In September 1970, he was admitted to the promotion « Général Charles de Gaulle » at Saint-Cyr. Nominated to the rank of Sous-lieutenant on October 1, 1971, he chose to serve in the armored cavalry corps and pursued his formation at the Application School of Saumur on October 1972. On September 1973, he was assigned to the 2nd Foreign Regiment 2e RE at Corte and commenced his career as a section chief of the foreign volunteers of the 2nd company. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on October 1. On September 1975, he joined the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment 1er REC at Orange where he assumed the functions of assistant officer for one year. In June 1976, he occupied the post of a light machine gun platoon chief, then assistant officer of the reconnaissance squadron of the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion 13e DBLE, stationed at Oueah in the Republic of Djibouti. He was promoted to the rank of Captain on October 1, 1977. Repatriated at end of tour deployment, he pursued the Captain's Perfection Course and joined again the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment 1er REC in August 1978. After having been assigned as the director and works officer at the corps of the commandment and services squadron, he assumed the command of the 4th Squadron, from January 1980 to June 1982. In August, he was assigned to the operational center of the general staff headquarters of the French Army where he served during two years in quality of a permanent officer. He was promoted to the rank of Chef d'escadron on October 1, 1983. In August 1984, he was called upon as aide-de-camp of the Prime Minister. In March 1986, he joined the Directorate of Superior Military Teachings of the French Army and the Superior War School where he taught History. In September 1986, he was integrated at the corps of 100th promotion of the ESG. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-colonel on October 1, 1987. In June 1988, he was assigned to the 5th Cuirassiers Regiment stationed at Kaiserslauntern in Germany where he assured functionality of the directorate of the instruction operation bureau then occupied the function of second in command. Upon his return to France on August 1990, he joined the study bureau of the general staff headquarters of the French Army. On July 27, 1993, he assumed the commandment of the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment 1er REC. He was promoted to the rank of Colonel on October 1, 1933. At the head of this regimental corps, he participated for six months within the cadre of the United Nations, to action led in Sarajevo in ex-Yugoslavia. He commanded battalion infantry 2. He left his commandment on July 30, 1995 and pursued his services at the corps of the COMLE at Aubagne as a chief in the general staff headquarters of the French Foreign Legion. On August 1998, he was assigned to the Information Service and Public Relations of the French Army, where he exercised the functions of assistant, then chief of the designated service department. He was nominated to the 1st section of officer generals on August 1 2002, and he was entrusted with the command of the Legion. He was later admitted to the 2nd section of officer generals on August 1, 2004.
