Le nom du caporal Louaisil gravé sur le monument de Ballots

Le nom de ce marsouin de 24 ans, tombé en Afghanistan le 18 mai 2011, apparait désormais sur le monument aux morts de Ballots , dont il était originaire, à la suite de ceux de ses frères d’armes tués lors de précédents conflits.

« Tu rejoins sur ce monument les héros de Ballots qui t’ont précédé sur le chemin de l’honneur, du courage et du sacrifice », a annoncé avec émotion le maire de la commune, M. François Quargnul , en dévoilant le monument.

Les proches du caporal Louaisil, ainsi que le chef de corps de son unité, le 2e régiment d’infanterie de marine (2e RIMa) d’Auvours, et ses camarades de la 2e compagnie , étaient présents pour honorer sa mémoire.

Cette inscription a été décidée par le conseil municipal de Ballots, qui tenait à rendre hommage à cet enfant du pays, connu et apprécié.

Une proposition de loi a été déposée en septembre pour rendre systématique l’inscription du nom des soldats tombés en opération extérieure sur le monument de leurs communes de naissance et de résidence.

Le caporal Cyril LOUAISIL inscrit au monument aux morts de Ballots

Décès du second maître Benjamin Bourdet.

Le second maître Benjamin BOURDET du commando Jaubert est tombé au champ d’honneur au cours d’un accrochage dans la vallée d’Alasay, en Kapisa, le 14 juillet 2011.

Né le 25 janvier 1981 à Cherbourg, le second maître Benjamin BOURDET est entré dans la Marine nationale le 28 avril 2003. Il choisit la spécialité de fusilier marin et suit le cours du brevet d’aptitude technique de fusilier marin à Lorient.

A l’issue de sa formation, en novembre 2003, il est affecté au Groupement de fusiliers marins de Brest. Autonome et dynamique, il se voit rapidement confier des fonctions de chef d’équipe. Très disponible, il effectue entre 2004 et 2007, quatre missions en Nouvelle Calédonie.

Promu second maître le 1^er septembre 2007, il rejoint la compagnie de fusiliers marins de l’Ile Longue. Grâce à sa grande motivation et à sa détermination, il réussit la sélection du stage commando début 2008 et reçoit son béret vert.

Affecté au commando Jaubert, en mai 2008, il est projeté deux fois à Djibouti. En 2009, il participe au premier déploiement d’équipes de protection embarqué en océan Indien afin de lutter contre la piraterie.

Qualifié tireur de précision, il était déployé en Afghanistan pour la première fois.

Le second maître Benjamin Bourdet avait été récompensé par une citation avec attribution de la médaille d’or de la défense nationale. Il était également titulaire de la médaille de la défense nationale échelon argent avec agrafes Fusiliers Marins et Bâtiments de combat.

French Commando Benjamin Bourdet

French Special Forces Commando Benjamin Bourdet was killed in action on 14th July 2011 in the Alasay Valley, Kapisa province, Afghanistan during a battle with enemy forces.

The 30-year-old Commando was born in Cherbourg and joined the French Marines in 2003. Between 2004 and 2007 he deployed four times to New Caledonia. He was promoted to Petty Officer rank in September 2007 and assigned to a Marine unit guarding nuclear submarines. He deployed twice to Djibouti on operations against maritime piracy.

Second-Master Bourdet was on his first deployment to Afghanistan. He holds the Gold and Silver National Defense Medals.

French Marine Pfc. Cyril Louaisil

French Marine, Private First Class Cyril Louaisil, aged 24, was killed on 18th May 2011 by an accidental ammunition explosion in Kapisa, Afghanistan. Pfc. Louaisil served with the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment.

During his career with the French Marines, he served in Guyana in 2008 and Senegal from 2009 to 2010. He arrived in Afghanistan in December 2010.

Pfc. Louaisil was single. He was awarded the Bronze Medal National Defense clip (TDM)

French Marine, Corporal Alexandre Rivière

Cpl. Rivière

French Marine Corporal Alexandre Rivière, aged 23, was killed on Wednesday 20th April 2011 in Kapisa province, Afghanistan.

Cpl. Rivière served with the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment since 2007. His patrol unit was hit by an improvised explosive device before Taliban militants opened fire. Nine French soldiers were injured in the attack.

Cpl. Rivière was married with one child.

A spokesman for the French Defence Ministry in Paris said ‘he was a remarkable and exemplary marine.’

French marine killed and 9 wounded

PARIS - The office of French President Nicolas Sarkozy says that a marine corporal was killed in Afghanistan and nine others were wounded in an explosion in the Kapisa region on Wednesday 20th April 2011.

They were patrolling in armoured vehicles when a bomb was detonated near by.

UPDATED

Two Dutch Marines killed

Two Dutch Marines were killed by insurgents in Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan, on 17th April 2010, the Netherlands Defence Ministry has announced. Another Marine was severely wounded in the deadly attack.

The two Marines who died are Corporal Jeroen Houweling (29yo) and Marine Marc Harders (23yo). Both were with the Dutch 1st Marine Corps.  

Corporal Jeroen Houweling (left) and Marine Marc Harders

The latest deaths bring Dutch military casualties in the Afghan conflict to 23 dead. The Netherlands has a force in Afghanistan of about 2,000 troops, who are due to be withdrawn by the end of 2010.

French Marine killed in Taliban ambush

Sebastien Devez died 18th August 2008 near the Afghan capital during two days of fierce fighting with the Taliban. He was one of 10 French soldiers to fall during the fight. A further 21 were wounded. 

Devez arrived in Afghanistan with the new rotation of French peace keepers just the month before. He leaves his parents, a wife and two children, a girl aged four and a two week old baby.

Eleven of those wounded in the ambush have arrived back in Paris to receive treatment with the remainder to return home once stable for the journey. The French President, Nicholas Sarkozy, had completed a lightning visit to Kabul where he asked the French soldiers to lift their heads in the fight against terrorism.

French Para, Nicolas Gregoire, killed in gun battle with Taliban

Nicolas Gregoire was one of ten French soldiers killed in a Taliban ambush 50 kilometers east of Kabul, with a further 21 suffering wounds. Nicolas was born in Hauts de Seine on November 3, 1982. He grew up in Saint-Gaudens attending primary and high school. 

Nicolas Gregoire

From an early age Nicolas had decided to wear the uniform of a soldier. His grandfather loved the Army, so joined at the age of 17 joining the 8e Régiment Parachutiste d Infanterie de Marine (8th Marine Parachute Infantry), based in Castres, in 2001.

Afghanistan was his sixth deployment, having served in Kosovo, Gabon, New Caledonia and the Ivory Coast. Nicolas knew of the dangers but believed it was his job to defend his country. He is survived by his parents and two sisters.

French Marine Para, Julien Le Pahun, killed in fierce gun battle

Corporal Julien Le Pahun, 19, was one of ten French soldiers killed during a Taliban ambush 50 kilometers east of the Afghan capital, Kabul. A further 21 were wounded in the fight, which lasted through the night and into the following day.

He joined his current unit, the 8th Marine Parachute Regiment, in June 2007 and was part of the latest rotation of French troops to arrive in Afghanistan in July 2008. He is survived by three brothers and sisters.

Corporal Julien Le Pahun

 Eleven of the 21 French soldiers also wounded in the clashes were flown to France and taken to hospitals in the Paris region.