Has anyone here ever thought of joining the French foreign legion?

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

I was planning to at one stage. I was knocked back from the Australian Army for having insufficient work experience and desperately wanted to be a soldier. I looked up the requirements to become a legionnaire, where I could apply, the easiest way to get to Lille, where I could stay, and what to do if not selected.

But then I was granted another assessment day for the Australian Defence Force, and I passed that time. Besides, if I ever did end up in the Foreign Legion, the instructors probably would have beaten me to death in sheer frustration by now.

Also, one must take a look at the high chances of not even being selected to start training. Too much of a gamble. The contract and the workload too - I can picture myself working 16 hours a day for a year of good life experience, but definitely not five. It's a hard, respectable job, and I'll leave that to people who have a good reason for wanting to join, not spoiled middle class kids looking for some adventure.

Answer 3

yep thought about it,

very hard training on a par with UK Royal Marines sorry to the US Marines but they are not in the same league as the Legion. The story about criminals joining to hide is no longer true as they will hand you over to the Police if they find out, you can join under a alias if you wish but they give you the name your not aloud to pick your own. The pay is low so you ain't gonna be rich.If you survive the 5 years min contract you can rise through the ranks and even become c.o. the boss when i was there was a ex German paratrooper. first step get yourself to Paris or Marseilles these are the only two places you can sign up, Fitness test first then an exam they don't take thickos anymore either and also don't like nutters either apart from that your not really fighting for France your fighting for your comrades these are guys you can trust with your life. Its hard but if you want it go for it.

Answer 4

Thinking and doing are two separate realities.

1. A basic understanding of French is required, and you are expected to learn it very quickly during training as you will be expected to recite the Legions history and sing the Regimental songs.

1a. Knowledge of German is handy as well as it is the unofficial second language of the Legion.

2. You belong to them for the next 5 years. Body and Soul.

3. Desertion if you fail will get you serious time in a Legion Penal Battalion in TCHAD

4. They have a major dislike for Americans since one managed to desert basic training and run home to America and write a derogatory book about his 4 week experience in the Legion. (The author has an open arrest warrant on him in all French Territory for life, even transiting through a French Airport will get him arrested.)

5. No amount of crying to the U.S. counsol will get you out.

Answer 5

Not much point joining the FFL now. Friend of mine joined back in the 1950s and spend a number of years in Algeria shooting a lot of people dead during which time the French Government [ha! there's a lafff] tried to sort things out. Not sure exactly what happened but think de Gaulle got called back to take over as President, blah etc.

If anyone is thinking of joining the Foreign Legion, it's dead simple, you just walk into their office in Paris or wherever and sign up, no questions asked. Bear in mind this is a 'tough as hell' force. Be ready for monster long marches in full battle order in the sweltering sun with no water allowed in your bottle.

The French Foreign Legion Have you ever dreamed of leaving it all behind and running away to join the French Foreign Legion? Site promotes book assisting potential Legion enlistees.
http://www.foreignlegionlife.com


Join The French Foreign [e-mail] are welcomed into the Foreign Legion as real Legionnaires. They are told that as Legionnaires they are not alone in the world, and that they now are ...
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1219288

The French Foreign Legion. La Legion Etranger 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 ...
http://www.lib.ru/TXT/franclegion.txt

James' French Foreign Legion Web Links and Information Bill Parris RAF Regiment in the 1980s before traveling to Paris to join the French Foreign Legion and later saw action in Chad and Rwanda ...
http://www.geocities.com/foreignlegionlinks


A quckie read of some of the above tells me there's still plenty of 'action' in the French Foreign Legion for any young man fed up with staying in barracks or bored out of his skull in Afghanistan or Iraq.

Edit: kommandand kretin above is probably right about the pay in the Legion - but I think they do get a lot of cheap gut rot wine to drink, which rather compensates.

Here are some links to photos of the FFL - forget all that crap about Beau Geste - it's more your rugged commando these days.

The French Foreign Legion pictures from military photos on webshotsThe French Foreign Legion pictures published by lorrycole.
http://www.news.webshots.com/album/554324231NXirCZ

Kepi Blanc - French Foreign Legion - included this article because the French Foreign Legion still has its image as ... New pictures from Djibouti - Commando course and awesome pictures from ...
http://www.kepi.cncplusplus.com

Answer 6

I actually did, but when I was living in France I once saw the foreign legion doing an end of training ceremony. The soldiers were marching up and down a long city street in Beziers. It was really neat, the part that convinced me never to join was the fact that all the soldiers were really beat up. Black eyes, bandaged heads, broken arms were visible on a lot of the soldiers. I later talked to a friend who had tried to join and he said that he quite after a few weeks because they really beat him up.

Answer 7

Only if I were a criminal that really wanted a new identity and was ready to live like an animal and endure a lot of pain. Since I am none of those things, no. I'd rather work without the need to run 30 miles in the desert and live on starvation rations for months on end. I suggest you simply whack yourself in the head a few times with a hammer anytime that urge pops in your head. Believe me, it will hurt a lot less in the long run.

Answer 8

i thought about it after i found out i was too old by 3 months to join the irish army. then i found out the legion payed crap wages. so i knocked that thought on the head.

Answer 9

I don't know why anyone would want to. The French aren't known as the epitome of military might these days so what would be the point?




g-day!

Answer 10

Why would you
Why does a country have a foreign legion
Whats wrong with the national army

Answer 11

Yeah then I decided I did not want to learn french or German in those circumstances