Troupes de Marine (Paperback)

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Troupes de marine, formerly Troupes coloniales, are an arm of the French Army with colonial heritage. The Troupes de marine are dedicated to service overseas. Despite their title they have been a part of the Army since 1958.Soldiers of the troupes de marine are likely to spend much more of their service overseas, particularly in Africa, than other French soldiers. The troupes de marine include infantry (including light tank units and airborne units) and artillery. The Troupes de marine were founded in 1622 (officially titled compagnies ordinaires de la mer) as land forces under the control of the navy, notably for operations in French Canada. The Troupes de marine were transferred to the army in 1900 and became part of the Troupes Coloniales (Colonial Troops). The nickname la Coloniale or la Colo refers to this heritage.