The 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment () is the only cavalry regiment of the Foreign Legion in the French Army. It is one of two armoured cavalry regiments of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. The regiment has been stationed at Camp Carpiagne near Marseille since 2014, when it moved from Quartier Labouche in Orange, Vaucluse. It had spent 47 years in Orange after relocating from Mers-el-Kébir, Algeria in October 1967. History Levant and Morocco from 1921 The 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) was created on March 8, 1921 at Sousse from elements of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment. The title of the 1er REC would not become official until January 20, 1922, under Decree n°6330-1/11 of January 20, 1922. The cadres of the new unit were drawn from existing French cavalry regiments. Only one junior officer (Second Lieutenant Antraygue) had had previous Legion experience while one non-commissioned officer had been in service with the 1st Foreign Regiment 1er RE. Of the 156 other ranks of the newly formed 1er REC, 128 were Russians. A significant contingent hailed from the White Army of Wrangle. These included thirty officers (one a former general of the Imperial Russian Army and one a former colonel); 14 non-commissioned officers and 33 Cossacks. Most of the remainder had served as regular cavalrymen with the Wrangle forces. Beginning in 1925, the 1er REC was engaged as mounted cavalry in Syria (4th Squadron ) and in Morocco (3rd Squadron). In both theatres of operations, the Foreign Cavalry Regiment served with distinction, notably in the Levant at Messifre (September 17, 1925) and at Rachaya (from November 20 to 24, 1925). The fanion of the 1er REC received the Croix de guerre des théâtres d'opérations extérieures with 2 palms, the fourragère of the colors of the Croix de Guerre and the 1st Class Lebanese Order of Merit Medal. From 1927 to 1934, the 1er REC saw active service in Morocco (3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Squadrons), followed by patrol work along the northern border of the Sahara. In 1934 the 5th squadron was equipped with White-Laffly and Panhard armored cars. The remainder of the regiment retained horses and sabers. World War II and Indochina War In 1939 the two existing regiments of Foreign Cavalry were still only partially motorized. However, in 1940, the 1e REC was dispatched to France as part of the 97th Reconnaissance Group of the Infantry Division