French Foreign Legion today entry conditions. Foreign French Legion

Based on the principle of recruitment, with the exception of officers in the legion, there can be no citizens of France at all. Currently, people from more than a hundred different countries of the world serve in the foreign legion. There are no more than a third of the French in the total mass of legionnaires, and even those are mostly not native French, but immigrants from French Canada, Belgium or Switzerland.

At the moment, the Foreign Legion includes two regiments, the main tasks of which are the selection of recruits and their preparation for service in the legion. Applications are accepted from candidates eighteen recruiting stations located throughout France. You cannot apply in another country, you must personally come to one of the recruiting centers. The thing is that in many countries, including the CIS countries, mercenarism falls under the article of the Criminal Code, and can be punished by deprivation of citizenship. At the same time, it should also be taken into account that neither the embassies nor the foreign legion itself will provide any assistance in obtaining a visa, as well as in travel to the recruiting point. All this falls entirely on the shoulders of the candidate. And one more thing - despite the very common legend that everyone is taken into the Legion, in fact, people with a criminal past have not been taken for a very long time.

Usually future volunteers of the French Foreign Legion prefer recruitment centers in Paris or Strasbourg. The first is the capital of the country, and the second is the city closest to Eastern Europe. In addition, sending candidates from these points to the selection camp is faster than others. Paris - on Mondays and Wednesdays, Strasbourg - Tuesday and Thursday. Therefore, if a candidate arrives at a recruiting office in Paris on Wednesday, then he will have to wait until the next week. And another nuance - in case you did not approach the legion, then you will be given a return train ticket to the city in which you came to the recruiting center.

The easiest way to get to the recruiting center is with a tourist voucher or by invitation to any country in the Schengen zone. You should not try to enter there illegally, as this can cause problems when entering the Legion, and if not, when returning home.

Behavior at the recruiting office

Consider a typical recruiting station - they are arranged in such a way that everyone is similar to each other. In fact, a recruiting center is a fenced area of ​​a military unit. Near the gate of the recruiting center, all arrivals are met by a legionary - it can be a corporal or a corporal-chief. He will ask questions in French. After a silence, unless of course you understand French, he asks what nationality you are. It will be necessary to answer russe (rus) - that is, Russian. After that, a passport will be required.

After verifying the passport, the arrival is taken inside and escorted to a room where you can sit, go to the toilet or drink water. It will be necessary to sit in it and wait for the candidate to come. The peculiarity is that the door does not have a handle inside, so it can only be opened from the outside. You should not be nervous and wind circles around the room - you should just sit down and calmly wait. After a while, a legionnaire will come, and will sign to follow him. By the way, when the legionnaire comes, it will be necessary to stand in front of him.

The legionnaire will lead the candidate to another building, located just opposite the one in which he was sitting in the room. The process of “studying” the candidate will already begin there. And the first stage is a banal search. The candidate will be required to undress to underpants. After that, they will begin to examine him from head to toe - they will examine his teeth, check his eyesight, measure his height, weigh him, check for tattoos or scars. Questions will be asked how these scars were obtained, why the existing tattoos were made, whether the scars are the result of operations, and which ones.

Then various questions will be asked - to find out the purpose for which the candidate expressed his desire to join the legion, what his religion is, who his parents are, and many others about him and his family. After all these procedures are completed, the candidate will be given a new name, surname, date and place of birth. It is very important - now the candidate will be called in the legion, and it will be necessary to respond to him. Although getting to know each other, legionnaires very often prefer to call each other by their real names.

Then they will take up personal belongings - they will count and rewrite everything that the candidate has with him. They will take away everything that, in their opinion, is no longer needed - a notebook, scissors (it is best to cut the nails in advance), throw away all the food that was with them, and much more. After that, the candidate is given a tracksuit and taken to the sleeping room, where they show the bed, which is assigned to the candidate for the near future. All free time will need to be spent in the room, it will be possible to leave it only to the toilet. The room itself has a TV and a VCR with a large number of cassettes telling about the history of the Legion and its traditions. In addition, there are benches with ashtrays and an apparatus with cans of Coca-Cola, designed for coins.

After the candidate has settled in a room with other future legionnaires, the following daily routine is established for him. Rise around 5.00-5.30; breakfast 6.00; lunch 11.00; dinner 17.00; lights out around 21.00-21.30.

In the morning after getting up, the candidate must go to wash and make his bed. After that, everyone is built in the corridor, and the quality of the covering is checked by the legionnaire. In the event that the bed is carelessly removed, or not removed at all, punishment follows - this is usually a series of push-ups or a crack. After checking, everyone goes outside and builds. Then they march in formation to the entrance to the main building, where the legion officer selectively calls several people from the list. If you listened to your last name, it will negatively affect your stay in the legion. All called candidates clean the premises before breakfast, and after breakfast they stay for the whole day to work in the dining room.

Everyone else can be involved in various other jobs within the unit. This can be cleaning the yard, interior, moving something, and so on. Here, the main thing from a recruit is to turn his head around less and unquestioningly fulfill all the tasks of the legionnaires. You need to work calmly and organized, in a good rhythm. Such work will take place every day until the candidate is sent to the training camp in Aubagne.

Before being sent, all candidates undergo another medical examination, more in-depth than upon admission. To all other procedures, blood pressure measurement, vision and ear testing will also be added. They will inquire in detail about all the illnesses that the candidate had, about the injuries suffered.

The sequence of selection and training in the French Foreign Legion

Being in the camp near Aubagne

Sending everyone to the camp takes place after dinner. Everyone is given back the clothes in which they arrived, and they are taken to the station, accompanied by several legionnaires. There everyone boards the train and goes to the south of France to Marseille. The train arrives there the next day at about 6-7 o'clock in the morning. Immediately at the Marseille station, everyone changes to an electric train that comes to Aubagne. Buses are already waiting in Oban, which pick up all the candidates who have arrived and take them to the Legion's central base.

The first foreign regiment, stationed at the base near Aubagne, is engaged in the recruitment and initial training of all recruits.

Upon arrival at the base, everyone is escorted to the building for volunteers, where another inspection of personal belongings takes place. It should be noted that it is much more thorough than the very first one held at the recruiting station. From personal things, as a rule, only toiletries, a towel, flip flops, a phrase book or a dictionary are allowed to be left. After that, the volunteer is given the most necessary. These are two pairs of shorts, short athletic shorts and a T-shirt (they will replace a tracksuit), if you don’t have sneakers with you, then you will be given tennis shoes. They will also give a pack of disposable razors, shaving foam, a toothbrush and toothpaste, two bars of soap - one for the shower, the second household for washing clothes, toilet paper and two sheets.

After the things are given out, the volunteer is taken to a room where they will show the bed. Very often, recruits of completely different nationalities live in the same room, then from time to time they can be shuffled.

The daily routine at the boot camp is very similar to that at the recruiting station. The main difference is that the rise occurs much earlier - at 5:00-5:30, and breakfast, respectively, at 5:30-6:00. The rebound can also sometimes be delayed, but this rarely happens. There is practically no free time - you have to work a lot, but it's still better than just sitting around doing nothing. Here, work is the best way to plunge into the life of the Legion and meet other Legionnaires. Very often they take them to work outside the training camp, for example, to the home of legion veterans - this is a 40-minute trip by minibus one way. Sometimes there are trips to the officer's rest house in Marseille - this is a 20-minute trip along the Mediterranean coast. But still, most of the work takes place on the territory of the unit.

All that little free time recruits usually spend in the sports town, using logs instead of benches. Usually, all recruits here are divided by nationality, but in principle, if you wish, you can go chat with Poles, Slovaks or volunteers of any other nationalities without any problems - it's all about knowing foreign languages.

It should be noted that serious conflicts never arise, and in which case it is not worth aggravating, since everyone involved is immediately kicked out without clarifying the reasons.

And another interesting feature - for the time spent at the training camp in Aubagne, recruits are entitled to something like a salary. Everyone receives 25 euros for each day plus 40 euros for each day off.

Psychological test for joining the French Foreign Legion

And of course, each recruit undergoes various tests. Actually, for this, everyone was taken to the camp.

The first test is psychological. It is usually carried out by a corporal. Explanations on the test are usually in French, sometimes in English, but may well be in Russian. It all depends on the nationality of the legionnaire who will conduct this test. It consists of many small tests that continue one after the other for 1.5 - 2 hours. Each subtest is given a fixed amount of time.

All volunteers are given tests in their native language. If the test was issued in another language, then you must immediately, without fussing, raise your hand and say something like "corporal, note Russian or Rus", that is, explain that the test was not issued in Russian.

A psychological test usually includes the following tasks:

1. One of the tasks will require draw a tree. Moreover, according to the test conditions, it will be necessary to draw only deciduous trees, excluding any conifers (spruces, pines, etc.) and palm trees. After that, it will be necessary to choose from the 20 proposed images of trees the two that the volunteer likes the most. It is best to draw, and then choose simple trees without a highly developed root system, a large number of branches, and so on.

2. Another possible test is gear test. Its essence is this. Drawings with gears will be given, and from them it will be necessary to determine in which direction gear D will rotate if, for example, gear A rotates to the left. There will be several such drawings, and with each new one, the complexity will increase. Gradually, belt drives, a pin, and so on will be added to the three gears in the figures. As a rule, answer options will be given next to the pictures, and it will be necessary to think carefully and choose the right one.

When solving this problem, it is necessary to remember everything that took place in the lessons of physics, or rather, mechanics. No need to be afraid that with each new task of the test, the complexity will increase. On the contrary, each time it will be easier to navigate in solving the proposed problem.

3. The next test will be given drawing, and in addition to it 4-5 very similar pictures. It is necessary to choose from them the same with the initially proposed pattern. When solving this problem, the most important thing is to concentrate your eyesight well on the proposed drawings.

4. Will suggested drawing, which will show cubes arranged in several rows. In this case, the rows can be both of different thicknesses and heights. It will be necessary to quickly determine how many cubes are shown in the figure and choose the correct answer from the proposed ones. When solving this problem, first of all, it will be necessary to concentrate attention.

5. Figurines depicted, and they are located in the order of 3x3. One of the figures is missing. It is necessary to choose the missing figure from the proposed options. In this case, attention again plays a decisive role.

6. The volunteer is given a list of questions. You will need to carefully read each question, and answer it with "yes" or "no", or for example + or -. The questions there are quite different. For example - Do you feel good in a team? Do you love loneliness? Have you ever had stomach pain? Have you ever lied in your life? Have you ever stolen?

When answering questions, you must read them carefully and answer them just as carefully. Sometimes there are two opposite questions, and if a positive answer was given to the question of whether you feel good in a team, then a positive answer about loneliness will be clearly inappropriate. The most interesting thing is that no one reads the answers in the future, and their verification is carried out by overlaying the grid. What determines the construction of the grid is unknown.

7. Test for memory. The subject will be given a map of the residential area, on which various houses and structures will be marked. Everything depicted on the map will be accompanied by comments like “school”, “gas station”, “shoe store” and so on. Street names will also be signed. The volunteer must memorize this card within five minutes, after which he will be given exactly the same, but absolutely clean card. There you will need to designate objects from the previous map. True, there is one indulgence - if there were about 25-30 marked buildings on the original map, only 10-12 should be marked on the clean one. In order to perform well on this test, it is necessary to memorize only the buildings themselves, with their names and location relative to others. If there are difficulties with remembering the entire map, then you need to focus your efforts on remembering, for example, only the top of the map, or only one corner of the map, or only gas stations and shops, and so on.

8. Test for attentiveness. The volunteer is shown a set of arbitrarily repeating characters, a total of 7-8 pieces. These characters are arranged in rows on 5-6 sheets. A sequence of two characters will also be given as a pattern. It is necessary for a certain period of time to consistently cross out these two characters on the sheets. In general, the successful passing of the test depends only on the attentiveness of the subject.

Salary in the French Foreign Legion

medical test

The medical test is being conducted in another building. As a rule, a group of volunteers of 10-12 people is called for its passage. Arriving at the building, all those summoned undress to their shorts and sit on a bench to wait for their turn. Here you need to be very careful, because everyone is called for a medical examination by last name, and you must not only not miss yours, but also answer when you were called.

The medical examination itself consists of three stages. First, the volunteer goes through two corporals. Here, the volunteer will have a urine test, they will check their eyesight, the condition of their teeth, they will write down where the scars are on the body and in what circumstances they were obtained. The volunteer is then asked various questions, including:

• Have you ever had jaundice (measles, mumps and other diseases)?

• Did you have any surgeries?

• Were there any fractures or serious injuries?

• Did you do sports, what kind and how much?

• Why do you want to join the Legion?

• Briefly tell your biography.

After all this, the volunteer goes to the next office - this is the second stage of the medical examination. The room will end adjutant and he will ask various questions. Among these questions there will necessarily be those that have already been asked before - you must not be nervous, not be rude, but answer it again. Communication with the adjutant takes place through the legionnaire, who translates into and from Russian. Then the third stage - in another office is captain who once again examines the teeth, ears, listens to the lungs and examines the body. Then he asks questions again, and as a result, the volunteer is either denied entry into the legion, or allowed to pass the physical test.

physical test

After successfully passing the medical test, the volunteers are sent to the physical test. It consists only of cross-country, which usually takes place in the morning. The cross takes place in a standard stadium with a lap length of 400 meters, the tracks of which are covered with rubber. If it is winter in the yard, then the cross is rented right in the parts around the hangars. Before the run, all volunteers are given T-shirts and numbers, depending on how many people take the test.

Everyone is running to the stadium, not walking. The distance is approximately 1-1.2 kilometers. Having run to the stadium, the whole group must line up at the start and then run circles for a while. According to the conditions of the test, it is necessary to run at least 2.8 kilometers in 12 minutes. But at the same time, having run the necessary distance, you cannot stop - you need to continue to run further until the allotted time runs out.

The run command is given with the help of a whistle, the second whistle stops the test. Each circle is marked by a legionnaire in the general list. After the end of the test, everyone runs back to the unit where they turn in their T-shirts and go to the shower.

In addition to being able to run well, you also need to do push-ups well. The fact is that any wrongdoing can be followed by a “pompe” command, and the most important thing for a volunteer is not to be among the first to get tired.

Gestapo

No, no one is going to torture volunteers with a red-hot iron. So figuratively called the passage of the process of interviewing with security officers of the legion. This interview aims to create a database about the future legionnaire. The questions that will be asked during the interview can be completely different and on different topics. It is worth answering as truthfully as possible, if it doesn’t work out, then you don’t need to compose too beautiful a legend for yourself. People will sit in front of the volunteer, whose job is to see the interlocutor “through and through”, and the volunteer will go further or not largely depends on their decision.

The interview process takes place in three stages. At the first stage, a sergeant who speaks Russian will communicate with the volunteer. This may be a native of the former Soviet Union, a Pole, a Bulgarian or another Slavic nationality. Basically, questions are asked about life before arriving at the recruiting center. It turns out the biography, the motives why he came to serve in the legion, were there any problems in his country and other similar questions that will complement each other and ultimately show the full picture.

The most important thing here is to say exactly what was said before at the medical board and the recruiting center. The second stage is also a sergeant, while the same questions are asked only in a different sequence. The purpose of this stage is to find out how truthful the volunteer was before. The third stage is an officer no less than a lieutenant, in principle the same questions, but this time the communication goes through an interpreter.

We think it is not worth reminding that a volunteer will be able to get an interview at the Gestapo only if all previous tests have been passed successfully. It is also worth bearing in mind that interviews can be held all three on the same day, or they can be divided into several. So the only thing that can help in this case is to answer all questions clearly, quickly and, most importantly, truthfully.

Rouge

Rouge - comes from the French word "rouge", which translates as red. Previously, all those volunteers who passed all the checks and were waiting to be sent to the boot camp wore a red armband on their sleeves. Currently, this custom is no longer valid, but the name itself has been preserved. Only those volunteers who have successfully passed the Gestapo, that is, who, for one reason or another, were not weeded out by security officers, get into the rouge.

Candidates for legionnaires are selected on Fridays at the morning formation. First, groups are called to pass tests and perform any chores, then they call the names of the candidates for the rouge, and everyone who is not named is sent to the logs. Those who were called by the officers get out of the general formation and are built in the place where the gun stands. As a rule, 18 people are called, rarely when this number exceeds one or two people. When the last surname was called, the “civil” command sounds for the rest. Those who were not named go to hand over the things given to them, receive their own plus cash payment for the time they were in the legion. Payment is calculated from the number of days. After that, everyone goes to the train and home - this time the legion is over for them. But no one bothers to try again after a while.

All those who are enrolled in the legion, first of all go to the hairdresser. They shave their heads there. After that, it is necessary to hand over the sports uniform, and instead of it a new military uniform is issued, except for a beret with a cockade, and boots. The uniform is given in which the entire legion walks. Then they give a new tracksuit, but with the emblems of the legion. They also give out new toiletries and move to a separate room. The adopted legionnaire will spend further time with his comrades in arms, except for free time. There, no one forbids you to go and talk with your people from Russia.

The daily routine is also built differently. Now they wake up the Rouge first, and then the rest of the camp. Rouge also carries out night duty at the entrance to the territory of the volunteers and at the entrance to the building. Shifts are only 2 hours, but naturally you have to sleep less. Now there will be practically no work on the territory, but now there will be permanent crosses (5-7 kilometers each), swimming (about an hour in the pool at any desired time), acquaintance with the life of the legion is also carried out - films are shown, taken to the museum and so on. In such an environment, it will be necessary to spend a week, until next Thursday. On Thursday, all former Ruzhovites are sworn in and given the traditional beret of a legionnaire with a cockade.

Well, on Friday early in the morning, the newly minted legionnaires are sent to a training camp near the city of Castelnaudary in the Pyrenees near Toulouse.

It is difficult to say something definitely on the topic of the Foreign Legion, since the data about it in different publications are different. I can only judge him from the stories of one of my acquaintances, a legionnaire whom I know from Marseille. Let's call him Garibaldi, because they prefer not to give their name, and there is no need to do so. Before publishing this section, I gave him to read articles about the legion that you will read, to which his opinion was this: the author of impressions was in the legion, but he embellishes his merits and experience in some places, which is quite justified: this is a publication in newspaper. Other amendments were as follows: firstly, with regards to money, a novice legionnaire receives 6,000 francs, not 3,000, then the salary increases to 8,000, and when serving in certain regions of Africa, up to 20,000 francs per month. depending on the complexity of the conditions of service. Money, as a rule, does not fall into the hands, but falls directly into a savings housing account in the bank, so that later you can buy an apartment or a house. He is satisfied with his service and does not think about returning to Russia: there is money, good food, company, adrenaline in the blood and the future of a French citizen, and this is a lot. As for advice to those who decide to take this step in their lives, one piece of advice: get a tourist visa, take a ticket to Marseille and go. Everything else depends on you.

I would only like to note that the first article was written a long time ago, so some of the information is out of date, do not take everything literally.

What do you need to know about the Foreign Legion?

A Russian citizen, according to the laws of the Russian Federation, does not have the right to serve in the armed forces of foreign states.

But this does not cancel the laws in force in other states. The French Foreign Legion is an integral part of the French army. In the legion, everything is arranged in exactly the same way as in other units of the French army; the same types of weapons are in service. And as far as strategic tasks are concerned, everything is the same.

Another thing is that they are achieved, so to speak, by proxy: the foreign legion is made up of volunteers of any citizenship, nationality and religion, ready to serve France.

Enrollment
The legion enrolls men from 17 to 40 years old, fit for military service for health reasons. Applicants under the age of 17 require special permission from their parents or guardians. Knowledge of French is optional - you will learn while you serve.

The first contract is for 5 years. The volunteer must come to France and come to the registration point. The Foreign Legion does not provide any assistance in buying tickets and obtaining a visa to those who want to serve in it.

After successfully passing the preliminary medical examination, the candidate is sent to the Headquarter selection center - this is in Aubagne, 15 kilometers from Marseille. There, the candidate is waiting for a full medical examination and tests - IQ, psychological and physical fitness.

If everything is in order, the candidate is signed a contract for 5 years. The contract says that during this period you are ready to serve in any conditions and under any circumstances wherever you are sent.

If the candidate did not pass the tests, he is told "no" - and he can go anywhere and think for himself about how much money to return to the country where he came from.

Service
The first four months are preparation and training. Then the young legionnaire is sent to the Fourth Foreign Regiment, located in Castelnaudary. Promotion and assignment of ranks depends on the physical capabilities of the legionnaire, his IQ and ability to lead people.

After three years of service - if there were no claims against the legionnaire, and he has a certificate in his hands that he served satisfactorily - the legionnaire has the right to apply for French citizenship. Whether they will give it to him is another question, but the right to demand consideration of his candidacy as a permanent resident of France remains with him for 10 years.

Code of honor
1. Legionnaire - a volunteer who serves France faithfully and with honor.
2. Each legionnaire is your brother in arms, regardless of their citizenship, nationality, training and religion. You must demonstrate this unwavering solidarity at all times and in all places.
3. Keeping true to legion traditions, respect commanders, discipline and brotherhood. This is your strength, this gives you courage and faith.
4. Be proud of the rank of a legionnaire. Remember it always and everywhere. Behave with dignity under any circumstances. Always take care of your appearance.
5. You are a highly skilled, well-trained soldier, an elite. Always make sure that your weapon is in excellent condition, treat it like your greatest treasure. Treat your body the same way. Always be in shape, train the body and temper it.
6. Becoming a legionnaire, you become one forever. Everything that is entrusted must be carried out in any conditions - by all means and to the end.
7. All orders are carried out implicitly, regardless of your attitude towards them. Respect the winning enemy. Never abandon your comrade, neither wounded nor dead. Under no circumstances let go of the weapon.

Professions
While serving, legionnaires not only participate in special operations. They have the opportunity to get a specialty - military or civilian.
So you can specialize in military affairs (mortars, rockets, sniper art, diving, diving, parachuting). And you can acquire a completely peaceful profession: secretarial business; radio; telephony; lighting equipment and lighting engineering; electrical engineering; equipment service; construction (mason, plumber, electrician, carpenter, painter); car service (mechanic, electrical engineer, welder, car painting); musician; medical assistant; cook; photographer; computer's operator; sports coach (instructor).

Career
Often, participating in hostilities on the territory of foreign states, legionnaires wear uniforms without insignia.
Since the foundation of the legion (1831), fighting for the interests of France, 902 foreign generals and colonels, 3,176 mid-level commanders and more than 30,000 ordinary legionnaires have died.
The amount paid to a legionnaire depends on his rank and participation in special operations. An ordinary legionnaire receives an average of 5,500 francs per month ($894), a corporal - 6,000 francs ($975), a commander of the highest rank - l6,300 francs ($2,648).
After the expiration of the first contract, the legionnaire can sign the next - for a period of 6 months to 3 years. A private can serve in the legion for up to 15 years. The service life of the command staff is not limited. However, after 15 years of service, legionnaires of any rank are eligible for a pension. But in France, only those former legionnaires who receive her citizenship will pay it.
Legionnaires who have returned to their homeland - for example, to Russia, must apply for a pension to the local social security authorities. Today, the minimum old-age pension in Russia for persons who do not have seniority earned in the territory of Russia (USSR) or in the territory of other states, but in the direction of Russian (Soviet) institutions and organizations - 94 rubles 29 kopecks.
In the event of the death or death of a legionnaire during his service - in the event that the body is discovered - the funeral is carried out at the expense of the French state.

Recruitment points for the foreign legion in France

Fort de Nogent (near Paris)
94120 Fontenay-Sous Bois

La Citadelle: 59000 Lille;

Quartier Lecourbe: Rue d "Ostende, 67000 Strasbourg;

Quartier Colbert: 32 bis, avenue de la Paix, 51000 Reims;

Quartier Aboville: 86000 Poitiers

Quartier Desgrees-du-Lou: rue Gambetta, 44000 Nantes Armees;

Quartier de Lattre de Tassigny: 57000 Metz;

Caserne Mangin:8, rue Francois-Rabelais, 66020 Perpignan; rue du Colonel-Trupel, 76038 Rouen Cedex; 66, avenue du Drapeau, 21000 Dijon;

Quartier Vienot: 13400 Aubagne; 18, Quai de Lesseps, 64100 Bayonne; 260, rue Pelleport, 33000 Bordeaus;

Quartier General Frere: 69007 Lyon;

Caserne Filley: rue Sincaire, 06300 Nice;

Caserne Perignon: avenue Camille Pujol, 31000 Toulouse

, for its 180-year history, has gained great fame and fame. Today it is one of the most honored formations of the French army.
The Foreign Legion was created on March 9, 1831 by decree of King Louis Philippe I. The very name was based on the principle of recruitment - from foreigners, which continues to this day. But this applies only to privates - the officers have always been staffed exclusively by the French.

Created to conquer Algeria, French Foreign Legion participated in all the colonial campaigns of France, in both world wars, as well as in numerous peacekeeping operations. Motto: "Legio Patria Nostra" ("The Legion is our Motherland"). During its existence, the death toll was 35 thousand.

Full dress uniform of a legionnaire armed with rifles "FAMAS"

French foreign legion how to get

The principle of recruiting the Foreign Legion - from foreigners - remains to this day.
Among the rank and file, immigrants from Eastern Europe prevail (about a third). There are also many South Americans (about 25%) and French (20%). The latter are attracted by the service as a legionnaire, because of the opportunity to get a “new personality”, thereby starting life “from scratch”.

So our guys lit up in the legion, Afghanistan

Recruitment is carried out in France. Only men between the ages of 17 and 40 can enlist.

French Foreign Legion remains one of the few branches of the French army where women are not allowed access. The requirement for the candidate, physical health and that there would be no problems with Interpol. Various checks take place for several days, all this time the candidate is at the recruiting center, the documents are selected, he is forbidden all communications with the outside world.

At the end of all checks and medical commissions, you are either a legionnaire. Either not. In case of refusal, the candidate is paid monetary compensation. On request, a legionnaire's official passport (Anonymat) is issued, new data is entered in it; first and last name, date of birth, parents' names, etc.

Flag of the French Foreign Legion. Green is the new homeland of the legionnaire, red is his blood. In combat operations, the flag is turned over: "blood in the homeland"

At the end of the contract, you are given the opportunity to change two letters in your last name and residence permit.

The first contract is signed for five years. Subsequent ones can be signed for terms ranging from 6 months to 10 years. During the first five-year contract, it is possible to get the rank of corporal, and subsequently sergeant.

The officer corps of the legion is a regular military who graduated from military schools and voluntarily chose the legion for military service. You can become an officer only on condition of French citizenship.
After three years of service, the legionnaire has the right to apply for French citizenship, or to obtain a residence permit at the end of the first contract.

According to a recently passed law (in 1999) by the Senate, a legionnaire who was wounded in the course of hostilities has the right to obtain French citizenship, regardless of the length of service.

FAMAS F1 assault rifle

Structure and number.
At present, the strength of the Foreign Legion is about 7.5 thousand people.
In the French army, the pace of march is 120 steps per minute, but for the Foreign Legion - only 88 steps. This is due to tradition. In African countries, where he mainly operated, it is difficult to march at a high pace on sandy ground.

French Foreign Legion composition: one semi-brigade, eight regiments and one separate unit.

Six of the eight regiments are stationed on the French mainland.

• 1st foreign regiment (Aubane) - the headquarters and administrative part of the legion.
• 2nd foreign infantry regiment (Nim) - a motorized infantry unit, part of the 6th light armored brigade. The regiment, numbering 1230 people, is the largest part of the legion. It includes ten companies: management and support; supplies and support; five motorized infantry; anti-tank; reconnaissance and fire support; backup.
• 4th foreign th regiment (Castelnodary) - training, consisting of six companies: management and support; three companies for the training of privates; non-commissioned officer training company; specialist training company.

  

• 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (Orange) - an armored cavalry unit, part of the 6th Light Armored Brigade. The regiment consists of six squadrons: command and support; reconnaissance (light armored vehicles VBL); three armored cavalry (AMX-10RC armored vehicles armed with 105-mm cannons); anti-tank.
• 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment (Laudun), also part of the 6th Light Armored Brigade. Consists of seven companies: management and supply; administrative and maintenance; three combat engineering; support; backup.
• 2nd foreign engineer regiment (Saint-Christol), part of the 27th mountain infantry brigade. The organization is similar to the 1st Engineer Regiment, but there is no reserve company.
• In Corsica, in Calvi, there is the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, which is part of the 11th Parachute Brigade. It consists of eight companies: management and supply; administrative and support; four parachute; reconnaissance and fire support; backup.
• In French Guiana, there is the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment, which is entrusted with the tasks of protecting the French space center in Kourou, as well as training military personnel for combat operations in the jungle. The regiment consists of five companies: command and support; two infantry; air defense; backup.

  

  On the left, a soldier of the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment in Afghanistan. January 2011
  right, Legionnaires of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment in French Guiana on a jungle combat exercise. 2005 year.

• On the island of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, there is a separate detachment consisting of two companies: a command and support company stationed on a permanent basis, as well as a company arriving on rotation from any regiment or paratroopers.
• Finally, the 13th semi-brigade, which includes five units, is located in Abu Dhabi (UAE). Three of them (companies of control and support, support, as well as an armored cavalry squadron) are deployed on a permanent basis, and two are allocated according to rotation: a motorized infantry company (from the 2nd infantry or 2nd parachute regiments) and an engineering company (from the 1st or 2nd engineering regiments).

Armed with a sniper rifle FR F-2

Regular small arms in service French Foreign Legion , these are the FAMAS automatic rifle and the FR F-2 sniper rifle.

f1famas automatic rifle

In special units, as well as throughout the world, depending on the task performed.

Tips for those who want to get into the French Foreign Legion and serve in it

These tips are written from the words of Russians who have served in the legion, and they should in many ways help those who decide to become a legionnaire.

How to get into the Legion.

Do not trust travel agencies that promise to make you a legionnaire. Most likely, you will be deceived and, at best, will be taken to France, “teared like sticky”. It is best to prepare a passport in advance, get a pre-visa at the French embassy or consulate for an independent "tourist" trip. A visa will also work for one of the EU countries due to the openness of the borders between them. You can go on a tour of France through one of the travel agencies, but in any case, do not talk about your real purpose of visiting this country. Otherwise, instead of serving in the Legion, you can “rattle” under the corresponding 359th article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. If you are not a complete layman, then, of course, it will not cost you anything to avoid punishment, but all the same - why such complications? Moreover, you should not believe that some firms will be able to guarantee you admission to the Legion. Except for the legion authorities themselves, no one can guarantee this to you. Some "peck" on the proposals of other travel agencies, which swear to those who want to become a legionnaire that in case of non-receipt, they will take him home on account of the money already paid for delivery to Europe. Do not believe this, because enrollment in the legionnaires sometimes lasts up to 3 months, and by this time the travel agency will have already forgotten about your existence. Upon arrival in France, you need to find the Legion reception point. It is best to come to Strasbourg or Marseille. There are its large depots. It goes without saying that a person who has never been in these cities himself, without outside help, will not be able to find such points. But this is not a problem: it is enough to say or show the phrase written on a piece of paper: “Legion Etrangere” to any taxi driver and you will certainly be taken there. If there is no money, you can contact the police and then you can be taken to the legion point at public expense, although this is not suitable for everyone and instead of the Legion you can be at best at home. You can try to find the location of a regular French military unit and declare at the reception point the purpose of your visit. To find such a part, you need to pay attention to the signs. If you see: "0uartier", "Fort" or "Camp", then you are on the right track. What to do and what not to do when thinking about the decision to go to the Legion In no case do not bring any narcotic or narcotic substances with you to the reception center and then, if you are accepted into the legionnaires. If you find even a small fraction of a gram of the potion, you can say goodbye to the idea of ​​becoming a legionnaire forever. What matters here is not the amount of “dope” found, but the fact that you have a certain inclination towards it. For the same reason, it is not recommended to take any medications with you. They can be identified by their analyzes as belonging to the drug group. You don’t have to worry about your health in the Legion: local doctors, unlike the old days of the Legion, are responsible for you and “will not let you die”, unless it is the specific conditions of the colonies. Before sending to the Legion, carefully check with the maximum number of doctors, ranging from an ophthalmologist and dentist. This is for your own good. The fact is that otherwise, due to the slightest deviations in health, even such trifles as a hole in the tooth or a scar on the knee, you can be turned back home. This is at best, and at worst, if you managed to hide some serious illness, it threatens you with the fact that you can aggravate your health and even die if you find yourself in a desert or jungle. If you have at least a hint of some, even at first glance, a trifling disease, it is better not to waste your money and time. Sooner or later it will manifest itself, and it will happen at the most inopportune moment. Before leaving for the Legion, it is better to stock up on the most comfortable sports shoes for you, which will be very useful at the time of physical exercise. Be prepared for the fact that you will have to live for a long time, at least up to 3 years, and possibly forever, under a different name, under a different surname, have a different day, month and place of birth, a different nationality and people completely unfamiliar to you as parents.

How to behave immediately outside the gates of the Legion reception point

First, present official documents to interrogators. It can be a passport, driving license, etc. Even if it is a fake, it can still easily help. Be as sincere and respectful as possible. No one needs your "coolness" at the first stage, and such people are quickly and with pleasure "break off". Some people are trying to download rights from the first step to the threshold of the Legion's reception point, demanding to let him through. Such too impudent types are not honored even to be heard. One of the first questions asked of you here may be a question about your nationality. Do not hesitate and boldly say that you are Russian, although you will be more likely to become a legionnaire if you are a representative of another, preferably the most obscure nationality. The fact is that the command of the Legion pursues a policy of preventing the dominance of one or another nationality here. But the Russians are in good standing here, so there is nothing to be afraid of belonging to our nation. Do not give in if they start to assert to you that there are an overabundance of Russians here and that they are not being accepted now. This is a lie and at the same time a "test of character." Stand your ground, and soon you will be admitted to further tests. Speaking of this, it should be noted that in order to become a legionnaire, you also need luck. The fact is that if a thousand Russians and 20 Frenchmen came to the reception point, and there are, say, 4 places, they will take, at best, 2 Russians and 2 Frenchmen, regardless of their fighting qualities. It is not surprising if another time 1 Russian and 3 French are selected from this number, so that there is a ratio in favor of the French, who are recorded here mainly as Swiss and Canadians. The fact is that Western Europeans here do not get along for very long even against the general background, and the Slavs, mainly Russians, hold on mainly because of the desire to get money or citizenship. Therefore, the number of Russians here is steadily increasing, not declining. Therefore, the legionary authorities are forced to "level" the number of legionnaires of different nations. If you want to become a legionnaire, you must remember that the first six months will be a continuous physical, moral and moral torment for you. And this is regardless of who you were "in a past life", even as a colonel-order-bearer of special forces and a professional warrior. This must be noted when filling out the questionnaire and taken into account. However, it will take time for your best qualities to be revealed here, and at first everyone here will be “on the same face”. You need to be ready at first for the most difficult and dirty work - from cleaning toilets to the work of a loader. Do not hesitate to refuse such work, unless, of course, you want to lose your service in the Legion. True, refusing to perform such work can also cause severe beatings, no matter how strong you are. In the Legion, even the “coolest” know how to break off the horns”, for almost 200 years of history, everyone has been seen here. Remember that order is valued above all else and you need to clean the room in which you are located without warning and especially carefully. Remember that the construction here is treated very zealously and any violations are punished quite harshly. So do not be late for it, do not try to talk or make any movements without the permission of the commanders. Otherwise, at least, the outfits and the guardhouse and the bad attitude of the authorities are provided to you. Much attention in the Legion is also paid to hand-to-hand combat. His system here does not boil down to a long duel, as it used to be in the Soviet Army, but to destroying the enemy with a minimum number of blows. God forbid you, even if you are a master of sports in one of the martial arts, to show your superiority over the instructors. The legion of the self-confident does not tolerate, and you will certainly be “lowered”, putting up a tougher or tougher fighters at the same time, you can be sure of that.

Be prepared for constant hikes and exercises.

If in the Soviet and Russian armies many held weapons in their hands only a few times, then here you will almost never let go of it, constantly improving your fire training. Constantly, while hiking, you will spend the night in the open air, cook for yourself, wash clothes, put up tents or hang hammocks. The legion of whitehands will not tolerate it, so be prepared for this. You should also consider whether you can jokingly do 50 push-ups if the sergeant, for example, did not like how your boots were polished; whether you can endure undeserved beatings and just kicks if the authorities do not like the pace of cleaning the premises, etc. Remember that physical punishment of this kind in the Legion is not a violation of the charter. If you come here only for money and for nothing else, then it will be doubly difficult for you to adapt here, and then you will not survive here for more than 3 years. In addition, legionary service is contraindicated for "creative individuals." In this case, the work of a legionnaire will be in conflict with your nature, and you will be forced to stop further service. Contract The future legionnaire needs to know as much information as possible about the details of his imprisonment. It is concluded shortly after coming here, and a 5-year term of service begins with it. But the future legionnaire should not be deceived much: he is not yet in the service. Officially, the contract comes into force with the oath of the legionnaire. First comes a preliminary contract of 6 months. During this period, the contract can be terminated by superiors without any explanation. The reason for this can be anything: you can not pass various tests, show poor physical fitness or inability to adapt to the conditions of the Legion, etc. But even after the expiration of the 6-month period, you should not think that you grabbed God by the beard and that after that you can do everything. The French Ministry of War has the right to terminate the contract with you even after 6 months before the expiration of the 5-year contract, when you are already estimating how much you will receive for your long-suffering service. The legionnaire himself can easily terminate the contract within the first 4 months. Further it is more difficult to do this, motivating it with serious reasons, for example, poor health. The negative here is that a legionnaire cannot marry and buy cars in the first 5 years. It is necessary to say especially about how the legionary authorities encourage the longest possible service of a simple legionnaire and lure him, given the above-described naturalization procedure. If a person got into the Legion, then if he firmly decided to make a career as a legionnaire, he must remember that he receives French citizenship after 7 years, and he can apply for a bonus of 30 thousand euros after 8 years of service; he earns a pension of 1,000 euros after 15 years of service, which, at the request of the legionnaire, will be delivered to any part of the world.

Exams and tests

In Aubagne, for the newly-minted legionnaire, a “streak” of trials and tests begins, which can last up to 2 months. The most important thing here is the running test. As legionnaires testify, “a person who managed to run 8 standard 400-meter laps in a stadium in 12 minutes has a 100 percent chance of entering. The closer the candidate is to this result, the higher his chances.” In general, be prepared for the fact that you have to run here every day for 15 kilometers. Those who do not perform well enough in running and other indicators should know that all his labors upon arrival in the Legion may be in vain and that he can be sent home very quickly without any compensation. The loads here are monstrous, and the fulfillment of legion standards is quite difficult even for very well-trained people. Former legionnaires write that, even when they were already in the Legion, these loads not only did not decrease, but even increased. So, once after such exercises, the legionnaires were supposed to engage in fire training, but they could not fire a shot, because they fell asleep from incredible fatigue. It is important to pass other tests, especially important of which are the test for 10 - for mental abilities and for quick thinking and a psychological test. Regarding the first one, it must be said that it is better to practice with this type of tests at home, since textbooks with similar tests are available to anyone today. The highest score here is 20, but despite the fact that the level of the “average” person is 9-11 points, 7 or 8 is enough to enter the legionnaires, but, as you know, the more the better. Regarding the psychological test - this is "how it will fall on an eagle." It has its own selection methodology, but, as you know, obvious psychopaths and people with mental disabilities in general will not pass this test - you never know how you behave in battle! But as mentioned above, great running is key to Legion admission, and all other tests are looked at through that lens. Even if you have a level 10 close to zero and in addition you are a person with a manic-depressive syndrome, but if you cover the above indicators in running, you can consider yourself a legionnaire. Do not despair if, despite the high performance in passing tests and exams, you were not picked up and told to come later, at such and such a time. There is almost 100 percent certainty that next time you will do. The second visit will be credited to you in the future on the positive side: the Legion appreciates perseverance and perseverance in achieving the goal. There is another important test, the language test, but more on that below.

"Legend-biography"

Among those who dream of becoming legionnaires, a false opinion is widespread that in order to be admitted to the Legion, one must invent some beautiful “miracle legend”. As mentioned above, it’s better not to lie and tell it like it is, unless, of course, you are a drug addict, a suicidal person and an international criminal. According to Russian legionnaires, you don't have to show that you are too smart. Here, as elsewhere, they are not very fond of. It is better to seem like a sort of "hillbilly", but a capable person, from whom you can fashion everything that the legionary authorities need. There is no need to hide the fact that you have already served in the military before. This is another erroneous opinion that the Legion does not take those who have already passed the army. Another thing is that the combat experience you have already gained here may not be in demand, especially when fighting in urban conditions. The methodology of urban combat in the Legion has been worked out to the smallest detail, and it implies other methods of action than, for example, in the same Russian army. On the other hand, the experience of the military in domestic matters will undoubtedly help you adapt better here. Language In order to quickly adapt to the Legion, the legionnaire needs to learn the French language as soon as possible and better, and it is better to join the legionnaires with his knowledge. Otherwise, he will be in big trouble and will not get a promotion, which may lead to premature sending home. We must also remember that communication between legionnaires in a language other than French is punishable here. Firstly, for the benefit of the legionnaire himself, so that he knows the language better, knowledge of which can subsequently, in combat conditions, save his life, and secondly, for reasons of tact. After all, it is quite unpleasant when your partners, or even subordinates, speak in a language that others do not understand on purpose. You need to get used to the fact that if your French is weak or “not at all”, then you will be given a French partner, a “binoma”, with whom you will learn the language together, doing everything together. He will teach you "colloquial vocabulary". Remember that in the Legion there is an incentive to "study, study and study again." The better you improved your score in the language from the moment you studied to the new test on a 5-point system, the better you are. This indicator will be included in the sum of the total marks, and if your scores from the issue are among the best, then you, among the few lucky ones, will be able to choose your own place of service and 1 of 10 Legion regiments. In general, it must be said that the Legion has a well-developed system for stimulating the work of a fighter. Here you have to be, if not the first, then among the first. Being the last here is not only shameful, but also “harmful” for oneself, because then all the “bumps” will fall on you. Here it is better not to mow from physical exercises, otherwise you will lose your shape and become the last one. It must be remembered that here, in the very unit where you yourself are, they do not like those who are lagging behind. The fact is that between the individual units of the regiment there are constantly competitions for achieving the best results. This is interesting and financially beneficial, since the winning unit will go on a 4-month trip outside of France, and the salary will be raised from 1.5 to 3 times during this time. One of the most desirable trips can be a business trip to Gabon, where the legionnaires actually have a rest. This approach to the training of personnel fully justifies itself, since it is a powerful incentive for self-improvement.

Relations with superiors

Basically, you will have to deal not with officers, but with non-commissioned officers. I must say that over the long decades, the legionary authorities have done a great job in order to bring the command and rank and file as close as possible, between which there is an impassable abyss in other armies. But what has remained unchanged is that the sergeant in the Legion is still "king and god." This is a serious and positive difference between the Legion and the Russian army, where often, if you are physically stronger, then you can “score” on the sergeant, “send” him or even punch him in the face. Doing it here is suicidal. In the best case, you will simply find yourself in a "citizen" without having time to understand what happened. At worst, you can simply be maimed or even left in the Legion, but after that your whole life here can turn into hell. In the Legion there is a powerful layer of non-commissioned officers, consisting of 5 "categories": corporal, sergeant, major, ajudan, senior ajudan. To become a non-commissioned officer yourself, you need to serve at least 1 contract, after which you can be sent to non-commissioned officer school. To do this, you must have a high level of intelligence and you must be respected by your colleagues and superiors. It is thanks to this powerful non-commissioned officer layer that the intensive and high-quality training of legionnaires is successfully carried out, which is not the case in other armies of the world. Despite the fact that the interaction between ordinary legionnaires and non-commissioned officers takes place constantly and the latter do not miss the barracks without attention for a second, we must remember that it is not customary to ask “extra” questions during training and in general here, so as not to tire the authorities.

Relations between legionnaires

As in any army, clashes between simple legionnaires are not uncommon here. But, since everything is kept under the control of non-commissioned officers, such conflicts are quickly extinguished. That is why there is no "hazing" here. It should also be noted that strong friendship is often established between legionnaires of different nationalities, which often serves as the basis for joint business projects in the future.