3rd Parachutist battalion (Belgium) – Wikipedia

Detachment of the 3rd paratrooper battalion scrolling before the Royal Tribune on July 21, 1989, Place des Palais in Brussels.

The 3 ^{It is} PARCHUTIST BATTALON , (Dutch : 3rd Battalion Parachutists ) is a unit of the Terre component of the Belgian army depending on the Paracomando brigade from 1955 to 2011. He is the heir to the regimental traditions of the Corps of Belgian Volunteers.

After the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the United Nations asked the Belgian government military assistance. Belgium, aware of the logistical difficulties and the significant cost of sending many soldiers or materials around the world, opted for the sending of an elite unit under UN command ^{[ first ]} .
The Belgian Constitution prohibiting the sending of militiamen abroad in peacetime, it was impossible to send an already existing battalion. THE Body of volunteers for Korea (Appointed “Belgian United Nations Command” (BUNC) by the Americans) was created for the occasion. A peloton of Luxembourg volunteer was incorporated to him. The soldiers received a brown beret with a new Béret badge to distinguish them from the other Belgian units.

The Body of Korea Volunteers was involved in many key fights in the 1951 Korean War and in particular the Battle of the Imjin River, the Battle of Haktang-Ni and the Battle of Chatkol. For this, the regiment was honored by Presidential UNIT Quotes from South Korea and the United States. Of the 3000 Belgian soldiers who served in Korea, 101 were killed as well as 2 Luxembourgers, 5 were missing and 350 wounded between the arrival of the battalion in 1951 and the armistice in 1953 ^{[ first ]} . The last Belgian troops left Korea in 1955.

The 3 ^{It is} parachutist battalion is formed in the first ^is September 1955 in Kamina in Belgian Congo from element of first ^is paratrooper battalion and 2 ^{It is} Commando battalion.

The first ^is July 1962 , he moved to the Lombardsijde camp.

From 1976, he gradually moved to Tielen where new blocks were built for the installation of rifle companies.

In 1977, the whole battalion was grouped in Tielen in the Gailly district.

Rwanda-Urundi [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

In 1960, the battalion disarm all the garrisons of Urundi.

Congo [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

In July 1960 , the battalion is parachuted several times (Kikwit, Manono, Kindu).

Zaire [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

In May 1978 , the battalion participates in the operation Red Bean . It evacuates a thousand European nationals until May 22 .

Rwanda [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

In 1990, during the operation Green beam , the 22 ^{It is} Company supports the 2 ^{It is} Commando battalion in the security and evacuation of Belgian nationals from Rwanda.

Zaire [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

In 1991, the whole battalion participated in the evacuation of Belgian expatriates from Zaire during the operation Blue beam .

Iran [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Me- April 1991 , during the Gulf War, the Belgian government decided to participate in the country in the international rescue operation Provide Comfort . A detachment of 3 ^{It is} Parachutist battalion builds a tent camp and provides medical care to Kurdish refugees in Iran. This is the operation Brown shelter

Republic of Congo [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Operation Green stream of April 19 At first ^is June 1997 with a view to the evacuation of the Belgians following the disorders created by the end of the Mobutu regime.

Somalia [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Uusom Belgian soldiers in Somalia in 1993

In December 1992 , the first ^is PARCHUTIST BATTALON was deployed in Somalia as part of the Restore Hope operation led by the American army under the aegis of the United Nations. Part of their role was to protect the distribution of food aid of the United Nations, as well as the search for activists. THE 3 ^{It is} Battalion was deployed a little later.

In 1993, 2 soldiers of the battalion were arrested after the publication, in Belgian newspapers, of a photo apparently showing 2 soldiers holding a Somali boy above a fire ^{[ 2 ]} . These 2 soldiers were tried in Belgium and acquitted by the military court for lack of evidence ^{[ 3 ]} .

Lebanon [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

From February to June 2007 , a large part of the battalion participates in the finish as a protective force to deminers and medical detachments, in Tibnine in Lebanon. During a traffic accident, 3 Belgian peacekeepers died, including two paratroopers from 3 ^{It is} battalion.

• A staff
• A staff company
• 2 infantry companies (15 and 17 ^{It is} Companies) each comprising 3 infantry platoons divided into 2 infantry sections and an anti-tank squad.

The battalion was bilingual (French-Dutch) of its creation in 1983. It is currently unilingual Dutch-speaking.

The standard of the body of Korea volunteers was given to the battalion by the King in Brussels in 1955. He carries the following inscriptions:

• Imjin (Korea)
• Haktang-ni (Corée)
• Chatkol (Korea)
• Korea campaign 1951-1953

The standard also carries the fodder of the Order of Léopold and the Cross of Honor and the Military Merit in Vermeil attributed by Luxembourg in 1994.