Its regimental traditions, including its badge and motto, were heavily influenced by the experience of many of its personnel in Belgian SAS during the Second World War.

In the period leading up the Rwandan genocide, soldiers from 1st Paratroopers Battalion formed the Belgian contingent of the United Nations force in the country, known as UNAMIR which was commanded by the Canadian Brigadier-General Roméo Dallaire, from 1993.

As the former colonial power, Belgian forces made up the brunt of UNAMIR (around 400 men), but it also included soldiers from Ghana, Tunisia, Bangladesh, and Canada.

In April 1994, 10 commandos would be murdered by Rwandan soldiers in Kigali - the largest single military loss for Belgium since the Second World War - and all Belgian personnel were controversially withdrawn from the country.

[7] In December 1992, 1st Paratroopers Battalion deployed to Somalia as part of US-led United Nations mission Operation Restore Hope.