The Esther-Poggio class received their diplomas on June 10 in the presence of VAE Christophe Lucas and mayor Josée Massi.
Wednesday June 10, 2026, 60 Var defense cadets graduated on the square of the Toulon maritime prefecture. The ceremony brought together Vice-Admiral Christophe Lucas and Mayor Josée Massi.
The essentials
- 60 cadets diplômés on June 10, 2026 on the square of the Toulon maritime prefecture.
- Promotion Esther-Poggio : 236 3rd grade middle school students from 46 establishments, spread across 8 centers in the Var.
- Two centers concerned by this ceremony, attached to FLOPHIB and the Mediterranean Maritime Gendarmerie.
- Annual program : two Wednesdays per month of defense and citizenship activities, plus a stay at the Canjuers camp.
A ceremony on the Mediterranean square
On June 10, 2026, the forecourt of the Toulon maritime prefecture hosted the graduation ceremony for 60 Var defense cadets. Vice Admiral Christophe Lucas, maritime prefect of the Mediterranean and commander of the Mediterranean maritime zone, presided over the ceremony alongside Josée Massi, mayor of Toulon, according to the official account @Cecmed_Off.
The ceremony concerned two of the eight Var defense cadet centers, according to the official Mediterranean Defense page on Facebook.
La promotion Esther-Poggio
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These cadets belong to the Esther-Poggio promotion. Esther Poggio (1912-1944) was a resistance fighter from Toulon, seller of fruit and vegetables in the Toulon market, shot in Nice in 1944, according to sources from the Ministry of Defense and the Maitron dictionary.
The promotion brings a total of 236 3rd year middle school students from 46 schools, divided into eight centers in the department, according to the Nice academy. The 60 graduates on June 10 come in particular from centers attached to the Amphibious Flotilla (FLOPHIB) and the Mediterranean Maritime Gendarmerie.
A year of discovery of armies and citizen engagement
Throughout the school year, the cadets devoted two Wednesdays per month to activities to discover the armed forces, defense, civic engagement, sport and memory work. A stay at the Canjuers military camp completed the program, according to the Nice academy.
The Defense Cadets system is based on a partnership between national education and the armies, supported by local military units. A similar formula exists in other departments: the 5th promotion of cadets of the Cher gendarmerie received their rondache in Bourges this month, and the prefect of Loire awarded certificates to young people from Loire on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the National Navy.
Context in the Var
Toulon is the main French military port in the Mediterranean and hosts several large units of the French Navy. The link between Var youth and the armed forces is maintained in particular through this annual Defense Cadet system. The 2024-2025 class graduated on July 2, 2025 at the atrium of the Toulon Departmental Council, according to the Info83 website and the Nice academy. Nice Matin, which covered this year’s ceremony, quotes participants talking about “precious links between youth and our armed forces.”
VAE Christophe Lucas has held the position of maritime prefect of the Mediterranean since June 2024. The next graduations for the six other centers of the Esther-Poggio promotion have not yet been publicly announced.
