The mechanics of the 1st Reg of Laudun-l’Ardoise, essential shadow workers for the Army

The mechanics of the 1st Reg are essential for the smooth running of the army's missions. Arthur Joaquim – Midi Libre

The 1st Reg must receive 23 Griffons in the coming years, to make a total of 45. A.J – Midi Libre

Public works machinery is also essential for the success of engineering missions. A.J – Midi Libre

This summer, Midi Libre went to meet Gardois who practice a job like no other. The mechanics of the 1st Foreign Engineering Regiment of Laudun-l’Ardoise play an essential role for the smooth running of missions.

In the vastness of the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment of Laudun-l'Ardoise, the hangars go almost unnoticed. Hidden behind the company buildings and the gymnasium, they nevertheless house dozens of vehicles: engineering vehicles, armored vehicles, public works vehicles, and many others.

Inside, Chief Warrant Officer José Martins and his men have their noses in the engines of the Griffons. These ultramodern armored vehicles that weigh “more than twenty tons”, the 1st Reg has 22. It will receive 23 more soon, as part of the Scorpion program, which aims to modernize the Army's equipment.

“It never stops”

The 1st Reg carries out engineering missions. Chief Warrant Officer Martins reminds us: “We are here to support the rest of the troops. Facilitate mobility. We build ways of crossing, or else we destroy barriers or obstacles, to allow progress on the mission."

Mechanics are essential on the ground, and off. If a vehicle breaks down, it compromises the success of the mission. The repairs they carry out determine the continuation of the mission.

The 1st Reg has about fifty “mechanics”. 18 are assigned to the maintenance and repair of the Griffon, called “wheel workshop”. At the moment, they are adjusting the rear doors of the vehicles: “They make a loud noise when you close them, it hurts the ears of those inside!”

So there are always mechanics on a mission. “We are never all at the rear base (in the regiment, editor's note) at the same time. Right now, there are only eight of us, the rest are on missions or on leave. But the demand remains the same, so we work a lot of hours to compensate" notes NCO Martins. "We grit our teeth to keep up the pace. It never stops."

"Fighters above all"

You don't just improvise as a mechanic. Legionnaires already have three or four years of seniority when they specialize. Most of them are already non-commissioned officers. "We remain fighters first and foremost. We have already carried out several missions before making this choice" recalls the chief warrant officer. It will then take four more years, accompanied by the head of the regimental maintenance section (SMR), warrant officer Léonard-Silviu, to be fully operational. There is no room for error.

For the hundred vehicles that the mechanics handle, each modification is noted and checked by the reception-control-diagnostic office of which Chief Warrant Officer Alain is a member: “Not a single vehicle leaves the workshop without our agreement. It's a huge responsibility. We can't afford to send out machines that aren't perfectly ready.”

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