8th RPIMa: the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment

The 8th Marine Parachute Infantry Regiment (8th RPIMa) is an elite military unit of the French army, specialized in airborne operations.

Table of contents:

• History

• Motto

• Missions

• Training

Among the significant events in the history of the 8th RPIMa, we find:

• 1951: Creation of the 8th RPIMa in Indochina;

• 1951 – 1954: Indochina War and dissolution following the Battle of Diên Biên Phu;

• 1956-1961: Regiment's participation in the Algerian War;

• 1963: Installation of the regiment in Castres, in the Tarn;

• 1968 - 1975: External operation in Chad;

• 1978-1983: External operation in Lebanon;

• 1994 - 2010: Intervention in various external theaters of operations (former Yugoslavia, Ivory Coast, Afghanistan);

• 2008: Uzbin ambush in Afghanistan, on August 18, 2008, where 10 French soldiers were killed, including 8 belonging to the 8th RPIMa;

• 2013: Operation Sangaris in the Central African Republic where two soldiers from the 8th RPIMa were killed in Bangui in the capital Bangui;

• 2013-2022: External operation Serval in Mali, which became Barkhane in the Sahel;

• 2018: External operation Chammal in Iraq;

• 2022: External operation Eagle in Romania;

The motto of the 8th Marine Parachute Infantry Regiment is "Volunteer!". The soldiers of the 8th RPIMa wear the "amaranth" red beret.

The 8th RPIMa is part of the 11th Parachute Brigade of the 3rd Division of the Army. It has 1200 personnel distributed among 8 companies:

• 1 command and logistics company (CCL);

• 5 combat companies;

• 1 reconnaissance and support company (CEA);

• 1 operational reserve company.

As an elite regiment, the "big 8" carries out numerous missions, both in France and abroad (OPEX). Among its missions, we find:

• Rapid deployment and force projection in hostile environments;

• Ground combat, after parachute drop or in vehicles, both in high-intensity warfare and for counter-insurgency;

• Defense: area control, mobile defense, etc.;

• Peace maintenance and development: training of allied armies, assistance to the population, etc.;

To carry out its various missions, the 8th RPIMa has numerous combat vehicles (VAB, PVP, ...), logistics vehicles and individual weapons such as HK 416.

As soon as you visit an armed forces information and recruitment center (CIRFA), you can indicate the 8th RPIMa as your assignment choice.

To join the Army, several conditions must be met:

• Be of French nationality;

• Be aged between 17 and a half and 29 years old;

• Have completed your Defense and Citizenship Day (JDC);

• Be in good physical and medical condition;

• Pass physical and psychotechnical selection tests and an individual interview.

The military discovery preparation (PMD) can help you prepare for selection tests and your future military life.

The training to join the 8th RPIMa includes several stages:

• A Common Initial Military Training (FIMC): it teaches the basics of being a soldier and lasts 16 weeks.

• A military paratrooper certificate: this training prepares the soldier for parachute jumping techniques and airborne operations. This training lasts between 2 and 6 weeks.

• A technical specialty training: this 19-week training allows the soldier to train for their future job (infantry, communications, sniper…) in the regiment while continuing to gain experience.

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