Joining The French Foreign Legion

[skb12172]

The younger brother of a guy I work with apparently did this. Supposedly, after one 5 year term you earn the right to live in France as a citizen. Also, after 3 consecutive 5 year terms, you earn a retirement pension. I wonder why you don't hear more about people joining up. I mean, it's not for me, but especially in this recession, you would think they would have an abundance of takers. Comments?

[Kommander]

From what I understand their standards are very high. If you are capable of meeting those standards then there are likely much better jobs available with much better rewards then a French citizenship and retirement program.

[Steamforger]

Americans do join. You just don't hear about it that often. We also have a first world military with enough options to give just about anybody the ability to find something they might be interested in. Enlistment requirements are low enough that most don't have too hard a time getting in. I think the max enlistment age for the Army right now is 42 or something crazy like that. I could take two years to work out and still have two years to spare, not counting the four they would add for previously completing a contract. I saw some E-3's at Ft. Lewis last week that HAD to be pushing 45. The Legion also has apparently stopped accepting criminals.

One thing's for sure. If anyone joins the Legion, they had damn well better learn to love Africa. They're gonna be there enough.

[Jered]

For the love of God, why?

[Denis]

For the love of God, why?

Romance and adventure.

[Highspeed]

It was good enough for Laurel and Hardy

" I joined the Legion to forget "
" Forget what ? "
" I don't know, I've forgotten "

Don't Americans lose their citizenship if they enlist in a foreign army ? or am I getting my facts mixed up ?

[Rusty Ray]

The younger brother of a guy I work with apparently did this. Supposedly, after one 5 year term you earn the right to live in France as a citizen. Also, after 3 consecutive 5 year terms, you earn a retirement pension. I wonder why you don't hear more about people joining up. I mean, it's not for me, but especially in this recession, you would think they would have an abundance of takers. Comments?

Flirted with the notion back in about '87. I went as far as taking an extended leave from HM Forces and nipping over to a place just outside Paris. Back then, you could get a 1 year passport, and being as this was the only other form of photo ID I had, I had hidden my HM Forces ID in my shoe. I ended up knocking on the gate of a big fort at the very end of the Paris metro line.

Having been searched, questioned, searched again, and questioned and yet even more searching, my Forces ID was found and I was told to piss off back to Blighty, leave HM Forces, and come back if I still wanted to be in the legion. So I headed back to my unit, tail between my legs to face the music (and do a few weeks on punishment detail for being AWOL(ish)).

Why did I go? Because I was fucking bored. I was a well trained soldier with seemingly then no chance of action. Being a cold war warrior was soul destroying, which is why I dug working in Ireland so much.

Am I glad I didn't make it? Yup, dam right I am. When I went, a mate of mine came too. He was a Para, and unknown to me was actaully on the run for an attempted rape. So when I was told to go away by the legion, he was also told to go too (guilt by association). I went to Blighty, he couldn't so headed to Meseille, to join 2ReP. He made it in, ended up even more bored, being fucked about even more, so yup, he and a bunch of guys legged it to be mercenaries in the Balkans. There was a British contingent fighting there, and he did well. He fought in a few sieges, saw too much action, ended up be given citizenship of whatever shithole he was fighting in, and became a cop there. And he went mad. Ended up back in the UK, doing time for his crime, and last I saw him, he was arguing with himeself at a bus stop.

So to answer the question in short: Boredom, escape, new life/second chance, adventure.

Cheers- Rusty

[John_in_Longview]

Here is the first part of a Bear Grylls series where he and some others go through a simulated version of Legion boot camp. I enjoyed it. There are some interviews with men who were members of the Legion through out the episodes.

[Highspeed]

As someone who dealt in guns and milsurp stuff I met more than my fair share of 'Walts' who claimed to be ex-Legion.
It's an easier trick to pull than claiming to be ex-UK military because you can make up stuff that isn't easily checked.
Most of those dickheads didn't realise that Legionnaires have to learn functional, if not fluent, French though.

Thinking about it, it's a pretty sad state of affairs when your countries most elite fighting force consists of foreigners.

I used to go drinking sometimes with an ex-member of Deuxieme Para, Frances next most elite formation - Jacques his name was. He was an OK guy but couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag. His Gallic pride combined with his lack of martial prowess got him thrown through a window on more than one occasion - kind of ironic for a Para - maybe he liked getting the air time ?

[randy]

Thinking about it, it's a pretty sad state of affairs when your countries most elite fighting force consists of foreigners.

Heh. Been using that line for years.