8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment

8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment
(8e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine)
Active 8e B.P.Colonial 1951
8e G.C.P 1952
8e B.P.Choc 1953
8e R.P.C 1956 - 1958
8e R.P.I.Ma 1958 - present
Country France
Branch French Army
Type troupes de marine
Role Airborne
Size 1200 men and women
Part of 11th Parachute Brigade
Garrison/HQ Castres, France
Motto(s) Volontaire (Volunteer)
Colors Blue and red
Anniversaries Saint-Michel Day
Engagements

First Indochina War
Battle of Hoa Binh
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Algerian War
Lebanese Civil War 1975-1990

Gulf War
War on Terror (2001-Present)

Commanders
Current
commander		 Philippe du Chaxel
Notable
commanders		 Guy Le Borgne
Pierre Tourret
François Cann
Insignia
Insignia of the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment
Abbreviation 8e RPIMa

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 February 28 1951 and the men bear wearing the red beret. This elite regiment is part of the 11th Parachute Brigade.

The regiment is garrisoned at Castres, France.[1] Current missions of the 8e RPIMa revolve around peacekeeping and assistance to world populations, and in that regard at the service and disposition of NATO or the United Nations directives. The regiment intervenes around the world protecting French interests in and not limited to : Tchad, Lebanon, New Caledonia, Kuwait, Rwanda, Gabon, Kurdistan, Zaïre, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, RDC, ex-Yugoslavia, Cambodia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Ivory Coast, and Afghanistan. In outremer, the regiment is engaged in operations defending French interests, or countries that are in liaison with France in security missions. In Europe, the regiment is engaged in defending the national French territory at the corps of the terrestrial action force. This regiment can be rapidly deployed anywhere in the world. The regiment parts various Commando Parachute Groups, a group of French elite units. Parachute training is conducted at the École des troupes aéroportées (ETAP) in Pau.

Creation and different nominations since 1951

History since 1951

Campaigns

Campaign Participation Engagement
8th Colonial Parachute Battalion (1951 - 1954)

Campaign Participation Engagement
8th Colonial Parachute Regiment
(1956 - 1958)

Campaign Participation Engagement
8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (1958 - present )

The unit was created on 28 February 1951, in Hanoi as the "8th Colonial Parachute Battalion," as a part of the French union forces. Present since 1951 and to 1954, the "8th Colonial Parachute Battalion" fought at Lai-Chau, Hoa Binh, Langson and Dien Bien Phu heavily superiorly outnumbered. The Battalion was cited at the orders of the armed forces and mentioned in dispatches four times for acts of valor. The quasi totality of the battalion disappeared and was subsequently dissolved on 19 May 1954, after the Battle of Dien Bien Phu.

The unit was recreated as the "8th Colonial Parachute Regiment" on 1 May 1956. The regiment participated in operations against the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN), most notably at El Kiffene, Ain El Kesseub and Tarf at the corps of the 25th Parachute Division.

8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, 8e RPIMa (1958 - present)

The regiment relocated to the town of Nancy, Metropolitan France, in 1961, to form a part of the 11th Light Intervention Division 11e DLI. The regimental headquarters moved to Castres in 1963.

The regiment partook in various peacekeeping missions in Lebanon on numerous yearly designated occasions within the UNIFIL first then integrated the corps of the Multinational Force in Lebanon.

The regiment has been present around the world in Lebanon, Chad, Central Africa, Gabon and many others while mainly participating in humanitarian and peacekeeping missions.

The regiment has been spearheading combat, combat support, peacekeeping and multipurposed facade mission operations throughout the globe with the ongoing War on Terror, mainly on all exterior theatres of operations where the French Armed Forces are engaged in along the five continents and oceanic surroundings. The regiment is currently serving with the NATO ISAF in Afghanistan. In a fierce battle on 18–19 August 2008, ten French soldiers were killed and 21 wounded making it the largest loss of French troops in battle in many years. ISAF Press Release

Composition

The regiment is composed of around 1200 marine infantry parachute personnel articulated into eight combat companies:[1]

Traditions

The Archangel Michael featured in Mont Saint-Michel and the Insignia of the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment.

Except for the Legionnaires of the 1er REG, 2ème REG, 2ème REP that conserve the Green Beret; the remainder of the French army metropolitan and marine paratroopers forming the 11th Parachute Brigade wear the Red Beret.

The Archangel Saint Michael, patron of the French paratroopers is celebrated on 29 September.

The prière du Para (Prayer of the Paratrooper) was written by André Zirnheld in 1938.

Insignias

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 which according to Liturgy 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.

Regimental Colors

Regimental Colors of the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment.

Since creation, the regiment has endured the loss of 19 Officers, 91 Sous-Officiers and 437 paratroopers of the 8e RPIMa.

Decorations

The regimental colors of the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (8e RPIMa) is decorated with:

The regiment bears wearing 3 Fourragère:

Honors

Battle honors

Regimental Commanders

8th Colonial Parachute Battalion
8th Commando Parachute Groupment
8th Parachute Choc Battalion

8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, 8e RPIMa

  • Lieutenant Colonel Hubert de Seguins-Pazzis (1958–1960)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Albert Lenoir (1960–1961)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Kohler (1961–1963)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Desfarges (1963–1965)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Drouin (1965–1967)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Mourier (1967–1969)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Guilleminot (1969–1971)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Bellamy (1971–1973)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Dominique (1973–1975)
  • Colonel Maurice Schmitt (1975–1977)

8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, 8e RPIMa

  • Lieutenant Colonel François Cann (1977–1979)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Vidal (1979–1981)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Zeisser (1981–1983)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Lepage (1983–1985)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Theodoly-Lannes (1985–1987)
  • Colonel Lafourcade (1987–1989)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Thomann (1989–1991)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Elrick Irastorza (1991–1993)
  • Lieutenant Colonel de Haynin de Bry (1993–1995)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Reglat (1995–1997)
  • Lieutenant Colonel de Braquilanges (1997–1999)
  • Colonel Michel Stollsteiner (1999–2001)
  • Colonel Bosser (2001–2003)
  • Colonel Brousse (2003–2005)
  • Colonel Guionie (2005–2007)
  • Colonel Jacques Aragones (2007–2009)
  • Colonel Philippe du Chaxel (2009-2011)
  • Colonel Eric Chasboeuf (2011- )

Honorary Regimental Arms Celebration

Notable members of the 8e RPIMa

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "8e RPIMa". French government. Retrieved 2012-02-17.

Sources and bibliographies

External links

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