Professional French Regiments???

[Salonen]

By 2002 all the regiments of the French Army were made up of professional volunteers, Engagés volontaires.

But which regiments, beside the regiments of the French Foreign Legion, were made up 100% of professionals, before the whole Army went professional?

Looking forward hearing from all.

[Olybrius]

As far as i remember all special forces regiments and most Troupes de Marines regiments (marine troops , ex colonial troops) were always made up with professionnals:

SF:
-13 eme regiment de dragons parachutistes (13eme RDP)
-1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (1er RPIMA)

TDM:
-3e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (3e RPIMa)
-8e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine (8e RPIMa)
-1er Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (1er RIMa)
-3eme Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (3e RIMa)
-1er Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (1er RAMa)
-11e Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (11e RAMa)
-Régiment d'Infanterie du Chars de Marine (RICM)
...

And there are many regiments which are made up with professionals since a reorganization in 1984:

-1er Regiment d'Infanterie (1er RI)
-9eme Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (9eme RIMa)
-21eme Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine (21eme RIMa)
-40eme regiment de transmission (40eme RT)
...

but i probably forgot some...especially in the Troupes de Marines

[AROUETLJ]

13e RDP and 1er RPIMa included volunteer conscripts, so they were not entirely professionalised. The last conscript left 13e RDP in late 2001. Same goes for the other regiments.

[Olybrius]

mm i don't think , i was in the 8DP in the eighties and there was only professionals in airborne marine regiments there, at last in the 3eme and 8eme. I remember the conscript served as chasseurs (RCP) or hussards (RHP).

[AROUETLJ]

I think you're right about the Troupes de Marine Regiments. But there were conscripts in 13e RDP. At that time, it wasn't part of the 'special forces', but an Army-level unit.

[Olybrius]

I think you're right about the Troupes de Marine Regiments. But there were conscripts in 13e RDP. At that time, it wasn't part of the 'special forces', but an Army-level unit.

mm yes you're right , it was already an elite regiment but not SF


i was in the 8DP
i mean 11 dp (rpcs) was thinking 8rpima

[Salonen]

Thanks Guys.

Just found out, from a Troupes de Marine homepage, that 3eme Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine was the first fully professional regiment in the French Army, and that was in 1970.

So I was wondering, how was the regiments made up during the 1960'es?
A mixture of enlisted men and conscripts serving together in the same regiment?

And if anyone knows more about which regiments were made professional in 1984, as well as before.

[Olybrius]

Thanks Guys.

Just found out, from a Troupes de Marine homepage, that 3eme Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine was the first fully professional regiment in the French Army, and that was in 1970.

So I was wondering, how was the regiments made up during the 1960'es?
A mixture of enlisted men and conscripts serving together in the same regiment?

And if anyone knows more about which regiments were made professional in 1984, as well as before.

the 3 RIMA as first fully professional regiment in the French Army ?
I have more than doubts because many of these TDM regiments fought in Algeria and Indochina and always were professionals. Moreover , it's easy, in Indochina the French Expeditionary Corps (around 120 000 h) was only made up with professionals...and for example the 3rpima , the 8e Rpima , the 1er Rima and others ... fought in Indochina. It was with their old name (BCCP or BPC for RPIMA or RIC for RIMA) but it was the same regiments with the same flags. I know that after the Algeria putsch , some regiments were disbanded or reorganized but i think we always had full professional regiments , even in the 60's.

[Deicide]

I was in 1er Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (1er RAMa) as conscript in 1994.

[Salonen]

Deicide

Was your regiment a conscripts only regiment, or was it a mixture of regulars and conscripts?

[Salonen]

Have found out the following from a site about TDM.

3ème RIMa (régiment d'infanterie de marine), the first fully professionnal regiment in the French Army as of 1970.

2eme Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine. Companies were made professionnal starting 1974, ending 1983.

8eme Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine, fully professionnal in 1971.

3eme Régiment de Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine, fully professionnal in 1976.

So it seems some regiments became regular over a period of years, starting with 3ème RIMa in 1970.

Does anybody have any ideas which other regiments were made professionnal back in the 70'es and 80'es?

[Gatling]

As far as I can remember the 8e Rpima was in the late 80's early 90's totally made up of professionals { engages} where as the 3e Rpima had VSL{ apples volontaire] in its ranks .

[Deicide]

Deicide

Was your regiment a conscripts only regiment, or was it a mixture of regulars and conscripts?

Mix of both, but the conscripts were the majority of course.

[Salonen]

Have found out the following.

2eme Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine
Became professional from 1974 to 1984, one company at the time.

3ème Régiment d'Infanterie de Marine
First complete professional regiment in the French Army, in 1970.

21e Régiment d’Infanterie de Marine
Professional by 1980, I think.

3eme Régiment de Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine
Fully professional in 1976.

8eme Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine
Fully professional in 1970 or in 1971.

Régiment d'Infanterie de Chars de Marine
Became professional from 1972 to 1978.

11eme Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine
Only fully professional artillery regiment in the French Army.

1er Régiment d'Infanterie
Professional since 1984.

1er Régiment de Hussards Parachutistes
Professional since the middle of the 80’es.

1er Régiment de Spahis
Professional since 1984.

4ème Régiment de Dragons
A professional regiment, don’t know since when.

[Mitch Rapp]

the 3 RIMA as first fully professional regiment in the French Army ?
I have more than doubts because many of these TDM regiments fought in Algeria and Indochina and always were professionals. Moreover , it's easy, in Indochina the French Expeditionary Corps (around 120 000 h) was only made up with professionals...and for example the 3rpima , the 8e Rpima , the 1er Rima and others ... fought in Indochina. It was with their old name (BCCP or BPC for RPIMA or RIC for RIMA) but it was the same regiments with the same flags. I know that after the Algeria putsch , some regiments were disbanded or reorganized but i think we always had full professional regiments , even in the 60's.

I've read that there were conscripts even in the famous 11e Choc (Demi-Brigade in Algeria and later Regiment)

[oldsoak]

Is not the legion etrangere fully professional since its inception ?

[oldsoak]

:oops: - just seen its already been mentioned - my bad.