Editing French Foreign Legion (section)

==Pioneers==
{{Main| Foreign Legion Command| Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers)}}
[[File:Foreign Legion Bastille Day 2013 Paris t112145.jpg|thumb|300x300px|The [[Pioneer (military)|Pioneers]] of the [[1st Foreign Regiment]]]]
The ''Pionniers'' ([[Pioneer (military)|pioneers]]) are the [[combat engineer]]s and a [[Military tradition|traditional unit]] of the Foreign Legion. The [[sapper]] traditionally sport large [[beard]]s, wear leather aprons and gloves and hold axes. The sappers were very common in European armies during the Napoleonic Era but progressively disappeared during the 19th century. The French Army, including the Legion disbanded its regimental sapper platoons in 1870. However, in 1931 one of a number of traditions restored to mark the hundredth anniversary of the Legion's founding was the reestablishment of its bearded ''Pionniers''.<ref name="Douglas Porch page 418">Douglas Porch, page 418, The French Foreign Legion. A Complete History, {{ISBN|0-333-58500-3}}</ref>

In the French Army, since the 18th century, every infantry regiment included a small detachment of pioneers. In addition to undertaking road building and entrenchment work, such units were tasked with using their axes and shovels to clear obstacles under enemy fire opening the way for the rest of the infantry. The danger of such missions was recognised by allowing certain privileges, such as being authorised to wear beards.

The current pioneer platoon of the Foreign Legion is provided by the Legion depot and headquarters regiment for public ceremonies.<ref>{{cite book| author=Martin Windrow| title=Uniforms of the French Foreign Legion 1831–1981| year=1981| publisher=Blandford| isbn=978-0-7137-1010-6}}</ref> The unit has reintroduced the symbols of the [[Napoleonic era|Napoleonic]] sappers: the beard, the axe, the leather apron, the crossed-axes insignia and the leather gloves. When parades of the Foreign Legion are opened by this unit, it is to commemorate the traditional role of the sappers "opening the way" for the troops.<ref name="Douglas Porch page 418"/>