French BDU style woodland uniform

Hey all,
got this uniform a week ago, short sleeve shirt, jacket, pants and maroon beret. maybe some of our French Allies can assist me in I.D.ing the insignia??
thanks
paul

You seem to get ALL the cool uniforms!
I'm at a loss for what insignia are contained on it, though.

Thanks ben,
yea I got lucky on this one!! only cost me 100.00 too, still want a set of their deserts too cool.

paul

YES! Their desert duds are sweet!
I had a chance to get some CCE awhile back and passed, and am wishing now I hadn't. Believe it or not, I saw some CCE trousers at a GoodWill shop, but they were thrashed... I guess I'll just keep looking!

Hi,

This jacket is a Veste F2 Camouflage Centre-Europe (CCE), probably worn by a sergent-chef of a Régiment Parachutiste d'Infanterie de Marine (RPIMa)

The red beret is the color of the parachutists. The beret badge is typical of the RPIMa.



There are 4 RPIMa : 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 8th RPIMa.

In August 18 2008, 8 soldiers of the 8th RPIMa were killed in Uzbin Valley : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbin_Valley_ambush

Nice E6 jacket, airborne all the way!!!!!!!!

I just sent picture to a friend of me who was in the France Army. He was in a RPIMa and I think he can ID the patches on jacket. I wait his response. But for me, it's 8ème Régiment Parachutistes de l'Infanterie de Marine :


(see : http://www.interarmees.fr/article.php?article=1020)

I also ask him if he has any desert camo for you.

Hi I m not sure it s 8 Rpima, it looks like 1 Rpima too, don't you????

No, I receive confirmation from my friend, it's well 8e RPIMa. It was his previous unit. Here's his response in french :

Je n'ai pas d'uniforme désert centre europe à vendre désoler.
Pour le cas de l'uniforme je peut te dire direct ce que c'est car c'est un régiment qui fait partis de mon ancienne arme les troupes de marine , en gros le corps des marines français.
C'est une veste d'un sergent chef du groupe de commandos parachutiste (GCP) du 8e RPIMA ( régiment parachutiste d'infanterie de marine) , ils sont actuellement basé à castre dans le sud de la france.

Donc les trois chevron c'est pour le grade basse visibilité de sergent chef. Ensuite l'insigne avec la fléche c'est l'insigne des GCP de la 11eme brigade parachutiste. Ce qui est étonnant car le passant dépaule compagnie est de la 4eme compagnie du 8eme rpima. Les GCP sont à la compagnie d'éclairage et d'appui , en gros équivalent à la weapon co des marines, passant couleur noire.
Je pense que l'insigne des GCP a été rajouté en plus sur la veste par le vendeur, l'ancien proprio n'était peut être pas GCP , ou alors il a mis le passant de la 4eme compagnie car il était à la 4 avant d'être GCP.

Ensuite le béret est amarante et non rouge comme les para de l'infanterie classique. La couleur amarante est propre au parachutiste des troupes de marine. On retrouve l'insigne du 8eme RPIMA dessus

.

So he tell :

sorry, I've no desert uniform for sale. For this uniform, I can tell you directly what it's, because it's a regiment that was attached to my old unit, the French marine troop.

It's a jacket for a Sergent-Chef [Chief Sergeant] from a paracommando group of 8e RPIMa, currently based in Castre, south of France. The rank is a low visibility Sergent-Chef badge.

The patch with spear is 11st Parachutist Brigade (it's a sort of weapon company as in USMC). But he says it's curious, because the patch on epaulet is 4th Company, 8th RPIMa (with green color). He has doubts, because normally, for 11st Parachutist Brigade, it's not green but black. His give me his opinion : the patch with spear (see below) was added by seller. Or maybe previous owner was former 4th Company before enter in the 11st Parachutist brigade and so keep the green patch of his former assignation.


11st Groupe Commando Parachutistes (GCP).

Beret color is typical marine troops' parachutists color (and not red as normal infantryman), with 8th RPIMa patch on it.

Here's what he told me. I try to translate it as best I can, but there's some words we can't translate without changing the sens...

Hope this helps,

regards,

P-E

Cool CCE jacket,they are very nice Jackets,typically French in fit and style

I have yet to see any Desert patterned versions on the surplus ,market

Hi This kind of jacket is for parade (1 pic), or you can use it in action?? The pic 6 looks like very different in fit and style, it could be more comfortable??

Hello

Nice piece.

I would add that the France patch is more often seen in the ground Air force troops (light blue tab where France is written).

And to answer to the question : it is (was) the official combat AND parade jacket of the French Army. Now it's being replaced by the new T3 and T4 combat uniform, but in France, the F2 remains the most seen uniform.