At 75, he was struck off the generals of the 2nd section for breach of the duty of reserve and loyalty after participating in a far-right political demonstration in 2016 around the Calais Jungle (the statute of soldiers in France provides that they are subject to a strict obligation of reserve).[2][3]
In 2021, he is one of the signatories of a controversial letter from former generals and retired military personnel.
Military career
Educated at the Lycée Hoche in Versailles, Piquemal joined the special interarm school (French: école speciale interarmes de Coëtquidan) in quality of a Saint-Cyrien as a cadet in October 1960 and after passing out was commissioned as a Sous-Lieutenant in April 1962.
In October the same year, he joined the Infantry School of Application at Saint-Maixent (French: école d'application de l'infanterie at Saint-Maixent), then the following year opted to serve in the French Foreign Legion.
Promoted to Lieutenant, Piquemal served as a section (platoon) chief, then as sports training officer for legionnaires, and next as assistant (French: adjoint) to the Commandant of the 4th combat company of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, 2e REP.[4]
He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 1 January 1970.
From 1973 to 1974, Piquemal finished his scholarity by following the cycle of higher military studies. In September 1974, he was assigned to the 9th Parachute Chasseur Regiment, 9e RCP at Toulouse where he perpetuated his command time as a captain. With his unit, he conducted a deployment of 8 months to New Caledonia.
Already holding an engineering diploma from Supélec,[5] in 1969 he began to study nuclear engineering at the University of Paris-Jussieu (French: Université de Paris-Jussieu) and at the School of Military Nuclear Energy Applications (French: École des Applications Militaires de l'Energie Atomique) and consequently earned a technical brevet for higher military studies from the Superior War College (French: École Supérieure de Guerre).
Appointed as deputy senior officer (French: Chef-adjoint) of the Technical and Radiology Studies Centre of the Directorate for Nuclear Tests, from 1978 to 1980 he was based at the Pacific Ocean Test Centre.
From 1980 to 1982, he occupied the functions of second in command of the 4th Foreign Regiment 4e RE. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-colonel, on 1 December 1980.
From 1982 to 1985, he was designated as the officer treating the study section of the inspection of the Infantry (French: section etudes de l'inspection de l'infanterie) where he was promoted to the rank of Colonel on 1 October 1984.
In 1994, with the rank of Général de division, Piquemal took command of the French Foreign Legion, a fighting force of various religious faiths which includes also numerous Muslim Legionnaires, a combat leadership role, which Foreign Legion general Piquemal held until 1999.[1][11]
During his years in command of the French Foreign Legion, Piquemal created a cross-country team within the Legion which included several Legionnaires.[12] As part of his team, Mohamed Ouaadi took first place in the Paris Marathon of 2000.
In retirement, he was also the President of the National Union of Paratroopers (French: Union nationale des parachutistes, UNP) from 2004 to 2014.[13]
Dismissal of army executives
In 2016, at 75, he was struck off the generals of the 2nd section for breach of the duty of reserve and loyalty after participating in a far-right demonstration around the Calais Jungle (the statute of soldiers in France provides that they are subject to a strict obligation of reserve, and soldiers are prohibited from engaging in partisan political activities).[2][3]
He was designated at the instar of the King of Spain as an Honorary Legionnaire of the Bandera.
Controversies
Demonstration in Calais
Piquemal was brought into the international media spotlight when he was arrested for being present at an unauthorized manifestation which took place at the same time as another far right Pegida organized demonstration (which he claime not to be associated with in any form)[14] in Calais on 6 February 2016. His trial was scheduled to take place on 12 May 2016 at Boulogne-sur-Mer.[15]Marion Maréchal-Le Pen supported him.[16] During the same night Piquemal gave an interview in which he stated that he regretted that the far right movement Pegida was present on the scene at the same time as he and others were present there; however, he stated that he does not regret being present in Calais and represented only issues that were not related to any sort of religion nor the concept of immigration.[14]
Tribune of former soldiers in 2021
In 2021, Piquemal and over six thousand other military officers signed a letter warning of the disintegration of France.[17] The government responded by announcing sanctions against all signatories in active service.[18] The Chief of the Defence Staff, General François Lecointre, sends a letter to Piquemal "to tell him that he is unworthy, dirties the army, weakens it by making it a subject of national controversy".[19] Piquemal's reply was deemed an odious and grotesque attack by journalist Jean-Dominique Merchet, who notes Piquemal's confusion over the role of the army and its place in the organization of political power, namely that the military do not have the right to interfere in politics, and which underlines the far-right convictions of Piquemal.[20][21]
The French Foreign Legion is a corps of the French Army that consists of several specialties: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army. It formed part of the Armée d’Afrique, the French Army's units associated with France's colonial project in Northern Africa, until the end of the Algerian war in 1962.
Hélie Denoix de Saint Marc or Hélie de Saint Marc, was a senior member of the French resistance and a senior active officer of the French Army, having served in the French Foreign Legion, in particular at the heart and corps of the Foreign Airborne Battalions and Regiments, the heirs of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2ème REP, a part constituent of the 11th Parachute Brigade. Commandant by interim of the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment 1er REP, Hélie assumed full responsibility for commanding exclusively his regiment towards the Generals' Putsch in April 1961 and would be charged for such action while also distancing accusations that would compromise the integrity of the men acting under his direct orders of command. He was rehabilitated within his civilian and military rights in 1978 and awarded the high distinction of the Grand-Croix of the Legion of Honor on 28 November 2011.
The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment is the only airborne regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is one of the four infantry regiments of the 11th Parachute Brigade and part of the spearhead of the French rapid reaction force.
The 1st Foreign Regiment is a depot regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is located at Aubagne.
The 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment is one of two combat engineer regiments of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. The regiment provides the combat engineering component of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade.
The 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment is the only cavalry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is one of two armoured cavalry regiments of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade.
The 13th Demi-Brigade of Foreign Legion, was created in 1940 and was the main unit of the 1st Free French Division, Free French Forces (FFL). From the coast of Norway to Bir Hakeim, to Africa then the Alsace, while passing by Syria and Italy, the 13th Demi-Brigade would be part of most of the major campaigns of the French Army during the Second World War.
The 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment was an airborne regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army which dated its origins to 1948. The regiment fought in the First Indochina War as the three-time reconstituted 1st Foreign Parachute Battalion, the Suez Crisis and Algerian War, but was dissolved along with the 10th Parachute Division and 25th Parachute Division following the generals' putsch against part of the French government in 1961.
Bruno Dary is a Général d'armée of the French Army and commandant of the Foreign Legion.
Philippe Louis Edmé Marie François Erulin was a senior officer in the French Army. He came from a family of renowned officers and military traditions.
The Foreign Legion Command (official) is the Command of the Foreign Legion in the French Army.
The Foreign Legion Recruiting Group is an administrative unit of the Foreign Legion responsible for recruiting volunteers from around the globe. The unit reports to the Foreign Legion Command (COMLE). The COMLE sets the annual recruitment objectives based on inputs from the French Army staff, l'Etat-Major de l'Armée de Terre (EMAT), and the initial projections of the Foreign Legion Human Resources Division (DRHLE).
Pierre François Marie Le Jolis de Villiers de SaintignonditPierre de Villiers is an Army General of the French Army and a former Chief of the Defence Staff. Following a disagreement with President Emmanuel Macron, who is ex-officio Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, he tendered his resignation on 19 July 2017.
The 6th Foreign Engineer Regiment was a unit of the Foreign Legion in the French Army, part of the rapid reaction force and component of the 6th Light Armoured Division,. The 6th Foreign Engineer Regiment became the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment in 1999.
The Pioneers of the Foreign Legion are a "unit of tradition". They march at the head of Foreign Legion detachments during ceremonial parades. The Legion's Pioneers are bearded, wear buffalo leather aprons, and carry polished axes on their shoulders.
Paul Gardy was Général de brigade of the French Army and Commandant of the Foreign Legion in 1951 and 1958.
Jean-Claude Coullon was a Général d'armée of the French Army and Commandant of the French Foreign Legion.
Hervé Charpentier is a Général d'armée of the French Army.
François Gérard Marie Lecointre is a French army general who has served as Grand Chancellor of the Order of the Legion of Honour since 1 February 2023. He previously served as Chief of the Defence Staff between 2017 and 2021.
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