31st Brigade (France)

31st Brigade 31^e Brigade
Insignia of the 31st Brigade featuring Poseidon and his Trident between Legion and Troupes de Marine colors
Active	31st Brigade 1 July 1981 – 28 June 1984 6th Light Armoured Division 1990-1991 6th Light Armoured Brigade 1 July 1999 – present
Country	France
Branch	French Foreign Legion French Army
Type	Specialized Armoured Airborne Brigade
Part of	Foreign Legion Groupment
Garrison/HQ	Bonifacio-Nîmes-Aubagne-Orange-Fréjus
Motto(s)	Honneur et Fidélité
Colors	Green and Red Red and Blue
Engagements	31st Brigade Lebanese Civil War Multinational Force in Lebanon
Commanders
Notable commanders	Général Jean-Claude Coullon

The 31st Brigade (French: 31^e Brigade) was a French and Foreign inter-arm brigade created in 1981, and which various specialized functionning airborne contingents, infantry and armoured cavalry forming components, were all reassigned in 1984. On July 1, 1981, the Chief of Staff of the French Army (C.E.M.A.T) enacts the creation of an inter-arm brigade placed under the orders and command of the Foreign Legion Groupment (G.L.E), headed by Brigadier General Jean-Claude Coullon.

Organization

Main articles: Foreign Legion Command, French Army and List of French paratrooper units

The structure and formation of the 31st Brigade consisted of :

Command Headquarters
31st Command and Transmission Company
1st Foreign Regiment, (1er R.E.)
1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment, (1er R.E.C)
Operational Group of the Foreign Legion (G.O.L.E.) (French: Groupement opérationnel de la Légion étrangère) stationed in Bonifacio, Corsica, forming major elements of the 2nd Foreign Regiment (2^e R.E.) which was redesignated as the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2^e R.E.I) in 1980 garrisoned at Nîmes.
21st Marine Infantry Regiment, (21^e R.I.M.a)
501st Combat Tank Regiment, (501^e R.C.C)
17th Parachute Engineer Regiment, (17^e R.G.P)

The headquarter of the brigade was stationed in Aubagne. The brigade took part in peacekeeping operations in Lebanon in 1983 within the constituent ranks of the Multinational Force in Lebanon, some of which regiments including the 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment 1er R.P.H, the 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment 35^e R.A.P and the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment 17^e R.G.P were already active within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in ground operations since 1978. While commanding the brigade and essentially the Foreign Legion Groupment, Brigadier General Jean-Claude Coullon was also in charge of landing the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment in 1982, through Operation Épaulard I. General Coullon lead and witnissed in effect the transformation designation of the Foreign Legion Groupment to the Foreign Legion Command (C.O.M.L.E) in 1984 and also headed simultaneously the transitional command of the newly established C.O.M.L.E.

While the 31st Brigade was then substituted in 1984 and replaced with the 6th Light Armoured Division (French: 6^e Division Légère Blindée, 6^e D.L.B) which became the 6th Light Armoured Brigade (French: 6^e Brigade Légère Blindée, 6^e B.L.B) following the Gulf War in 1991, formed mainly by the same combat regiments; the integrated airborne contingent including the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment was repatriated to the 11th Parachute Brigade.

Traditions

Insignias

The Insignia of the 31st Brigade features Poseidon, other known in Roman mythology as Neptune, with his Trident between Legion colors (Green and Red) and Troupe de Marine colors (Red and Blue).

Regimental Insignia of the 1st Foreign Regiment, 1er R.E
Regimental Insignia of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment, 1er R.E.C
Regimental Insignia of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment, 2^e R.E.I

Regimental Insignia of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment, 17^e R.G.P
Regimental Insignia of the 501st Combat Tank Regiment, 501^e R.C.C
Regimental Insignia of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment, 21^e R.I.M.a

Brigade Commander

Main article: Foreign Legion Command

1981–1984: Brigadier General Jean-Claude Coullon - 1st C.O.M.L.E Division General in 1984

References

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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