The 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (or 8th RPIMa) is a unit of the French army. It was created on February 28, 1951 in Indochina, it was then called the 8th BPC (Colonial Parachute Battalion), its soldiers wear the red beret. The regiment belongs to the 11th Parachute Brigade.
The regiment is currently garrisoned in Castres. Its current activities consist of missions to maintain peace and assist populations, maintain order under the control of NATO or the United Nations (Blue Helmets). It intervenes everywhere in the world where the interests of France and the security of its nationals are threatened:Chad, Lebanon, New Caledonia, Kuwait, Rwanda, Gabon, Kurdistan, Zaire, Central African Republic, Congo Brazza and DRC, Ex-Yugoslavia , Cambodia and more recently Macedonia, Kosovo, Ivory Coast and Afghanistan. Overseas, it ensures the defense of French interests, nationals and countries that are linked to France by defense agreements. In Europe, it ensures the defense of the French national territory within the land action force or the 1st army. This regiment is activated on short notice.
Creation and different denominations
February 28, 1951:creation of the 8th Colonial Parachute Battalion (8e BPC) in Hanoi (Indochina)
September 12, 1952:becomes the 8th Parachute Commando Group (8e GCP)
August 1, 1953:became the 8th Shock Parachute Battalion (8e BPC)
May 31, 1954:dissolution of the 8e BPC
May 1, 1956:creation of the 8th Colonial Parachute Regiment (8e RPC)
1 December 1958:became the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (8e RPIMa)
History of garrisons, fights and battles
The 8th RPIMa was born in Indochina on February 28, 1951 under the name of 8th BPC. Present on the spot from 1951 to 1954, he took part in many battles against an enemy superior in number. Almost the entire regiment will disappear after the battle of Diên Biên Phu in the prison camps. Are inscribed "Indochine 51-54" and "AFN 52-62" on its emblem.
From 1956-1961 in Algeria, with its participation in the Battle of the Borders of 1958 as part of the 25th DP. He returned to France on July 8, 1961, temporarily stationed in Nancy before joining Castres a year later.
In 1993, President François Mitterrand inaugurated a Memorial to the Wars in Indochina in Fréjus.
Indochina
Period 1951-1954
1954:Battle of Dien Bien Phu
Algeria
Period 1956-1961
External missions
For 57 years, in addition to Indochina and Algeria, he was present in all the theaters of operations in the world:
Red beret (amaranth) of the T.D.M. paratroopers
Lebanon 1978-1979 1982-1983
Chad the "8" was present in Chad from 1970, regularly providing a commando of thirty men to reinforce the CPIMa (Compagnie Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine ) who fights with the Chadian army against the men of the North supported by Libya. (source:History of the "8" by Chief Warrant Officer Jacques ANTOINE, Amicale du "8")
Uganda
Rwanda
Zaire
Central African Republic
Congo
Ténéré Desert
Polynesia Vanuatu
New Caledonia
Cambodia
Yugoslavia
Kosovo
Macedonia
Afghanistan
Mali
Central African Republic
Afghanistan, 2008
Traditions
Marine Troops Day
It is celebrated on the occasion of the anniversary of the battles of Bazeilles. This village which was 4 times taken over and abandoned on orders, on August 31 and September 1, 1870.
And in the Name of God, long live the colonial
The Porpoises and the Bigors have God himself as their patron saint. This battle cry ends the intimate ceremonies that are part of regimental life. Its origin is a thanksgiving of the Reverend Father Charles de Foucauld, missionary, seeing the colonial units come to his aid one day when he was in difficulty with a local tribe.
Insignia
8e BPC
8e GCP
8e RPC
8e RPIMa
Parachute certificate
CT Paratroopers Beret Badge
Shoulder Badge
11th BP
Flag
In its folds are inscribed in gold letters5,6:
Flag of the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment
19 officers, 73 non-commissioned officers and 394 parachute porpoises died for France, under the folds of its flag. The last died in action in Afghanistan on August 18, 2008.
Decorations
His tie is decorated with the TOE War Cross with four palms and the Cross of Military Valor with two palms (one for Lebanon and the other for Afghanistan).
He wears the fourragère in the colors of the military medal ribbon.
The fourragère in the colors of the ribbon of the Cross of External Theaters of Operations.
And the fourragère in the colors of the ribbon of the Cross of Military Valor.
On May 21, 2012, the regiment's flag was decorated with the cross of military valor with palm for its citation to the order of the army for its intervention in Afghanistan within the framework of ISAF7.
Marine infantry paratrooper uniform
Leaders
Indochina
1951-1952 Captain GAUTIER
1952-1953 Captain LE BORGNE
1953-1954 Captain TOURRET
Algeria
1954-1955 Lieutenant-colonel KOHLER
1956-1958 Colonel FOURCADE
1958-1960 Lieutenant-colonel De SEGUIN-PAZZIS
1960 -1961 Lieutenant-colonel LENOIR
1961-1963 Lieutenant-colonel KOHLER
France
1963-1965 Lieutenant-colonel DESFARGES
1965-1967 Lieutenant-colonel DROUIN8
1967-1969 Lieutenant-colonel MOURIER
1969- 1971 Lieutenant-colonel GUILLEMINOT
1971-1973 Lieutenant-colonel BELLAMY
1973-1975 Lieutenant-colonel DOMINIQUE
1975-1977 Colonel SCHMITT
1977-1979 Lieutenant-colonel CANN
1979-1981 Lieutenant-colonel VIDAL
1981-1983 Lieutenant -colonel ZEISSER
1983-1985 Lieutenant-colonel LEPAGE
1985-1987 Lieutenant-colonel THEODOLY-LANNES
1987-1989 Colonel LAFOURCADE
1989-1991 Lieutenant-colonel THOMANN
1991-1993 Lieutenant-colonel IRASTORZA
1993-1995 Lieutenant-colonel De HAYNIN de BRY
1995-1997 Lieutenant-colonel REGLAT
1997-1999 Lieutenant-colonel de BRAQUILANGES
1999-2001 Colonel STOLLSTEINER
2001-2003 Colonel BOSSER
2003-2005 Colonel BROUSSE
2005-2007 Colonel GUIONIE
2007-2009 Colonel ARAGONES
2009-2011 Co lonel DU CHAXEL
2011-2013 Colonel CHASBOEUF
2013-2015 Colonel TASSEL
Achievements that bring honor to the regiment
The regiment is particularly distinguished in Indochina, where it adopts the insignia of the chimera. The regiment receives four citations for its commitments and its sacrifice in Ðien Biên Phu?.
In Algeria, the regiment puts out of action 2,800 "fellaghas" and seizes a thousand weapons.
In 1978, commanded by Colonel Cann, the regiment was fully engaged in Lebanon, the regiment received its fifth citation. The training company, made up of young recruits who arrived in the regiment between August and September 1978, was sent as a rotating company to Gabon in October. This company was placed on cheetah alert and left for Chad in February 1979 at the height of the civil war, four months after its arrival in Libreville under the command of Captain Marchand.
In September 1979, the he essential of the men making up the Barracuda (or Caban) detachment which overthrew Emperor Bokassa was made up of paratroopers from the 8th RPIMa.
The Uzbin ambush, August 18, 2008 in Afghanistan. Ten French soldiers were killed, eight of whom belonged to the 8th RPIMa.
In 2013, Operation Sangaris clashes in Bangui between the Selekas and the French army. 2 French soldiers from the 8th RPIMa lost their lives on December 9, 2013 in the Central African Republic.
Personalities who served in the regiment
Guy Le Borgne (1952-1953)
Patrice Le Nepvou de Carfort (1952-1959)
René de Salins (1953-1954)
Pierre Tourret (1953-1954)
Paul Favre-Miville (1959-1961)
The regiment today
Subordinations
The 8th RPIMa is part of the 11th Parachute Brigade, itself under the command of the Land Forces Command (CFT).
Composition
The 8th RPIMa has 1,200 men and women divided into 8 companies9:
1 command and logistics company (CCL),
4 combat companies,
1 lighting and support company (CEA),
1 base and training company (11),
1 operational reserve company.
Missions
The missions and operational objectives of the 8th RPIMa are two-fold:
acquire and maintain the ability to implement a group of approximately 450 men with the dual ability to carry out the rustic and traditional actions of the parachute infantry, possibly on the rear of the enemy after setting up by the third dimension , and to ensure the missions of the motorized infantry,
maintain the airmobile capacity, alternative to the jump for the installation by the 3rd dimension.