt-Colonel Le Bris

17e R.G.P
17th Parachute Engineer Regiment

  • 1978 - 1980 Colonel Michel Roquejeoffre
  • 1980 - 1982 Colonel Ferrand
  • 1982 - 1984 Colonel Christian Quesnot
  • 1984 - 1986 Colonel Fauchier
  • 1986 - 1988 Colonel Magon de la Ville Huchet
  • 1988 - 1990 Colonel Ranson
  • 1990 - 1992 Colonel Peyrefitte
  • 1992 - 1994 Colonel Dupré
  • 1994 - 1996 Thierry_Cambournac
  • 1996 - 1998 Colonel Pecchioli
  • 1998 - 2000 Colonel Szwed
  • 2000 - 2002 Colonel Berger
  • 2002 - 2004 Colonel Dominguez
  • 2004 - 2006 Colonel Kuntz
  • 2006 - 2008 Colonel Esparsa
  • 2008 - 2010 Colonel Jouslin de Noray
  • 2010 - 2012 Colonel Poitou
  • 2012- 2014 Colonel Vales
  • 2014 -201x) Colonel Thierry Tricand de la Goutte

See also

17e RGP (external site)

References

  1. National Support Association for French and Foreign Soldiers in Operations
  2. Terre information magazine numéro 183, avril 2007, p.51.
  3. Site de la 11e BP
  4. http://www.defense.gouv.fr/actualites/articles/le-17e-rgp-decore-de-la-valeur-militaire
  5. http://www.amicale-17rgp.fr/vone/traditions.html
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, April 30, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.