The ''École de l'infanterie'' ( English: "Infantry School"), formerly known as ''École d'application de l'infanterie'', is a French military academy that trains commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, and some enlisted personnel having special aptitudes and roles. It is located in

Draguignan Draguignan (; ) is a commune in the Var department in the administrative region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (formerly Provence), southeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department and self-proclaimed "capital of Artillery" an ...

. The École de l'infanterie offers over 70 different courses (either generalist, specialist or adaptation) to around 1500 trainees yearly. Five hundred additional trainees from foreign armies or from French ministries other than that of Defence, attend annual courses there.,

History

The École d'application de l'infanterie was created on 30 January 1946 in Auvours, as a post-graduate course for young officers freshly graduated from Saint-Cyr. On 15 October 1948, the school was moved to Coëtquidan, next to Saint-Cyr itself. In October 1951, it was moved again to

Saint-Maixent-l'École Saint-Maixent-l'École () is a commune in the department of Deux-Sèvres, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2015: Poitou-Charentes), western France. Geography Saint-Maixent-l'École is located in the Haut Val de Sèvre area of western Franc ...

, and opened to non-commissioned officer promoting to officer, to élèves-officiers de réserve, and to non-commissioned officers in active service. On 15 January 1955, a new unit was created specifically to train serving army captains and majors, as well as promotable reserve officers. On 1 August 1967, the school was moved again to

Montpellier Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...

, and integrated with the École militaire d'infanterie (Infantry military school). In 1969, it also absorbed the Centre de perfectionnement des cadres de l'infanterie (Infantry leaders finalization centre), and later the Centre d'instruction spécialisé du tir et du combat de nuit (Night fire and combat instruction specialised Centre). The 2008 reforms of the French Defence forces moved the school to

in 2010.

Missions

The school has the following missions: * Training active and reserve leaders of the Infantry, including troupes de marine, motorised and mechanised infantry, paratroopers, chasseurs alpins and the

Légion étrangère The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...

. Officers and NCOs undergo an initial training at the beginning of their career and further their formation all through their career, when their promote, gain a specialisation, or qualify for new equipment. * Study and prospection for future infantry, both in tactics and in equipment. * Support to Camp des Garrigues and military units of

* Operational missions in case of crisis within the region of Montpellier

Sources and references

Cherchell

Presentation of the École de l'Infanterie
at the Ministry of Defence {{DEFAULTSORT:Ecole Infanterie Military academies of France Educational institutions established in 1946 Training establishments of the French Army 1946 establishments in France Infantry training