Union of European Paratroopers

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The Union of European Paratroopers (U.E.P., after the French name Union Européenne des Parachutistes) was founded on 25 May. Founded in November 1989 in Altenstadt, Germany. The aim of the association is to preserve the traditional values of paratroopers of all generations and to contribute to the construction of a united Europe within the framework of the free world.

History
After the Second World War, in the course of ever closer relations between the states of Europe, Franco-German initiatives resulted in a European paratrooper union, which was subsequently joined by paratrooper associations of other European countries.

Already in 1976 Friedrich A. Freiherr von der Heydte and the then President of the French paratroopers, Colonel J. Romain-Defossés, 1981/1982 followed by Colonel Rudolf Witzig, tried to create the foundations of a European paratrooper union. It was not until 1989, however, that it was founded. On 25 November 1989, in the officer’s home of the Luftlande- und Lufttransportschule in Altenstadt, the statute of the association was initialled by the then Federal Head of the Federation of German Paratroopers (BDF), former Colonel Karl-Heinrich Sander and the President of the Union Nationale des Parachutistes (UNP), Commandant Henry Jean Loustau. The Statute was adopted on 21. It was deposited with the prefecture of Paris in May 1990 and later adopted by the applicant national paratrooper associations in the version of 30 March 1993. The representatives of the German and French paratroopers had thus put into practice the will of the war generation for the level of paratroopers to create from the motto “reconciliation over the graves” a sustainable bond of friendship between all similar associations in Europe.

The model of the founding countries of the association, Germany and France, was followed by Greece (1990), Spain (1991), Italy (1991), Cyprus (1992), Portugal (1992), Poland (1999), Belgium (2005), Hungary (2006) and Austria (2014). To date, eleven national associations with a total number of over 40,000 members are part of the association.

President
The founding fathers, Commandant Henry-Jean Loustau, former Colonel Karl-Heinrich Sander, General Arnaud de Foyard, General Konstantinos Malamas, General Palace and Konstantinos Likotrafitis were appointed honorary presidents for life in 1995.
1989 Major Henry-Jean Loustau (UNP)
1990 – General Aussaresses (UNP)
1991: Colonel Karl-Heinrich Sander (BDF)
1993 – Mr. Konstantinos Likotrafitis (F.P.F.S.)
1995: General de Vita (FENASVPE)
1996: General Munoz Manero (FENASVPE)
1997 Colonel Terras Marquez (UNP)
1998 – Mr. Makkoukides (P.A.R.C.)
1999: General Eckert (BDF)
2000 – General Theodoly-Lannes (F.P.F.S.)
General Komanski (Z.P.S.)
2002: General Galinos (F.P.F.S.)
2003 - General Speranza (ANPd'I)
2004: General Christian Piquemal (UNP)
2005: General Almendra (UPP)
2006: Gen