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National Gendarmerie

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National Gendarmerie
Gendarmerie nationale
Logo of the National Gendarmerie
Logo of the National Gendarmerie
Common nameGendarmerie
MottoPour la patrie, l'honneur et le droit
(For the country, honor and law)
Agency overview
Formed16 February 1791[1]
Preceding agency
Employees102,269 people (2018)[2]
Volunteers12,602 volunteers (2018)[2]
Annual budget9.57 billion (2021)
Jurisdictional structure
National agencyFrance
Operations jurisdictionFrance
Constituting instrument
  • Law of 28 Germinal year VI (April 17, 1798) relating to the organization of the national gendarmerie[3]
General nature
Specialist jurisdiction
  • Paramilitary law enforcement, counter insurgency, and riot control.
Operational structure
Officers and NCOs
  • 6,203 officers and 74,015 NCOs performing operational missions (2018)[2]
  • 595 officers and 4,592 NCOs in technical and administrative services (2018)[2]
Civilian staffs4,424 people (2018)[2]
Minister responsible
Agency executive
  • Christian Rodriguez, Directeur-Général
Parent agencyMinistry of the Interior
Components
Gendarmerie components[4]
Website
www.gendarmerie.interieur.gouv.fr

The National Gendarmerie (French: Gendarmerie nationale, [ʒɑ̃daʁməʁi nɑsjɔnal]) is one of two national law enforcement forces of France, along with the National Police. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the French Armed Forces placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior, with additional duties from the Ministry of Armed Forces. Its responsibilities include policing smaller towns, suburbs and rural areas, along with special subdivisions like the GSPR. By contrast, the National Police is a civilian law enforcement agency that is in charge of policing cities and larger towns. Because of its military status, the Gendarmerie also fulfills a range of military and defence missions, including having a cybercrime division. The Gendarmerie has a strength of around 102,269 people (as of 2018).[2]

The Gendarmerie is the heir of the Maréchaussée, the oldest police force in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. The Gendarmerie has influenced the culture and traditions of gendarmerie forces around the world, especially in independent countries from the former French colonial empire.

Discover more about National Gendarmerie related topics

French language

French language

French is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Northern Gaul. Its closest relatives are the other langues d'oïl—languages historically spoken in northern France and in southern Belgium, which French (Francien) largely supplanted. French was also influenced by native Celtic languages of Northern Roman Gaul like Gallia Belgica and by the (Germanic) Frankish language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders. Today, owing to France's past overseas expansion, there are numerous French-based creole languages, most notably Haitian Creole. A French-speaking person or nation may be referred to as Francophone in both English and French.

Law enforcement

Law enforcement

Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term encompasses police, courts, and corrections. These three components may operate independently of each other or collectively, through the use of record sharing and mutual cooperation.

France

France

France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. It also includes overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, giving it one of the largest discontiguous exclusive economic zones in the world. Its metropolitan area extends from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea; overseas territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean. Its eighteen integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 km2 (248,573 sq mi) and had a total population of over 68 million as of January 2023. France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre; other major urban areas include Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Lille, Bordeaux, and Nice.

French Armed Forces

French Armed Forces

The French Armed Forces encompass the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force and the Gendarmerie of the French Republic. The President of France heads the armed forces as Chief of the Armed Forces.

Groupe de sécurité de la présidence de la République

Groupe de sécurité de la présidence de la République

The Security Group for the Presidency of the Republic is the security unit in charge of the safety of the President of the French Republic. Established in 1983, it is part of both the National Gendarmerie and National Police. It is distinct from the Republican Guard, which is in charge of the security of official buildings.

Law enforcement agency

Law enforcement agency

A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.

Military

Military

A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct military uniform. It may consist of one or more military branches such as an army, navy, air force, space force, marines, or coast guard. The main task of the military is usually defined as defence of the state and its interests against external armed threats.

Cybercrime

Cybercrime

Cybercrime is a crime involving a computer or computer network. The computer may have been used in committing the crime, or it may be the target. Cybercrime may harm someone's security or finances.

Maréchaussée

Maréchaussée

The Maréchaussée were corps of soldiers in the armies of France initially put in charge of military policing and justice in the Middle Ages, and later extended to civilian responsibilities. They gradually coalesced into a police force with jurisdiction over the entire population on almost the entire territory of France. They retained powers of extraordinary justice until the French Revolution.

Middle Ages

Middle Ages

In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history: classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period. The medieval period is itself subdivided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages.

Gendarmerie

Gendarmerie

A gendarmerie is a military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term gendarme is derived from the medieval French expression gens d'armes, which translates to "rural police" or "men-at-arms". In France and some Francophone nations, the gendarmerie is a branch of the armed forces that is responsible for internal security in parts of the territory, with additional duties as military police for the armed forces. It was introduced to several other Western European countries during the Napoleonic conquests. In the mid-twentieth century, a number of former French mandates and colonial possessions adopted a gendarmerie after independence. A similar concept exists in Eastern Europe in the form of Internal Troops, which are present in many countries of the former Soviet Union and its former allied countries.

French colonial empire

French colonial empire

The French colonial empire comprised the overseas colonies, protectorates and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "First French Colonial Empire", that existed until 1814, by which time most of it had been lost or sold, and the "Second French Colonial Empire", which began with the conquest of Algiers in 1830. At its apex between the two world wars, the second French colonial empire was the second-largest colonial empire in the world behind the British Empire.

History

Early history of the institution

The Gendarmerie is the direct descendant of the Maréchaussée ("Marshalcy") of the ancien regime. The Maréchaussée lasted from medieval times until the French Revolution.[1]

During the Middle Ages, there were two Grand Officers of the Kingdom of France with police responsibilities: The Marshal of France and the Constable of France. The military policing responsibilities of the Marshal of France were delegated to the Marshal's provost, whose force was known as the Marshalcy because its authority ultimately derived from the Marshal. The Marshalcy dates back to the Hundred Years' War, with some historians tracing it back to the early 12th century.[1]

The second organisation, the Constabulary (Connétablie), was under the command of the Constable of France. The constabulary was regularised as a military body in 1337.[1]

In 1415 the Maréchaussée fought in the Battle of Agincourt and their commander, the Prévôt des Maréchaux (Provost of the Marshals), Gallois de Fougières, was killed in battle. This history was rediscovered in 1934, and Gallois de Fougières was then officially recorded as the first known gendarme to have died in the line of duty. His remains are now buried under the monument to the gendarmerie in Versailles.

Under King Francis I (r. 1515–1547), the Maréchaussée was merged with the Constabulary. The resulting force was also known as the Maréchaussée, or, formally, the Constabulary and Marshalcy of France (connétablie et maréchaussée de France). Unlike the former constabulary, the new Maréchaussée was not a fully militarized force.

In 1720, the Maréchaussée was officially attached to the Household of the King (Maison du Roi), together with the gendarmerie of the time, which was not a police force at all, but a royal guard. During the eighteenth century, the marshalcy developed in two distinct areas: increasing numbers of Marshalcy Companies (compagnies de marechaussée), dispersed into small detachments, were stationed around the French countryside to maintain law and order, while specialist units provided security for royal and strategic sites such as palaces and the mint (e.g., the garde de la prévôté de l'hôtel du roi and the prévôté des monnaies de Paris.)

While its existence ensured the relative safety of French rural districts and roads, visitors from England, which had nothing but the not very effective parish constables, saw the Maréchaussée, with its armed and uniformed patrols, as royal soldiers with an oppressive role and so a symbol of foreign tyranny. [5] On the eve of the 1789 French Revolution, the Maréchaussée numbered 3,660 men divided into small brigades (a "brigade" in this context being a squad of ten to twenty men). Their limited numbers and scattered deployment rendered the Maréchaussée ineffective in controlling the "Great Fear" of July through August, 1789.[6][7]

The Revolutionary Period

During the revolutionary period, the Maréchaussée commanders generally placed themselves under the local constitutional authorities. Despite their connection with the king, they were therefore perceived as a force favoring the reforms of the French National Assembly.

As a result, the Maréchaussée Royale was not disbanded but simply renamed as the gendarmerie nationale.[8] Its personnel remained unchanged, and the functions of the force remained much as before. However, from this point, the gendarmerie, unlike the Maréchaussée, became a fully militarized force. During the revolutionary period, the main force responsible for policing was the National Guard. Although the Maréchaussée had been the main police force of the ancien regime, the gendarmerie was initially a full-time auxiliary to the National Guard militia.[1]

In 1791 the newly named gendarmerie nationale was grouped into 28 divisions, each commanded by a colonel responsible for three départements. In turn, two companies of gendarmes under the command of captains were based in each department. This territorial basis of organisation continued throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

Nineteenth century

Under Napoléon, the numbers and responsibilities of the gendarmerie—renamed gendarmerie impériale—were expanded significantly. In contrast to the mounted Maréchaussée, the gendarmerie were both horse and foot personnel; in 1800, these numbered approximately 10,500 of the former and 4,500 of the later, respectively.

In 1804 the first Inspector General of Gendarmerie was appointed and a general staff established—based out of the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré in Paris. Subsequently, special gendarmerie units were created within the Imperial Guard for combat duties in French occupied Spain.

Following the Second Restoration of 1815, the gendarmerie was reduced in numbers to about 18,000 and reorganised into departmental legions. Under King Louis Phillippe a "gendarmerie of Africa" was created for service in Algeria and during the Second Empire the Imperial Guard Gendarmerie Regiment was re-established. The majority of gendarmes continued in what was now the established role of the corps—serving in small, sedentary detachments as armed rural police. Under the Third Republic the ratio of foot to mounted gendarmes increased and the numbers directly incorporated in the French Army with a military police role reduced.[9]

In 1901, the École des officiers de la gendarmerie nationale was established to train its officers.

Battle honours

Gendarmes on patrol
Gendarmes on patrol
Cavalry of the Garde républicaine
Cavalry of the Garde républicaine

Five battles are remembered on the flag of the Gendarmerie:

  • Battle of Hondschoote (1793): Four hundred gendarmes of the 32nd Division (equivalent of a regiment under the Revolution) engaged in battle on the left wing of the army. They seized enemy artillery positions and lost 117 men.
  • Villodrigo (1812): The 1st legion of Gendarmerie on horseback, belonging to the Brigade of Cavalry of the Army of the North, clashed with the British cavalry on 23 October 1812. Charging with sabres, they penetrated enemy lines killing 250 and taking 85 prisoners. Colonel Béteille, commanding the brigade, received twelve sabre cuts, but he survived.
  • Taguin (1843): Thirty gendarmes on horseback were mobilised to take part in tracking the tribe of the emir Abd-El-Kader and participated in his capture. In a painting by Horace Vernet, which immortalises the scene and hangs in the Musée de Versailles, the gendarmes appear alongside the Algerian Governor-General, Henri d'Orléans, duc d'Aumale.
  • Sevastopol (1855): Two infantry battalions of the Regiment of Gendarmerie of the Imperial Guard participated in taking the city. The 1st battalion seized a strategic position that contributed towards the final victory. A total of 153 Gendarmes fell during this siege.
  • Indo-China (1945/1954): Three legions of infantrymen from the Republican Guard (3000 men) were formed at the end of 1946. Charged with the formation of the Cochin China Civil Guard, they assumed security roles and patrolled the borders, suffering heavy losses: 680 were killed or went missing and 1,500 were wounded.

The National Gendarmerie is still sometimes referred to as the maréchaussée (being the old name for the service). The gendarmes are also occasionally called pandores, which is a slang term derived from an 18th-century Hungarian word for "frontier guards." The symbol of the gendarmerie is a stylized grenade, which is also worn by the Italian Carabinieri and the Grenadier Guards in Britain. The budget in 2008 was approximately 7.7 billion euros.[10]

The equivalent Dutch force, Royal Marechaussee, uses officially the old French term--which King William I, when assuming power after the fall of Napoleon, considered preferable to "gendarmerie".

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Maréchaussée

Maréchaussée

The Maréchaussée were corps of soldiers in the armies of France initially put in charge of military policing and justice in the Middle Ages, and later extended to civilian responsibilities. They gradually coalesced into a police force with jurisdiction over the entire population on almost the entire territory of France. They retained powers of extraordinary justice until the French Revolution.

Middle Ages

Middle Ages

In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and transitioned into the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. The Middle Ages is the middle period of the three traditional divisions of Western history: classical antiquity, the medieval period, and the modern period. The medieval period is itself subdivided into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages.

Great Officers of the Crown of France

Great Officers of the Crown of France

The Great Officers of the Crown of France were the most important officers of state in the French royal court during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration. They were appointed by the King of France, with all but the Keeper of the Seals being appointments for life. These positions were neither transmissible nor hereditary.

Marshal of France

Marshal of France

Marshal of France is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) and for a period dormant (1870–1916). It was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration, and one of the Grand Dignitaries of the Empire during the First French Empire.

Constable of France

Constable of France

The Constable of France was lieutenant to the King of France, the first of the original five Great Officers of the Crown and the commander-in-chief of the Royal Army. He was, at least on paper, the highest-ranking member of the French nobility.

Hundred Years' War

Hundred Years' War

The Hundred Years' War was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagenet and the French royal House of Valois. Over time, the war grew into a broader power struggle involving factions from across Western Europe, fuelled by emerging nationalism on both sides.

Constabulary

Constabulary

Constabulary may have several definitions:A civil, non-paramilitary (police) force consisting of police officers called constables. This is the usual definition in the United Kingdom, in which all county police forces once bore the title. Constables also exist in some U.S. states including Texas. In English-speaking Canada, the starting rank of all police officers is Constable. The provincial police service of Newfoundland and Labrador is the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary. This term reflects the force’s history of having been modelled after the Royal Irish Constabulary. In this case, Constabulary is used in the same sense in which it is used in the UK. A large civil police force organised and trained along military lines, which may contain paramilitary elements. This is the usual definition in places outside Great Britain such as the former Royal Irish Constabulary, the former Royal Ulster Constabulary, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, Jamaica Constabulary Force. A military or paramilitary type force consisting of soldiers trained for police duties. Mostly established by the United States in the several countries over which it had protective status e.g. Philippine Constabulary; United States Constabulary in West Germany after World War II. These forces also performed military functions by maintaining "mobile forces" of organised units.

Battle of Agincourt

Battle of Agincourt

The Battle of Agincourt was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerically superior French army boosted English morale and prestige, crippled France, and started a new period of English dominance in the war that would last for 14 years until France defeated England in the Siege of Orléans in 1429.

Francis I of France

Francis I of France

Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once removed and father-in-law Louis XII, who died without a son.

French Revolution

French Revolution

The French Revolution was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considered fundamental principles of liberal democracy, while the values and institutions it created remain central to French political discourse.

Great Fear

Great Fear

The Great Fear was a general panic that took place between 22 July to 6 August 1789, at the start of the French Revolution. Rural unrest had been present in France since the worsening grain shortage of the spring, and, fuelled by rumors of an aristocrats' "famine plot" to starve or burn out the population, both peasants and townspeople mobilized in many regions.

Departments of France

Departments of France

In the administrative divisions of France, the department is one of the three levels of government under the national level, between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety-six departments are in metropolitan France, and five are overseas departments, which are also classified as overseas regions. Departments are further subdivided into 332 arrondissements, and these are divided into cantons. The last two levels of government have no autonomy, instead serving as the basis of local organisation of police, fire departments and, sometimes, administration of elections.

Missions

The French Republican Guard is part of the National Gendarmerie and provides security as guards of honour during official ceremonies.
The French Republican Guard is part of the National Gendarmerie and provides security as guards of honour during official ceremonies.

In French, the term "police" not only refers to the forces, but also to the general concept of "maintenance of law and order" (policing). The Gendarmerie's missions spans three categories:

  • Administrative police (police administrative), upholding public order, safety checks and traffic controls, assistance to people in imminent danger, protection duties, etc.
  • Judicial police (police judiciaire), handling penal law enforcement and investigation of crimes and felonies
  • Military and defense missions, including military police for the armed forces

These missions include:

  • The policing of the countryside, rivers, coastal areas, and small towns with populations under 20,000, that are outside of the jurisdiction of the French National Police. The Gendarmerie's area of responsibility represents approx. 95% of the French territory and 50% of the population of France
  • Criminal investigations under the supervision of the judiciary
  • Maintaining law and order in public gatherings and demonstrations, including crowd control and other security activities
  • Police at sea
  • Security of airports, civil nuclear sites and military installations
  • Provision of military police services to the French military—on French territory as well as during foreign operations (OPEX)
  • For the Republican Guard (Garde républicaine—which is part of the Gendarmerie), participation in the state's protocol and ceremonies

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Administrative police (France)

Administrative police (France)

Administrative police in France are French police tasked with preventing disturbances to the ordre public. and ensuring the public peace and preventing crime. Ordre public or public peace in a society includes public tranquility, safety and well-being. Two types of ordre public exist:Management that protects the general interest of society; Protection of the most vulnerable, generally by a more powerful party, for example of a consumer or a non-professional from a professional, or of a tenant from a landlord. Similarly labour law also falls into this category.

Judicial police (France)

Judicial police (France)

Judicial police in France are responsible for the investigation of criminal offenses and identification of perpetrators. This is in contrast to Administrative police in France, whose goal is to ensure the maintenance of public order and to prevent crime. Article 14 of the Code of Criminal Procedure provides the legal basis for the authority of the Judicial police.

Military police

Military police

Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear military reconnaissance, logistic traffic management, counterinsurgency, and detainee handling.

Republican Guard (France)

Republican Guard (France)

The Republican Guard is part of the French National Gendarmerie. It is responsible for special security duties in the Paris area and for providing guards of honour at official ceremonies of the French Republic.

Organization

Basic principles

The Gendarmerie, while remaining part of the French armed forces, has been attached to the Ministry of the Interior since 2009. Criminal investigations are run under the supervision of prosecutors or investigating magistrates. Gendarmerie members generally operate in uniform, and, only occasionally, in plainclothes.

Director-General

The Director-general of the Gendarmerie (DGGN) is appointed by the Council of Ministers, with the rank of Général d'Armée. The current Director-General is Général Christian Rodriguez who took office on November 1, 2019.[11]

The Director-General organizes the operation of the Gendarmerie at two levels:

  • At the operational level. The DGGN is in charge of plans, operations, procurement, training and support of the forces in the field.
  • In an advisory position for government in all matters pertaining to the Gendarmerie.

Directorate-General

The Gendarmerie headquarters, called the Directorate-General of the National Gendarmerie (Direction générale de la Gendarmerie nationale (DGGN))[12]), long located in downtown Paris, relocated in 2012 to the southern suburb of Issy-les-Moulineaux.

The Directorate-General of the national gendarmerie includes:[12]

  • The general staff, divided into offices and services,
  • The inspector-general of the Gendarmerie (I.G.G.N.)
  • Three main directorates
    • Human Resource directorate (D.P.M.G.N.)
    • Finance and Support directorate (D.S.F.)
    • Operations directorate (D.O.E.)—The general, chief of the Operations directorate, has authority on:
      • Organisation and evaluation subdirectorate,
      • International co-operation subdirectorate,
      • Defence and public order subdirectorate,
      • Public safety and road traffic safety subdirectorate,
      • Criminal Investigation subdirectorate.
  • Two joint Gendarmerie/Police offices
    • Joint Information systems office (ST(SI)2)
    • Joint purchasing office (SAELSI)

Organization

The main components of the organization are Departmental Gendarmerie, Mobile Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, Overseas Gendarmerie, five specialized Gendarmerie branches, Provost Gendarmerie and Intervention Group of the National Gendarmerie.[4] The above-mentioned organizations report directly to the Director General (DGGN) with the exception of the Republican Guard, which reports to the Île-de-France region.

Departmental Gendarmerie

Four Departmental Gendarmes with a former uniform
Four Departmental Gendarmes with a former uniform

The Departmental Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Départementale), also named «La Blanche»[note 1] (The White), is the most numerous part of the Gendarmerie, is in charge of policing small towns and rural areas. Its territorial divisions are based on the administrative divisions of France, particularly the departments from which the Departmental Gendarmerie derives its name. The Departmental Gendarmerie carries out the general public order duties in municipalities with a population of up to 20,000 citizens.[13] When that limit is exceeded, the jurisdiction over the municipality is turned over to the National Police.

It is divided into 13 metropolitan regions[note 2] (including Corsica), themselves divided into groupements (one for each of the 100 département, thus the name), themselves divided into compagnies (one for each of the 342 arrondissements).

It maintains gendarmerie brigades throughout the rural parts of the territory. There are two kind of brigades:

  • Large autonomous territorial brigades (BTAs)
  • Brigade groups composed of smaller brigades supervised by a larger one (COBs).

In addition, it has specialised units:

  • Research units, who conduct criminal investigations when their difficulty exceeds the abilities of the territorial units
  • Surveillance and intervention platoons (PSIGs), who conduct roving patrols and reinforce local units as needed.
  • Specialized brigades for prevention of juvenile delinquency
  • Highway patrol units.
  • Mountain units, specialised in surveillance and search and rescue operations, as well as inquiries in mountainous areas

In addition, the Gendarmerie runs a national criminal police institute (Institut de recherche criminelle de la gendarmerie nationale) specializing in supporting local units for difficult investigations.

The research units may be called into action by the judiciary even within cities (i.e. in the National Police's area of responsibility). As an example, the Paris research section of the Gendarmerie was in charge of the investigations into the vote-rigging allegations in the 5th district of Paris (see corruption scandals in the Paris region).

Gendarmes normally operate in uniform. They may operate in plainclothes only for specific missions and with their supervisors' authorisation.

Mobile Gendarmerie

Mobile gendarmes during a demonstration
Mobile gendarmes during a demonstration

The Mobile Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Mobile), also named « La Jaune » (The Yellow), it is organized in seven Regions of the Mobile Gendarmerie (one for each of the seven military regions of metropolitan France, called (Zones de Défense). It comprises 18 Groupings (Groupements de Gendarmerie mobile) featuring 109 squadrons[note 3] for a total of approx. 11,300 personnel.[14]

Its main responsibilities are:

  • crowd and riot control
  • general security in support of the Departmental Gendarmerie
  • military and defense missions
  • missions that require large amounts of personnel (Vigipirate counter-terrorism patrols, searches in the countryside...)

Nearly 20% of the Mobile Gendarmerie squadrons are permanently deployed on a rotational basis in the French overseas territories. Other units deploy occasionally abroad alongside French troops engaged in military operations (called external operations or OPEX).

GBGM riot control training
GBGM riot control training

The civilian tasks of the mobile gendarmerie are similar to those of the police units known as Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS), for which they are often mistaken. Easy ways to distinguish them include:

  • the uniform of the CRS is dark blue, the mobile gendarmerie are clad in black jackets and dark blue trousers;
  • the CRS wear a big red CRS patch; the gendarmes have stylised grenades.
  • the helmet of the mobile gendarmerie is blue. The CRS helmet is black with two yellow stripes

The Mobile Gendarmerie includes GBGM (Groupement Blindé de la Gendarmerie Nationale), an Armoured grouping composed of seven squadrons equipped with VXB armoured personnel carriers, better known in the Gendarmerie as VBRG (Véhicule Blindé à Roues de la Gendarmerie, "Gendarmerie armoured wheeled vehicle"). It is based at Versailles-Satory. The unit also specializes in CBRN defense.

Republican Guard

Republican Guard—Élysée Palace, Paris
Republican Guard—Élysée Palace, Paris

The Republican Guard is a ceremonial unit based in Paris. Their missions include:[15]

Overseas Gendarmerie

The non-metropolitan branches include units serving in the French overseas départements and territories (such as the Gendarmerie of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon), staff at the disposal of independent States for technical co-operation, Germany, security guards in French embassies and consulates abroad.

Five specialized Gendarmerie branches

Air Gendarmerie

The Air Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie de l'Air) is placed under the dual supervision of the Gendarmerie and the Air Force, it fulfills police and security missions in the air bases, and goes on the site of an accident involving military aircraft.[15]

Maritime Gendarmerie

Placed under the dual supervision of the Gendarmerie and the Navy, its missions include:[15]

  • police and security in the naval bases;
  • maritime surveillance;
  • police at sea;
  • assistance and rescue at sea.
Air Transport Gendarmerie

The Air Transport Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie des Transports Aériens) is placed under the dual supervision of the Gendarmerie and the direction of civilian aviation of the transportation ministry, its missions include:[15]

  • police and security in civilian airfields and airports;
  • filtering access to aircraft, counter-terrorism and counter-narcotic activities, freight surveillance;
  • surveillance of technical installations of the airports (control tower...);
  • traffic control on the roads within the airports;
  • protection of important visitors;
  • judiciary inquiries pertaining to accidents of civilian aircraft.
Ordnance Gendarmerie

The Ordnance Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie de l'Armement) fulfills police and security missions in the establishments of the Délégation Générale pour l'Armement (France's defence procurement agency).[15]

Nuclear ordnance security Gendarmerie
Nuclear ordnance security Gendarmerie insignia
Nuclear ordnance security Gendarmerie insignia

The Nuclear ordnance security Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie de la sécurité des armements nucléaires, GSAN) was created in 1964.[16] It is directly subordinated to the Ministry of Armed Forces and plays a major role in the security chain of the nuclear devices.[17]

The main mission of this specific branch is to secure the government's control over all the nuclear forces and weapons. The security of the civil nuclear powerplants and research establishments is provided by specialized units of the Departmental Gendarmerie. More specifically, the gendarmes of this unit are responsible for ensuring the protection and the readiness of the different kinds of missiles used by the French Navy and Air Force.

In order to do so, the GSAN is composed of his own units and of units from other branches of the gendarmerie, temporary placed under its command like squadrons of the Mobile Gendarmerie to protect the convoys of nuclear weapons components. For instance, a special security platoon can be deployed on board of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to secure the nuclear weapons carried on the ship.[18]

Provost Gendarmerie

The Provost Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie prévôtale), created in 2013, is the military police of the French Army deployed outside metropolitan France. The functions of military police for the French Army on French soil are fulfilled by units of the Departmental Gendarmerie.[19]

National Gendarmerie Intervention Group

GIGN operators
GIGN operators

GIGN (Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale) is one of the two premier Counter-terror formations of France. Its counterpart within the National Police is the RAID. Operatives from both formations make up the protective detail of the French President (the GSPR). Its missions include counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, surveillance of national threats, protection of government officials and targeting of organized crime.[20]

GIGN was established in 1974 following the Munich massacre. Created initially as a relatively small police tactical unit specialized in sensitive hostage situations, it has since grown into a larger and more diversified force of nearly 400 members.[note 4]

Many of its missions are classified, and members are not allowed to be publicly photographed. Since its formation, GIGN has been involved in over 1,800 missions and rescued more than 600 hostages, making it one of the most experienced counter-terrorism units in the world.[21] The unit came into prominence following its successful assault on a hijacked Air France flight at Marseille Marignane airport in December 1994.

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Issy-les-Moulineaux

Issy-les-Moulineaux

Issy-les-Moulineaux is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France, lying on the left bank of the river Seine. Its citizens are called Isséens in French. It is one of Paris' entrances and is located 6.6 km (4.1 mi) from Notre-Dame Cathedral, which is considered Kilometre zero of France. On 1 January 2010, Issy-les-Moulineaux became part of the Grand Paris Seine Ouest agglomeration community, which merged into the Métropole du Grand Paris in January 2016.

Departmental Gendarmerie

Departmental Gendarmerie

The Departmental Gendarmerie is the territorial police branch of the French National Gendarmerie. The Departmental Gendarmerie has regular contact with the population and conducts local policing functions throughout the French territory.

Administrative divisions of France

Administrative divisions of France

The administrative divisions of France are concerned with the institutional and territorial organization of French territory. These territories are located in many parts of the world. There are many administrative divisions, which may have political, electoral (districts), or administrative objectives. All the inhabited territories are represented in the National Assembly, Senate and Economic and Social Council and their citizens have French citizenship and elect the President of France.

Departments of France

Departments of France

In the administrative divisions of France, the department is one of the three levels of government under the national level, between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety-six departments are in metropolitan France, and five are overseas departments, which are also classified as overseas regions. Departments are further subdivided into 332 arrondissements, and these are divided into cantons. The last two levels of government have no autonomy, instead serving as the basis of local organisation of police, fire departments and, sometimes, administration of elections.

Regions of France

Regions of France

France is divided into eighteen administrative regions, of which thirteen are located in metropolitan France, while the other five are overseas regions.

Juvenile delinquency

Juvenile delinquency

Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is the act of participating in unlawful behavior as a minor or individual younger than the statutory age of majority. In the United States of America, a juvenile delinquent is a person who commits a crime and is under a specific age. Most states specify a juvenile delinquent, or young offender, as an individual under 18 years of age while a few states have set the maximum age slightly different. In 2021, Michigan, New York, and Vermont raised the maximum age to under 19, and Vermont law was updated again in 2022 to include individuals under the age of 20. Only three states, Georgia, Texas, and Wisconsin still appropriate the age of a juvenile delinquent as someone under the age of 17. While the maximum age in some US states has increased, Japan has lowered the juvenile delinquent age from under 20 to under 18. This change occurred on April 1, 2022 when the Japanese Diet activated a law lowering the age of minor status in the country. Just as there are differences in the maximum age of a juvenile delinquent, the minimum age for a child to be considered capable of delinquency or the age of criminal responsibility varies considerably between the states. Some states that impose a minimum age have made recent amendments to raise the minimum age, but most states remain ambiguous on the minimum age for a child to be determined a juvenile delinquent. In 2021, North Carolina changed the minimum age from 6 years old to 10 years old while Connecticut moved from 7 to 10 and New York made an adjustment from 7 to 12. In some states the minimum age depends on the seriousness of the crime committed. Juvenile delinquents or juvenile offenders commit crimes ranging from status offenses such as, truancy, violating a curfew or underage drinking and smoking to more serious offenses categorized as property crimes, violent crimes, sexual offenses, and cybercrimes.

Highway patrol

Highway patrol

A highway patrol, or state patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is primarily concerned with such duties. They are also referred to in many countries as traffic police, although in other countries this term is more commonly used to refer to foot officers on point duty who control traffic at junctions.

Search and rescue

Search and rescue

Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search is conducted over. These include mountain rescue; ground search and rescue, including the use of search and rescue dogs; urban search and rescue in cities; combat search and rescue on the battlefield and air-sea rescue over water.

5th arrondissement of Paris

5th arrondissement of Paris

The 5th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as le cinquième.

Foreign service

Gendarmerie units have served in:

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Syria

Syria

Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a Western Asian country located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It is a unitary republic that consists of 14 governorates (subdivisions), and is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east and southeast, Jordan to the south, and Israel and Lebanon to the southwest. Cyprus lies to the west across the Mediterranean Sea. A country of fertile plains, high mountains, and deserts, Syria is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including the majority Syrian Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Assyrians, Circassians, Armenians, Albanians, Greeks, and Chechens. Religious groups include Muslims, Christians, Alawites, Druze, and Yazidis. The capital and largest city of Syria is Damascus. Arabs are the largest ethnic group, and Sunni Muslims are the largest religious group. Syria is the only country that is governed by Ba'athists, who advocate Arab socialism and Arab nationalism. Syria is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Lebanon

Lebanon

Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lies to its west across the Mediterranean Sea; its location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has contributed to its rich history and shaped a cultural identity of religious diversity. It is part of the Levant region of the Middle East. Lebanon is home to more than five million people and covers an area of 10,452 square kilometres (4,036 sq mi), making it the second-smallest country in continental Asia. The official language of the state is Arabic, while French is also formally recognized; Lebanese Arabic is used alongside Modern Standard Arabic throughout the country.

Algeria

Algeria

Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in North Africa. Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia; to the east by Libya; to the southeast by Niger; to the southwest by Mali, Mauritania, and Western Sahara; to the west by Morocco; and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea. It is considered part of the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has a semi-arid geography, with most of the population living in the fertile north and the Sahara dominating the geography of the south. Algeria covers an area of 2,381,741 square kilometres (919,595 sq mi), making it the world's tenth largest nation by area, and the largest nation in Africa, being more than 200 times as large as the smallest country in the continent, The Gambia. With a population of 44 million, Algeria is the tenth-most populous country in Africa, and the 32nd-most populous country in the world. The capital and largest city is Algiers, located in the far north on the Mediterranean coast.

Kosovo

Kosovo

Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a partially recognised state in Southeast Europe. It lies at the centre of the Balkans. Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008, and has since gained diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 101 member states of the United Nations. It is bordered by Serbia to the north and east, North Macedonia to the southeast, Albania to the southwest, and Montenegro to the west. Most of central Kosovo is dominated by the vast plains and fields of Metohija and Kosovo field. The Accursed Mountains and Šar Mountains rise in the southwest and southeast, respectively. Its capital and largest city is Pristina.

Multinational Specialized Unit

Multinational Specialized Unit

The Multinational Specialized Unit (MSU), is a unit of the Italian Carabinieri, dedicated to the military missions abroad, including the military and civilian police tasks, peacekeeping operations, crowd and riot control.

Rwanda

Rwanda

Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is highly elevated, giving it the soubriquet "land of a thousand hills", with its geography dominated by mountains in the west and savanna to the southeast, with numerous lakes throughout the country. The climate is temperate to subtropical, with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons each year. Rwanda has a population of over 12.6 million living on 26,338 km2 (10,169 sq mi) of land, and is the most densely populated mainland African country; among countries larger than 10,000 km2, it is the fifth most densely populated country in the world. One million people live in the capital and largest city Kigali.

Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is the port city of Abidjan. It borders Guinea to the northwest, Liberia to the west, Mali to the northwest, Burkina Faso to the northeast, Ghana to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. Its official language is French, and indigenous languages are also widely used, including Bété, Baoulé, Dioula, Dan, Anyin, and Cebaara Senufo. In total, there are around 78 different languages spoken in Ivory Coast. The country has a religiously diverse population, including numerous followers of Islam, Christianity, and indigenous faiths such as Animism.

Haiti

Haiti

Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island which it shares with the Dominican Republic. To its south-west lies the small Navassa Island, which is claimed by Haiti but is disputed as a United States territory under federal administration. Haiti is 27,750 km2 (10,714 sq mi) in size, the third largest country in the Caribbean by area, and has an estimated population of 11.4 million, making it the most populous country in the Caribbean. The capital is Port-au-Prince.

Central Africa

Central Africa

Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Middle Africa is an analogous term used by the United Nations in its geoscheme for Africa and consists of the following countries: Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, and São Tomé and Príncipe. These eleven countries are members of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). Six of those countries are also members of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) and share a common currency, the Central African CFA franc.

Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, Tajikistan to the northeast, and China to the northeast and east. Occupying 652,864 square kilometres (252,072 sq mi) of land, the country is predominantly mountainous with plains in the north and the southwest, which are separated by the Hindu Kush mountain range. Kabul is the country's largest city and serves as its capital. As of 2021, Afghanistan's population is 40.2 million, composed of ethnic Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Qizilbash, Aimak, Pashayi, Baloch, Pamiris, Nuristanis, and others.

Uniforms

Camouflage Central-Europe (CCE) uniform in Gendarmerie use.
Camouflage Central-Europe (CCE) uniform in Gendarmerie use.

The uniform of the Gendarmerie has undergone many changes since the establishment of the corps. Throughout most of the 19th century a wide bicorne was worn with a dark blue coat or tunic. Trousers were light blue. White aiguillettes were a distinguishing feature. In 1905 the bicorne was replaced by a dark blue kepi with white braiding, which had increasingly been worn as a service headdress. A silver crested helmet with plume, modelled on that of the French cuirassiers, was adopted as a parade headdress until 1914. Following World War I a relatively simple uniform was adopted for the Gendarmerie, although traditional features such as the multiple-cord aiguillette and the dark blue/light blue colour combination were retained.

Since 2006 a more casual "relaxed uniform" has been authorised for ordinary duties (see photograph below). The kepi however continues in use for dress occasions. Special items of clothing and equipment are issued for the various functions required of the Gendarmerie. The cavalry and infantry of the Republican Guard retain historic ceremonial uniforms dating from the 19th century.

Gallery

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Camouflage Central-Europe

Camouflage Central-Europe

The Camouflage Central-Europe is the standard camouflage pattern of the French Armed Forces.

Bicorne

Bicorne

The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered) is a historical form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by European and American army and naval officers. Most generals and staff officers of the Napoleonic period wore bicornes, which survived as widely-worn full-dress headdress until the 20th century.

Kepi

Kepi

The kepi is a cap with a flat circular top and a peak, or visor. In English, the term is a loanword of French: képi, itself a re-spelled version of the Alemannic German: Käppi, a diminutive form of Kappe, meaning "cap". In Europe, this headgear is most commonly associated with French military and police uniforms, though versions of it were widely worn by other armies during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In North America, it is usually associated with the American Civil War, as it was worn by soldiers on both sides of the conflict.

Renault Mégane

Renault Mégane

The Renault Mégane, also spelled without the acute accent as Megane, especially in languages other than French, is a small family car produced by the French car manufacturer Renault for model year 1996, and was the successor to the Renault 19. The Mégane has been offered in three- and five-door hatchback, saloon, coupé, convertible and estate bodystyles at various points in its lifetime, and having been through four generations is now in its fifth incarnation.

Shield

Shield

A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of active blocks, as well as to provide passive protection by closing one or more lines of engagement during combat.

Gas mask

Gas mask

A gas mask is a mask used to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Most gas masks are also respirators, though the word gas mask is often used to refer to military equipment, the scope used in this article. The gas mask only protects the user from digesting, inhaling, and contact through the eyes. Most combined gas mask filters will last around 8 hours in a biological or chemical situation. Filters against specific chemical agents can last up to 20 hours.

Ranks

NATO code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 OF(D) Student officer
Rank title Général d'armée Général de corps d'armée Général de division Général de brigade Colonel Lieutenant-Colonel Chef d'Escadron Capitaine Lieutenant Sous-Lieutenant Aspirant Élève-officier
Departmental Gendarmerie No equivalent France (Gendarmerie) OF-9.svg France (Gendarmerie) OF-8.svg France (Gendarmerie) OF-7.svg No equivalent Col gd.svg Lcl gd.svg Cen gd.svg Cne gd.svg Ltn gd.svg Slt gd.svg Aspirant gend.svg Élève officier eogn.svg
Air Transport Gendarmerie
Armament Gendarmerie
France Mobile Gendarmerie Général brigade gend.svg Col gm.svg Lcl gm.svg Cen gm.svg Cne gm.svg Ltn gm.svg Slt gm.svg
Republican Guard Col gr.svg Lcl gr.svg Cen gr.svg Cne gr.svg Ltn gr.svg Slt gr.svg
Air Gendarmerie OF6-GBR Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg OF5-COL Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg OF4-LCL Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg OF3-CEN Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg OF2-CNE Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg OF1-LTN Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg No equivalent No equivalent
Maritime Gendarmerie OF6-GBR Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OF5-COL Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OF4-LCL Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OF3-CEN Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OF2-CNE Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OF1-LTN Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg
Technical and Administrative Service No equivalent Col cta.svg Lcl cta.svg Cdt cta.svg Cne cta.svg Ltn cta.svg Slt cta.svg Élève OCTA eogn.svg
NATO code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 OF(D) Student officer
NATO code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
Rank title Major Adjudant-chef Adjudant Maréchal des Logis-Chef Gendarme Gendarme sous contrat Élève Sous-officer Gendarme Adjoint Maréchal-des-logis Gendarme Adjoint Brigadier Chef Gendarme Adjoint Brigadier Gendarme Adjoint première classe Gendarme Adjoint
Departmental Gendarmerie Major gd.svg Adc gd.svg Adj gd.svg No equivalent Mdc gd.svg Gend gd.svg Gend sc gd.svg Élève esog.svg Gav mdl.svg Gav bch.svg Gav bri.svg Gav 1cl.svg Gav gav.svg
Air Transport Gendarmerie
Armament Gendarmerie
France Mobile Gendarmerie Major gm.svg Adc gm.svg Adj gm.svg Mdc gm.svg Gend gm.svg Gend sc gm.svg
Republican Guard Major gr.svg Adc gr.svg Adj gr.svg Mdc gr.svg Gend gr.svg Gend sc gr.svg
Air Gendarmerie OR9-MAJ Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg OR9-ADC Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg OR8-ADJ Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg OR6-MDC Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg OR5-GND SOC Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg No equivalent OR5-MDL Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg OR4-BRC Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg OR3-BRI Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg OR2-GA1 Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg OR1-GAV Rank French Air Gendarmerie.svg
Maritime Gendarmerie OR9-MAJ Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OR9-ADC Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OR8-ADJ Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OR6-MDC Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OR5-GND SOC Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OR5-MDL Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OR4-BRC Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OR3-BRI Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OR2-GA1 Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg OR1-GAV Rank French Maritime Gendarmerie.svg
Technical and Administrative Service Major cstag.svg Adc cstag.svg Adj cstag.svg Mdc cstag.svg Mdl carriere cstag.svg Mdl sc cstag.svg Élève esog cstagn.svg No equivalent
NATO code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1

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Army general (France)

Army general (France)

Army general is the highest active military rank of the French Army and the National Gendarmerie. It is also used in the Air and Space Force, where it is called Général d'armée aérienne.

Army corps general

Army corps general

An army corps general or corps general is a rank held by a General officer who commands an army corps. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. Normally, the rank is above the divisional general and below the army general, so it usually corresponds to the lieutenant general. However, in some countries such as Spain, Brazil, and Peru, the rank of army corps general is not used, in Spain the rank of army corps general is replaced by the rank of lieutenant general, while in some countries such as Brazil and Peru, the rank of army general is immediately above that of divisional general.

Divisional general

Divisional general

Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps general.

Brigadier general

Brigadier general

Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000 troops.

Colonel

Colonel

Colonel is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.

Captain (armed forces)

Captain (armed forces)

The army rank of captain is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to the command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces, but usually refers to a more senior officer. Today, a captain is typically either the commander or second-in-command of a company or artillery battery. In the Chinese People's Liberation Army, a captain may also command a company, or be the second-in-command of a battalion.

Lieutenant

Lieutenant

A lieutenant is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.

Aspirant

Aspirant

Aspirant is a rank in the Argentinian Armed Forces, Belgian Air Component, Brazilian military, Estonian Defence Forces, French military, Italian Air Force, Polish Police, Polish State Fire Service, Portuguese military, Romanian Navy, Royal Canadian Navy and Swiss military.

Departmental Gendarmerie

Departmental Gendarmerie

The Departmental Gendarmerie is the territorial police branch of the French National Gendarmerie. The Departmental Gendarmerie has regular contact with the population and conducts local policing functions throughout the French territory.

Air Transport Gendarmerie

Air Transport Gendarmerie

The Air Transport Gendarmerie (GTA) is a branch of the French Gendarmerie placed under the dual supervision of the Gendarmerie and the Directorate General for Civil Aviation of the Transportation Ministry.

France

France

France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. It also includes overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, giving it one of the largest discontiguous exclusive economic zones in the world. Its metropolitan area extends from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea; overseas territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean. Its eighteen integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 km2 (248,573 sq mi) and had a total population of over 68 million as of January 2023. France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre; other major urban areas include Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Lille, Bordeaux, and Nice.

Air Gendarmerie

Air Gendarmerie

The Air Gendarmerie is the unit of the French Gendarmerie protecting the Air bases of the French Air and Space Force and investigating aviation accidents and incidents when a military aircraft is involved, whether it belongs to the Air force or to any other military branches.

Personnel

As of 31 December 2018, the National Gendarmerie consisted of approx. 98,000 personnel units. Career gendarmes are either commissioned or non-commissioned officers. The lower ranks consist of auxiliary gendarmes on limited-time/term contracts. The 102,269 personnel of the National Gendarmerie is divided into:[2]

  • 6,203 officers and 74,105 NCOs of gendarmerie;
  • 595 officers and 4,592 NCOs of the technical and administrative body;
  • 12,602 section volunteers, from voluntary gendarmes (AGIV) and voluntary assistant gendarmes (GAV);
  • 4,424 civilian personnel are divided into civil servants, state workers and contracted workers;
  • 66,425 reserve personnel. This reserve force had not yet reached the authorised size limit. Only 25,000 men and women were signed up for reserve engagements (E.S.R.).

This personnel mans the following units:

Départemental Gendarmerie
  • 1,055 Community brigades;
  • 697 autonomous brigades ;
  • 370 Surveillance and Intervention Platoons (PSIG);
  • 271 Dog-handling Teams;
  • 17 Mountain Platoons;
  • 92 Departmental Brigades for Investigations and Judicial Services;
  • 383 Research sections and brigades;
  • 14 Air Sections;
  • 7 River Brigades;
  • 26 Coastal brigades;
  • 93 departmental squadrons for roadway security;
  • 136 Highway Platoons;
  • 37 brigades for the prevention of juvenile delinquency;
  • 21 Centers for Information and Recruitment.
Gendarmerie Mobile
  • 108 squadrons
  • 6 Special Security Platoons.
Special formations
  • 5 squadrons and 10 companies of Republican Guard;
  • 40 brigades of gendarmerie for air transports and research sections (BGTA);
  • 8 Protection Units;
  • 19 Air sections and detachments;
  • 18 gendarmerie armament units.
Other units
  • 3 673 personnel overseas posts;
  • 74 brigades and postes of the maritime gendarmerie;
  • 54 brigades of Air Gendarmerie;
  • 23 schools and Instruction Centers.[22]

Prospective Centre

The Gendarmerie nationale's Prospective Centre (CPGN), which was created in 1998 by an ordinance of the Minister for Defence, is one of the gendarmerie's answers to officials' willingness to modernise the State. Under the direct authority of the general director of the gendarmerie, it is located in Penthièvre barracks on Avenue Delcassé in Paris and managed by Mr Frédéric LENICA, (assisted by a general secretary, Colonel LAPPRAND) "maître des requêtes" in the Conseil d'Etat.[23]

Equipment

Cars

The gendarmerie uses many different French cars, like Renault Megane and Peugeot Partner.

Helicopters

The Gendarmerie has used helicopters since 1954. They are part of the Gendarmerie air forces (Forces aériennes de la Gendarmerie or FAG—not to be confused with the Air Gendarmerie or the Air Transport Gendarmerie). FAG units are attached to each of the seven domestic "zonal" regions and six overseas COMGEND (Gendarmerie commands). They also operate for the benefit of the National Police which owns no helicopters (the Police also has access to Civil Security helicopters).

As of 2014, Gendarmerie air forces (FAG) operate a fleet of 56 machines belonging to three types and specialized in two basic missions: surveillance/intervention and rescue/intervention.[24]

Gallery

SIG Sauer Pro SP 2022, French service weapon (police, gendarmerie, prison administration and customs) with PROPRIETE DE L'ETAT ("property of the State") engraved on the slide.
SIG Sauer Pro SP 2022, French service weapon (police, gendarmerie, prison administration and customs) with PROPRIETE DE L'ETAT ("property of the State") engraved on the slide.

Weapons

The Gendarmerie use as service pistol the Sig-Sauer SP 2022 - like almost all French law enforcement agencies.

Also in common use are:

This list is completed by less-lethal weapons like the LBD-40 (a 40mm plastic ball launcher), the Taser x26 and Pepper Spray.

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Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil

Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil

The Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil, now Airbus Helicopters H125, is a single-engine light utility helicopter originally designed and manufactured in France by Aérospatiale and Eurocopter. In North America, the AS350 is marketed as the AStar. The AS355 Ecureuil 2 is a twin-engine variant, marketed in North America as the TwinStar. The Eurocopter EC130 is a derivative of the AS350 airframe and is considered by the manufacturer to be part of the Écureuil single-engine family.

Eurocopter EC135

Eurocopter EC135

The Eurocopter EC135 is a twin-engine civil light utility helicopter produced by Airbus Helicopters. It is capable of flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) and is outfitted with a digital automatic flight control system (AFCS). First flying on 15 February 1994, it entered service in 1996 and 1,400 have been delivered up to September 2020 to 300 operators in 60 countries, accumulating over 5 million flight hours. It is mainly used for helicopter emergency medical services, corporate transport, law enforcement, offshore wind support, and military flight training. Half of them are in Europe and a quarter in North America. The H135M, certified under the name Eurocopter EC635, is a military variant.

SIG Pro

SIG Pro

The SIG Pro is a series of semi-automatic pistols developed by SIG Sauer in Exeter, New Hampshire. It became the first polymer-frame handgun from SIG Sauer and one of the first pistols to feature a built-in universal accessory rail and interchangeable grips. Offerings in the series are chambered in .40 S&W, .357 SIG, or 9×19mm Parabellum. As of March 2020, only the SP 2022 variant is still listed on the SIG Sauer website. The SIG Pro was marketed as a lightweight and compact alternative to the "legacy" SIG Sauer handguns in an increasingly competitive and budget-oriented law enforcement market.

Law enforcement agency

Law enforcement agency

A law enforcement agency (LEA) is any government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.

Heckler & Koch MP5

Heckler & Koch MP5

The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, including some semi-automatic versions.

Heckler & Koch UMP

Heckler & Koch UMP

The Heckler & Koch UMP is a submachine gun developed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch. Heckler & Koch developed the UMP as a lighter and cheaper successor to the MP5, though both remain in production. The UMP has been adopted for use by various countries including Brazil, Canada, and the United States. A small number of UMPs chambered in .45 ACP were officially purchased by the 5th Special Forces Group of the United States Army Special Forces, with some of the weapons seeing limited service in the early years of the Iraqi insurgency, making them among the small number of submachine guns deployed by the U.S. military in recent conflicts.

FAMAS

FAMAS

The FAMAS is a bullpup assault rifle designed and manufactured in France by MAS in 1978, a year after the Austrian Steyr AUG. It is known by French troops as Le Clairon due to its distinctive shape. The FAMAS is recognised for its high rate of fire at 1,100 rounds per minute. Beginning in 2017, the FAMAS was replaced in most frontline units in the French Army by the HK416F, and the FAMAS is expected to remain in limited service until 2028.

Heckler & Koch G36

Heckler & Koch G36

The Heckler & Koch G36 (Gewehr 36) is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle designed in the early 1990s by German weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch as a replacement for the heavier 7.62×51mm G3 battle rifle. It was accepted into service with the Bundeswehr in 1997, replacing the G3. Since then, it has also been a popular export, and the G36 has seen active service in military and police units in several countries, including Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The G36 is gas-operated and feeds from a 30-round detachable box magazine or 100-round C-Mag drum magazine.

Beretta 92

Beretta 92

The Beretta 92 is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The Beretta 92 was designed in 1975, and production began in 1976. Many variants in several different calibers continue to be used to the present.

Taser

Taser

A TASER is a Conducted Energy Device used to incapacitate people, allowing them to be approached and handled in an unresisting and thus safe manner. It is sold by Axon, formerly TASER International. It fires two small barbed darts intended to puncture the skin and remain attached to the target, at 55 m/s. Their range extends from 4.5 m (15 ft) for non-Law Enforcement Tasers to 10.5 m (34 ft) for Law Enforcement Tasers. The darts are connected to the main unit by thin insulated copper wire and deliver a modulated electric current designed to disrupt voluntary control of muscles, causing "neuromuscular incapacitation." The effects of a taser may only be localized pain or strong involuntary long muscle contractions, based on the mode of use and connectivity of the darts.

Pepper spray

Pepper spray

Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, or capsicum spray is an inflammatory agent used in policing, riot control, crowd control, and self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears. Its inflammatory effects cause the eyes to close, temporarily taking away vision. This temporary blindness allows officers to more easily restrain subjects and permits people in danger to use pepper spray in self-defense for an opportunity to escape. It also causes temporary discomfort and burning of the lungs which causes shortness of breath.

Source: "National Gendarmerie", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2022, December 30th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Gendarmerie.

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See also
General
Notes
  1. ^ After the colour of the silver stripes that the gendarmes wear on their kepis, as opposed to the golden stripes of the Mobile Gendarmerie.
  2. ^ Since 2016, metropolitan France has been divided into 12 administrative regions.
  3. ^ Squadron in the British sense of the term. The equivalent US unit would be a troop or a company.
  4. ^ circa 570 with the regional branches.
References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e Gendarmerie nationale; Sirpa Gendarmerie (2016-10-16). "La gendarmerie, héritière des maréchaussées" [The Gendarmerie, successor of the maréchaussées]. French Ministry of Interior (in French). Retrieved 2021-12-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Memogend 2019". French Ministry of Interior (in French). 2016-10-16. p. 72. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  3. ^ "Loi du 28 germinal an VI (17 avril 1798) relative à l'organisation de la gendarmerie nationale". Loi No. 28 of 1798 (in French).
  4. ^ a b "Nos composantes". French Ministry of Interior (in French). 2016-10-16. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  5. ^ Alexis de Tocqueville, page 108 "The Old Regime and the Revolution"
  6. ^ Brown, Howard G. (29 November 2007). Ending the French Revolution. pp. 189–190. ISBN 978-0-8139-2729-9.
  7. ^ Schama, Simon (1989). Citizens. A Chronicle of the French Revolution. p. 430. ISBN 0-670-81012-6.
  8. ^ "Loi du 16 Février 1791" [Law of 16 February 1791]. Loi of 1791 (in French).
  9. ^ Edouard Detaille, pages 281-293, "L'Armee Francaise", ISBN 0-9632558-0-0
  10. ^ "2008 Budget Bill, French Senate". Senat.fr. 2010-12-21. Archived from the original on 2017-06-06. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
  11. ^ "Directeur général". French Ministry of Interior (in French). 2016-10-16. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  12. ^ a b "La direction générale de la gendarmerie nationale". French Ministry of Interior (in French). 2016-10-16. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  13. ^ "Comment sont définies les zones police et gendarmerie - Le Parisien". Leparisien.fr. Archived from the original on 2017-09-08. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
  14. ^ "French National Gendarmerie". FIEP. 16 May 2011. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  15. ^ a b c d e "Gendarmerie - SPECIAL BRANCHES". Archived from the original on 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
  16. ^ "La Gendarmerie de la Sécurité des Armements Nucléaire". defense.gouv. 2017-04-17. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  17. ^ TERTRAIS, Bruno (2019). French Nuclear Deterrence Policy, Forces, and Future: A Handbook. PARIS: Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique. p. 63. ISBN 978-2-490100-17-0.
  18. ^ "Des gendarmes à bord du « Grand Charles »". gendinfo.fr (in French). 2021-06-03. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
  19. ^ "Devenir Gendarme Départemental 2022 : missions, salaire, recrutement" (in French). Retrieved 2021-11-21.
  20. ^ Peachy, Paul. "Who are GIGN? Elite police force formed after 1972 Olympics attack on Israelis". The Independent. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  21. ^ Gend'Info (the Gendarmerie's information magazine), December 2014 issue.
  22. ^ "Gendarmerie - Répartition des effectifs". Archived from the original on 2010-06-26. Retrieved 2008-12-25.
  23. ^ "Gendarmerie - Gendarmerie Nationale's Prospective Centre (CPGN)". Archived from the original on 2008-12-12. Retrieved 2008-12-25.
  24. ^ Cabirol, Michel (2014-11-04). "Hélicoptères : quand la gendarmerie se tire une balle dans le pied". La Tribune (in French). Retrieved 2021-12-09.

Sources

External links

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