The 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (french: 3
e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine, 3
e RPIMa) is an airborne infantry regiment of the
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
. It is heir to the 3rd Colonial Commando Parachute Battalion created in 1948 and the 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment . The regiment is part of the
11th Parachute Brigade.
The battalion filled the ranks with the thousands throughout the various campaign battle courses of dissolutions and reformations. The battalions of this regiment are heir to the
1st Colonial Parachute Commando Demi-Brigade, another heir of the paratroopers of
Free France
Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...
, the Demi-Brigade of the SAS, of the Parachute Choc Groupment Battalions, whose regimental colors was decorated with the
Légion d'honneur
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
in July 1954.
Creation and different nominations
* On January 8, 1948 : creation of the battalion at Vannes.
* On November 9, 1948 : administrative creation of the 3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion] (3
e BCCP).
* On October 1, 1950 : became the 3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Group (3
e GCCP).
* November 1, 1950 : dissolution of the 3
e GCCP.
* January 1, 1951 : recreation of the battalion at Saint-Brieuc.
* December 27, 1951 : became the 3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion, 3
e BCCP.
* May 28, 1952 : became the 3rd Colonial Parachute Battalion (3
e BPC).
* June 1, 1955 : recreation of the 3rd Colonial Parachute Battalion at Mont-de-Marsan.
* November 1, 1955 : became the 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment (3
e RPC).
* December 1, 1958 : became the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (3
e RPIMa).
History since 1948
Campaigns
Created in January 1948, the 3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion 3
e BCCP went to Indochina on November of the same year. Cited twice at the orders of the armed forces, the battalion was dissolved in October 1950 after having been destroyed in the
Battle of Route Coloniale 4
The Battle of Route Coloniale 4, also called the Autumn-Winter Border Campaign (''Chiến Dịch Biên Giới Thu Đông'') by the Viet Minh, was a battle of the First Indochina War. It took place along Route Coloniale 4 (RC4, also known as Hig ...
along the Chinese border. During this episode, 3 BCCP of Captain Cazaux and the
1st Foreign Parachute Battalion of Commandant
Pierre Segretain
Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
, disappeared.
Recreated on December 27, 1951, the battalion was designated as the 3rd Colonial Parachute Battalion 3e BPC, gaining another citation at the orders of the armed forces.
The battalion was then dissolved again, providing the reformation of another battalion.
Recreated again, the battalion was designated as the 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment (3
e RPC) in November 1955 under the orders and disposition of
Ranks in the French Army, Lieutenant-colonel Bigeard.
3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (1958–present)
Designated as the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment in December 1958, the regiment joined the metropole and stationed in July 1962. The regiment formed a part of the
11th Light Intervention Division.
In 1968, the regiment intervened in Chad during the first civil war.
The regiment took part in various
peacekeeping missions in
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 li ...
with the
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon ( ar, قوة الأمم المتحدة المؤقتة في لبنان, he, כוח האו"ם הזמני בלבנון), or UNIFIL ( ar, يونيفيل, he, יוניפי״ל), is a UN peacekeeping m ...
first then integrated the corps of the
Multinational Force in Lebanon
The Multinational Force in Lebanon (MNF) was an international peacekeeping force created in August 1982 following a 1981 U.S.-brokered ceasefire between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel to end their involvement in the confl ...
. During one of these various peacekeeping interventions, the regimental commander, Colonel Jean Salvan was severely
wounded.
The regiment then deployed in
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 ...
, again in Chad,
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...
,
New Caledonia
)
, anthem = ""
, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
,
Togo
Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
,
Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...
, the
Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
, Turkey,
Zaire
Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...
, Ex-Yugoslavia, Congo, and Kosovo where the regiment acquired the fifth respective citation.
The regiment has been deployed in combat, combat support, peacekeeping and multipurpose mission operations throughout the world after the
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerci ...
.
During an "open day" for the public on Sunday
29 June 2008 at Laperrine Barracks, Carcassonne, a
Sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
fired a rifle using a magazine containing live
bullet
A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. Bullets are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax. Bullets are made in various shapes and co ...
s rather than
blanks as intended. The magazine had remained loaded after an earlier exercise. 17 people were hit by bullets including 15 civilians, including at least four children, the youngest aged 3 who was hit in the heart and arm The most senior of six officers who lost their jobs because of the incident was the
Chief of Staff of the French Army,
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Bruno Cuche
Bruno may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Bruno (name), including lists of people and fictional characters with either the given name or surname
* Bruno, Duke of Saxony (died 880)
* Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne, ...
, who resigned two days after the incident after intense criticism from the President of the Republic,
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012.
Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Se ...
. Another was the Commander of the Regiment.
Crowd shooting officers suspended
The Australian
''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...
, 5 July 2008, accessed 8 July 2008
Composition
The regiment is composed of 1120 personnel organized into 8 companies:
* Compagnie de commandement et de logistique (CCL) – Command and logistics company
* Compagnie d'administration et de soutien (CAS) – Administration and support company
* Compagnie d'éclairage et d'appui (CEA) – Reconnaissance and support company
* 1re Compagnie de combat – 1st Combat company
* 2e Compagnie de combat – 2nd Combat company
* 3e Compagnie de combat – 3rd Combat company
* 4e Compagnie de combat – 4th Combat company
* Compagnie de réserve (CR) – Reserve company
Traditions
Except for the Legionnaires of the 1ème REG, 2ème REG, 2ème REP that conserve the Green Beret
The green beret was the official headdress of the British Commandos of the Second World War. It is still worn by members of the Royal Marines after passing the Commando Course, and personnel from other units of the Royal Navy, Army and RAF wh ...
, the remainder of the French army metropolitan and marine paratroopers forming the 11th Parachute Brigade wear the Red Beret.
File:Chuteur Opérationnel.jpg, French Commando Parachute Group
The Commando Parachute Group (french: Groupement des Commandos Parachutistes, GCP) is a unit of elite pathfinders within the French Army's 11th Parachute Brigade (11e BP). These pathfinders are paratroopers drawn from the various regiments of t ...
Brevet of Chuteur Opérationnel
File:Parachutistes coloniaux-béret.jpg, Anchored Winged Armed Dextrochere of French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
Marine Infantry
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...
Paratroopers
A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...
File:Brevet Parachutiste.jpg, French Parachute Brevet.
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.
Insignia
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
Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...
which according to Liturgy
Liturgy is the customary public ritual of worship performed by a religious group. ''Liturgy'' can also be used to refer specifically to public worship by Christians. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy represents a communal response to and partic ...
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.
Image:Insigne du 3e BCCP.jpg,
File:Insigne du 3° RPC.jpg,
File:Parachutistes coloniaux-béret.jpg,
File:Insigne infanterie de marine.png,
Regimental colors
Since its creation, the regiment has endured the loss of 476 Officers
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
, Sous-Officiers and paratroopers
A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...
of the 3e RPIMa.
Regimental song
;Hymne du 3e RPIMa: "Rien ne saurait t'émouvoir"
Decorations
The regimental colors of the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment ( 3e RPIMa) are as follows:
* Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures is decorated with:
** 3 palms (3 citations at the orders of the armed forces)
** one bronze star (citation at the orders of the brigade)
* 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 ...
is decorated with:
** 2 palms (two citations at the orders of the armed forces)
The regiment has received one citation sans croix at the orders of the armed forces for the peace intervention in Lebanon in 1978, which was replaced with a citation bearing attribution of the Croix de la Valeur militaire with palm.
The citation at the orders of the brigade was awarded for action while leading allied forces in Kosovo in 1999.
On May 21, 2012, the regimental colors were decorated again with the croix de la valeur militaire with palm for service in Afghanistan within the cadre of ISAF.
The regiment bears wearing 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 ...
:
* Fourragère bearing the colors of the Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures.
File:AVERS Croix de Guerre TOE France 2 citations.jpg,
File:Croix de la Valeur Militaire France AVERS.jpg,
File:Fourragère CG TOE.jpg, Fourragère aux couleurs de la Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures
Honours
Battle honours
* Indochine 1948–1950 1952–1953
* Algerian War
The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...
1952–1962
Regimental Commanders
3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion, 3e BCCP
* Chef de bataillon
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
(major) Henri Ayrolles (1948–1949)
* Captain Paul Cazaux (1949–1950)
* Chef de bataillon Decorse (1950)
3rd Colonial Parachute Battalion, 3e BCP
* Captain Louis Bonnigal (1951–1953)
* Captain Jacques Bouvery (1953)
* Chef de bataillon Albert Lenoir (1955)
3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment, 3e RPC
* Colonel Marcel Bigeard
Marcel Bigeard (February 14, 1916 – June 18, 2010), personal radio call-sign "Bruno", was a French military officer and politician who fought in World War II, the First Indochina War
The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochi ...
(1955–1958)
* Lieutenant-Colonel Roger Trinquier (April 1958 – December 1958)
3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, 3e RPIMa
* Lieutenant Colonel Roger Trinquier
Roger Trinquier (20 March 1908 – 11 January 1986) was a French Army officer during World War II, the First Indochina War and the Algerian War, serving mainly in airborne and special forces units. He was also a counter-insurgency theorist, mainl ...
(1958–1959)
* Lieutenant Colonel Louis Bonnigal (1959–1961)
* Lieutenant Colonel Guy Le Borgne
Guy Le Borgne (6 January 1920 – 12 December 2007) was a French Army general that fought in World War II, First Indochina War and Algerian War. He commanded several paratroop units during his career and was military governor of Lyon.
Biogra ...
(1961–1962)
* Lieutenant Colonel Marcel Mollo (1962–1963)
* Lieutenant Colonel Maurice Escarra (1963–1965)
* Lieutenant Colonel Robert Courtiade (1965–1967)
* Lieutenant Colonel Pierre de Haynin de Bry (1967–1970)
* Lieutenant Colonel Jean Garnier (1970–1972)
* Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Chabanne (1972–1974)
* Colonel Michel Datin (1974–1976)
* Colonel Jean Salvan (1976–1978)
* Lieutenant Colonel Hugues Mircher (1978–1980)
* Lieutenant Colonel Olivier Leblanc (1980–1982)
* Colonel Daniel Roudeillac (1982–1984)
* Colonel Michel Billot (1984–1986)
* Colonel Serge Ménard (1986–1988)
* Colonel Michel Stouff (1988–1990)
* Colonel Pierre Ribeyron (1990–1992)
* Colonel Henri Poncet (1992–1994)
* Colonel Patrick Marengo (1994–1996)
* Colonel Philippe Six (1996–1998)
* Colonel Didier Legrand (1998–2000)
* Colonel Olivier Tramond (2000–2002)
* Colonel Jean-François Hogard (2002–2004)
* Colonel Bruno Guibert (2004–2006)
* Colonel Frédéric Merveilleux du Vignaux (2006–2008)
* Colonel Jean-Pierre Perrin (2008–2010)
* Colonel Philippe Pottier (2010–2012)
* Colonel Mabin (2012–2014)
* Colonel Journé (2014–2016)
* Colonel Durville (2016-2018)
* Colonel Aunis (2018-20..)
Notable members of the 3e RPIMa
* Général
is the French word for general. There are two main categories of generals: the general officers (), which are the highest-ranking commanding officers in the armed forces, and the specialist officers with flag rank (), which are high-level office ...
Marcel Bigeard
Marcel Bigeard (February 14, 1916 – June 18, 2010), personal radio call-sign "Bruno", was a French military officer and politician who fought in World War II, the First Indochina War
The First Indochina War (generally known as the Indochi ...
(1916 -2010), regimental commander 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment 3e RPC (1955–1958) and the 20th Parachute Brigade which included the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment along with other regimental, brigade, area forces and regional commands.
* Général
is the French word for general. There are two main categories of generals: the general officers (), which are the highest-ranking commanding officers in the armed forces, and the specialist officers with flag rank (), which are high-level office ...
François Cann
François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis.
People with the given name
* Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters"
* Francis II of France, Kin ...
, regimental commander 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment
The 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (french: 8e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine, (8e RPIMa) is an airborne regiment of the French Army. The 8e RPIMa was created on 28 February 1951 and the men wear the red beret. It is par ...
8e RPIMa (1977–1979)
* Adjudant-Chef Henri Georges Simon
* Jean Yves Socard
See also
* Jean de Lattre de Tassigny
* Pierre Jeanpierre
Pierre Paul Jeanpierre (14 March 1912 – 29 May 1958) was a senior officer of the Foreign Legion.
He initially served in the French Army and fought during World War II, the First Indochina War, the Suez Crisis and the Algerian War, where he ...
* Hélie de Saint Marc
Hélie Denoix de Saint Marc or Hélie de Saint Marc, (11 February 1922 – 26 August 2013) was a senior member of the French resistance and a senior active officer of the French Army, having served in the French Foreign Legion, in particular at t ...
* List of French paratrooper units
The history of French Airborne forces, airborne units began in the Interwar period when the French Armed Forces formed specialized 1st Parachute Chasseur Regiment, paratroopers units. First formed in the French Air Force, they were rapidly i ...
References
defense.gouv.fr
Sources and bibliographies
* Collectif, ''Histoire des parachutistes français'', Société de Production Littéraire – 1975.
* Livre ''ceux du 3e RPIMA'' Maison d'édition BBK.
* Livre ''3e BCCP Indochine 1948 1950'' Maison d'édition Hexagone.
* Cyril Bondroit, ''3e BCCP, Indochine 1948–1950'', Éditions Indo Éditions – 1998 – .
External links
* Official site
3e RPIMa
''Le 3e BCCP en Indochine''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, 3rd
Parachute infantry regiments of France
Marines regiments of France
20th-century regiments of France
21st-century regiments of France
Military units and formations established in 1948