Last week, the courtyard of the La Savane Gendarmerie barracks hosted a solemn ceremony presided over by Prefect Cyrille Le Vély.
“This ceremony allows us to honor five soldiers today for their courage, composure, and sense of duty,” the prefect declared. “It illustrates the decisive and daily actions that the Gendarmes carry out on the two northern islands, St. Barthélemy and St. Martin, risking their lives in the context of difficult operations.”
La medal of honor for overseas commitment was awarded to the Squadron Leader François Zimmer, second-in-command of the COMGEND Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-MartinA rigorous and experienced officer, he has accumulated twenty-six years of serviceA large part of his career has been dedicated to overseas territories: missions in French Guiana, French Polynesia, and the French West Indies. This career path reflects a deep commitment to public service and to the people of these territories.
Three soldiers from National Gendarmerie Surveillance and Intervention Platoon (PSIG) of Saint-Martin — Warrant Officer Marc Simon (Silver level) police officer Théo Apparcel (Bronze level) and the gendarme Alexandre Proto (Bronze level) — received the medal for acts of courage and devotionOn August 27, 2025, while carrying out a prevention mission in the Orléans district, they intervened against three armed individuals They were armed with knives and an automatic pistol. Thanks to their composure and skill, they were able to neutralize the attackers and prevent a tragedy.
The same distinction (Bronze level) was awarded to Chief Warrant Officer Denis Morandeau, commander of the nautical brigade, for a perilous sea rescueIn November 2024, he repeatedly jumped into rough seas to bring back on board a passenger who had voluntarily jumped from the ship. Travel, between Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin.
Finally, a letter of congratulations was handed over to Captain Mickaël Lecointre by Lieutenant Colonel Hugues Loyez, for having preserved from the clues during an investigation, despite an attempted theft by outsiders.
In his speech, Prefect Le Vély praised “the determined action of the State in the Northern Islands”, recalling that The results in terms of security are tangible: three times more firearms seized this year, twice as many offences recorded for carrying prohibited weapons, and several drug dealing hotspots dismantled..
“Continue, with the same dedication, your fundamental mission in service to the State and our fellow citizens. Without resignation and with discernment, continue to embody the vital and sovereign forces of our Republic,” the prefect concluded, before congratulating the recipients.
https://faxinfo.fr/en/recompense-remise-de-decorations-a-la-gendarmerie-cinq-militaires-honores-pour-leur-courage-et-leur-devouement/
