Born on 28 April 1983, Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud FRION enlisted in the French Army on 1 December 2004 with the 27th Alpine Chasseurs Battalion in Haute-Savoie, where he began his career as an assault rifleman. From his earliest years of service, he distinguished himself through his commitment, determination, and outstanding soldierly qualities.
He was successively deployed to Chad in October 2005 as part of Operation «Épervier», and then to the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire in February 2007 under Operation «Licorne».
Deployed to Afghanistan in November 2008, he carried out a remarkable mission within Operation «Pamir», during which, while under fire from insurgent elements, he provided highly effective support to a friendly section, enabling it to break contact safely. For this act of bravery, he received an Army-level citation for gallantry.
His human qualities and remarkable leadership abilities enabled him to quickly join the non-commissioned officer corps on 1 December 2009. Assigned as reinforcement to the «Mountain Commando» Section, he returned to Afghanistan in October 2011, where he again distinguished himself during Operation «Valley Flood». Under enemy fire, he identified the source of the shooting and led the counterattack, putting himself in harm's way to neutralize the threat and ensure the safety of all the soldiers involved. For this decisive action, he again received an Army-level citation for gallantry.
In the summer of 2012, he officially joined the «Mountain Commando» Section. He achieved excellent results, finishing first in his training course. In April 2014, he was deployed to Mali as part of Operation «Serval», where he confirmed his qualities as a leader. In particular, he ensured the protection of aircrews and escorted medical teams during medical evacuation missions. Returning to Mali from 19 May to 23 September 2016, he contributed to intelligence missions and took part in the extraction of a wounded special forces soldier. During the same period, he obtained the Advanced Army Technician Certificate.
Assigned to the 7th Alpine Chasseurs Battalion in the summer of 2017, he assumed the role of «Mountain Commando» squad leader. Deployed again to Mali under Operation «Barkhane», he distinguished himself during combat actions in Kidal and later in Niger, contributing to the protection of a helicopter and to the rescue of allied soldiers under enemy fire. For these actions in combat, he once again received an Army-level citation for gallantry.
An exemplary leader, recognized for his courage and tactical sense, he was deployed again to Mali in 2019 and in 2020, where he led his squad in several offensive operations against armed terrorist groups. His exceptional career earned him the award of the Military Medal on 31 December 2021.
He subsequently took part in several operational and cooperation missions, notably in Estonia in 2023, during exercises with allied NATO forces.
Deployed to Iraq since 24 January 2026 as part of Operation «Inherent Resolve», Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud FRION was fatally wounded on 12 March 2026 during a drone attack.
Chief Warrant Officer Arnaud FRION was married and the father of one child. He died for France in the line of duty.
https://www.defense.gouv.fr/terre/a...t-chef-arnaud-frion-operation-exterieure-irak
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