French Gendarmerie National

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FRENCH GENDARMERIE NATIONAL

Larry J. Smithv.1.0 March 15, 2005

Overview

Like other European countries, notably Italy, France does not entrust the maintenance of law andorder to a single police force or to a single minister. Thus the policing in France is primarily theresponsibility of two national law enforcement components being of remarkably differentcharacter

The Gendarmerie National, under the Minster of Defense, which polices rural areas andsmall towns with populations of less than 10,000 and

The Police National, under the Minister of the Interior, responsible for policing Paris and provincial urban jurisdictions with populations of more than 10,000.

The National Gendarmerie is the model for most of the worlds paramilitary police forces,especially those that were formerly part of the French colonial empire. It is organized on militarlines and its personnel are quartered in barracks (Casernes), which ensures public safety,maintenance of order and the rule of law. It also plays a role in the defense of France. It also plays a role in the defense of the nation. Its field of action covers the entire nation, both withinmainland France and the overseas territories.

The Gendarmerie is primarily responsible for the protection of the population and infrastructure.

To this end it undertakes policing roles:

- Criminal investigation which includes the identification of crimes, misdemeanors andcontravention, this pursuit of offenders and the collection of evidence;

- Administrative police which is based on the exercise of continuous monitoring, in contractwith the public.

The Gendarmerie also plays an important role in the military defense of France:

- In peacetime, it participates I the government control of the nuclear forces, theadministration of the reserves, and the preparation of mobilization:

- In time of crisis, it continues to fulfill its normal roles and, with the support of thereserves, plays a part I the operational defense of the territory by collecting intelligence,ensuring the security of key points and engaging in combat operations alongside theother services.

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personnel management and, naturally., its military duties. As a force set up to ensure publicsecurity, the gendarmerie guarantees the protection of persons and goods, informs, alerts and provides assistance. It is also in charge of maintain public order, ensuring compliance with thelaw and contributing to the nations defense and international activities. All its personnel and thediversity of its resources enable the gendarmerie to achieve optimum results for all the

ministerial departments.All members of the Gendarmerie and their families are housed in barracks, which number over4,000 and they mostly belong to local authorities and not always to the Ministry of Defense.

GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF THE GENDARMERIE

At the national level, the National Gendarmerie is headed by the General Directorate of the National Gendarmerie, headquartered at Rue Saint-Didier, Paris XVI district. However, the

expansion with the passing years made necessary the occupation of eleven other sites distributein the capital and on the outskirts of the city.

The general direction is a body which takes part in the correct operations of the Institution. Itworks:

- for the units of the ground and for their profit (at the regional level, the areas and thelegions are the essential interfaces so that the decisions taken in Paris correspond well tothe needs felt in the field);

- as an assistance organ to the political decision for all this that concerns the French policeforce in central administration (budget, employment. ..).

Director General of the National Gendarmerie

Responsible to the Minster of Defense, a senior magistrate, the General Directorate of theGendarmerie, assisted by three general officers of the Gendarmerie, is responsible for workingout a doctrine concerning the use of this force and deciding what general line their activitiesought to follow. He also heads the Military Justice Service.

The Director-General does not only control the Gendarmerie in France; he is also in charge oftheGendarmerie on duty overseas , and of provost police with the armed forces of France. Directlyattached to his office are the central administrative and technical services.

The current Director-General is General of the Army Guy Parayre, but is not always a highmilitary officer but mostly is a high ranking civil official. General Parayre replaced a highranking civilian official, M. Pierre Mutz, on December 6, 2004.

He is assisted by the:

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Major General (Chief of Staff) Charge of Missions for the Director General Charge of Missions of Communication

The general direction of the national gendarmerie also includes:

- a cabinet, articulated in offices and services- an inspection of gendarmerie (IGN)- three services including each subdirectorate,

Inspection of the National Gendarmerie (I.G.N.)

It is headed by the Inspector of the Gendarmerie, currently General of the Army Jean-LouisFournaise, who acts as a permanent adviser to the Minister for everything that has to do with theorganization, preparation and utilization of his units. In particular for:

- the judicial investigations into the state of the personnel of the Gendarmerie.- the control and advise administrative formations of the Gendarmerie as well as the economicalanalysis of the management led by these same formations- the measures of prevention and control relating to hygiene, the safety and the workingconditions.

Inspection for the administration and service of the gendarmerie Technical Inspection Audit Bureau

Service of Human Resources

The Chief of the Service of Human Resources, currently General Phillipe Chevillard, directs themanagement of the whole of the personnel of the Gendarmerie, was well as the policy ofrecruitment and training of mentioned personnel. It carries out its duties through the followingoffices:

Office of General Studies Office of Reserve Personnel Sub-direction of Recruitment and Education Sub-direction for Personnel

Service of Plans and Means (S.P.M.) The General Controller of the Army Yann Marchadour, the Chief of the Service of the Plans andMeans, translated budgetary objective of the gendarmerie into plans and programs. He is assiste by the Charges of mission (three colonels), Charge of Projects (a Lieutenant-colonel) and aTechnical Adviser (a Commissioner Colonel). It also includes:

Sub-direction of Administration and Finance Sub-direction of Infrastructure and Equipment

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Sub-direction of Telecommunication and Information

Service of the Operations and Employment (S.O.E.)

The Chief of Service, Division General Grard Rmy, has authority on

- Section Analysis Prevention- the subdirectorate of the organization and Evaluation,- the subdirectorate of International Cooperation,- the subdirectorate of Defense and Law and Order- the subdirectorate of Public Safety and Road Safety- the subdirectorate of the Criminal Investigation Department

He is also assisted by the Senior Adjunct Officers (a colonel), and the Charge of Mission (acolonel)

Other subordinate agencies and services of the General Directorate includes:

Administrative Center of the National Gendarmerie (C.A.G.N.) Technical Center of the National Gendarmerie (C.T.G.N.) Central Photographic Laboratory (L.P.C.) Engineering department of Legal Research and Documentation (S.T.R.J.D.) National Center of Legal Reconciliation (C.N.R.J.) Center for Improvement of Department Criminal Investigation (C.P.P.J.) Special Grouping of Safety

It employs 2991 active military, 423 volunteers and 363 civilian personnel (figures 2004).

NATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE GENDARMERIE

It is by privileging the contact with the population, of day like night, that the departmentalgendarmerie contributes to general public safety. It devotes more than 54% of its activity to thismission of protection of the people and the goods, whereas 40% are devoted to the exercise ofthe Criminal Investigation Department.

Restructuring the National Gendarmerie

Besides the substantial reform of its armed forces, France also changed the way the country wasdivided up for defense purposes so as to ensure that not only the human and material resources, but also the command structure can be rapidly be made available.

Under the current structure the France has seven military zones (ZMD - Zone militaire dedfense) in the of the former nine military districts CMD - Circonscription militaire de dfense).

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Under this new system, established between 1 July 200 and 1 July 2003, it is possible tooptimize the use of military assets both for national defense and for public service missions, withthe twin air of ensuring both civilian/military and inter-service coordination. So, fitting in withthe civilian central government organization of the countrys public service and civilian /militaryinterface command structure. Within each of the seven military zones, a military zone general

officer (OGZD), supported by his staff, exercises the responsibilities of military adviser to thezone's prfet

(A prfet is a senior civil servant who represents the State in his/her region). This slim structure placed under the authority of the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, will be responsible locally forthe forces contribution to protecting the local area and population.

In each department, the departmental military delegate military adviser to the departmental prfet, represents the military zone general officer.

The geographical breakdown of the different armed forces had been organized to fit in with this

new system. The gendarmerie, which assists the prfets office in its civil defense missions, hasadapted its structures to the new organization.

The Region of Gendarmerie corresponds, on the administrative level, to the military zone ofdefense and on the military level with the military district of defense. The general, thecommander of the gendarmerie region, exerts his authority on the units of departmentalgendarmerie and mobile gendarmerie established in his area. Their jurisdiction regardingorganization and deployment covers many domains. Regarding defense, the region commanderof Gendarmerie (a member of the committee of defense of the zone) determines the methods ofthe participation of the national gendarmerie in the mission of civil defense with the prefect ofthe zone. For this reason, it directs and controls the preparation and the action of the formations

which are subordinate to him/her. It also exercises the command in DOT of the formations of thegendarmerie (installation of the means, operations, information, intervention).

The commander of the Region of Gendarmerie intervenes indifferent mission of differentnatures:

- law and order- nuclear safety- the organization of the weapons- the Criminal Investigation Department- the instruction of the personnel

- road trafficThe Commander of the Gendarmerie Region Command is assisted by a staff that hasresponsibility for:

- setting and maintenance in condition of the formations- relations with civil authorities- instruction

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- security of the formations and installations- Organization of the movements, transportation...- service of garrison- infrastructure- environment

- preparation and control of the reorganizations- housing- general discipline and penal matters- management and administration of the personnel- recruitment- reconversion- social action- management and instructions of the reserves- military preparation- communications.

The General and his staff is subordinate to the General Director of the National Gendarmerie inParis.

Currently the National Gendarmerie is dived into the following Gendarmerie Regions:

Parisienne (Ile -de-France) (HQ Paris) covers the administrative departments of Essonne,Hauts-de-Seine, Paris, Seine-et-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, and Yvelines;

Nord (North) (Lille) covers the administrative regions of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Picardie

Ouest (West) (Rennes) covering the administrative regions of Basse-Normandie, Bretagne,

Center, Haute-Normandie, and Pays de la Loire.Sud-Ouest (Southeast) (Bordeaux) covers the administrative regions of Aquitaine,

Limousin, Midi-Pyrns, and Poitou-Charentes.

Sud (South) (Marseille) covers the administrative regions of Corse (Corsica),Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence-Alpes-Cte dAzur.

Sud-Est (Southeast) ( Lyon) covers the administrative regions of Auvergne and Rhne-Alpes.

Nord-Est (Northeast) ( Metz) covering the administrative regions of Alsace, Bourgogne,Champagne-Ardenne, Franche-Comt, and Lorraine.

DEPARTMENTAL GENDARMERIE

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The Lgions of Departmental Gendarmerie

Subordinated to the commander of the region, the commander (a colonel) of departmental lgionof gendarmes exerts the organic command of the whole of the Groupements (Grouping) of theDepartmental Gendarmerie and mobile gendarmes established on the territory of an

administrative region. It also has one or more sections for investigations. While the latter areliable to be moved to anywhere in France, the Departmental Gendarmerie are permanentlystationed in a particular Region. The Republican Guard is permanently stationed in a particularregion.

The Commanding officer of a Legion is in close contract with the Prfect, the states legalrepresentative of the French Administrative region (similar to a state governor in the USA).

To conclude his missions, the commander of the Legion of Departmental Gendarmerie has aStaff and various services and units.

- territorial grouping units (groupements)companies and brigades

- Units of SurveillancePlatoons of Surveillance and intervention of the gendarmeri

- Units of InvestigationsSections research units and brigades of research

- Units of Highway SecuritySquadron, brigades and platoons

TheStaff of the Legions includes:

- an office of human resources- an office of organizational evaluation controls- a telecommunications and data processing section- a command section- a logistic service- a health service- a recruitment and information center

Currently there are 22 Legions of Departmental Gendarmerie, corresponding to 22 FrenchAdministrative regions.

Grouping of Departmental Gendarmerie

The Grouping is the level of command of the departmental gendarmerie on the level of adepartment. The Departmental Grouping of the Gendarmes is installed with he chief town of thedepartment of which it bears the name.

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- the commander of grouping is a head of departmental department

The commander of a grouping is responsible for the service of the Gendarmerie in the wholedepartment is a superior officer, of the rank of lieutenant colonel or colonel. He has authority

over the officers, grade, assistant gendarmes, gendarmes and civil personnel belonging to thecompanies, the departmental squadron of safety and associated, established in the department.

Its attributions:

- he is at the same time in command of a unit and a departmental service chief;- it assist the prefect for all that relates to the participation of the gendarmerie in the missions ofcivil defense:- he is the adviser of the prefect, concerning the law and order (information, use of the forces);- it plays an important part in the field of the safety of the people and the good, plans Regionaland local plans of security;

- it coordinates the legal activities of the gendarmerie in the department. It analyze, compares,interprets and makes the synthesis of the past matters or in progress for better directing the actioof its subordinates;- it maintains the frequent relations with the magistrates of its district;- it animates, coordinates and control the activity of the unit commanders concerning formation(preparation of the candidates OPJ, meetings of officers)

- To assist it in the execution of its missions it lays out: - of our assistant officers (second in command; opeation-employment; human resources;logistical support).

The Commander of grouping and his assistants have a group of command and services ofsupport to perform their functions.

* The operational center of the gendarmerie (COG), created in 1991, functions 24H/24. Itsoperators collect:

The night, emergency call (number 17) Calls of the terminals of calls urgently established along the trunk roads. Calls carried out starting from the cellular telephones in all the department. Alarms of principal perceptions of the department. Telephone alarms of certain military and prefectoral establishments, as well as authorized

companies of remote monitoring.The COG ensures:

The follow-up of the patrols in service and the events. The follow-up of significant transport. The implementation of the various research plans, help or interventions with the profit of

the significant points.

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Transmission of information to the authorities having to know some and reports with thehierarchy under the control of the commander of grouping.

The center is in permanent connection with the other groupings and public services (policeforces, firemen, SAMU, etc.).

* The Cell Information (electronic intelligence) is charged with the collection, the treatment,the exploitation and the diffusion of the information of law and order and defense to theauthorities having the right and the need to know some

* The Service of Telecommunications and Data processing (S.T.I.) ensures the maintenanceof the telephone, hertzian networks and data processing of all the units of departmentalgendarmerie.

* The Secretariat is in charge of the administrative tasks.

* The Service Car Pool maintains the unit automobile park of the grouping* The Service of Land Affairs (A1) is responsible for rental and administrative management ofthe barracks buildings of service and residences, follow-up of the building sites)

* The Social service helps the order to regulate the human problems and equipment of themilitary officers and of their families.

Currently there are 97 Groupements of Departmental Gendarmerie, corresponding to the 97administrative departments (counties) France is divided into. The Commander (a colonel) of thegrouping maintain close contact with the Deputy Commissar of the Republic.

Gendarmerie Companies

A region contains several territorial departments, themselves subdivided into arrondissements(districts). An arrondissement contains communes (municipalities with elected councils andmayors) and cantons (electoral districts). The headquarters of the companies of theDepartmental Gendarmerie are usually situated with the seat of a sub-prefecture, which give itsname, and its circumscription covers in theory an administrative district (arrondissement)

The companies are commanded by senior officers (chief of squadron) or subalterns (captain)according to the importance of the district.

The commander of a company directs, coordinates and controls the action of the territorial units(brigades, PSIG) in the fields of Criminal Investigation department and administrative policeforce.

It gives the motive necessary while intervening itself in the field and by taking the direction ofcertain missions (judicial inquiries, research, operations of help, etc..). It is in relation to - the

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The territorial brigades with the CBs are called territorial brigades of proximity (brigadesterritoriales de proximit - BTP), while brigades not effected by the reorganization are referredto as autonomous territorial brigades (autonomus brigades territoriales - BTA)

The NCOs in charge of a brigade may be either a Marchal-des-Logis-Chef (MDLC/Chief

Sergeant), or an Adudant (Warrant Officer Class II), or an Adjundant-Chef (W.O. Class I),according to the total strength of the unit.

Currently there are 3,607 BTs. Of these 93 are Brigades Dpartmentales de ReseignementJudicaire, especially tasked with criminal intelligence collection; and 5 are River Brigades(Brigades Fluviales) for river patrol duties.

Overseas Presents

Create on January 5,1990, the command of the gendarmerie overseas (CGOM) is a staff levelRegion of Gendarmerie which manages the formations established in the departments, the

regional or territorial groups of the overseas territoriesAn integral part of the Territorial Gendarmerie, the following units, representing some 3,000 personnel, are based in Frances overseas departments and territories:

The Command of the Gendarmerie of Guadeloupe;The Command of the Gendarmerie of MartiniqueThe Command of the Gendarmerie of GuyanaThe Command of the Gendarmerie of ReunionThe Command of the Gendarmerie of St. Pierre and Miquelon (Eastern Canadian Coast)The Command of the Gendarmerie of French Polynesia

The Command of the Gendarmerie of New Caledonia and Wallis and Futuna.The whole of the formations of overseases represents:

- 166 brigades, 22 groupings of company commands and 2 permanant stations (le du Salutthe three ponds);

- 13 motorized brigades;- 6 groups of mobile groups (Gpm) to 1 command group; 1 platoon of armored vehicles

with wheels (VBRG) and 1 intervention group;- 14 platoons of surveillance and intervention of the gendarmerie and 1 platoon of

surveillance and intervention with horses (Nepoui [New Caledonia])

- 5 air sections- 10 nautical brigades- 6 gendarmerie brigades of air transports;- 6 brigades of judicial investigations (4 BDRJ and 2 BRJT in Noumea and Papeete);- 4 brigades for prevention of juvenile delinquency (BPDJ) in Saint-Denis, Papeete,

Pinte-A-Pirtre and Fort de France);- 17 brigades of investigation- 1 platoon of gendarmerie of high mountain (Saint-Denis)

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15 squadrons of gendarmes mobile and two 2 staffs of grouping GM are deployed permanentlyas reinforcement of the territorial units for the maintenance of law and order the reinforcement omissions for general public safety.

The CGOM also manages the soldiers being useful in provost units in external operations(Central Europe - the Near East - Africa) and the designated personnel affected of the staff ofembassies.

The Grouping for External Operations is attached to the CGOM which manages the 52 officersand warrant officers of this unit under development for the training of the staff of European police forces.

Specialized Units

The legions and companies activities tend to vary greatly according to whether it is operating in

a border area, a heavily industrialized environment, or a district regularly frequented by tourists.Thus the action of the territorial units is supplemented by various units with particular vocations

Investigation Sections (Brigade de Recherches - BR, Departmental Brigades of JudicialInvestigation - BDRJ, sections of investigation - SR) that assist the Company Commander withthe criminal investigations he has to conduct on behalf of the local magistrates that requires a particular technicality or a great availability: such as drug abuse and white collar crimes.

Surveillance and Intervention Platoons (Peloton de Surveillance et dIntervention de laGendarmerie - PSIG). They are rapid-reaction reserve units in support of the territorial brigadesto face unforeseen events or particular situations. Its mission of intervention precede their

surveillance mission. Usually commanded by an adjudant, the PSIG count nine NCOs of activein general and 12 auxiliary gendarmes or assistant gendarmes. Numbering some 227, they are placed under the Comapny commanders.

Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Brigades (Brigades de Prvention de la Dlinquance Juvnile- BPDJ) were created in 1997 with the missions of prevention with regard to the young people,due to vandalism and youth criminality.

Gendarmerie Mountain Platoons (Pelotons de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne - PGHM):The Gendarmerie possesses specialized units consisting of career personnel or under contract, belonging to the mountain specialty, and of qualified auxiliary policemen. It is comprised ofPlatoons of Gendarmerie of High Mountain (PGHM) and the Gendarmerie Surveillance andMountain Platoons (PGM).

The PGHMs are established in each of the departments of the massive alpine mountains andPyenean mountains as well as in the Corsican High. They have a territorial scope extended to thdepartment and , as a need, to the mass of mountains of which they have the possibility to

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intervene, They are especially intended for the missions of help, the judicial concomitantinvestigations and to exercise as the administrative police force.

The PGM are situated in the Vosges, the Jura and the Central mountain masses. They have aterritorial jurisdiction and perform the same mission as the PGHM. Only the equipment in

material are different.Currently the mountain gendarmes numbers 260 (10 officers, 250 warrant officers) mountainspecialists divided into 20 units, each with 26-28 men, attached to territorial brigades:

15 high mountain platoons attached to the companies at Chamonix, Brianon, Grenoble,Bourg St Maurice, Modane, Annecy, Jausiers, St-Sauveur-sur-Tine, Pierrefite Nestalas,Bagnres-de-Luchon, Oloron-Ste-Marie, Savignac-les-Ormeaux, Osseja, Corte,St-Denis-de-La-Runion.

5 Surveillance and Mountain Platoons with the companies in Xongrupt, Munster, Les

Rousses, Murat, and Le Mont Dore. River Brigades: They take part in the monitoring of the navigable interior ways and the littoral.Their roles includes:

- Technical aid for the execution of judicial inquiries (research of corpse, weapons, stolenobjects, instruments having been used to make an offense);- Research of people missing in aquatic environment- Assistance or rescue, within the limits of the times of intervention of the divers;- Floods;- Generally, any intervention where the action of the divers are likely to be determining to

ensure the safety of the people and the goods.Cavities Exploration Groups of the Gendarmerie (Gropue de Splologie de la GN -GSGN) -To intervene in underground environment, the French police force has access to constitutedsplologues some equips within the gendarmerie company. They intervene on the body of theterritory for the for the needs of judicial police and during research operations and of salvage ofsplologues in distress.

The gendarmerie counts in its ranks approximately 40 military officers possessing asplologie technicality , divide up in two specific units:

The Group of Splologues of the National Gendarmerie of Pyrnes-Atlantique of OloronCompany in Saint Marie (64) - GSGN des PA

The Group of Splologues of the National Gendarmerie of IIlre in Grenoble (38) -GSGN of lIsere.

Departmental Squadron of Road Safety (Escadrons Dpartementaux de Scurit Routire -EDSR):

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The Departmental Squadron of Road Safety gathers all the units of the gendarmerie of the samedepartment which have the role essential to fight against road insecurity.

I - Composition

The EDSR is composed of a group of command under the orders of an officer of the gendarmeriand units specialized with jurisdictions varying according to characteristics of the road network

motorized brigades highway platoons motorized highway brigades rapid intervention brigades

II - Missions

The group of command is established with the position chief of the department. The officer placed at the head has as a role to direct and control the actions of the units of the EDSR.

The motorized brigades (BMO) ensure the missions of circulation and road safety on the roadnetwork of the department for which the responsibility is entrusted to the gendarmerie. Theyhavethe responsibility to carry out their activity in priority on the most important axes. Their methods of intervention are varied: monitoring of the traffic, organizes circulation and transport, escortseducation of the young people, information on the road uses, etc.

The highway platoons (PA) are units firstly dedicated to the execution of the missions of the

police force on the highway axes. Their competence territorial can extend on the expresswaystrip that they supervise, beyond the limits of their department. Their means are adapted in orderto have a permanent capacity for the safe intervention on the highway.

The motorized highway brigades (BMo) firstly ensure the priority of their mission on theexpressways. The missions and the equipment of these units are the same as those of the PA.

The rapid brigades of intervention (BRI) supplement and reinforce the monitoring exerted on thhighway network. Their action is directed towards the search for infringements to difficult toraise differently in the wave of circulation: interception of vehicles moving at very high speeds,irregular change of lanes, non-observance of the distances from safety, etc. They have fast cars

of intervention (VRI) controlled by senior personnel which follows regular training courses. TheVRI can operate in connection with the helicopters of the gendarmerie and are sometimes usedfor transport of bodies.

In addition to the motor cycles and the VRI which distinguish them from the other units of thedepartmental gendarmerie, the specialized units also have means adapted to the nature of theirmissions:

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vehicles standardized (cars or motor cycles) to be based in circulation and to detect graveoffenses:

embarked radar coupled to cameras; equipment of measurement of the harmful effects (noise, smoke, gas)

Currently there are 93 EDSR units in Metropolitan, which include 61 fast brigades ofintervention, 15 motorized brigades, and 3 units overseas

Air Formations of the Gendarmerie

Approximately 370 male and female soldiers of the gendarmerie, are employed by the AirFormations of the Gendarmerie (Formations Ariennes de la Gendarmerie - FAG):

34 officers (of career) including 30 pilots;320 NCOs of the gendarmerie (career up to 55 or 56 years) including 90 pilots (among which 2are female pilots);

15 NCOs of the corps of technical and administrative support of the National Gendarmerie(CSTAGN);3 voluntary assistant gendarmes (one year renewable contract up to 4 times);3 civil personnel of defense.

Composition of the Air Formations of the Gendarmerie The FAG is composed of:

- Central Grouping of the Air Formations of the Gendarmerie (GCFAG), located on the AirBase 107 - 78127 Vlizy-Villacoublay - Air, and which includes;

a staff and a group of instruction, the group of technical support (groupe de soutien technicque - GST) in charge of themechanical follow-up and important repairs, located at La Blance in Indre.

- 26 air sections or air detachments distributed on the whole of metropolitan territory andoverseas (Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, New Caledonia, La Runion).

These units are equipped with three types of helicopters: 8 EC, 145 - 32 Squirrel, 4 Lark III.

The Air Section Depending on availability, the self-contained SAGs posses one or two helicopters each ,a d areadministered by both the Central Group headquarters in Villacoublay, near Paris, ante localDepartmental Gendarmerie commanders for daily operating tasking.

A typical SAG is staffed by six pilots, six flight engineers and four support personnel, and fieldstwo AS350B Ecureuils, which may be split between the section and its detachments.Commander by a Capitan, the SAG covers a large area of the departments.

Missions of the Air Formations of the Gendarmerie

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The Air Formations of the Gendarmerie carry out approximately 16 000 hours of flight perannum. Their missions are very diverse:

Surveillance of major gatherings of people (sporting or cultural events...), of the axes of

circulation... Help people in danger in particular on the sea, lakes and rivers and in mountain,evacuation of casualties.

Investigations - missing people,- of criminals.

Transportation - of organs and medical teams.- operating teams in particular of the GIGN or investigators. Transport to the hospital

of patients.- Transfers of dangerous individuals.

MOBILE GENDARMERIE

The Mobile Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Mobile - GM) is a reserve force which may be directedinto action to assist the Gendarmerie in the event of server disturbances or terrorist threats.Unlike the departmental gendarmerie the GM have no territorial limitations and are frequentlyon missions away from their base. They don not perform local policing tasks, their role isentirely geared to public order duties. As such they are the Gendarmeries equivalent of theC.R.S. Their training and their equipment is in fact superior. Dressed in black uniforms, the have

all the usual personal protections at their disposal: helmets, visors, riot shields, batons, tear gasand offensive grenades, rifles and hand guns. To this impressive armor they bring in addition,machine guns, water cannons, armored transport vehicles, armored combat vehicles, amour personnel carriers (some equipped with bulldozer blades and cranes to clear barricades.

In some grave circumstances, the Mobile Gendarmerie is supplemented by Ministerial Reserveunits temporarily raised by the Departmental Gendarmerie. These units have missions to ofensuring:

- the maintenance of public order;- the general security;- the permanent mission of the zone;- The decentralized formation

Moreover, the general direction of the national gendarmerie solicits, in a cyclic way, thegendarmerie regions is to ensure the missions known as national. For the zone of defense ofParis,the Prefect of zones profits from a permanent reinforcement coming from other zones of defenseThe national missions as follows:

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- missions overseas, in Corsica and external operations (OPEX);- the reinforcement of the defense zone of Paris;- the services and maintenance of law and order exceeding the operational capacities of the

zone;

- The seasonal reinforcements in the summerLegions of Gendarmerie Mobile

The organizational structure of the Gendarmarie Mobile is identical to the DepartmentalGendarmarie, up to the level of the Legion. At the Lgion level, each Lgion commanderreport to the prefect zone defense commander. Each Lgion houses a number of Groupementsand Escadrons, but these have no territorial responsibility.

Subordinated to the commander of the region, the commander of the Legion of gendarmesmobile exerts the organic command of the Groupements of Mobile Gendarmes established on th

territory of his district. Currently there are 7 Lgions of Mobile Gendarmerie (Lgion deGendarmerie Mobile - LGM):

1 LGM d/Ile de France , Maisons-Alfort, Paris vicinity.2 LGM - Bordeaux.3 LGM - Rennes, Britanny.5 LGM - Lyon - Bron.6 LGM - Marseilles.7 LGM - Metz, NE France

Subordinate to the District commander, the legion commander is assisted by a staff.

Mission:

The mobile legion of gendarmes ensures the management and the administration staff placedunder his command and plays also a part in its training. It exerts moreover the administration ofthe formations placed under its authority. It has an operational but and administrative andtechnical support of the departmental legion of gendarmes.

The commander of legion:

- places the units of mobile at the disposal of the applicant authorities- day before with the respect of the provisions which govern the execution of the missions of thgendarmerie and the employment of the personnel- its opinion gives on the request for reinforcement to the profit of the departmentalgendarmerie.

The largest and best equipped Legion is the 1 LGM in Paris. Due to its locations, making it thesingle most important Lgion of the Gendarmerie Mobile, this units consist of the mostgroupements, which includes:

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Groupement II, Melun. Groupement III, Aubervilliers. Groupement IV, Ivry. Groupement V, Beynes.

In addition there is the Armored Group (Groupement Blind de la Gendarmerie Mobile- GBGM based at Versailles - Satory, which provide fire support with its 90-mm guns. Its missionincludes territorial defense in the event of serious threats to the internal security. The unit iscomposed of 2 groups each with 3 armored motorized (VBRG) squadrons and 1 amouredsquadron (VBC-90G) and a squadron of command and support. The squadrons have the capacityfor nuclear, bacteriological, radiological and chemical intervention. Each squadron hastheoretical 120-140 men

Grouping of Gendarmerie Mobile

Subordinate to the Legions are 28 Groupements of Mobile Gendarmerie. A Groupement deGendarmerie Mobile (is usually) headed by a Lieutenant-Colonel and has 4 to 6 squadron underits command.

Missions:

Person in charge for the operational conditioning of the squadrons, the commander of GGMtakes care that its units can constantly make movement under the conditions and timesenvisaged. In connection with the commander of departmental grouping of Gendarmes, itcontrols the deployment of its personnel taking part in the service of the departmentalgendarmerie. The commander of the GGM is the representative of the commander of the Legion

of Gendarmerie Mobile.Unlike the territorial departmental groupement which is covers only a single department, theGGM covers all regions in its Gendarmerie Region that it is located in, and its squadrons arelocated in all the regions. All squadrons are based in metropolitan France, but are deployed toCorsica and othe overseas departments and terrorities as necessary. Usuall deployment overseasis from two to three months for each squadron or sub-unit.

The Squadron (Escadron) is the basic unit of the Gendarmerie Mobile and is headed by a captainof Gendarmerie. It is usually organized into 5 platoons (1 headquarters platoon and 4 mobile platoons). There exist several different types of squadrons.

Motorized Squadrons (Escadrons Ports) - truck -mounted Mechanized Squadrons (Escadrons Mixtes) - armored personnel carriers Armored Squadron (Escadrons Blinds) - part of the 1 Groupement Mobile

Currently there are 128 Escadrons de Gendarmerie Mobile.

Specialized Units of the Gendarmerie Mobile

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Grouping of Security and of Intervention of the National Gendarmerie

An integral part of the mobile gendarmerie, the Grouping of Security and of Intervention of the National Gendarmerie (Groupement de Scurit de dIntervention de la Gendarmerie National -

GSIGN) was create on 1 January 1984. a staff; An Information Center, set up on 1 January 1984, which exempts instruction particular to

other formations or French and foreign administration; the Group of Intervention of the National Gendarmerie (Groupement dIntervention de la

GN - GIGN) created in 1974; the Parachutist and Intervention Squadron of the national gendarmerie (Escadron

Parachutist dIntervention de la GN - EPIGN). the detachment gendarmerie of the Group of Security for the President of the Republic

(Groupement de Scurit de la Prsidence de la Rpublicque - GSPR).

The GSIGN developed three poles of excellence in the fields of safety and protection bringinginto harmony of personalities, the intervention (fight against terrorism and the organized crime,challenges the exaggerated ones, interventions in penitentiary medium...) and observation-research fort the profit of the units of judicial police of the departmental gendarmerie. It takes part in the governmental plans to fight against terrorism.

Approximately 320 men and women, are assigned to the GSIGN); 23 career officers; -approximately 300 NCOs of the gendarmerie.

Composition of the GSIGN

The GSIGN is established in Versailles. Only its center of information is at Beynes. It includesthe following units:

TheStaff with 40 officers and warrant offices.

The Group of Intervention of the National Gendarmerie (GIGN)

The GIGN is one of the best counter-terrorist units in the world, best known for its intervention both at home and abroad. Created in 1974, the GIGN is headed by a Commandant (Major) andhas approximately 110 officers and NCOs. Its missions include:

- Neutralization and arrest of particularly dangerous people;- Intervention at the time of taking of hostage;- Intervention at the time of diversion of planes, ships...;- Intervention at the time of acts of terrorism;- Negotiation, management of crisis.

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The GIGN personnel are all patented parachutists. The units is organized in a cell of command(the commander, the second in command, and three executive officers), and following sections:

Operational Staff Section

The section of operational support is responsible for the management of the units dailyoperations, a capacity of support in operations. Command by an officer (captain or lieutenant), ialigns the following cells: secretariat, innovation, prospective and purchase, programming,instruction, office of the service, mechanics (clerical, technical, logistics, maintenance andtraining staff) mostly made up of former operational groups members (also parachute trained).The programming of theinstruction cell plans the major training, while the instruction cell takes into account theselection, the probationary period and the training of the trainees selected. It should be notedthat this cell also training ERIS teams of the prison authorities, and that it will ensure that of theintervention platoon (P.I) in the long term.

Operational Support Section

Operational Support Section includes the specialized device in management situations forremoval and taking of hostages. Commanded by an officer (captain or lieutenant includes sevenspecialized cells, namely: Special Means, communication, effraction, negotiation, 4-manoperational evaluation, the cynophile (canine group, and the shooting at long distance (sniper).

Operational Sections

The operational sections forms a structure gathering the units with the capacities necessary forthe management of the crisis. Currently, the group aligns 4 operations sections, each commande

by a Captain or a Lieutenant with a Regimental sergeant major or a major for assistant, eachsection includes 2 tactical groups (each with 5 people) commanded by a Marshal of the Home-Chief. Two of the operational groups specialized in underwater interventions and two are madeup of free-fallers.

Two operational groups are kept on 24-hour standby. The high readiness units is operationalwithin 30 minutes after the National Gendarmeries headquarters has requested its intervention.

The four operational groups include 18 intervention divers with 1 and 2 Sections (GIGN hasindicated that theses men are not combat divers), and the 12-18 free-faill parachutist with 3 and Sections. Even though the divers and parachutist belong to the operational sections, they may be

used in their specific role only in the course of an anti-terrorist operation as defined in the PlanPirates (hijack plans) evolve in the 1980s to counter terrorism.

The GIGN is bound by a protocol to the command of the special operations and can, within theframework of operations sensitive to long distance, to work with the parachutists of the 13thRDP or the marine commandos of the Command of the Marine Fusillers Commandos -FORFUSCO).

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Parachutist Squadron of ion of the GN (EPIGN)

The EPIGN, with headquarters in Versailles-Satory, is a especially trained parachutist unit forengagement in operations of scale within the framework of the fight against terrorism andorganized crime.

The unit is currently commanded by a Captain, and composed of 7 officers and 132 NCOs,selected from volunteers from all the units of the gendarmerie. The unit is divided into acommand section and four specialized platoons.

The first platoon is the operational support section, and is composed of 17 men. The second andthird platoons are the units Security and Protection forces. Each is composed of 2 officers and40 NCOs and enlisted troops and specialize in conducting rapid reaction operations, such as NEOs, and VIP protection. They routinely operate alongside of the Security Group of thePresident of theRepublic (Groupe de Scurit de la Prsidence de la Rpublic - GSPR). They are responsible for

providing the protection details to the French Minister of Defense, and the militarys Chief ofStaff. Each platoon also contains a small canine and EOD section. One platoon is always onstandby for immediate deployment to crisis spots, or terrorist incidents.

The last platoon, which is composed of 1 officer and 35 NCOs and enlisted personnel, lisknown as the Investigation and Observation Group ( Groupe dObservation et de Recherche -GOR), and specialized in conducting surveillance and intelligence gathering missions for theunit. The GOR also contains the units combat swimmer trained personnel.

Security Group of the President of the Republic (GSPR)

The GSPR is permanently responsible for the security of the President and his family either it bein an official or private life in France or abroad.

The GSPR, based in Versailles - Satory, a mixed National Police / Gendarmerie units, iscomposed of 52 people, 26 officers and NCOs constitute the component of gendarmerie. It workin collaboration with other units of the gendarmerie or police forces, at home or abroad.Members are not in uniforms, but wear civilian clothing at all times.

SPECIALIZED DEPARTMENTS

REPUBLICAN GUARD

The Republican Guard (Garde Rpublicaine) is based in the Quarteier des Clestins, BoulevardHenry IV, Paris 13. Subordinated to the command of the district of gendarmerie of Island-inFrance in Paris, it is commanded by a general officer.

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The Republican Guard has the role first to ensure the missions of security and the services ofhonor for the benefit of the governmental authorities and the high authorities of the State. Itincludes -

- two regiments of infantry;

- a regiments of cavalry (the last horse-mounted French military unit);- specialized training; orchestras, chorus of the French Army, music, brass band of cavalry,which lend their contest to many operations of public relations in France and abroad.

The Republican Guard has about 2,070 male and female soldiers:

- 38 officers including 1 woman (of career or under contract of a maximum length of 20years)),

- 1,800 NCOs of Gendarmerie of which 70 are women (career up to 55 or 56 years old)- 18 NCOs of the corps of technical and administrative support of the national gendarmerie

(CSTAGN) of which 7 are women.

- 217 volunteers including 47 women (personnel serving under a one year old contract,renewable four times)

1st Regiment of Infantry

Based at Rathelot Casern in Naterre (92), this regiment includes: a staff, 3 companiesdhonneur, 1 company of security of the President of the Republic, and the motorcyclistssquadron.

3 companies of honor - To ensure the military honors at the airports; reception of very high foreign authorities in

visits of State, official or of travail in France (Heads of State, sovereigns, vice-presidents,chiefs of government or crowd princes);

- To ensure the military honors I the national palace: reception of authorities or ceremonies particular to the Elyse, Marigny, with the Senate, the ministry of Defense, and the Ministryof Foreign Affairs;

- To ensure the military honors within the framework of military ceremonies at the time of

the national festivals or other official events manly in Paris, but also if necessary on thewhole of the national territory;

- To reinforce the departmental gendarmerie (road safety, escorts of cycle races and sportingevents, escorts of prisoners, escorts of exceptional convoys, transport of bodies...);

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- To ensure the services of public relations: for the benefit of the Gendarmerie (Gendarmerieappointments, end of promotions ceremonies...) or at civil organizers (fairs, expositions,exhibition...) in France and abroad.

Security Company of the Presidency of the Republic:

The Security Company of the Presidency of the Republic (Compagnie de scurit de laRpublique - CSPR) is responsible for the total security of the residences of the presidency ofthe Republic: Elyse Palace, Marigny Hotel, Chteau de Rambouillet, Fort de Brganon,Chteau de Versilles; and his operations.

Present everywhere, closely relate to the life of the palace, the CSPR assumes all the missionof security and support related to the presidential functions linked to the presidentialfunction, in particular the close security for the head of state and his close relations. Fourteams which take turns day and night, take part in this task. This unit assures the moreremoved security of the principal structures, and of other services: secretariat of the

military order, general service, park automobile, garage, drivers, mechanics, huissiers, photographers, let us plant, couriers, drivers of works, drawing service and impression, mail,and archives...

Presidential Motorcyclist Squadron

The squadron motorcyclist assures the official escort of the Head of the State and contributesa share of the missions of security (escort of high authorities).

It fulfills moreover specific missions:

Transportation of organs, escort sensitive equipment, escorts major national and internationalrace at courses

2nd Regiment of Infantry

Based in Kellermann Barracks (Paris 12me), it includes 4 companies of major services, 2companies of security of the National Palace, and a staff under the command of a lieutenant-colonel. Its total staff complement is of 1350 soldiers divided into 10 influences.

4 companies of major services:

- Missions of honor and security: to the Palace of Luxembourg (Senate), for the PalaceBourbon (National Assembly) and with the constitutional Council;

- Garrison Services: participation in services of honor and security, in particular with theParisian airports;

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- Missions of reinforcement of the departmental gendarmerie thanks to the installation of a platoon of intervention per company;

- Services of public relations to the benefit of the gendarmerie or of private organizations.

1st Company - Kellermannn Barracks (13th District)2nd Company - Babylone Barracks (7th District)3rd Company - Rose Dugny Barracks4th Company - Monge Barracks (5th District)

Under current reorganization plans all companies are to be located in the same location.

2 Security Companies of the National Palaces

The security companies of the National Palaces (CSPN) possess the biggest variety ofmissions.

In fact, deployed in Paris, in the ministries, and with national personalities, they take care ofthe security of eight national palaces and assure the protection of dignitaries of high rank.

Thus, privileged observers of the wheels of political and legal French life, the guards mustshow exemplary, rigor, and absolute discretion.

Guarantor of the security inside the hotel Matiganon where the Prime Minister resides, theyalso help with the harmonious operation of this large house.

With direct contract of the highest authorities, their attitude thus engages daily this image of

the institution.The CSPN also have charges in the internal security of the ministry of defense, and

particularly of the cabinet of the minister and the sensitive offices. NCOs of this unit also takecare of the security of the law courts of Paris: placed in various strategic places of the law, theyensure it, in collaboration with the mobile gendarmerie, the monitoring of all the buildings whicdepend on it.

These are again the noncoms and the guards of these companies affected in the military officeswithin the Palaces that makes it possible to maintain a close and beneficial link between theelected officials of the People, deputies or senators, and the authorities of the Republican Guard

Lastly, of the motorcyclist take care to ensure the confidentiality in all transmissions andspeed of the message at the beginning of the various assemblies or ministries.

The personnel of the CSPN thus constitutes a relay between the civilian and militaryadministrations within the majority of the Parisian national palaces. These missions of honorsand security are to the benefit of the high authorities of the State are extremely enhanced.

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Their appeal explains the majority preference of the non-commissioned officers to be place inthe republican guard instead of the other bodies of the gendarmerie.

Cavalry of the Republican Guard

Formation of prestige, the regiment ensures missions of security and horror it the benefit of thehigh authorities of the State in the presidential residences, the Senate, the Matignon Hotel, theTown Hall, the Opera and I the Parisian airports. It provides the major horse escort of the president of the

Republic and the foreign Heads of State in official visit in France. It exerts a permanentsurveillance of the woods of Vincennes and forests of Chambord, Senlis and Saint Germain inLay. Each year, it sets up of the seasonal stations for horses in the massive forest of the Ile deFrance. Auxilliary gendarmes, take part in this mission of security.

The cavalry of the Republican Guard has a strength of about 550 male and female soldiers of thegendarmerie: -

13 male officer and 1 female (career or under contracts of a maximal length of 20 years),460 male NCOs and 11 female gendarmerie (career up to 55 or 56 years)90 male and 6 female volunteers (personnel serving 1 year contract renewable four times).

This regiment, composed of a staff, 4 squadrons and a center of instruction, is established in theParis area on four sites:

- Staff and two squadrons (headquarters squadron and the brass band of the cavalry): Carnot

district (IV District) - 28 Henri Boulevard 75181 - Paris cedex 04,- two squadrons: Carnot District (XII District) - Esplandada Saint-Louis-75571 paris cedex12,

- an equestrian center of instruction: Goupli distirct - Route de Poissy - 7800 Saint-Germain-En-Layes.

Missions of the Regiment of Cavalry

The Regiment of Cavalry ensures mainly the following missions:- services of honor on hors or foot and of escort to the understanding of the highest

authorities of the State and foreign nations (July 14, May 8, November 11...)

- surveillance all the year of various forest fields (Bois de Boulogne and Vincennes in theParisian region, Fontainebleau, the Isle Adam, Rambouillet, Maisons-Laffitte, Saint-Chron,Senlis, Chantilly, Chambord) and, mainly in the period summer, certain zones close to the

littoral (La Tremblade, Etretat, Val-da Reuil, Rue, Lacanau, Grrande);- equestrian demonstrations (resumption of the 12, formation of the tandems, formation of

the carrousel of the lances...), within the framework of operations of public relations.

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The best riders take part in equestrian competitions at the national and international level intraining, competitions of jumping of obstacles and complete contest.

Some riders of the Regiment can be used to serve in New Caldonia within the group ofsurveillance and intervention on horse (PSIC) which ensures the recognition and surveillance

mission on the whole of this Overseas territory (3 years stays to 4 years or detachments from 2 to3 months).

MARITIME GENDARMERIE

The Maritime Gendarmerie is a special trained unit which fulfills the missions on the behalf ofthe Chief of Staff of the Navy which it is placed for employment. It is especially in charge of theMaritime Gendarmerie in the places and establishments concerned with the command of thenavy and takes part in their protection. It ensures, in connection with the other formations of thenationalgendarmerie and all other qualified organizations, the execution of the decrees and decisions of

the maritime prefects. It can bring the contest of its specialized personnel to the departmentalgendarmerie at the time of certain investigations and it caries out the delegations of the legalauthorities. The missions can be broken down into two large headings.

Missions of National Defense

- participation in the defense of the military establishments of the national navy,- systematic and directed research information,- general surveillance of the sites,- control of the people, protection of the well being- maintenance and re-establishment of the order,

- observation of the infringements to the laws and payments.These missions are exerted naturally initially with the benefit of the local maritime authority, the basic commander or establishment of the Navy.

Missions of Gendarmerie at Sea

On the coastline, in the territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone, the staff of themaritime state police assures missions of general surveillance and control of the fishing

The vocation of the units actions at sea is thus to seek and not the infringements with the laws,

decrees and payments.

Besides the exercise:

- Criminal Investigation Department at sea (all the personnel of the maritime gendarmerie,except for called quota, are officers or judicial policemen),

- administrative police (in particular public health, control of clandestine immigration orillegal work),

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- and the military police (monitoring of roads and naval port).

The units play an important part in the domain of the police force of water and the roads, the police force of the pleasure sailing and the police force of fishing.

Within the framework of the maritime defense of the territory, they contribute to the monitoringof water of national sovereignty.

Finally they take part in the protection of the sea traffic, the rescue and the assistance of the people and the goods in danger.

In these domains, the maritime state police exercises its action territorially to the profit of themaritime prefects, delegated of all ministers on the sea and coordinators of the actions of thestate at sea, of the prosecutors of Republic competent and of the administrators of the maritime business.

The Maritime Gendarmerie has approximately 1152 soldiers, divided into a staff, a nationalcenter of instructions, three groupings, eight companies of which an autonomous company inParis, 86 basic units including 31 sea units (7 patrol craft from 32 to 38 meters and 24 high-speed motorboats from 10 to 24 meters) established in metropolis and overseas.

Organization

The structure of the maritime gendarmerie is adapted to the territorial organization of thenational navy and the administration of the service of the affairs of the sea.

- A Staff in Paris under the Chief of Corps Michel Henry

- Groupings with headquarters of the maritime prefectures- Companies- Brigades on the metropolitan territory and overseas

Surveillance of the Navy Establishments The personnel of the maritime gendarmerie are deployed to ensure their control and surveillancemissions, in the establishments of the navy. Thus one finds this in the arsenals and NavalAviation bases. They maybe brought in to investigate on matters questioning military personnel but equally civil personnel employed by the state.

The units are organized in brigades and ensure surveillance, control and the filtering in theestablishments and significant zones of the navy. These land units are based in metropolis ofCherbourg, Brest, Lorient and Toulon. Brigades are also established in overseas in Djibouti,Dakar, Papeete, and Tontouta.

The Naval Aviation bases are also under the surveillance and the control of the maritimegendarmerie. Thus brigades are established in the Ban de Landivisiau, de Lanveoc-Poulmic, deLann-Bihoue and the Nimes-Garon.

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The mission of the maritime gendarmerie affected in theses units is not limited to filtering andcontrols of the access and the protected zones, they also exert their legal prerogatives throughvarious investigations.

Brigades of Investigations Units, more specialized in the judicial matters, such as the Brigades of Investigations (Brigadesde Recherches - BR) also ensure equally their missions in the establishments of the navy and beyond, in all that relates t the investigations questioning the civil or military personnel of theestablishments of the navy.

They initiate purely maritime investigations (shipwrecks, swindles of insurance, disappearancesof people and ships, flights...).

They assist in their the units to ground but also the sea units.

Brigades of Surveillance of the Coast The extent of the French littoral (7000 km) requires important means to carry out an effectiveand permanent surveillance. The monitoring of the littoral sea side falls on the sea units. It isreinforced by units of the ground Brigades of Surveillance of the Coast.

The missions of the these units are many and varied (missions that benefit the national navy,controls military motor vehicle traffic, escorts and piloting of the French and foreign highauthorities visits to some of the maritime prefectures, bases and arsenals, judicial police with

ground and sea units).The brigades of surveillance of the coast carry out their missions with ground and also take partin certain missions at sea. With their nautical means, the personnel ensures the surveillance ofnavigation and fishing they also make respect the decrees of the Maritime Prefect.

Five brigades are established along our coasts in Cherbourg, Brest, Lorient, Rochefort andToulon. These units are deployed to carry out their mission of important means of knowledge

The units are equipped with Peugeot 306 and 405 station-wagons, Pneumatic boats equippedwith outbroad motors with 70 CV power. Trailers allowing of easy and fast displacements of

nautical equipment. It is also equipped with BMW K75, BMW RT1100 and BMW R80 motor bikes.

Detachments with Maritime Affairs The Maritime gendarmerie is also put for uses by the Maritime Affairs. These noncoms exercisetheir missions mainly in the domain of the fishing in everything that concerns the staffs and ship

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of fishing professionals. they are also brought to investigate in the environment of theheadquarters..

The maritime gendarmerie affected in the stations of the maritime affairs are put at the disposalof the director of the maritime affairs and his/her/its staff of judicial expertise.

GENDARMERIE OF THE AIR

The Gendarmerie of the Air, an integral part of the national gendarmerie, is placed foremployment by the Air Force. It ensures of the missions for information, security, protection; judicial police, state highway patrol and administrative police, at the benefit of the personnel anestablishments of the Air Force (air bases and sensitive bridges).

Like a region of gendarmerie, it is made up of a staff, 2 groupements (groupings), 5 companiesand 43 brigades, for a total staff complement of 1011 personnel.

The staff, established in Paris, is placed under the command of a colonel (currently Guy Cochat)assisted by a chief of staff, rank of lieutenant-colonel, are established within the Air Region North

(Rgions Ariennes Nord - RAN), and South (RAS) on the bases of Villacoublay and Bordeaux-Mriganac.

The 5 companies, commanded by captains, depend on the grouping of the RAN (Bretigny, MetzTours) and the grouping of the RAN (Istres, Merignac).

The motorized brigades, installation at the level of each company, carry out primarily military

escorts and various missions of state highway patrol.Established on each air base, the gendarmerie squads of the air are commanded, according tomanpower, by an adjudant, a regimental sergeant major or a major.

Overseas , the brigades of Dakar-Djibouti-Tahiti and Saint Denis de la Reunion as well as adetachment of gendarmerie of air (Tadjikistan) are attached to the staff. Placed under thecommand of the chief of staff, the legal section lends its contest t the units based in metropolitanor overseas and a group of security ensures the protection of the high authorities of the AirForce.Administered and managed by the National Gendarmerie, it depends o the Air force with regardto the pay, housing or clothing. The Gendarmerie of the Air wears the uniform of the Air Force

with the attributes of the departmental gendarmerie.

GENDARMERIE OF AIR TRANSPORTS

The Gendarmerie of Air Transport (Gendarmerie des Transports Ariens - GTA) is a specializedtrained unit of the National Gendarmerie whose mission is exerted within the civil aviation. The

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Gendarmerie of Air Transports, crated by decree of march 31, 1953, is placed for operationswith the Directorate-General of the Civil Aviation (D.G.A.C.).

Missions:

in reserve zone of the commercial airports establishments General missions reserved for the national gendarmerie

- administrative police (intelligence, general surveillance)- judicial police (observation of crimes and offenses, fight against illegal work)- military police

Specific Missions:

- aeronautics :

observation of incidents and plane crashes, traditional missions (control of the aircraft, observations of the infringements tothe aeronautical legislation...)

- safety: The Gendarmerie of Air Transports exerts this mission in a permanent way. Its purposes is to protect the installations and the aircraft from the civil aviation against theillicit acts of intervention (control tower, system of navigation assistance, taxi (run) - way,aircraft).

- controls of the companies ensuring the filtering inspection of the access to the airports(people and vehicles)

- protection of the significant flights (related to the airline companies or the transportedauthorities) implying particular measures,- participation in the preventive measures of safety (freight inspectors, search for explosives

by dogs teams ...)

beyond the zone of implantation

Administrative and legal missions particular, within the framework of the monitoring of thesecondary platforms and air traffic.

Judicial missions within the framework of accidents of aircraft, in connection with the unitsof the departmental gendarmerie.

Organization:

Structure:

1 commander of GTA (under the General Director of Civil Aviation) and a staff, 2 Groupements (groups) (North in Roissy and South in Aix in Provence),

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11 companies (generally located the level of the Direction of Civil Aviation), 37 brigades (established on the important airports) 1 section of investigation for the judicial of national jurisdiction established in Roissy. 2 brigades of investigation located in Roissy and Orly, 8 groups of surveillance and intervention (2 in Orly, 3 in Roissy, Marseilles, Nice, Lyon).

43 dog teams specialized in the search for explosives and divided on the principal platforms, 6 brigades established Overseas (attached for employment to the Command of the

Gendarmerie Overseas)

Effective strength: 1010 personnel

Specific Training: Training (aeronautics and security) at the national school of civil aviation(ENAC) in Toulouse, preparation with the private pilot license plane, basic technical trainingcourses for accident investigation.

GENDARME OF ARMAMENT The Gendarmerie of Armament works in the military medium, to the benefit of the otherservices, air, ground, sea or other sectors in connection with all that touches the sector of thearmament.

The missions of the Gendarmerie of Armament concentrate primarily on two type of missions:

General Missions: It ensures, within the framework of the prerogatives which are legallyconferred to him in the field of the military installations, all the missions normally reserved forthe soldiers of the departmental gendarmerie.

Particular missions: Within the internal framework of the order, of safety and protection of theestablishments and safeguard:

filtering of the unknown visitors; investigations necessary to the enabling of certain people; escorts of the materials and documents; protection brought closer certain personality etc....

CRIMINAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Supposing formerly testimony and the confession were enough to carry the convicts of themagistrates and jurors, for a few years, the scientific proof became an essential element of thecriminal investigation.

Taking advantage of this evolution, the gendarmerie endowed itself with a structure that, leaningon the technicians on criminal identification assigned to appropriate some indication on the landwas covered in 1987 by a unit whose main vocation consists in the analysis of these previous

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deductions. This unit, the research institute criminal of the gendarmerie national (IRCGN),established to Rosny-sous-Bois (Seine-Saint-Denis).

Missions: The Institute received general direction of the national gendarmerie four principalmissions:

- To carry out, at the request of the units and the magistrates, scientific, examinations orexpertise necessary to the control of the judicial inquiries.

- To give where necessary to the directors investigations, the support necessary of the goodcourse of the observations mainly by the setting at their disposal of personnel highly qualifiedhaving adapted and specialized materials.

- To contribute directly to the training of the technicians in criminal identification and to theinformation of the investigators.

- To continue in all the fields of criminalist research necessary to the development ofthematerials and the techniques of criminal investigation.

To carry out its missions the IRCGN is organized as follows:Division Service Organization (various support)

Division Criminalistique A - Criminal Division Department Vehicles (vehicle identification database)Department Documents (falsification detection)Department Ballistic (ballistic studies)Department Lophoscopie (studies on crime scene traces)

Division Criminalistique B

Department Physics- Optics (mass-spectrometry, electronic microscopy)Department Imagery (video/photographic interpretation and analysis)Department Acoustic (audio interpretation and analysis)Department Informative - Electronic (IT department)

Division Criminalistique C Department Incendiary - Explosive (incendiary & explosive substances studies)Department Environment (studies on pollution)Department Toxicology Department Chemistry - Biology (DNA analysis, ...)

Division Criminalistique D Department Anthropology Department Entomology (Insects identification related to post-mortem studies)Department Legal Medicine (pathology studies)Department Odontology (teeth analysis)

Gendarmerie Unit of Identification of the Victims of Catastrophes (Unit GendarmeriedIndentification des Victimes de Catastrophes - UGIVC)

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Created in 1992, this unit is specialized I the identifications of victims of catastrophes.

COMMAND OF THE SCHOOLS

Established in Rochefort, the command of the schools of the gendarmerie directs and coordinatethe whole of the activities of the schools and the training centers of the institution..

For this reason, it ensures the implementation of and the initial improvement training courses ofall the personnel in service in the gendarmerie. It gives its support for the continuous traininggiven in unit in the form of documents of instruction, audio-visual by the pedagogy and resourcecenter.

Approximately 3,000 soldiers of all ranks are trained and improved each year (more than 50categories of training courses and more than 5000 trainees in instantaneous capacity) in nineschools of initial formation (Melun, Montlucon, Chaumont, Mans, Chtellerault, Libourne,

Montargis, Tulle and Chteaulin) and the ten highly specialized technical centers (highereducation, international, languages, Criminal Investigation Department, motorcyclist, mountain,cynophilie, diving, maintenance of law and order and command).

PERSONNEL OF THE NATIONALGENDARMERIE

The pesonnel of the gendarmerie includes soldiers (Officers, noncommissioned officers andvolunteers( and the civil ones (civil servants and workment of the State).

The total staff complement is of 103,806 personnel. About 101,479 military personnel divides

itself into:- 4,169 officers and 75,842 ncos of gendarmerie;-154 officers and 3,729 noncommissioned officers of the technical and administrative body;15,757 Volunteer candidates resulting from voluntariate (AGIV) and voluntary assistantgendarmes (GAV).The 2,011 civil personnel divides itself into civil servants, workmen of State and contractural.

Officers and NCOs of the gendarmerie: they are useful in directly operaonal employment likein the employment requiring a professional experiment founded on alternation betweenemployment in operational units and Staffs.

Officers and NCOs of the tecnical corps and support of the gendarmerie: they occupyemployment which imposes particular subjections rising from the military statute (availabilityand mobility) as well as a specialization pushed in the administrative domain or technical.

Voluntary assistant gendarmes: they are used in operational employment or as support whichimposes particular subjections rising from the military statute but which can be held by personnel having either a directly exploitable occupational qualifacation for one period of one to

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five years or of an elementary formation of short duration not requiring an experiment within theinstitution.

Civil personnel: they are useful in employment of trainintg, experts or specialists in theadministrative domains, logistic and techniques which are not subjected to the requirements

rising from miltary statute but which requires the sue of a professional. All employment isopened to the women except for those of noncommissioned officers affected within the trainingof the gendamerie.

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

Personal Equipment

Handguns: MAS GI (licensed-fabricated Bereta 92F), Glock 17, Glock 26, SIG-Sauer P226,P228 &P229

Revolvers: Manurhin MR73 .357 Mag, S&W .38 SpecialAssault Weapons: FAMAS 5.56 mmShotguns: Benelli M3/M4, Remington 870Sniping: Barrett L-8A1 & PGM Hcate in .50 BMG; GM Commando 7.62 mm

Vehicles-motorcycles BMW R 1100 RT ABS (1011), BMW 1150 RT ABS (1315), BMW K75 (632)

Vehicles-cars

334 Peugeot Partner (transport of canine units)495 Land-Roavers DTI70 Citron Jumper 4x4 (of which 21 equipped for diving operations)48 Citron Jumper 2.8L (prisoner transit)114 Ford Mondeo; 62 Ford Fiesta (replacing Peugoet 205s);995 Peugeot 306 (road brigades)37 Peugeot 306 V16 2.OL for fast intervention10 unmarked Peugeot 406 3.OL for surveillance duties;

Vehicles-vans

20 Renault Master TDI 2.BL for rescue/medical operations450 Ford Transit 2.5L (to be replaced by Peugeots HID Expert);

Armoured Vehicles

155 Renault VBRG-170 wheeled armored vehicles (APCs)28 VBC-90 armored cars (fire support vehicles)

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Air Craft

Light Helicopters: 1 Fennec, 8 Lark III, 31 Squirrel, 8 EC.145

Naval Vessels

See Gendamerie Maritime

Note: The Eurocopter EC.145 will repalce the Alouette III.____________________________________________________________________________

Sources:

o Official Web Site of the French Gendarmerie Nationale: http://www.defense.gouv.fr.o Bienvenue au Snat: http://www.senat.fr/rap/a01-375/a01-3752.htmlo GIGN.org: http://.gign.org/structure-du-gign/organisation.phpo Gendarmerie Maritime: http://www.gendarmerie-maritime.org/moyen.htmo The official web site of the 22 regional prefectures..o Escadrons de gendarmerie Mobile en France: http://gendarmobile.free.fr/o Various open state and private publications