2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment

2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment (2e Régiment étranger de génie)
Regimental badge of 2^e 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) War in Afghanistan (1978–present) Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan Afghanistan-ISAF (Task Force LaFayette)
Battle honours	Camerone 1863^[1]
Commanders
Current commander	Lieutenant-colonel Guillaume de SERCEY
Insignia
Beret badge of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment
Abbreviation	2^e REG

2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment

Parent unit	Foreign Legion Command 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade (France)

Components	Command & Logistics Company (CCL) Admin & Services Company (CAS) 1st Combat Company (1^re Cie) 2nd Combat Company (2^e Cie) 3rd Combat Company (3^e Cie) Support Company (CA)

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, 2^e 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, 2^e 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, 5^e 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 (27^e 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 particuliarity 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, 2^e REG) has been present in the following theatres of exterior operations:

Djibouti with the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion
Afghanistan
Ivory Coast
French Guiana at the corps of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment
Balkans, Kosovo
Martinique
Lebanon in Opération Baliste launched by French President Jacques Chirac, during the month of July 2006. Following the Israeli bombardments of the bridges in Southern Lebanon, the world needed a combat engineer regiment to intervene quickly and efficiently in the reconstruction of bridges based on the old Bailey bridge system whose concept dates back to World War II. 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 and more particularly at the 2^e REG.
The regiment intervenese regularly in internal security operations: SATER Plan (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. Elements of SATER Plan was used to support protective operations around all the depots before the use of the euro, in 2001.
The regiment intervenes regularly in internal security operations: Vigipirate, a mission shared and contributed by all Legion Regiments.

Humanitarian Missions

The regiment also served in metropole France, while bearly being created, within operations of the Orsec Disposition (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.

Organization

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

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
1er 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: Detachement d'Intervention Nautique Operationnelle Subaquatique ) specialized in Parachute, Underwater demolition, Diving and Mountain Commando Group ( GCM ) in some cases as double specialties.^[6]

Traditions

Insignias

Insignia of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade, 27^e BIM
Beret Insignia of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, 2^e REG
Insiginia of the Pionniers of the 1st Foreign Regiment
Insignia of the 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment, 2^e REG

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

croix de la Valeur militaire with one palm since January 3, 2012.^[8]
Another citation for the croix de valeur militaire was attributed on June 20, 2013, the regiment since that date wears the fourragère with colors of the croix de la Valeur Militaire.^[9]

Croix de la Valeur militaire

Honors

Battle honours

Camerone 1863^[10]

Regimental Commanders

Main articles: Foreign Legion Command and Honneur et Fidélité

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 - 20xx : lieutenant-colonel De Sercey

Notes

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

References

www.legion-etrangere.com
Windrow, Martin (1996). French Foreign Legion Since 1945. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-621-3.

External links

Official website - 2e Régiment étranger de génie

Foreign Legion Command
French Foreign Legion

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 1st Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 2nd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 3rd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment/Garibaldi Legion 1st Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2nd Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion 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)

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