Introduction.
There are those in life that dream of doing things and
those that turn dreams into reality. The French Foreign
Legion today, is alive and kicking and as always, actively
recruiting. It is an army surrounded by romance, myth and
intrigue, with over a hundred and fifty years of history
and a reputation that's a tough one to beat. It is one of
those things that most people only hear about or had a
friend of a friend who actually went and did it.
But for some who have bought this book - it will not be
enough to just read through, and put down. You will take
it upon yourselves to make the dream become a reality. It
may be that you are merely in search of adventure -
perhaps you are trying to escape your past, or maybe you
feel that you are in some real danger. Many people join
the French Foreign Legion because they think they have a
problem and they come to the Legion to overcome that
problem - it is up to you to decide whether the Legion is
the right solution to that particular dilemma. Sometimes,
not an easy decision to make.
And then there are those from the former eastern block
countries, or for that matter absolutely any country in the
world, who seek a new life in the western world
accompanied by the French passport. (On completion of
the first five year contract). For these people it is a golden
opportunity.
The Legion, if it does decide to take you into its fold, will
provide you with a new identity and will protect you from
your past if necessary. Your time served with the Foreign
Legion will certainly take you on many adventures. From
the moment you join, the Legion is your home and from
then on it is your family. (The Legion motto - "Legio
Patria Nostra" means exactly that - The Legion is our
home) There are Legionnaires who have served many
years of service and have only revisited their native
country once or twice in all their years of service. They
find that they are happier and more contented to spend
their time in France. One thing that should be said
however is that it is an experience in life that cannot be
explained or learnt from tales recounted or books read -
no matter how many. To understand the Foreign Legion -
it has to be done. An ex-Legionnaire with five years
service could sit you down and talk to you for five years
and a similar Legionnaire with fifteen years service could
sit you down and talk to you for fifteen years - but you
still would not really know what it is like until you have
actually been there and done it yourself. This book is no
different in that respect, but what it tries to do, is to give
you the information required to get you into the French
Foreign Legion, to equip you with the knowledge of what
to expect and what not to expect, how best to get along
and how to make the most of your time in the Legion.
Perhaps how to prepare you for some of the times ahead
which may lead you to frustration for lack of
understanding. It can be a bewildering experience
learning the ways of the Legion during the first year.
More often than not though, there is method in their
madness.
The decision to join is rarely made on the spur of the
moment - at very least it has been in the back of the
"engage volontaire 's " (recruit's) mind for some time - if
not many years. The potential Legionnaire has probably
read books about the Legion and talked to people who
have been there and done it. If they do decide to join, they
will experience adventures which are second to none, meet
friends that will last a lifetime. They will travel all over
the world and carry with them memories that will stay
with them till their last dying breath. Make no mistake
however, that serving five years in the French Foreign
Legion is not easy. Rest assured that all Legionnaires at
sometime during their contract feel at their wits end, they
feel like a prisoner in a cell, they sink to their deepest
depths of depression and doom. It will not be easy -
especially from the mental point of view. Few who join
the French Foreign Legion know what to expect - some
find it so hard mentally to adjust to their new way of life
that they try to desert - and some take it to even greater
lengths and try to dispose of their life altogether. The
longer you serve in the Foreign Legion - the easier life
becomes. With promotion and time served comes it's just
rewards as it does in any army. The one great advantage
in the French Foreign Legion is that promotion can come
relatively quickly for those that are deserving.
L'Engagement- Joining.
Joining the French Foreign Legion is a relatively simple
task. In simple terms all that is required is to present
yourself in front of the gates of the French Foreign Legion
and inform the guard that you wish to enlist. To enter
France from Great Britain there are ferry crossings from
Plymouth, Portsmouth and Dover. There are also of
course the airports which will connect you directly to
France's main cities. Some flights are extremely cheap and
it is worth shopping around when at the airport itself or
nowadays you can use the teletext service on television.
The routes into France and the direction from which you
come are many and varied, and none of this is any more a
problem than it would be for an everyday tourist.
When you arrive at the gates of one of the recruiting
centres (All of which are listed towards the end of this
book) most people, wherever they come from, manage to
mumble a few words to express a wish to join - some of
which include Legion Etrangere. The Legionnaire on duty
knows exactly what you've come for - particularly if
you've got a bag over your shoulder. If you want to be
more precise in your initial approach you could say
something like this:
"Bonjour - Je suis Anglais, Je suis venus pour joindre
La Legion Etrangere".
Pronounced as follows:
"Bonjoor, - Jer sweez Onglay, Jer swee venoo poor joo-
wondre La Lejon Ay-tranj-air. "
This little parole may initially work against you since they
may assume that you speak a reasonable level of French -
and then you're all of a sudden, going to go all quiet on
them. But they will at least get the message loud and clear
that you want to join.
Once in France however there are 17 recruiting centres to
choose from; situated in most of the major cities. For the
most hassle free route into the Legion you should make
your way down to Aubagne near Marseille in the south.
This approach will cut out 2-3 days administration at one
of the other "sub recruiting centres". If you are stuck for
cash though, and want to get in quickly, the northern most
recruiting centre is Lille. Some centres are more difficult
to find than others but the local Gendarme will help you if
you have difficulty. It is illegal for France to advertise a
career in the Foreign Legion in any other country than its
own, but you will see posters all over France saying
"Regarde la Vie Autrement" promoting you to "Have a
look at the alternative life" - images of hardened
Legionnaires stood in their Tenue De Garde gazing across
the desert sands.
When you first arrive they will take your details and kit
you out with a track suit. Apart from an initial medical
and the signing of a provisional five year contract there is
little to do here. Your time will be spent working on the
Quartier (Camp) doing any jobs that are in need of being
done until a reasonable number of engages volontaires
have turned up. Once you have been at the sub-recruiting
centre for a few days and there are enough recruits ready,
a Caporal Chef or a Sergent will accompany you down to
Aubagne itself to start the three week selection procedure.
This journey is nearly always taken by train.
The age limits are officially 18-40. Candidates over
seventeen and one day are accepted but must have a
written consent from either parent, made out in front of an
official witness. All expenses to get to France must be
paid for by yourself. On arriving in France - Lille is the
closest recruiting office. Anybody who is ex-forces would
be well advised to take a photocopy of their certificate of
discharge with them. (Any members of British forces who
are found to be still serving under HM are immediately
refused entry). Although the recruiting ages will extend to
forty years of age - they will expect you to be in good
shape if you are of that vintage. If the Legion does not
think that you look like you're going to be up to it - they
can turn you away without even giving you a crack at the
first test.
Once you have walked through the Legion gates you are
allowed no further contact with the outside world - neither
by phone or by mail, for at least three to four months.
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