The National Centre for Commando Training, (french: Centre national d'entraînement commando, ) is a located in

Mont-Louis Mont-Louis (; or ''el Vilar d'Ovansa'') is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Mont-Louis is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. Mont-Louis-La Cab ...

and

Collioure Collioure (; ca, Cotlliure, ) is a commune in the southern French department of Pyrénées-Orientales. Geography The town of Collioure is on the Côte Vermeille (Vermilion Coast), in the canton of La Côte Vermeille and in the arrondissement ...

in the Pyrenees-Orientales department, and is part of the .

History

Created on the 1st January 1964, as a descendant of the

11e régiment parachutiste de choc The ''11e régiment parachutiste de choc'' ("11th shock parachute regiment), often called ''11e choc'', was an elite parachute regiment of the French Army. It used to serve as the armed branch of the SDECE. Its insignia, designed by lieutenant ...

, the National Centre for

Commando Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...

Training is a unique establishment that specialises in commando training in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. With the return of the French troops from

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

in 1961, it was recognised that the training methods of the shock troops were highly effective for modern warfare. Thus ten centres were created in Metropolitan

and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, most often in austere fortifications. The first commando training centre created in France was the of

Givet Givet () (german: Gibet Walloon: ''Djivet'') is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France surrounded on three sides by the Belgian border. It lies on the river Meuse where Emperor Charles V built the fortress of Charlemont. It ...

at the

Fortress of Charlemont The Fortress of Charlemont (french: Fort de Charlemont) is a French stronghold located near the Belgian border on the Meuse. It is a citadel, surrounded by a network of outworks, including the connecting forts (Givet and the Mont d'Hours). It domi ...

, in the department of

Ardennes The Ardennes (french: Ardenne ; nl, Ardennen ; german: Ardennen; wa, Årdene ; lb, Ardennen ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Be ...

. It was designed in 1961, put into operation in 1962, by and for the , a Parachute Division created in 1961 from the . Subsequently, the creation of the Givet CEC was entrusted to of the , which had recently returned from Algeria, resulting in the formation of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment (17th BGAP). After being established in 1964, the CNEC de Mont-Louis and Collioure trained cadres 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 ...

and also received

special forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

and foreign trainees from

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, Germany,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, and

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

Training

After three weeks of training in a CEC, an entire unit is awarded the badge, flanked by the number associated with the centre (Number 1 for CNEC). *For NCOs, after five weeks at the CNEC, they are awarded the gold badge. *For Officers, after eight weeks at the CNEC, they are awarded the gold badge.

Flag

The CNEC uses the Colour of the which has the following

battle honours A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...

sewn in gold letters:Order concerning the attribution of registration on the flags and banners of the formations of armies and services, 19 November 2004 (A)NORDEF0452926A Michèle Alliot-Marie. *Corsica 1943 *Elba Island 1944 *Cape Negro - Toulon 1944 *Upper Alsace 1944-1945 *Indochina 1947-1948 1951-1954 *AFN 1952–1962.

References

{{reflist French Army Military education and training in France Commando training facilities Training establishments of the French Army 1964 establishments in France