ORION: Youth at the heart of Defense and Support to Armed Forces

Organized by the Southwest Defense and Security Zone in partnership with ENSAM (National School of Arts and Crafts) in Bordeaux-Talence, ORION Jeunesse marked the meeting between the Army and the youth, aiming to raise awareness about the challenges of the new geostrategic context, and the need for solidarity and national cohesion that result from it. During the day at the ENSAM university campus in Talence, on the outskirts of Bordeaux, students, defense classes, and participants in the JDC came to meet with the civilian and military personnel of the Southwest Commissariat Platform (PFC Southwest) to learn more about the Army Commissariat and the support provided to the forces. ORION 2026 aims to raise awareness among young people about modern conflicts and the role they could consider in defending our country. With “ORION Jeunesse,” we wanted to give them a concrete vision of the support concept for the forces, while strengthening the link between the Armed Forces and the Nation. This event was able to develop their defense culture and highlight the commitment of all the mobilized actors,” stated General Commissioner of the 2nd class Hervé Piccirillo, director of the PFC Southwest and general commissioner delegate (CGD) of the zone.

The Army Commissariat was thus highlighted through a significant initiative implemented by the PFC Southwest: a stand dedicated to the restoration professions (RHL), a presentation and distribution stand for combat rations, and a stand related to influence, information, and recruitment of various professions within the Army Commissariat. Approximately 800 young people came to discover the SCA professions and its personnel, as well as to enjoy a meal to discover the contents of a ration and appreciate all the flavors.

On the other side of France, in the East, the Commisariat Support Group (GSC) of Nancy participated in the ORION JEUN’EST event by offering a concrete immersion into the military life in the field and the support provided by the Army Commissariat to the armed forces in operations through the exhibition of field living materials and combat equipment. Visitors were able to discover and compare an old-generation tent and a new-generation tent, illustrating the evolution of equipment, significantly improving the living and camping conditions of soldiers on the ground and in operations. The presentation of different types of operational food sparked numerous exchanges, as did the exhibition of several uniforms, allowing to understand the diversity of situations encountered in operations. The civilian and military personnel of the GSC Nancy shared their experience and answered the public’s questions, offering a concrete glimpse of the support missions and professions exercised within the Army Commissariat. The ORION Jeunesse operation, carried out alongside the ORION exercise, allowed the Army Commissariat to make itself known to the youth, but also to reposition itself as support closer to the army, strengthening the network and ties between the actors of the Ministry of the Armed Forces present for the occasion.