The 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (French: 3e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine, 3e RPIMa) is one of the airborne force regiments of the Troupes de Marine. It is heir to the 3rd Colonial Commando Parachute Battalion created in 1948 and the 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment . The regiment is part of the 11th Parachute Brigade.[1]
The battalion filled the ranks with the thousands throughout the various campaign battle courses of dissolutions and reformations. The battalions of this regiment are heir to the 1st Colonial Parachute Commando Demi-Brigade, another heir of the paratroopers of Free France, the Demi-Brigade of the SAS, of the Parachute Choc Groupment Battalions, whose regimental colors was decorated with the Légion d'honneur in July 1954.
Creation and different nominations
On January 8, 1948 : creation of the battalion at Vannes.
On November 9, 1948 : administrative creation of the 3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion] (3e BCCP).
On October 1, 1950 : became the 3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Group (3e GCCP).
November 1, 1950 : dissolution of the 3e GCCP.
January 1, 1951 : recreation of the battalion at Saint-Brieuc.
December 27, 1951 : became the 3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion, 3e BCCP.
May 28, 1952 : became the 3rd Colonial Parachute Battalion (3e BPC).
June 1, 1955 : recreation of the 3rd Colonial Parachute Battalion at Mont-de-Marsan.
November 1, 1955 : became the 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment (3e RPC).
December 1, 1958 : became the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (3e RPIMa).
History since 1948
Created in January 1948, the 3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion (3e BCCP) went to Indochina on November of the same year. Cited twice at the orders of the armed forces, the battalion was dissolved in October 1950 after having been destroyed in the Battle of Route Coloniale 4 along the Chinese border. During this episode, 3 BCCP of Captain Cazaux and the 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion of Commandant Pierre Segretain, disappeared.
Recreated on December 27, 1951, the battalion was designated as the 3rd Colonial Parachute Battalion (3e BPC), gaining another citation at the orders of the armed forces.
The battalion was then dissolved again, providing the reformation of another battalion.
Recreated again, the battalion was designated as the 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment (3e RPC) in November 1955 under the orders of Lieutenant ColonelMarcel Bigeard.
Designated as the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment in December 1958, the regiment joined the metropole and stationed in July 1962. The regiment formed a part of the 11th Light Intervention Division.
In 1968, the regiment intervened in Chad during the first civil war.
The regiment has been deployed in combat, combat support, peacekeeping and multipurpose mission operations throughout the world after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
During an "open day" for the public on Sunday 29 June2008 at Laperrine Barracks, Carcassonne, a Sergeant fired a rifle using a magazine containing live bullets rather than blanks as intended. The magazine had remained loaded after an earlier exercise. 17 people were hit by bullets including 15 civilians, including at least four children, the youngest aged 3 who was hit in the heart and arm[2] The most senior of six officers who lost their jobs because of the incident was the Chief of Staff of the French Army, GeneralBruno Cuche, who resigned two days after the incident after intense criticism from the President of the Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy. Another was the Commander of the Regiment.[3]
The Archangel Saint Michael, patron of the French paratroopers is celebrated on September 29.
The prière du Para (Prayer of the Paratrooper) was written by André Zirnheld in 1938.
Insignia
Just like the paratrooper Brevet of the French Army, the insignia of French Paratroopers was created in 1946. The French Army insignia of metropolitan Paratroopers represents a closed "winged armed dextrochere", meaning a "right winged arm" armed with a sword pointing upwards. The insignia makes reference to the Patron of Paratroopers. In fact, the insignia represents "the right Arm of Saint Michael", the Archangel which according to Liturgy[dubious – discuss] is the "Armed Arm of God". This insignia is the symbol of righteous combat and fidelity to superior missions. The French Army insignia of Marine Infantry Paratroopers is backgrounded by a Marine Anchor.
Rien ne saurait t'émouvoir,
Para, rude parachutiste
C'est ta loi dans les dangers de la piste,
Rien ne saurait t'émouvoir.
Tes Anciens ont souffert sur la piste
Comme des chevaliers et des preux
Toi le vaillant parachutiste,
Toujours prêt à faire aussi bien qu'eux.
Car il faudra para, car il faudra para
En découdre par le poignard et par la poudre
Ton chemin sera toujours la piste
Dans la nuit, la chaleur ou le froid
Où sans cri tombe un parachutiste
Piste sans fin toujours devant toi.
Car il faudra para, car il faudra para
En découdre par le poignard et par la poudre
Si tu dois en finir sur la piste,
Que ce soit en beauté comme ceux
Qui sont morts en vrais parachutistes
comme des chevaliers et des preux.
Car il faudra para, car il faudra para
En découdre par le poignard et par la poudre
"Être et durer"
Si tu crois en ton destin,
Si tu crois aux lendemains,
L'ami faut pas hésiter,
Prends ton sac et viens sauter,
Avec nous tu pourras marcher
Tu pourras être et durer.
Refrain
Pour aimer et pour souffrir
Y a pas de moyens de trouver tout ça
Pour toi sans aucun doute
Viens chez les paras.
Si tu retournes au Pays
Si tu vas revoir ta mie
Pour nous tu lui conteras
Nos chants, nos cris, nos combats,
Mais qu'elle t'attende ou qu'elle t'oublie
Pense à ceux qui sont là-bas.
Si tu vas au bout du risque,
Si tu restes sur la piste
La piste sauvage et belle
La piste garce et cruelle,
Mourant, tu sauras l'aimer
2 palms (two citations at the orders of the armed forces)
The regiment has received one citation sans croix at the orders of the armed forces for the peace intervention in Lebanon in 1978, which was replaced with a citation bearing attribution of the Croix de la Valeur militaire with palm.
The citation at the orders of the brigade was awarded for action while leading allied forces in Kosovo in 1999.
On May 21, 2012, the regimental colors were decorated again with the croix de la valeur militaire with palm for service in Afghanistan within the cadre of ISAF.
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