A: During the selection process and the four-month basic training, you are repeatedly asked to choose the regiment you would like to serve (except for the Mayotte Detachment, as this unit is reserved for senior legionnaires only). French Foreign Legion information. However, care is taken to have a mix of nationalities. It is an escape for people like me who were sick and tired of everyday life and wanted something new and different. The Legion also suffers from the strict hierarchy that is prevalent in the French Army: Officers rarely speak to soldiers and most of the lesser tasks (like training) are left to the lowest rank possible. Format: . Hi. Due to the fact that in the beginning most of their soldiers dont know French, the Legion has drilled their soldiers in the use of nonverbal communication on the battlefield. For most of its history, the legion also maintained the exceptional status of being a voluntary unit in a conscript army. Students also participate in squad-, platoon-, and company-level training drills and they get to learn combatives, desert combat, desert survival, and desert navigation. The law was supposed to come out in 2020, but due to the Coronavirus disease, the government has other more important things to do So we wont know anything before 2021. The training you will receive is on a par with a conscript army from the 1980's and will in no way prepare you for anything like real combat. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. That isnt enough for a family in France, so he chose an easy job and works as a bus driver. It allows Non-European people to stay legally in the country. They will tell you that you need to get 7 or 8 correct (which everyone does). Q: Can I visit/see my family? An online project dedicated to the famous Foreign Legion. Pilot training would cost about 40,000 euros and I presume on the time off that you get from the Legion you would be able to do the training along side? Por el momento, no puede venir a Francia debido al bloqueo, pero una vez que las fronteras estn abiertas de nuevo, puede intentar unirse. I would like 2 ask few more, does every legionnare is allowed 2 bring his family in france & gets payments n housing for family. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The closest most people in France will get to a, This exclusively-male fighting force is made up of 9,000 individuals from some 140 countries. Soldiers of the Foreign Legion's pionniers regiment march during the annual Bastille Day parade July 14, 2019 on the Champs Elyses avenue in Paris. Men between the ages of 17 and 40, of any nationality, may join the legion. 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You have to serve honorably and have to be recognized person (to serve under your real identity, recognized by the French government) to qualify for getting French citizenship. 2. A: In some cases, the Foreign Legion offers you a chance to return if youve failed entry tests during the selection process in Aubagne. There is NO OTHER WAY! Those who dont reenlist after the first 5 years dont have too many options. What kind of job do you get after 5 years in the FFL, and how much will I earn on those jobs on average? For more detailed information about the tattoo policy in the Foreign Legion see: However, the Lgion got his own special unit, the GCP (Groupement Commando Parachutiste), which is a special force unit with personnel selected among the 2me REP, an already elite parachutist regiment of the Lgion. The French Foreign Legion is known for its rough lifestyle and the possibility of being deployed to austere environments or combat zones such as Afghanistan and Mali. . Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. This site is updated regularly. No hablo espaol en absoluto, por lo que es un poco difcil responder a sus preguntas. But it hides a sordid reality. If I had to translate, Id say residence permit. Is that true and under what conditions? If you want to bring your family in France and live an easy life, staying till the retirement could be an option, but it depends on your personal life. even the Legion isnt immune to the march of wokism. You need to have a plan for joining and its great if you see further than your nose. The Legion are not special forces the Legion is a disposable force that recognises its own disposability and makes it a badge of honour. However, my ECG test was abit not good but when I did an echo test, they said my heart is in good shape. Several times every year, a few select US troops get to attend a very special course in the deserts of Africa. Was in from 2004-2014 and finished as a Caporal Chef. as the Legion says. A legionnaire may become a corporal after two years service. Foreign Legion Info online store. Still not a special force. You will be able to succeed thanks to military or technical examinations completed throughout your service. But it hides a sordid reality. Does FFL pay for the rent of the Flat Or do i have to pay from my salary? Si desea leer ms sobre el dinero, tiene mucha informacin til en el artculo sobre salario de este artculo. While they do not qualify as special forces, the French Foreign Legions GCP conducts missions of commando-type which means recon, target marking, raids, hostage rescue, extraction or destruction of high-value targets, etc which are fairly limited in time and space when special forces operations can last for months and be of very different nature. RFI is not responsible for the content of external websites. The Legions pionniers regiment, with their long beards, white caps and leather aprons, make for memorable photos. Yes, you can join the French Police, but its the same like for the gendarmerie. Q: Are there any tricks to pass the tests and get into the Legion? Hey, And at last is FFL salary enough to pay for the family of 2 ? If the Legion decides not to give you another chance, you will receive a document titled INAPTE DEFINITIF. That means the Legion is closed to you forever. Yet even before the ambush last week, the men of the French Foreign Legion were often first into the line of fire during raids . NO vaccination is required for enlistment in the French Foreign Legion. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The unit still has a reputation as a haven for criminals. The French Foreign Legion is a unit whose training focuses not only on traditional military skills but also on its strong esprit de corps. Securing French citizenship meanwhile requires a certificate of good behaviour from the French hierarchy; the slightest foot wrong can ruin your chances. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. So I thought its better to show a French ID card than the military ID when I do something in my civilian life And either way, two different passport are better than one I said. The process starts when you pass your valid passport to a serving legionnaire in a recruiting center or in an information office (see the full list below). What benefits family gets. Staying for 8 years is a great compromise. In my case it would have been a bit more than 11,000 euros in 6 months. I quickly discovered what it really means to live in France and started to love my new lifestyle. A corporal with three years service may become a sergeant, the lowest NCO rank. So they will not give me citizenship after 5 years? Not evveryone gets the citizenship, but you can obtain it after 5 years. You see that diversity in how the Legionnaires train and operate.". The first four weeks are an introduction to military life. The first contract you sign is mandatory for 5 years. for eyesight/vision requirements, read here: be sure you have healthy teeth (or treated), maximum number of missing teeth allowed is 4 to 6 (depending on the condition of the other teeth), proportion of your completely healthy teeth must be at least 40% or more, provide medical documentation concerning your previous surgical operation to reassure the medical staff that you are now completely fit and that the procedure had no negative side-effects otherwise you risk being sent to a hospital in, provide medical documentation (medical certificate) concerning your previous serious health issues to reassure the medical staff that you currently have no permanent effects (or recurring difficulties) as a result of that issues, to have very poor eyesight (see the post linked above), bad hearing (you will pass a hearing test it tests your sense of hearing by using an audiometer), hernia recovery with after-effects (recurrent hernia problems), all documents already stated above (ID card, ), 3 x T-shirts, 3 x briefs/slips and 3 x pairs of socks, big amount of money (300+ euros/400+ USD). Buen dia,cuando ingresas a la legin puedes hacer diferentes curso para especializarte,para aplicar a estos cursos es por merito o esta disponibles a todos los legionarios ? More than 35,000 foreigners have been killed in action while serving with the Legion. Candidates sometimes think they have to admit to a lot of crimes to get in [] but we dont want to put French weapons in the hands of people we dont know or whove committed crimes., Americans in the French Foreign Legion, 1916, Every year around 8,000 men knock on our door, we have 147 nationalities at present, the result of Frances influence [around the world],. It is your sole responsibility to find, pay, and obtain all required travel documents and visas (tourist or short-stay visa) for entering France. SEAL Tier 1 operate Solo & teams i.e. broke ranks after more than a decade in the service. This is going to be valid for the whole French Army, not only for the French Foreign Legion. Men with criminal records, shady business. "My understanding is that it is a combination of training and testing. WeAreLegion1863 10 yr. ago. On March 1, 1948, on the road from Saigon to Dalat in French Indochina, a French military convoy was ambushed by the Viet Minh. New updates are reported here. Be sure, however, that you have to serve more than five years (usually eight years) to be approved to obtain it. As a candidate/volunteer, you will be enlisted as a single person, even if you are married. The selection process is gruesome and only one out of eight candidates gets through. For us, Poles, Georgians, Russians, etc etc. I'm not saying that the French don't do that too, but perhaps this course doesn't," the Green Beret added. i) puzzle solving ( more of what will happen if you do this/that type of question) Every year around 8,000 men knock on our door, we have 147 nationalities at present, the result of Frances influence [around the world], General Alain Lardet told La Croix daily. Still not a special force. And what is the deployment schedule in legion will i get time 2 stay with my family at leat 3 to 4 monts a year. The Lgion made me the person i am today. Is that the truth? A: Absolutely. 13. The recruitment officially runs 24/7/365 (yes, you can join every day, all year long). Where are the French foreign legionnaires fighting now? The French Foreign Legion has a very brutal training system. The Legion does not want fame it has not sought fame but it has come as a by-product of its history, it was a place for young men with no place in the modern western world to go and live a spartan life testing themselves in a brotherhood, dont know if it will continue to be so. in Paris or Aubagne in the south of France. The point is for then to try and minimise the number of immigrants. The Legion does recruit those who have left other military. US forces began operating at Camp Lemonnier in 2002. If yes .Then plz ..Tell me the example of it. Learn more. Parliament was so concerned about the Legion losing its foreign DNA that in June 2020 it voted emergency measures to extend the usual age limits and lengths of contract, allowing former legionnaires to be re-recruited. Joel Struthers served in the elite 2REP of the French Foreign Legion. Once you are serving as an ordinary legionnaire in your respective regiment, you can contact your family by mail, phone, or through the internet whenever you have free time. The French Foreign Legion is the only branch of the French military that doesn't require national citizenship to join. Those who have had minor scrapes with the law are acceptableeven preferredas they are assumed to be more willing to turn their backs on their former lives and fully integrate into life in the legion; serious criminals, however, are unwelcome. Legionnaires, NCOs and officers. What is ur kind advice should we leave after 5, 8years or continue till retirement if we want 2 bring family in france? All of them prepared their project well before leaving. The minimal salary in France called SMIC is 1 219 euros (net) a month for a 35 hours job. Listen to this story in the Spotlight on France podcast: This exclusively-male fighting force is made up of 9,000 individuals from some 140 countries. Hey. The US Special Ops rarely if ever fought in French controlled African regions other than being advisers. The hierarchy keeps saying we bring together more than 150 nationalities and live like one big family, but its false and ridiculous, he wrote. He was also known to slip the occasional miniature spirit on the sly. "We are a nation of immigrants, and first-generation Americans serve with distinction every day. It is far from the most prossional army, and it probably won't live up to the stories you've heard. If you need a visa to travel to France, apply for a tourist visa (or a short stay visa). 3. 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