Philippe B. should never have found himself in the position that was so often his over the past fifteen years: at the head of a GIGN assault column!
Raised the hard way, his aptitude for martial arts brought him very early to the edge of ultra-violence and delinquency. Yet, ever since he watched live on television the famous GIGN assault on an Airbus at Marignane at the age of 16, Philippe B. had set himself a new ambition: to join the "Groupe". After a winding road strewn with obstacles, he passed the selection tests and finished among the top of his intake, but the psychologists opposed his candidacy due to his decidedly atypical profile and his youthful mistakes. The instructors decided otherwise: they knew they could channel his energy and offer him a new life — that of an operational member of the GIGN.
Here then is the story of Philippe B., an "ops" with an extraordinary background — operational freefall parachutist, combat sports instructor, explosives expert and exceptional marksman whose accuracy would prove decisive in the success of certain missions. Between his "Spartan" upbringing and his operations in Libya, in the Gulf of Aden, in Iraq, or his most recent counter-terrorism operations on home soil, he lifts the veil on the daily life of GIGN operationals.
These are exceptional individuals who make the strength of the Groupe founded by Christian Prouteau. Philippe B. is one of them.
Secure Payment
Delivery
Call Us
(+33) 01.79.75.05.50
EXTRACT:
On Monday 7 April, barely arrived in Djibouti and as we were preparing the crates to be tarponed with some of us, Denis Favier gathered us around him for a moment. "Right, we have passed on to Sarkozy an assessment of casualties in the event of an assault on the vessel: it indicates that 50% of the gendarmes who will carry out the assault will be killed and that all the pirates will be shot. I wanted you to know that." We are well aware of the complexity of a maritime assault and the dangers it entails, all the more so since we learn on this occasion that the Somalis now number 18 on board! There is no point in harbouring illusions. If an intervention is ordered, we will no doubt take casualties in our ranks.
But Denis Favier was not finished. « The Somali head of state, President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, has asked President Sarkozy that an example be made of the Ponant. His request is as follows: in the event that a ransom is paid, you will be required to execute all the pirates. To that end, you will carry out kill shots from a helicopter as they leave the vessel, and you will have to kill them — all of them! What do you think? »
For us, the question does not arise. While we do not hesitate to neutralise hostage-takers without mercy during a full-force rescue operation, we cannot bring ourselves to execute men who would be fleeing in a zodiac having killed no hostages and holding none with them. They are thieves, certainly, whose proceeds no doubt feed terrorist networks, but they are also poor villagers who have not yet killed anyone. " I am against it " , said one of us, raising his hand, immediately followed by the entire group.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Philippe B. was vice-champion of France in full-contact at the age of 17. Determined from adolescence to join the GIGN, he achieved his goal and served for 15 years as an operational member.
You might also like
