In "GIGN: Confessions of an OPS", Philippe B. recounts the daily life of his fifteen years spent in the intervention group of the National Gendarmerie.
Come meet this former gendarme of the GIGN for an exceptional book signing on Saturday, March 9, 2019, at your Welkit Montrouge store. From 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM, at 4 rue Louis Lejeune 92120 Montrouge.
Get his book now:
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Philippe B. should never have found himself in the position he so often occupied over the past fifteen years: at the head of a GIGN assault column!
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GIGN: The Most Famous French Elite Unit in the World!
The GIGN (National Gendarmerie Intervention Group), created on March 1, 1974, is an elite group specialized in several fields: counter-terrorism and major crime, hostage rescue, surveillance, negotiation, close protection, and all other extreme situations, whether on French territory or abroad. While the creation date may seem short compared to the age of traditional military units, it is among the longest when discussing units specialized in counter-terrorism.
Selection Process and Training
The entry selection is very rigorous, demanding, and the training is very advanced: the average rejection rate of candidates is 95% (for the intervention force) after the series of tests. It is also worth noting that the death rate in training is higher than in missions, proof that GIGN gendarmes are trained to respond to the most difficult crises. Their training is pushed to the maximum, aiming to closely match the realities of the field but also to anticipate future threats.
International Recognition and Collaboration
While everyone in France knows the most media-covered missions of the GIGN (the Air France Flight 8969 hostage-taking in Marignane, the Djibouti hostage rescue...), from abroad, the GIGN is unanimously recognized as one of the most effective, competent, and experienced special forces in the world in counter-terrorism. However, it is interesting to note that, unlike some foreign special forces units, the GIGN has a total and ultimate respect for life: the vocation of its members is above all to preserve human lives and to use lethal force as a last resort.
Adaptation to New Challenges
With the emergence of a new kind of terrorism, and individuals no longer hesitating to engage in direct confrontation, the GIGN had to adapt to counter this "militarization" of terrorism and has even become a leader in this field in Europe. The unit is also regularly consulted to provide both technical and tactical training on the use of new weapons or equipment such as the configuration of a tactical vest or a holster, for example.
Global Engagements and Secrets
But the GIGN's scope of action is not limited to France. GIGN members are military personnel and intervene worldwide. The group frequently, and discreetly, participates in various external operations, within the framework of embassy protection missions, or for personalities. Unfortunately for our curiosity and fortunately for our security, these missions are very secret and rarely disclosed to the general public. For example, some operators have been deployed to carry out actions directly in Libya, Iraq, Ivory Coast, and especially in Afghanistan where they have completed several missions in the Kapisa Valley, as well as in the Wardak province. The GIGN has also received the Military Cross for its actions. These missions were only officially recognized very recently, although they took place around the 2010s...
International Partnerships and Training
Many units have collaborated, or still collaborate, in partnership with the GIGN. Whether for training, or exchanges of information or procedures. For example, in the early 1980s, the GIGN worked with, and even trained, several operators of the American Delta Force (1st SFOD-Delta). Various associations with DEVGRU (Navy SEALs, USA), the FBI HRT, GROM (PL), GEK Cobra (AU), ESI (BEL), GSG-9 (GER), GIS (IT), GEK (AU), SAS (UK)...and probably others that have not been revealed to the general public can also be noted.
Cultural Influence and Recognition
On this subject, Thierry P., a former member of the Group who participated in the Marignane assault, officially received the Navy SEALs badge in recognition of his action during this mission.
This global recognition is even perceived in popular culture where the GIGN often appears, whether in films or even video games when it comes to mentioning a modern French unit. The film L'Assaut, released in 2011, retraces the events of the Marignane hostage-taking. Released the same year, the film L'Ordre et la Morale, by Matthieu Kassovitz, features GIGN agents during the Ouvéa hostage-taking. The Group is even briefly mentioned in the film The Island, by Michael Bay, as the mercenary tasked with bringing back the two heroes of the film is a former GIGN member, recruited for his special military skills.