Operational Group of the Foreign Legion

Operational Group of the Foreign Legion
Active	August 1, 1971 - August 1, 1977
Country	France
Branch	French Foreign Legion French Army
Type	Specialized Infantry
Part of	Foreign Legion Groupment
Garrison/HQ	Bonifacio, Corsica
Motto(s)	Honneur et Fidélité
Colors	Green and Red
Engagements	Multinational Force in Lebanon
Commanders
Notable commanders	colonel Marcel Letestu

The Operation Group of the Foreign Legion (French: Groupement opérationnel de la Légion étrangère (G.O.L.E)) was a unit of the Foreign Legion with an operational vocation.

Created on August 1, 1971^[1] from elements of the 1st Foreign Regiment, themselves regrouped at the corps of the Foreign Legion Groupment (G.L.E), which included the attachment of the Instruction Group of the Foreign Legion (French: Groupement d'instruction de la Légion étrangère (G.I.L.E)) at the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2^e RE, recreated on September 1, 1972.

In 1976, while the Instruction Group of the Foreign Legion departed to the 4th Foreign Regiment 4^eRE of Castelnaudary and while being integrated within the 1st Foreign Regiment 1^er RE; the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2^e RE took charge of regimental operations.

The operational group was stationed in Bonifacio, Corsica until 1977, the year of dissolution of the (G.O.L.E) to become a main composing elements of the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2^e RE, designated originally back in 1980: the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2^e REI.^[2]

History of the garrisons, campaigns and battles

The G.O.L.E was engaged in 1976 in the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas in a counter-terrorist children rescue mission and in 1978 and 1979 in Tchad.^[3] 2 years later, the G.O.L.E was a main component of the 31^e Brigade taking part in peacekeeping combat operations in Lebanon in 1983 within the constituent ranks of the Multinational Force in Lebanon.

Organization

At creation, the G.O.L.E regrouped 3 combat companies, reinforced in operations by the 4th squadron of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment. Initially, the G.O.L.E consisted of the 5th, 6th combat company as well a support combat company (French: Compagnie d'Appui et de Soutien (C.A.S)). However, the 5th and 6th combat companies didn't exist in 1971, the 5th was the C.M.L.E and the 6th combat company was the 3rd combat company. The G.O.L.E was created in 1971 and commanded by colonel Letestu. Later in 1975, the 7th combat company of the G.O.L.E would be created in Comoros, Mayotte and would rejoin Bonifacio.

See also

• 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment

References

1. collectif, Légion étrangère Histoire et dictionnaire, p. 427-428, Éditions Robert Laffont, Paris, 2013
2. collectif, Légion étrangère Histoire et dictionnaire, p. 428, Éditions Robert Laffont, Paris, 2013
3. collectif, Légion étrangère Histoire et dictionnaire, p. 770, Éditions Robert Laffont, Paris, 2013