François Lecointre
General Lecointre in 2020
Chief of the Defence Staff
In office
20 July 2017 – 21 July 2021
Preceded byPierre de Villiers
Succeeded byThierry Burkhard
Head of the Prime Minister's military cabinet
In office
1 September 2016 – 20 July 2017
Prime MinisterManuel Valls
Bernard Cazeneuve
Édouard Philippe
Preceded byOlivier Taprest
Succeeded byBenoît Durieux
Personal details
Born (1962-02-06) 6 February 1962
Cherbourg, France
Children4
Parents
  • Yves Lecointre (father)
  • Françoise de Roffignac (mother)
Alma mater
Military service
AllegianceFrance
Branch/serviceFrench Army
Years of service1984 – 2021
RankArmy general
Unit
List
Commands
List
Battles/wars
List

François Gérard Marie Lecointre (French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃swa ʒeʁaʁ maʁi ləkwɛ̃tʁ]; born 6 February 1962) is a French army general who has served as Grand Chancellor of the Order of the Legion of Honour since 1 February 2023. He previously served as Chief of the Defence Staff between 2017 and 2021.[1][2]

The son of a naval officer, Lecointre joined the French Army in 1984. As a captain, with Lieutenant Bruno Heluin (platoon leader) as the company commanding officer, he led an assault at the Battle of Vrbanja Bridge in 1995 that was the latest fixed bayonet charge of the French Armed Forces.

Biography

François Lecointre was born on 6 February 1962 in Cherbourg[3][4] into a military family. His father, Yves Urbain Marie Lecointre (5 April 1932 – 17 July 1985), was a French naval officer and submariner who served as the commandant of SNLE Le Redoutable.[5][6] One of his uncles, Hélie de Roffignac, was a cavalry officer who died in Algeria at the age of 23.[7]

Military career

François Lecointre at the École Polytechnique

Lecointre attended preparatory classes at the Prytanée National Militaire in La Flèche. He subsequently studied at the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr (Promotion Général Monclar)[4] from 1984 to 1987 and then at the Infantry School from 1987 to 1988.[8]

Lecointre joined the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment, where he served from 1988 to 1991.[9] Lecointre was promoted from lieutenant to captain in the marine infantry on 1 July 1991.[10]

From 1993 to 1996, he was a combat company commander of the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment in Vannes. As a captain, Lecointre was involved in the Opération Turquoise in 1994 in Rwanda. He commanded the 1st company of the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment (3e RIMa) in the Groupement Nord Turquoise.[11] Lecointre was also engaged with French forces under the command of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) during the Bosnian War. Under the orders of General Hervé Gobilliard and Colonel Erik Sandahl, Lecointre and Lieutenant Bruno Heluin led a bayonet charge to win the Battle of Vrbanja Bridge on 27 May 1995.[12] According to journalist Jean Guisnel, the episode turned the tide of the war and led to victory in Bosnia.[13]

From 1996 to 1999, Lecointre was an instructor at the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr in Coëtquidan, Morbihan where he trained student officers in military tactics. From 1999 to 2001, he was a trainee officer at the Joint Defense College (now École Militaire). He then served in the office of the Chief of Staff of the French Army in Paris at the crops bureau of system conception forces.[14]

From 2005 to 2007, Colonel Lecointre was the commanding officer of the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment in Vannes.

From 2007 to 2008, he studied at the Center of High Military Studies (CHEM)[15] and was an auditor at the Institut des hautes études de défense nationale (IHEDN) in Paris.[16]

Joseph Dunford and François Lecointre during his first official visit in Washington, DC in 2018

He was promoted to brigade general on 1 August 2011; he was in command of the 9th Marine Infantry Brigade in Poitiers until 2013.[17] Lecointre was later appointed as commander of the European Union Training Mission in Mali from January to July 2013.[18]

He rejoined the general staff headquarters of the French Army as a chargé de mission, becoming deputy-chief of the defence staff for "performance-synthèse" from 2014 to 2016. Lecointre was promoted to division general on 1 January 2015.

Head of the Prime Minister's military cabinet from August 2016,[19] Lecointre was elevated by a decree of President François Hollande from the first section of general officers to the rank of corps general on 1 March 2017.

On 20 July 2017, Lecointre was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff by President Emmanuel Macron, following the resignation of General Pierre de Villiers;[20] he was promoted to the rank of Général d'armée.[2] General Lecointre made his first official visit to the United States in February 2018, where he met with his American counterpart Joseph Dunford to discuss the ongoing War against the Islamic State and progress on the G5 Sahel.[21]

On 21 July 2021, Lecointre retired from active service and was succeeded by General Thierry Burkhard as Chief of Defence Staff. After a brief period outside the public eye, he was made Grand Cross and Grand Chancellor of the Order of the Legion of Honour per 1 February 2023, succeeding fellow retired General Benoît Puga.[1]

Military ranks

Cadet[lower-alpha 1] Aspirant[lower-alpha 2] Second lieutenant[lower-alpha 3] Lieutenant[lower-alpha 4] Captain Battalion chief
1984 1985 1 August 1986[22] 1 August 1987[22] 1 August 1991[23] 1 December 1996[24]
Lieutenant colonel Colonel Brigade general Division general Corps general Army general
1 December 2000[25] 1 December 2003[26] 1 August 2011[27] 1 January 2015[28] 1 March 2017[29] 20 July 2017[2]

Honours and decorations

Honours and decorations
National honours
Ribbon bar Name Date Source
Grand Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honour 18 January 2023 [30]
Grand Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour 2 July 2018 [31]
Commander of the National Order of the Legion of Honour 28 August 2014 [32]
Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour 14 July 2006 [33]
Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour 23 June 1995 [34]
Commander of the National Order of Merit 5 May 2011 [35]
Officer of the National Order of Merit 10 December 2002 [36]
Military decorations
Ribbon bar Name Source
War Cross for foreign operational theatres - Silver-gilt star (corps level citation) -
Cross for Military Valour - Bronze palm and two bronze stars (army level citation, brigade level citation and regiment level citation) -
Combatant's Cross -
Overseas Medal - Four clasps -
National Defence Medal - Silver grade with two clasps -
Medal of the Nation's Gratitude - One clasp -
French commemorative medal - One clasp -
United Nations Medal - UNOSOM II -
United Nations Medal - UNPROFOR, SARAJEVO clasp -
CSDP EUTM Mali Operations Medal - EUTM Mali clasp -
CSDP EUTM Mali Staff Medal - EUTM Mali clasp -
Foreign honours
Ribbon bar Name Country Source
Kuwait Liberation Medal Saudi Arabia -
Kuwait Liberation Medal Kuwait -
Medal of Gratitude of the Armed Forces Gabon [37]
Commander of the National Order of Mali Mali [37]
Commander of the National Order of the Lion Senegal [37]
Commander of the National Order of Chad Chad [37]
Polish Medal of the 100th Anniversary of the establishment of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces Poland [37]
Commander of the Legion of Merit United States -
Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Italy -
Badges
Insignia Name
French Parachutist Badge
Chief of the Defence Staff Badge

Publications

  • François Lecointre (dir.), Le soldat : XXe – XXIe siècle, Gallimard, coll. « Folio Histoire », 2018. With a foreword by French historian Jean-Pierre Rioux. This book is a collection of articles published in the French review of military studies : Inflexions - Civils et militaires : pouvoir dire, of which general Lecointre was a publishing director in 2015–2017.[38]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Government of the French Republic (23 January 2023). "Décret du 23 janvier 2023 portant nomination du grand chancelier de la Légion d'honneur". Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Government of the French Republic (19 July 2017). "Décret du 19 juillet 2017 portant affectation et élévation d'un officier général". Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  3. ↑ « Des militaires originaires du Cotentin au Mali », sur La Manche libre, 28 January 2013.
  4. 1 2 d'Orcival, François (19 July 2017). "Le général Lecointre, des opérations extérieures au théâtre intérieur…". Valeurs actuelles. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  5. ↑ The first French nuclear ballistic boat, launched by Général de Gaulle on 29 March 1967 and which was disarmed in 1991
  6. ↑ Biography of Yves Urbain Marie Lecointre (5 April 1932 - 1985), on the site of École navale.
  7. ↑ Hélie de Roffignac (1936-1959), Saint-Cyr (class Franchet d'Esperey, 1955-1957), lieutenant at the 18e régiment de chasseurs à cheval, dead from burns in a forest fire in the Djebel Chélia, returning from operations, on 1 August 1959. Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur, Croix de la Valeur militaire. See : Musée du Souvenir - La Saint-Cyrienne Archived 26 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Lieutenant de Roffignac was the brother of general Lecointre's mother, Francoise de Roffignac. The Roffignac family, of ancient French nobility, gave many officers. One of them, Louis Philippe de Roffignac (1773-1846), an artillery officer, emigrated in Spain and settled in Louisiana (1800). He became a Mayor of New Orleans (1820-1828).
  8. ↑ Official biography of general Lecointre on the French Ministry of Armies' website
  9. ↑ "Biographie du colonel François Lecointre, nouveau chef de corps du 3e de marine" (PDF). bulletin d'information du 3e RIMa, no. 33. Retrieved 19 July 2017..
  10. ↑ J.O. No. 155 du 5 juillet 1991, NOR : DEFM9101576D.
  11. ↑ Jacques Morel, La France au cœur du génocide des Tutsi, Izuba édition - L'Esprit frappeur, 2010 - page 1325. On the Opération Turquoise and its political and judiciary developments, see Association France Turquoise (in French)
  12. ↑ Roger Cohen, Conflict in the Balkans : U.N. forces; Bosnia battle shows U.N.'s pride and limits, The New York Times, 6 June 1995. See also (in French): Interview général Gobilliard et colonel Lecointre, émission Infrarouge « Que sont nos soldats devenus ? », France 3.
  13. ↑ Quoted by : Jade Toussay, Le général François Lecointre s'est fait un nom dans l'armée après cette bataille de Sarajevo, The Huffington Post, 19 July 2017.
  14. ↑ CV of Général Lecointre, JDD, 19 July 2017.
  15. ↑ Nathalie Guibert (20 July 2017). "Le général François Lecointre, chef de guerre et " penseur " de l'armée". Le Monde. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  16. ↑ "Arrêté du 13 juillet 2007 portant désignation des auditeurs de la 60e session nationale de l'Institut des hautes études de défense nationale (cycle 2007-2008)". Légifrance. 13 July 2007. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  17. ↑ Thomas Liabot (19 July 2017). "François Lecointre, "un héros" nouveau chef d'état-major des armées". Le Journal du dimanche. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  18. ↑ Margaux Thuriot (11 March 2013). "Interview du général de brigade François Lecointre, commandant de l'EUTM Mali". Ministère de la Défense. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  19. ↑ Government of the French Republic (25 August 2016). "Arrêté du 25 août 2016 relatif à la composition du cabinet du Premier ministre". Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  20. ↑ "Armées. François Lecointre va remplacer Pierre de Villiers". Le Telegramme. 19 July 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  21. ↑ Ministry of the Armies (15 February 2018). "Le CEMA en visite officielle chez son partenaire outre atlantique". Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  22. 1 2 Ministry of the Armies. "BIOGRAPHIE du Général d'armée François Lecointre" (PDF) (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  23. ↑ Government of the French Republic (3 July 1991). "Décret du 3 juillet 1991 portant nomination et promotion dans l'armée active" (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  24. ↑ Government of the French Republic (12 December 1996). "Décret du 12 décembre 1996 portant nomination et promotion dans l'armée active" (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  25. ↑ Government of the French Republic (31 October 2000). "Décret du 31 octobre 2000 portant nomination et promotion dans l'armée active". Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  26. ↑ Government of the French Republic (11 December 2003). "Décret du 11 décembre 2003 portant nomination et promotion dans l'armée active" (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  27. ↑ Government of the French Republic (16 May 2011). "Décret du 16 mai 2011 portant nomination et promotion dans l'armée active" (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  28. ↑ Government of the French Republic (19 December 2014). "Décret du 19 décembre 2014 portant nomination et promotion dans l'armée active" (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  29. ↑ Government of the French Republic (19 January 2017). "Décret du 19 janvier 2017 portant nomination et promotion dans l'armée active" (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  30. ↑ Government of the French Republic (18 January 2023). "Décret du 18 janvier 2023 portant élévation" (in French). Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  31. ↑ Government of the French Republic (2 July 2018). "Décret du 2 juillet 2018 portant élévation" (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  32. ↑ Government of the French Republic (4 July 2014). "Décret du 4 juillet 2014 portant promotion" (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  33. ↑ Government of the French Republic (1 July 2006). "Décret du 1er juillet 2006 portant promotion" (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  34. ↑ Government of the French Republic (14 June 1995). "Décret du 14 juin 1995 portant nomination" (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  35. ↑ Government of the French Republic (5 May 2011). "Décret du 5 mai 2011 portant promotion et nomination" (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  36. ↑ Government of the French Republic (6 November 2002). "Décret du 6 novembre 2002 portant promotion et nomination" (in French). Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  37. 1 2 3 4 5 "French Military Frees Foreign Hostages from Burkina Faso". Archived from the original on 23 May 2019.
  38. ↑ Inflexions - Civils et militaires : pouvoir dire Archived 22 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine.

Notes

  1. ↑ First year of ESM Saint-Cyr.
  2. ↑ Second year of ESM Saint-Cyr.
  3. ↑ Third year of ESM Saint-Cyr.
  4. ↑ Upon leaving ESM Saint-Cyr.
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