2023-07-14 17:32:36
The reservists of the 9th marine infantry brigade (here, during rehearsals) have, for the first time this year, beaten the pavement of the Champs-Élysées. Ministry of the Armed Forces
ANALYSIS – The July 14 military parade honored operational reservists.
The formula is chanted like an obsession. It is a question of “forces morales“. The slogan was at the heart of the July 14 parade and visually inscribed in the logo of the ceremony: we could see the medal of the Resistance, whose year 2023 marks the 80th anniversary, and a relief of the Arc de Triomphe entitled The Song of Departure. THE “forces moraleswere also in the street, in this army-nation bond that the military parade must embody, but also in the heart of the troops. For armies preparing for uncertain times, this is a pillar to consolidate.
For the first time this year, reservists pounded the pavement of the Champs-Élysées as such: the reservists of the 9th marine infantry brigade but also the reservists of the railway security of the SNCF, heirs of the resistant railway workers of The Second World War. July 14, national holiday and military paraderemind us that some things are worth committing to and fighting for, that peace is not a comfort bought with concessions,” recalled the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron during his speech to the armies on July 13 at the Hôtel de Brienne.
Read alsoSébastien Lecornu: “We need to increase the number of reservists”
But if the military institution is popular, the president and chief of the armies is contested. On Friday, the head of state was partially booed during the parade, a sign that national unity is still a long-term task. To support and give thickness to the armies, the Head of State intends to develop the “reserve“. First the citizen reserve, which is made up of volunteers committed to spreading the spirit of defence. And especially on the operational reserve, made up of volunteers who are ready to give their time for the armies and serve alongside them if necessary.
The age limit will be raised
«The ambition of the 2024-2030 military programming law is to achieve around 2030-2035 one reservist for every two active military personnel“, explained on France Inter the chief of staff of the armies General Burkhard. It is therefore a question of doubling the number of operational reservists from 40,000 to 80,000 in 2030 and reaching 100,000 in 2035 for an army of 200,000 soldiers. A reservistcan perform the same tasks as an active soldier: the goal is to be the most easily interchangeable“, he continued. The rise in power of the reserves will require adaptations, in particular to equip the volunteers. The selection criteria will have to be modified to be less discriminating. The age limit will be raised. Finally, it will be necessary to achieve a change of mentality: number of reservists “ashamedare still hiding their commitment from their employer.
Who better placed than a “militarized civilian” to defend the nation against the challenges of hybridity, that is to say a “militarized civilian” issue?
Sébastien Lecornu, Minister for the Armed Forces
To give visibility to this new priority, the Minister for the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu chaired a double ceremony on July 5 at the Invalides and at the Hôtel de Brienne, paying tribute to the reservists and the companies that support them. Thanks to this civilian support, the military hope to be better prepared for hybrid threats affecting, for example, cyber, attacking the resilience of nations or taking advantage of the fragility of societies. So many subjects that society as a whole can be confronted with. “Who better placed than a “militarized civilian” to defend the nation against the challenges of hybridity, that is to say a “militarized civilian” issue? “, launched the minister.
«In uniform, whether you are active or operational reserve, you risk your life to defend the homeland“, insisted Sébastien Lecornu. “Where the uniform does not distinguish, where the commitment does not vary, there is no need to distinguish“, he continued. He therefore set as his objective:the perfect integration of operational reserve soldiers into the ranks of the armed forces, by entrusting them with the same missions – including in overseas operations». «The reserve will have to be mobilized quickly and usefully the day when a peril observed, current or foreseeable, would occur for our nation.“, he continued. He assured that some units would only be made up of reservists like “future coastal fleets of the French Navy» or squadrons on each air base. The armies, taken aback by these announcements, will have to start preparing.
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