At 26, he took charge of this gendarmerie brigade

See my news
Follow The Impartial

Since Lieutenant Serene’s departure in October 2023, the command post of the territorial brigade of the gendarmerie of Gaillon (Eure) was vacant. If the interim was ensured by Major Emmanuel Legrand, a new boss for the unit arrived at the beginning of summer 2024.

THE Lieutenant Gaël Guédon, 26 years oldsettled in the city on July 1st while waiting to officially take up his duties, which should take place by October. “I have been settling in since the beginning of the summer. I found in Gaillon a brigade of 34 gendarmes where we get along well and where we work well,” said the man who wanted to “emphasize the work done by the major” during the interval between the departure of his predecessor and his arrival. “I hope that we can form an effective major-lieutenant tandem.”

“Serving others”

The new head of the Gaillon gendarmes was able to take the time to discover the sector like his men in recent weeks: “Apart from sending reinforcements to the Paris region during the Olympic Games weekends, the summer was rather calm. This allowed us to have moments of cohesion,” he explains.

About the surroundings, “I admit that I didn’t know Eure or Gaillon before arriving. It’s a very pleasant region, very hilly and which reminds me of the Bocage Vendéen where I come from. Gaillon is a city rich in history and heritage”, appreciates Lieutenant Guédon.

Although the young man always wanted to put himself “at the service of others”, Gaël Guédon had not necessarily imagined joining the gendarmerie. “I had done my 3rd year internship within the gendarmerie group in Vendée but after my baccalaureate, I started higher education”, adds the man who holds a degree in political science obtained at the Catholic Institute of The Rock-on-Yon and a Master of Public Law, Security and Defense course picked up at Paris AssasAt the same time, Gaël Guédon joined the Army reserve within the 24th Infantry Regiment of Vincennes.

Gaillon, his first post

And in 2022, at the end of his studies, the Vendéen joined theNational Gendarmerie Officers’ School in Melun from which he graduated last June with the rank of lieutenant.

“Gaillon is therefore my first post. I wanted to join a unit in the departmental gendarmerie and especially a territorial brigade in order to learn the ropes”

In recent weeks, the newcomer has become familiar with the 24 municipalities in the brigade’s intervention sector. “It is a sector that is divided into two poles: one more urban around Gaillon and Val d’Hazey, and the other more rural with the surrounding countryside. Depending on the sector, the issues can be a little different,” he explains.

The roadmap entrusted to him by squadron leader Pascaline Tesio, commander of the Louviers company, includes “very classic priorities linked to command posts”:

“It involves managing the brigade with management, logistics and planning of the different missions. It also includes establishing good relations with the population but also partners, whether they are elected officials or municipal police in the sector.”

Upon arriving in Gaillon, the gendarme intends to sign up for a 3-year term, until the summer of 2027. In the meantime, Lieutenant Guédon may therefore have to manage the brigade’s entry into the new premises that are to be built in Gailloncel. “This will be a logistical challenge that will require organization. But we have time to prepare for this change in good conditions,” estimates the gendarme.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to My News.