Armée de Terre

French Army
Armée de terre
Active	15th century – present
Country	France
Type	Army
Size	111,628 military personnel (2014), incl. 8,500 personnel of the Paris Fire Brigade
Part of	French Armed Forces
Nickname(s)	La grande muette "The great mute one"
Motto(s)	Honneur et Patrie "Honour and Fatherland"
Engagements	Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) Colonial Wars (1534–1980) Italian Wars Thirty Years' War War of the League of Augsburg War of the Spanish Succession War of the Polish Succession War of the Austrian Succession Seven Years' War American Revolutionary War French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars French intervention in Spain Greek War of Independence Conquest of Algeria Crimean War Franco-Austrian War Franco-Prussian War Paris Commune World War I World War II Allied Forces Vichy French Forces Syria–Lebanon Campaign Lebanese Civil War 1975–1990 Multinational Force 1982–1984 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (1978–present) 1983 Beirut barracks bombing Gulf War (1990–1991) Kosovo War (1998–1999) Global War on Terrorism (2001–present) War in Afghanistan (1978–present) Operation Enduring Freedom War in Afghanistan (2001–present) Northern Mali Conflict Second Ivorian Civil War Central African Republic conflict (List of wars involving France)
Website	www.defense.gouv.fr/terre
Commanders
Current commander	General Jean-Pierre Bosser

The French Army, officially the Land Army (French: Armée de terre [aʀme də tɛʀ]) (to distinguish it from the Air Army) is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. Along with the French Air Force, the French Navy and the National Gendarmerie, it is responsible to the French government. The current Chief of Staff of the French Army (C.E.M.A.T.) is General Jean-Pierre Bosser, a direct subordinate of the Chief of the Defence Staff (C.E.M.A.). All soldiers are considered professionals following the suspension of conscription, voted in parliament in 1997 and made effective in 2001.

As of 2014^[update], the French Army employed 111,628 personnel (including the French Foreign Legion and the Paris Fire Brigade). In addition, the reserve element of the French Army consisted of 15,453 personnel of the Operational Reserve.

In 1999 the Army issued the Code of the French Soldier, which includes the injunctions:

The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII in the 1420–30s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the Hundred Years' War. These units of troops were raised by issuing ordonnances to govern their length of service, composition and payment. These Compagnies d'ordonnance formed the core of the Gendarme Cavalry into the sixteenth century. Stationed throughout France and summoned into larger armies as needed. There was also provision made for "Francs-archers" units of bowmen and foot soldiers raised from the non-noble classes but these units were disbanded once war ended.

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Wikipedia