8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment

8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment
8e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine
Active	28 February 1951 – present (same unit, different designations) 8e B.P.Colonial 1951 8e G.C.P 1952 8e B.P.Choc 1953 8e R.P.C 1956–1958 8e R.P.I.Ma 1958 – present
Country	France
Branch	Marine Troops French Army
Type	Airborne regiment
Role	Air assault Close-quarters combat Direct action Parachuting Reconnaissance Urban warfare Long-range penetration
Size	1200 men and women
Part of	11th Parachute Brigade 3rd Division
Garrison/HQ	Castres, France
Motto(s)	Volontaire (Volunteer)
Colors	Blue and red
Anniversaries	Saint-Michel Day
Engagements	First Indochina War Battle of Hòa Bình Battle of Dien Bien Phu Algerian War Lebanese Civil War 1975–1990 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Multinational Force 1982–1984 Gulf War War on Terror (2001-Present) War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
Commanders
Current commander	Philippe du Chaxel
Notable commanders	Guy Le Borgne Pierre Tourret François Cann
Insignia
Insignia of the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment
Abbreviation	8e RPIMa

The 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment (French: 8^e Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine, 8^e RPIMa) is an airborne regiment of the Troupes de Marine. The 8^e RPIMa was created on 28 February 1951 and the men wear the red beret. It is part of the 11th Parachute Brigade.

The regiment is garrisoned at Castres, France.^[1] Current missions of the 8^e RPIMa revolve around peacekeeping and assistance to world populations, and in that regard at the service and disposition of NATO or the United Nations directives. The regiment intervenes around the world protecting French interests in and not limited to: Chad, Lebanon, New Caledonia, Kuwait, Rwanda, Gabon, Kurdistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, RDC, ex-Yugoslavia, Cambodia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Ivory Coast, and Afghanistan. Overseas, the regiment is engaged in operations defending French interests, or countries that are in liaison with France in security missions. In Europe, the regiment is engaged in defending the national French territory at the corps of the terrestrial action force. This regiment can be rapidly deployed anywhere in the world. The regiment parts various Commando Parachute Groups, a group of French elite units. Parachute training is conducted at the École des troupes aéroportées (ETAP) in Pau.