# 1st Combat Helicopter Regiment

The 1st Combat Helicopter Regiment (1$^{er}$ Régiment d'Hélicoptères de Combat) (1er RHC) is based at Quartier La Horie, in Phalsbourg.

## History

The 1st Combat Helicopter Regiment was created on 1 August 1977, but traces its origins back to the 1950s. It carries the traditions of the 1st then the 21st Artillery Observation Groups which achieved particular fame during the First Indochina War, winning six citations. The 1st Aerial Artillery Observation Group was established on 20 November 1945, and became the 21st Aerial Artillery Observation Group on 1 October 1950. From 1945 to February 1946 it was stationed at Camp de Valdahon. It was dissolved on 31 December 1953.
That heritage is recalled by the inscription "Indochina 1946–1954" carried on the standard which was solemnly presented to the regiment on 27 June 1980. Camp de la Horie at Phalsbourg where the regiment is stationed was built on the basis of the former Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base, vacated in the 1960s by the United States Air Force. The base was constructed by French workers for the Americans in 1953. Cited in an army order, the régiment received the Croix de guerre des Théâtres d'opérations extérieures with palm on 11 July 1991. It has been awarded battle honours for Kuwait.
In 1990 the 1st RHC took part in Opération Daguet (Operation Brocket) in Iraq. It has also seen service in Chad, in Djibouti, in Somalia, in the former Yugoslavia, in Kosovo, in Timor, in Ivory Coast and in Afghanistan.

## Organization

The regiment is divided into 3 battalions:
* The airmobile support battalion with
** 1 aerodrome services squadron;
** 1 command and logistics squadron;
** 1 defense and protection squadron of reservists.
* The reconnaissance and attack helicopter battalion with:
** 1 squadron of reconnaissance and attack helicopters using Aérospatiale Gazelle Viviane
** 2 attack destruction squadrons using Eurocopter Tigre HADs
** 1 Tigre/Gazelle helicopter maintenance squadron.
* The maneuver and assault helicopter battalion with:
** 2 squadrons of maneuver and assault helicopters using NHIndustries NH90 TTH Caïmans;
** 1 squadron of maneuver and assault helicopters using Aérospatiale SA 330 Pumas
** 1 Caïman/Puma helicopter maintenance squadron.

## Commanding officers

| Rank | Commanding officer | Dates |
| Colonel | Georges Baffeleuf | 1 August 1977 – 24 August 1978 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | André Martini | 25 August 1978 – 23 June 1981 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Alain Pfister | 24 June 1981 – 15 November 1981 (+) |
| Chef de bataillon | François Durand | 16 November 1981 – 11 January 1982 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Hugues Archambeaud | 12 January 1982 – 21 June 1984 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Marcel Morvan | 22 June 1984 – 25 June 1986 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Armel Davout d'Auerstaedt | 26 June 1986 – 29 June 1988 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Michel Massou | 30 June 1988 – 28 June 1990 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Jean-Luc Hotier | 29 June 1990 – 25 June 1992 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Roch Le Neven | 26 June 1992 – 30 June 1994 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Michel Foudriat | 1 July 1994 – 30 June 1996 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Patrick Tanguy | 1 July 1996 – 30 June 1998 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Hugues Brastel | 1 July 1998 – 30 June 2000 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Patrick Lefebvre | 1 July 2000 – 25 June 2002 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Pascal Guichard | 26 June 2002 – 30 June 2004 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Michel Grintchenko | 1 July 2004 – 30 June 2006 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Hervé Auriault | 1 July 2006 – 31 July 2008 |
| Colonel | Alain Bayle | 1 August 2008 – 31 May 2010 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Thibault de Laforcade | 1 June 2010 – 25 June 2012 |
| Colonel | Frédéric Barbry | 26 June 2012 – 26 June 2014 |
| Colonel | Frédéric Beutter | 26 June 2014 – 28 June 2016 |
| Colonel | Simon de Fautereau | 28 June 2016 – 28 June 2018 |
| Lieutenant-colonel | Fernando Hervé | 28 June 2018 – |