3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=3e Régiment Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine


caption=
dates=1948-1950
1951-1953
1955-
country=France
branch=French Army
command_structure=11th Parachute Brigade
type=Infantry
role=Airborne
size=1,050 men and women
garrison=Carcassonne, France
nickname=
motto="Être et durer" (Eng: To be and last)
colors=Red and blue
march=
mascot=
battles=First Indochina War
*Battle of Route Coloniale 4
*Operation Lorraine
*Battle of Na San
Algerian War
current_commander=Colonel Perrin
notable_commanders=Marcel Bigeard, Roger Trinquier,
Guy Le Borgne
anniversaries=Saint-Michel Day

The 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment ( _fr. 3e Régiment Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine, 3e RPIMa) is an Airborne regiment in the French army. It is a part of the 11th Parachute Brigade and stationed at Carcassonne.

History

Created 1 January 1948 in Saint-Brieuc as the 3rd Colonial Commando Parachute Battalion and sent to Indochina in October the same year. It will be twice cited in the order of the army before being dissolved in 30 September, 1950 after having sacrificed itself at That Khe.

Recreated on 27 December, 1951 and renamed the 3rd Colonial Parachute Battalion on 28 May, 1952 and further distinguish itself in Indochina.

It is once again dissolved in 1953, providing the cadre for the 5th Vietnamese Parachute Battalion. Recreated again on 1 June, 1955, it is renamed 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment 1 November, 1955 under order of Lieutenant Colonel Bigeard.

It is present in all bigger operation in Algeria as a part of the 10th Parachute Division, it also took part in the combat around Bizerte. It was renamed the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment on 1 December, 1958, it returns to Metropolen France and settles in Carcassone on 22 July, 1962 and entirely professional in 1976. The regiment intervenes in south Lebanon in 1978.

Recent overseas operation

*1990/91: Saudi Arabia
*1991: Iraq-Turkey
*1990/91/92/95/96: Tchad
*1990: Gabon
*1991: Togo
*1991/93: Zaire
*1990/93/94: Rwanda
*1995/1996: Bosnia
*1997/98/99/2000: Congo
*1999: Kosovo
*2000: Kosovo

Lineage

*1948: 3rd Colonial Commando Parachute Battalion (Created)
*1950: Dissolved
*1951: 3rd Colonial Commando Parachute Battalion (Recreated)
*1952: 3rd Colonial Parachute Battalion (Renamed)
*1953: Dissolved
*1955: 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment (Recreated and renamed)
*1958: 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (Renamed)

Honours

Battle Honours

*Indochine 1948-1950 1952-1953

Decorations

*Croix de guerre des Théatres d'Opérations Exterieures with 3 palms.

References