Operational Group of the Foreign Legion

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

Foreign Legion Command French Foreign Legion
Honneur et Fidélité History of the French Foreign Legion Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers) List of French paratrooper units Képi Blanc (publication)
Current Foreign Legion Units	Administrative Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments 1st Foreign Regiment Foreign Legion Command Foreign Legion Recruiting Group Infantry & Parachute Infantry 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte Cavalry 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment Engineer & Parachute Engineer 6th Foreign Engineer Regiment 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment 2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment Training 4th Foreign Regiment Jungle Training Center Combat Training Center at Arta Beach
Defunct Foreign Legion Units	Administrative and Training Communal Depot of the Foreign Regiments Parachute Parachute Company of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion 2nd Foreign Parachute Battalion 3rd Foreign Parachute Battalion Foreign Air Supply Company 3rd Foreign Parachute Regiment 1st Foreign Parachute Heavy Mortar Company Infantry 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment 1st Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 2nd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 3rd Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment 4th Marching Regiment of the 1st Foreign Regiment/Garibaldi Legion 1st Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2nd Marching Regiment of the 2nd Foreign Regiment Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion 5th Foreign Infantry Regiment 6th Foreign Infantry Regiment 11th Foreign Infantry Regiment 12th Foreign Infantry Regiment 21st Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 22nd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers 23rd Marching Regiment of Foreign Volunteers Cavalry 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment 97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division Transport Armored Train of the Foreign Legion Disciplinary Disciplinary Company of the Foreign Regiments in the Far East Foreign Legion Brigades 31st Brigade (France)