31st Brigade (France)

31st Brigade 31^e Brigade
Insignia of the 31st Brigade featuring Poseidon
Active	31st Brigade 1 July 1981 – 28 June 1984 6th Light Armoured Division 1990-1991 6th Light Armoured Brigade 1 July 1999 – present
Country	France
Branch	French Foreign Legion French Army
Type	Specialized Armoured Brigade
Part of	Foreign Legion Groupment
Garrison/HQ	Bonifacio-Nîmes-Aubagne-Orange-Fréjus
Motto(s)	Honneur et Fidélité
Colors	Green and Red Red and Blue
Engagements	31st Brigade Lebanese Civil War Multinational Force in Lebanon
Commanders
Notable commanders	Général Jean-Claude Coullon

The 31st Brigade (French: 31^e Brigade) was a French and Foreign interarm brigade created in 1981 which forming components, were all reassigned in 1984. On July 1, 1981, the Chief of Staff of the French Army (C.E.M.A.T) enacted the creation of an inter-arm brigade placed under the orders and command of the Foreign Legion Groupment (G.L.E), headed by général Jean-Claude Coullon.

Organization

Main articles: Foreign Legion Command and French Army

The structure and formation of the 31st Brigade consisted organically of :

Command Headquarters
31st Command and Transmission Company
Operational Group of the Foreign Legion (G.O.L.E.) (French: Groupement opérationnel de la Légion étrangère) stationed in Bonifacio, Corsica which was redesignated as the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2^e R.E.I) in 1980 garrisoned at Nîmes.
21st Marine Infantry Regiment, (21^e R.I.M.a)

The brigade benefitted from the support of AMX-30 tank squadrons of the 501^e Régiment de chars de combat, (501^e R.C.C). The brigade could be reinforced more particularly by the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment 1^er REC, as well as the 1st Foreign Regiment, and AMX 10 RC squadrons of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment in measure of providing a command element and immediate support.

The headquarter staff of the brigade was stationed in Aubagne. The brigade's main mission was peacekeeping operations in Lebanon in 1983 within the constituent ranks of the Multinational Force in Lebanon, some of which regiments including the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment 3^e RPIMa , the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment 8^e RPIMa, the 1st Parachute Hussar Regiment 1^er RPH, the 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment 35^e RAP and the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment 17^e RGP, were already active within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon UNIFIL in ground operations since 1978.

Brigadier General Jean-Claude Coullon was also in liaison charge of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2^e REP in 1982, through the mise en place of Operation Épaulard I. Général Coullon led and witnissed in effect, the transformation designation of the Foreign Legion Groupment (G.L.E) to the Foreign Legion Command (C.O.M.L.E) in 1984 and also headed simultaneously the transitional command of the newly established C.O.M.L.E.

While the 31st Brigade was then substituted in 1984 and replaced with the 6th Light Armoured Division (French: 6^e Division Légère Blindée, 6^e D.L.B) which became the 6th Light Armoured Brigade (French: 6^e Brigade Légère Blindée, 6^e B.L.B) following the Gulf War in 1991, formed mainly by the same combat regiments; the integrated were repatriated to the respective brigades.

Traditions

Insignias

The insignia of the 31st Brigade features Poseidon.

Regimental Insignia of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment, 2^e R.E.I
Regimental Insignia of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment, 21^e R.I.M.a

Brigade Commander

Main article: Foreign Legion Command

1981–1984: Brigadier General Jean-Claude Coullon

References

Foreign Legion Command
French Foreign Legion

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)

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