1st Mechanised Brigade (France)
The 1st Mechanised Brigade (French: 1re Brigade Mécanisée, 1re BM) was one of the mechanized units of the Commandement des Forces Terrestres of the French Army. Created on July 1 1999, as heir to the 1st Armored Division, the brigade was dissolved on July 21 2015. Before the dissolution, formations reached 4000 men and women and the general staff headquarters of the brigade was garrisoned at Châlons-en-Champagne.
| 1re Brigade Mécanisée | |
|---|---|
 Insignia of the 1st Mechanised Brigade | |
| Active | 1999 – 2015 |
| Country | France |
| Branch | French Army |
| Type | Mechanised |
| Size | 4,000 including women |
| Part of | CFAT |
| Garrison/HQ | Châlons-en-Champagne |
| Motto(s) | Nomine et virtute prima ("First by name and valor") |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Général Éric Bellot des Minières |
The 1st Division was recreated in 2016 within the cadre of the reorganization of the French Army.
Creation and different denominations
- May 1 1943 : creation of the 1st Armored Division 1re DB from the Light Mechanized Brigade (BLM);
- March 31 1946 : dissolution of the 1e DB
- 1948 : the 1st Division was recreated;
- July 1 1999 : created of the 1st Mechanized Brigade 1reBM which inherited the traditions of the 1st Armored Division;
- July 21 2015 : dissolution of the 1st Mechanized Brigade and the 1st commandment and transmission company
Motto
The motto, Nomine et Virtute Prima literary means "First by name and valor". The choice of the insignia, the cross of Saint Louis by général Jean Touzet du Vigier, comes from the place of formation of the unit, Tunisia, where King Louis IX of France came to rest in 1270.
History
The 1st Armoured Division was dissolved with the reorganisation of the French Army in 1999, and the dissolution of the French Forces in Germany FFA. The division’s honours and traditions are carried on with the formation of the 1st Mechanised Brigade in Châlons-en-Champagne.
The brigade was strong with 4000 men and women. The brigade was engaged on the ensemble of exterior theatres operations with an average of 3500 soldiers on average per year: Afghanistan, Lebanon, Guyana, Kosovo, Ivory Coast, Tchad and Senegal.
The 1st Mechanised Brigade was dissolved on July 21, 2015.
Organization
The brigade consists of at least 5000 personnel in 5 regiments and 3 brigade units.[1]
- 1er Régiment de Tirailleurs (1er RTir) – infantry regiment in Epinal with VBCI
- 1er Régiment d'Artillerie de Marine (1er RAMa) – self-propelled marine artillery regiment in Laon with 12x CAESAR self-propelled howitzers and 16x 120mm RTF1 mortars
- 402e Régiment d'artillerie (402e RA) – artillery regiment in Châlons-en-Champagne
- 3e Régiment du Génie (3e RG) – engineer regiment in Charleville-Mézières
- 1re Compagnie de Commandement et de Transmissions (1re CCT) – command and signals company in Châlons-en-Champagne with VAB
- Escadron d'éclairage et d'investigation – brigade reconnaissance squadron
- Batterie de renseignement brigade
Notes
- "1re brigade mécanisée". French government. Archived from the original on 21 February 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
References
www.defense.gouv.fr
External links
- Official site (in French) – 1er BM