Following an assignment at the technical section of the French Army, he assumed command of the 129th Line Infantry Regiment in 1958 in Algeria.

He operated equally in Togo and in the Ivory Coast, in order to ensure the permanence of the « pré carré » of France in Africa.

Having left the French Foreign Legion, je joined the secret service before assuming command of the 11th Parachute Division from 1977 to 1979.

During his commandment, the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment 2e REP intervened in Kolwezi in Zaire, and the French Army launched exterior theatre operations in Lebanon and Mauritania.

He won the confidence of the President of France Valéry Giscard d'Estaing who named him Military governor of Paris in 1980, and Chief of the general staff headquarters of the Armies on 1 February 1981, a couple of months before the election of François Mitterrand.

In 1986, he became the special counselor near the ministre français de la Défense for the military relations with the African countries having signed defense accords.