From June 4 to 6, 2026, the Pont du Gard will host ARCUS, the forum for defense and security professions, organized by the 6th Light Armored Brigade. General Stève Carleton, commander of the Nîmes-Laudun-Larzac defense base and departmental military delegate of Gard, discusses this event in detail.
Objectif Gard: What exactly is ARCUS?
General Stève Carleton : ARCUS is the forum for defense and security professions. This is the fifth edition and this year the objective is to continue to move upmarket in order to have an even greater influence. The name comes from the Latin, arcus, which means arch. You see, a great capacity for imagination among the military. It’s the idea of the bridge, like the Pont du Gard, but also the bridge which connects young people, which links the French to people who are in the defense and security professions.
Why did you choose the Pont du Gard as a site?
Because it is an emblematic site which well represents the Gard and it allows us to build a bridge with young people. Many young people discover the army through mobilization days, the former JDCs, and do not know at all the field of defense and security professions. Almost three quarters of the young people who pass through have never heard of it, which is still quite surprising. And the Pont du Gard, when the weather is nice, there are a lot of people passing by, so even those who have not seen the posters will come across us.
What is the program for these three days?
The first evening, Thursday June 4, we organize a conference for the benefit of business leaders from Gard. More than 200 people responded favorably. It will be hosted by Guillaume de Cersei, a former soldier of the Foreign Legion who converted to business advice on management issues. We will also take the opportunity to organize a ceremony to award white caps to young legionnaires who will have completed their march of 60 to 70 kilometers in the sector. These young people will take an oath to serve the Foreign Legion with honor and loyalty. We found that it made sense to combine the two, to show the link in the symbolism of these foreigners who come to freely serve France.
On Friday and Saturday, it is the heart of the forum. More than 40 units will be present, local regiments like the 4th EMAT of Saint-Césaire, the 503rd train regiment, the 2nd REI, but also units that come from further afield like the 25th engineer regiment of the air of Istres or the 4th hunter of Carpiagne There will also be the police, the gendarmerie with its PSIG, the firefighters, the customs, the civil security. The idea is to show all the diversity of the professions in uniform.
The forum poster with the list of actors present • Baptiste Petit
What will visitors be able to see and do specifically?
There will be entertainment throughout the day. Canine demonstrations, a firing of the Caesar cannon by the 3rd marine artillery regiment, without firing obviously. A dolphin helicopter will land and be able to fly over. Passages of civil security planes and helicopters are also planned. Children and adults will be able to see and touch the materials. And on Saturday June 6, we also called on Marius, a former marine commando widely followed on social networks, to reach young people. The idea really is that young people can ask questions of young soldiers, young police officers, young gendarmes, without filter, so that the speech is really delivered as it is.
Is the army recruiting enough today?
It’s necessary to make yourself known, to continue to make yourself known. The armies have been the biggest national recruiter for years, with 16,000 recruitments per year for the army alone, and between 20,000 and 25,000 if we include the navy and the air force. We have been on our recruitment target since the end of Covid, we are well above it. But like all companies, we have difficulties in certain specific jobs, in particular engineers and computer scientists. And in the Gard department alone, the armies represent around 250 to 300 recruitments per year, it is a fairly significant employer.
Does the current geopolitical context give more meaning to this type of event?
Yes, absolutely. We are in a new context where there can be hybrid actions, protest actions on the part of adversaries who contest the merits of the actions of France or our European partners. This is not just the problem of the armies, it is the problem of our society. National defense is organized around two structures, military defense and civil defense. Civil defense is also the preparation of the economic world, of the world of elected officials, on how to organize in the event of a crisis. The goal is not to make an anxiety-inducing speech. It’s fair to say what is.
What are your ambitions for this edition?
Last year, we set up the forum in four months and it attracted 8,000 people in two days. This year, we took the time, we are well supported by our partners, and our objective would be to double this number. We are aiming for more than 10,000 visitors over the three days. And beyond the figures, the challenge is to raise awareness. We must recruit because we have objectives, but we also have a duty to explain to people that the world has changed and that we must prepare for it together.
*The ARCUS forum will be held at Pont du Gard from June 4 to 6, 2026. Entry is free and open to all.
The forum plan • Baptiste Petit
