Original French Foreign Legion Operation Tessalit Promotion Badge as part of Operation Serval. Featuring the insignias of 1 REC, 21° RIMA, 48° RT.
Operation Serval was a French operation in Mali with the aim to oust Islamic militants from the north of Mali, who had begun a push into the center of Mali. Operation Serval followed the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2085 of 20 December 2012 and an official request by the Malian interim government for French military assistance. The operation ended on 15 July 2014, and was replaced by Operation Barkhane, launched on 1 August 2014 to fight Islamist fighters in the Sahel. Three of the five Islamic leaders, Abdelhamid Abou Zeid, Abdel Krim and Omar Ould Hamaha were killed, while Mokhtar Belmokhtar fled to Libya and Iyad ag Ghali fled to Algeria. The operation is named after the serval, a medium-sized African wild cat as shown on the badge.
1 REC - 1er Régiment Étranger de Cavalerie, The only cavalry regiment within the French Foreign Legion, since the dissolution of the 2nd Foreign Cavalry Regiment (2e REC). Created in Tunisia in 1921-1922, the 1er REC moved from Bou Sfer, Algeria to Orange (Southern France) in October 1967. Since July 2014, the regiment has been stationed at Camp Carpiagne near Marseille, Southern France. 21° RIMA is the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment.
