Xavier Tarot: “Proud to take the lead of this unique regiment”
As he took up his duties as commander of the 54th Artillery Regiment this Friday morning for the next 24 months, a few memories must have come to the mind of Colonel Xavier Tarot, 43 years old.
Because the Place d’Armes in the Vassoigne district is not unknown to this Saint-Cyrien who already spent four years in the Cité des Palmiers as section head in 2004 then returned in 2018 as head of the operations instruction office.
Having just arrived from the army headquarters and the army headquarters in Paris, he expresses all his “pride to take the head of this unique regiment, specialized in anti-aircraft combat, a very unique unit, very committed, very operational. It is recognition of the work accomplished for the benefit of the army and our country since a little over 20 years.”
“Excited to join this special unit within our Army”Colonel Xavier Tarot, is also “grateful” towards his predecessor to leave him “an operational tool, with motivated soldiers who train to fulfill the missions entrusted to us.”
Facing tougher conflicts
Barely in place, the new commander will not have time to get bored, with half of the year 2024 and the next few weeks “exceptional in terms of commitment to his regiment”.
Starting with the Olympics where the 54th RA will be present for anti-aircraft defense, anti-drone combat and on joint Army missions (Sentinel) with its active and reserve personnel.
Colonel Xavier Tarot will also have to continue the work of transforming the army started a year ago. By the way “from a so-called “contact” model to a so-called “combat” model. The idea is to be able to engage the army in harsher conflicts facing more dangerous adversaries than this. that we have experienced in recent years. It is in this context that the 54th RA is transforming and that I will continue to implement this.
At the head of a regiment of 1,000 men and women, the new commander does not forget his primary function: “Operational commitment”. “It is the concern of every leaderhe insists. It is the ability of its regiment to provide personnel with equipment, trained and ready for engagement in the service of our country. We must therefore maintain this operational capacity and develop it. All this in a context of transformation of the army and the regiment with prospects of modernization. Projects in progress, initiated by my predecessors, which must be continued.”
Another mission to pursue, the opening of the regiment to the outside world, and the “requires renewing and supplementing our human resources. The experience of being a soldier can be very enriching. It is a way of entering active life, of giving meaning to one’s commitment. Beyond the adventure part , there is the notion of coming and growing, of learning about yourself”he tells future recruits.
