3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment

The 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (French: 3^e Régiment de Parachutistes d’Infanterie de Marine, 3^e RPIMa) is an airborne elite regiment of the French Army heir to the 3rd Colonial Commando Parachute Battalion 3^e BCCP created in 1948 and the 3rd Colonial Parachute Regiment 3^e RPC. The regiment is part of the 11th Parachute Brigade.[1]

This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (February 2013)

3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment
3e Régiment de Parachutistes d’Infanterie de Marine
Regimental insigne
Active	January 8, 1948 – present (same unit, different designations) 3e BCCP 1948 3e GCCP 1950 3e BCCP 1951 3e BCCP 1951 3e BPC 1952 3e BCCP 1955 3e RPC 1955 3e RPIMa 1958 – present
Country	France
Branch	French Army
Type	Troupes de marine
Role	Airborne
Size	~1,120
Part of	11th Parachute Brigade 3rd Division
Garrison/HQ	Carcassonne, France
Motto(s)	Être et durer (To Be and endure)
Colors	Red and blue
Anniversaries	Saint-Michel Day
Engagements	First Indochina War *Battle of Route Coloniale 4 *Operation Lorraine *Battle of Nà Sản Algerian War Battle of Agounennda Lebanese Civil War United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Multinational Force in Lebanon Gulf War War on Terror (2001-Present) War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
Commanders
Current commander	Philippe Pottier
Notable commanders	Marcel Bigeard Roger Trinquier Guy Le Borgne
Insignia
Insignia of the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment
Abbreviation	3e RPIMa

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.

. . . 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment . . .

• On January 8, 1948 : creation of the battalion at Vannes.
• On November 9, 1948 : administrative creation of the 3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion, 3^e BCCP
• On October 1, 1950 : became the 3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Group, 3^e GCCP.
• November 1, 1950 : dissolution of the 3^e GCCP.
• January 1, 1951 : recreation of the battalion at Saint-Brieuc.
• December 27, 1951 : became the 3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion, 3^e BCCP.
• May 28, 1952 : became the 3rd Colonial Parachute Battalion, 3^e BPC.
• June 1, 1955 : recreation of the 3rd Colonial Parachute Battalion at Mont-de-Marsan.
• November 1, 1955 : became the 3rd Parachute Colonial Regiment, 3^e RPC
• December 1, 1958 : became the 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, 3^e RPIMa.

Created in January 1948, the 3rd Colonial Parachute Commando Battalion 3^e BCCP joined 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 3^e RPC in November 1955 under the orders and disposition of Lieutenant-colonelBigeard.

. . . 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment . . .

. . . 3rd Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment . . .