Early military career

Lieutenant-Colonel Vincent Mannessier was born on October 1, 1970, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a town in the Île-de-France region of France. He began his military training at the École d'Application du Génie in Angers, where he joined the reserve officer cadet company in 1994.

Military promotions and roles

Mannessier completed his national service with the 6th RG, a unit of the French Army. He was appointed a cadet in April 1995 and became a second lieutenant the following October. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1997 and later assigned to the 17th RGP in Montauban as a section leader.

Deployment in Kosovo

From October 1999 to February 2000, Mannessier was deployed to Kosovo as part of Operation TRIDENT, a multinational mission aimed at stabilizing the region after the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. He was later promoted to captain in 2001 and held various roles, including assistant officer and commander of the Basic and Instruction Company.

Further military service and deployments

Mannessier was deployed again to Kosovo in 2006 as part of the same operation. He later moved to the 5th RG in Versailles, where he worked in operations and as an EOD officer. From 2010 to 2011, he was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation PAMIR, a French military mission in the region.

Service in Lebanon and Mali

Mannessier was deployed to Lebanon in 2013 as part of Operation DAMAN, where he worked in the operations center of the Force Commander Reserve. He later served in Mali as part of Operation BARKHANE, leading a detachment focused on liaison and operational assistance. His expertise in engineering and EOD was particularly valuable in high-risk environments.

Later career and death

In 2016, Mannessier participated in Operation SENTINELLE, a French military operation in Strasbourg. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 2018 and served as deputy head of the BOI. He died on October 22, 2018, following a fainting episode during physical training while deployed in Strasbourg.

Awards and personal life

Mannessier was posthumously awarded several military honors, including the Gold Medal of National Defense with a bronze star and the Combatant's Cross. He was 48 years old at the time of his death, married, and the father of three children.