Service in the legion of France. French foreign legion

Story

The French Foreign Legion was created on March 9 by King Louis Philippe I on the basis of several predecessor regiments. One of these regiments was Regiment de Hohenlohe under the command of the German prince and French marshal Ludwig Alois von Hohenlohe-Bartenstein (Ludwig Aloys von Hohenlohe-Bartenstein). This regiment fought for the royalists in the Revolutionary Wars and later served under King Charles X of France. As France planned to colonize Algeria, it needed significant troops. At this time, many foreigners settled in France, and especially in Paris. With the creation of the Legion, King Louis Philippe could get the necessary troops and at the same time reduce the number of "undesirable" sections of the population in the country. So he issued a law the next day ( la Loi du 9 mars 1831) that the foreign legion can only be used outside of mainland France. The officers for the new unit were recruited from Napoleon's army, and the soldiers were recruited from Italy, Spain, Switzerland, other European countries, as well as the French, who had problems with the law. At the same time, a tradition was laid - not to ask the name of the recruit.

The day of glory of the Foreign Legion was April 30, 1863, when the Battle of Cameron took place during the Mexican expedition. A company of legionnaires under the command of Captain Danjou was given the task of scouting the outskirts of Palo Verde in anticipation of a convoy with guns, siege equipment, and three million francs in cash destined for the French troops besieging Puebla. Advancing after midnight on April 30, the legionnaires encountered the Mexicans on the morning of the same day. Realizing the undeniable advantage of the Mexicans (1200 infantry and 800 cavalry), Captain Danjou and his people occupied a building in a village called Cameron. To ensure the safety of the convoy, the Mexicans had to be held at all costs. Knowing that they are doomed and only a miracle can save them, the legionnaires gave their word to stand to the end. For more than ten hours they resisted the Mexican army. Despite offers to surrender, the legionnaires preferred death to inglorious captivity. Their self-sacrifice allowed the convoy to reach Puebla unhindered.

Today, the Legion is used where the French state defends its interests within NATO or the European Union, has historical responsibilities (for example, Côte d'Ivoire) or where French citizens are in danger. It is subordinate, as in 1831, to only one person: the French head of state, today the president.

The Foreign Legion took part in wars and operations in the following places:

French legionnaires in Kolwezi (Zaire) 1978

More than 600,000 people from all over the world served under the green-red flag of the Foreign Legion from its foundation until the end of the 1980s. According to a speech by Colonel Morellon, over 36,000 legionnaires fell in action at this time.

Today, the Legion is not used to wage war, as before, but mainly to prevent hostilities within the framework of missions under the auspices of the UN or NATO (for example, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan), to maintain peace, to evacuate people from war regions, to provide humanitarian aid, to rebuild infrastructure (eg in Lebanon and after the Tsunami in Southeast Asia). Along with this, the Legion is ready to conduct special operations, such as fighting in the jungle, at night, against terrorists and to free the hostages.

Locations

Organization and tasks

Foreign legionnaires can be recognized by their white headdress ("Képi blanc"), which is worn, however, only by the rank and file. The color of the beret in the Legion is green ( Beret vert) and icon ( Insigne beret) are worn, as in the entire French army, on the right. The emblem of the Legion is a grenade with seven flames.

Legion colors are green and red. (Green symbolizes the country, red - blood. If the legion unit is in battle, then the triangular pennant of the Legion is hung so that the red side is at the top: "Blood on the country").

The motto of the legion: "The Legion is our fatherland" (lat. Legio Patria Nostra). For a more complete introduction of this slogan into the consciousness of each legionnaire, his contacts with the outside world in the first five years of service are limited and controlled - the Legion really becomes a family and home for the legionnaire.

A feature of the Legion is the song "Le Boudin", which, with the exception of the march, is always sung at attention! Another feature is the typical march pace of legionnaires. While other army units march at 120 paces per minute, the Legion only do 88. This is due to the fact that African deployment areas often had sandy soils, which makes it difficult to march at a fast pace.

Organizations of former legionnaires

Although the number of Germans in the Foreign Legion is now small, due to the significant number of former foreign legionnaires, there are dozens of clubs and organizations of former foreign legionnaires in Germany ( Amicale des Anciens de la Legionétrangere), which in the majority consist of legionnaires who served in Indochina and Algeria.

They meet regularly, take care of the tradition and go to different holidays in France. Most of these organizations also accept people who have never served in the Legion. Deserters and those expelled from the Legion are not accepted. For this reason, each new member (if it is a former legionnaire) is checked by the union Fédération des Sociétés d'Anciens de la Légion Étrangère.

Films about the Foreign Legion

Artistic

• - "Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion" (eng. Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion ), director: Charles Lamont, USA ;
• - "March or Die" March or Die), director: Dick Richards, USA / UK ;
• - "The Legion lands at Kolwezi" (fr. La Legion saute sur Kolwezi), director: Raoul Cutard, France;
• - "Adventurers" (fr. Les Morfalous), director: Henri Verneuil, France;
• - "AWOL" (eng. Lionheart), director: Sheldon Lettich, USA;
• - " Legionnaire" (eng. Legionnaire), director: Peter MacDonald, USA ;
• - "Good job" (fr. Beau Travel), director: Claire Denis, France;
• - "Jinns" (fr. Djinns), directors: Hugh Martin, Sandra Martin, France / Morocco;
• - "Foreign Legion", director: Kim Nguyen, Canada;

Documentaries

• - Escape to the Legion Escape to the Legion), host: Bear Grylls, USA;
• - Warriors of the world. French Foreign Legion, director: Roman Kaigorodov, Russia; == http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pfc1z90vF0 ==

see also

Notes

1. A new chance for a new life (Russian). archived
2. Debate unerwünscht (German). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
3. Fremdenlegionäre in Indochina (German). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
4. Bei den Deutschen in der Fremdenlegion (German). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
5. La Guerre d "Indochine (Russian). Archived
6. Simon Jameson French Foreign Legion (Russian). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
7. Foreign Legion (Russian). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
8. Shadursky, V. G. Foreign policy of France (1945-2002): textbook. allowance. Minsk: BGU. 2004.
9. Conditions for concluding a contract (Russian). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
10. Admission. In Aubagne. (Russian). archived
11. Richard Luca Honey, I joined the legion (Russian). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2010.
12. Federation des Societes d "Anciens de la Legion Entrangere (fr.). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved on February 6, 2010.
13. Zinovy ​​Peshkov: How Yakov Sverdlov's Elder Brother Became a French Brigadier General (Russian). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2010.
14. Khreschatitsky Boris Rostislavovich (Russian). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2010.
15. "Great Defender of the Jews" Petliura (Russian) . (unavailable link - story) Retrieved February 6, 2010.
16. French Foreign Legion on the site "Heroes of the country"

Literature

• Balmasov Sergey Foreign Legion. Moscow: Yauza, 2004. ISBN 5-699-06982-8
• Jean Brunon Georges Manyu: History of elite troops Foreign Legion 1831-1955. - M .: Isographus, 2003.
• Zhuravlev V.V. Everyday life of the French Foreign Legion: “Come to me, Legion!” - M.: Young Guard, 2010. - 347 p. - ISBN 978-5-235-03355-9
• Paul Bonnecarrere: Frankreichs fremde Söhne - Fremdenlegionäre im Indochina-Krieg. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-613-01144-1
• Rajko Cibic: Geliebte gehasste Legion - Der abeneuerliche Lebensweg eines slowenischen Fremdenlegionärs. Verlag Lutz B. Damm, Jenbach 1996, ISBN 3-85298-020-8
• Pierre Dufour: La Legion en Algerie. Editions Lavauzelle, Panazol 2002, ISBN 2-7025-0613-5
• Pierre Dufour: La Legionétrangere 1939-1945. Heimdal, Bayeux 2000, ISBN 2-84048-130-8
• Pierre Dufour: La Legion étrangere en Indochine 1945-1955. Lavauzelle, Paris 2001, ISBN 2-7025-0483-3
• Dominique Farale: Mysterieuse Légion Etrangère de 1831 a nos jours. D.I.E. Paris 2005, ISBN 2-914295-16-2
• Peter Hornung: Die Legion - Europas letzte Söldner. Meyster-Verlag, München 1982, ISBN 3-8131-8123-5
• Yers Keller, Frank Fosset: Frankreichs Elite - Legions-Paras und Kommandos, Gendarmerie-Sondereinsatzgruppen GIGN , Kampfschwimmerkommando Hubert. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-613-02103-X
• Peter Macdonald: Fremdenlegion - Ausbildung, Bewaffnung, Einsatz. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-613-01518-8
• Volker Mergenthaler: Völkerschau - Kannibalismus - Fremdenlegion. Zur Ästhetik der Transgression (1897-1936). Tübingen 2005, ISBN 3-484-15109-9
• Eckard Michels: Deutsche in der Fremdenlegion. 1870-1965 Mythen und Realitaten. Schöningh, Paderborn 2000, ISBN 3-506-74471-2
• Guido Schmidt: Der Cafard - Als Fallschirmjager bei der Fremdenlegion. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-613-01795-4
• David Jordan: Die Geschichte der Französischen Fremdenlegion von 1831 bis heute. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-7276-7157-2
• Blaise Cendrars: Wind der Welt. Abenteuer eines Lebens. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt/M. 1990, ISBN 3-518-40262-5
• Friedrich Glauser: Gourrama. Unionsverlag, Zürich 1999,

Military history has many pages that mention various military formations that are directly involved in hostilities and located in the hottest spots on our planet. The most famous among them is the French Foreign Legion. This is a truly legendary military unit, the military glory of which is fanned by various myths and stories. Many books have been written about this elite unit and more than a dozen films have been shot. For generations of men, service in this unit was considered the ultimate dream. Many have dreamed and continue to dream of how to become legionnaires and quickly put on a special military uniform. However, in reality, instead of bravado and ostentation, the foreign legion is a hard service and work associated with constant risk and danger. Is a person ready to voluntarily give up all the advantages that civil life promises, starting his military career in accordance with the harsh and strict military Charter?

You can refer to weighty arguments in favor of making such a decision: a good salary, full social security, the possibility of obtaining French citizenship as a result. However, a great price must be paid for all this: personal freedom, hard physical labor and deprivation, and finally, the constant danger and threat to life, despite the fact that the romance of military service, future privileges and decent pay are a serious motivation.

French Foreign Legion - what is it really?

It should be noted right away that the legion is not an interest club in which everyone does what they want. This is a full-fledged military unit belonging to the armed forces of the French Republic. Here, not only the military Charter applies, but also a number of provisions that regulate the procedure for serving. Unlike traditional armed forces, the legion has a different system of recruitment and recruitment. The servicemen of this unit undergo a completely different, transcendent level of training. Subsequent service in the Legion takes place in conditions as close as possible to combat, in various parts of the world.

Only representatives of the stronger sex can become legionnaires. The way is ordered for women to serve in the foreign legion!

The history of this legendary military unit has less than two hundred years. In 1831, King Louis Philippe I of France undertook an adventurous military operation in North Africa. The military campaign, according to the plan of the French court, was to divert the attention of civil society from internal problems in the state. The purpose of the military expedition to Algeria was the declared expansion of the borders of the colonial empire.

This dubious undertaking required a significant number of troops, which France at that time was clearly not enough. In addition, the French generals were not happy with the military adventure of the French king and opposed in every possible way the sending of units of the regular French army to overseas possessions. Life itself suggested a way out of this situation.

France in the first half of the 19th century was going through hard times. The economy was in decline, the population of the country was in distress. The consequences of fifteen years of continuous wars that France waged under Napoleon Bonaparte were showing. Inside the country, a huge number of idle males appeared, who were looking for any ways and opportunities to improve their plight, not disdaining robbery at the same time. Neither the police, nor the gendarmerie, nor the army could cope with such negative phenomena. The only way out of this situation was a royal decree on the creation of a new paramilitary unit under the leadership of French officers, which could be recruited by people who had problems with the law.

In this way, it was possible to immediately solve two problems:

• by means of legalization, remove criminal and unreliable elements from the streets of French cities and from the roads;
• collect the necessary number of people for subsequent preparation and sending to the colonies.

The only condition that was stipulated in the royal decree was that the newly created paramilitary formation could not be used on the territory of the metropolis. As a result of such actions, in just a few months, the required number of people were recruited through recruiting centers. The set did not differ in special requirements. The recruits were not asked, neither name nor social background. It was enough for a man from the street to become a legionnaire to have tolerable health and to have an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bhow to hold a gun.

Shortly after the first months of basic military training, recruits were sent to Algiers to suppress the uprising of local natives and to participate in the expansion of colonial possessions. The new army was given the name - Foreign Legion.

The first combat experience showed that the chosen tactics fully justified themselves. Legionnaires, unlike the soldiers of the regular army, knew what they were fighting for. Having shown enviable ingenuity, perseverance and steadfastness on the battlefield, the soldiers and officers of the foreign legion were able to quickly suppress not only the centers of the rebellious Arabs, but also establish a strict and harsh colonial regime in the colony. From that moment on, the foreign legion began to be involved in almost all the wars waged by France. In the 19th century, legionnaires had to fight in Spain and Mexico. The French foreign legion also participated in the Crimean War, fighting the Russian troops near Sevastopol.

In the next XX century, legionnaires became participants in the largest military conflicts that affected not only France, but also shocked the whole world. The conquest of Indochina, participation in hostilities in the French colonies in Madagascar, Morocco, then the First World War. Everywhere in the most dangerous areas, soldiers and officers of the foreign legion were involved. The French Foreign Legion became a kind of special forces that solved the most complex tactical and strategic tasks. At some points, the number of units of the Foreign Legion was about 50 thousand people. The soldiers of this unit had to serve in various parts of the world, from hotel islands in the Pacific Ocean to the dense jungles of South America and tropical Africa.

The essence of the Foreign Legion as a unit and how to get into it

Despite the fact that the Foreign Legion is officially part of the structure of the French army, in fact it is a separate military unit that reports directly to the head of state. At first it was the King of France, the Emperor, and in modern times, the President of the French Republic. Neither army charters nor orders of the Minister of Defense apply here. To date, the legion has its own, developed infrastructure. Each regiment that is part of the legion has its own place of quartering, with barracks, with headquarters and even with its own guardhouse. At its core, it is a closed organization, reminiscent of medieval knightly orders in its structure.

Financing of the legion is carried out at the expense of the state treasury and thanks to sponsorship. A large part of the budget of the Foreign Legion is made up of income from financial and economic groups and lobbyists, who have a lot of weight in the domestic and foreign policy of France. In other words, there are no permanent and fixed appropriations for the upkeep of the legion. Unlike the regular French army, legionnaires do not have broad social state guarantees.

The French Foreign Legion is also distinguished by its military doctrine. There is an unspoken restriction on the equipment of units that are part of the Foreign Legion. There are no full-fledged tank formations and own aviation here. Armed with armored personnel carriers, light artillery systems, helicopters. The bulk of the combat work has to be done by infantry units. To date, the legion includes:

• one armored cavalry regiment;
• two airborne units;
• engineer-sapper regiment;
• infantry and training regiments.

Some military units are stationed on the territory of continental France and on the island of Corsica. In the town of Aubagne, Bouches-du-Rhone department, on the territory of the 1st regiment is the Headquarters of the Foreign Legion. Other units are located in overseas territories controlled by France.

The procedure for recruiting military units belonging to the French Legion is curious. Unlike the earlier recruitment methods, when citizens of any reputation and any nationality could become legionnaires, today the recruitment conditions for this elite unit have been tightened.

In order to become a legionnaire today, it is enough to know the mechanism of the admission procedure and have a relatively clean reputation. Gone are the days when the Legion was a convenient hiding place for those who tried to hide from the law, even from another realm. The main and main condition for starting the process is a voluntary desire, which, together with your passport, must be shown at the recruiting center. This is followed by a rigorous medical board and an assessment of your physical abilities. Today, the Legion is not ready to support soldiers with poor health and not fully aware of what they have to deal with. The first contract is signed for a period of 5 years, and the main article of the contract directly indicates that you will not have to sit out in the rear in a warm resort. The main function of legionnaires is service in hot spots, where the likelihood of hostilities and clashes is always high.

Not only a person of French origin can become a legionnaire, but also a foreigner. Over the years of the existence of this unit, representatives of more than 130 states served in the Foreign Legion. Only privates and sergeants are recruited into the Legion. Command at all stages is carried out by French officers, so French is the main command language.

After the end of the first contract, military personnel who have shown valor, courage and have an impeccable reputation receive either French citizenship or a residence permit in France. Having received a wound during operations, there is a chance to immediately receive not only French citizenship, but also a serious increase in salary. The service life of a legionnaire is limited only by the period of the contract. In other words, if the legionnaire's contract has ended and he is tired of fighting, you can leave. For those who have served under the banner of the Foreign Legion for 19 years or more, a lifetime pension with the right to provide housing is assigned.

Despite the fact that today the number of military conflicts in which the French Foreign Legion is involved is limited, the life of a legionnaire is not sugar. In parallel with high salaries and relative comfort in peacetime, the soldiers of the foreign legion, as before, experience the hardships and hardships of military service in a double or triple volume.

The French Foreign Legion is a unique elite military unit that is part of the French armed forces. To date, it has more than 8 thousand legionnaires, who represent 136 countries of the world, including France. One thing for all of them is serving France at a high professional level.

The creation of the legion is associated with the name of King Louis Philippe I, who in 1831 signed a decree on the creation of a single military unit, which was to include several active regiments. The main purpose of the new formation was to carry out combat missions outside the French borders. To exercise command, officers were recruited from Napoleon's army, and not only natives of Italy, Spain or Switzerland were accepted as soldiers, but also French subjects who had certain problems with the law. Thus, the French government got rid of potentially dangerous people who not only had significant combat experience, but could also use it in conditions of political instability within the state.

This policy of the king was very logical. The fact is that the legionnaires were trained to conduct a large-scale campaign to colonize Algeria, which required a large number of troops. But at the same time, France could not send its subjects to Africa. That is why foreigners who lived in the vicinity of Paris were recruited into the legion.

Around the same period of time, the tradition of not asking for the real names of new soldiers also occurs. Many desperate people had the opportunity to start life anew, getting rid of the criminal past.

To date, the legion's rules also allow for the anonymous reception of soldiers. As before, volunteers are not asked for their name or country of residence. After several years of service, each legionnaire has the opportunity to obtain French citizenship and start a completely new life with a new name.

It should be noted that the first rule of legionnaires is never to give up. This tradition began as early as 1863, when three legionnaires held over 2,000 well-armed soldiers of the Mexican army. But, taken prisoner, thanks to their courage and valor, they were soon released with honors.

As at the time of its foundation, the French Legion is under the direct control of the head of state.

The modern Foreign Legion consists of tank, infantry and sapper units. Its structure includes 7 regiments, including the famous GCP paratrooper with special forces, one special detachment, one semi-brigade and one training regiment.

Legion units are deployed in the Comoros (Mayotte Island), in Northeast Africa (Djibouti), in Corsica, in French Guiana (Kourou), and also directly in France.

A feature of the French Legion is that women are not allowed into it. Contracts are awarded exclusively to men aged 18-40. The initial contract is for 5 years. All subsequent contracts can be concluded for terms from six months to 10 years. In the first five years, you can reach the rank of corporal, but only a person with French citizenship can become an officer. The main composition of the officers of the unit is, as a rule, regular military men who graduated from military educational institutions and chose the legion as their place of service.

Since mercenarism is considered a criminal offense in many countries of the world, recruitment points exist exclusively in France. For everyone who wants to join the legion, testing is carried out, which includes three stages: psychotechnical, physical and medical. In addition, a separate interview is conducted with each recruit, during which it is necessary to clearly and truthfully tell your biography. The interview is conducted in three stages, and each new stage is a repetition of the previous one. Thus, a kind of check "for lice" is carried out.

Foreign volunteers can be easily recognized by their white headgear, although only privates wear it. The unit's colors are green and red.

To date, about 7 and a half thousand soldiers are serving in the legion. The training of soldiers allows them to conduct operations in the jungle, at night. They are trained to carry out special operations to neutralize terrorists and rescue hostages. The main task of the legionnaires today is to prevent hostilities. They are called upon to carry out the evacuation of the population from the combat zone, provide humanitarian assistance, and restore infrastructure in regions of natural disasters.

Thus, there is information that the French Foreign Legion provided serious support in conducting a ground operation during the events in Libya. In August 2011, the legionnaires managed to eliminate the fuel and food supply base, which was the main one for Gaddafi's troops. According to some reports, several companies of the legion were transferred to Libya from Tunisia or Algeria. A little wound, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bEz-Zawiya, the Foreign Legion, with few losses, managed to break into the city center, providing free access to the fighters from Benghazi. The command of the legion hoped to raise the Berber population in revolt, but this was not possible.

The participation of the French Legion in the Libyan war is denied in every possible way by the official authorities of France, despite the fact that the press is actively discussing this issue. This position of Paris is quite understandable, since any invasion of the territory of Libya would be contrary to the UN resolution regarding this state, which refers only to the closure of airspace. A similar situation had already happened before, when in 1978 in Zaire the French government recognized that the Foreign Legion took part in the military conflict only after the legionnaires had completed their mission.

The Arab Spring has shown that foreign military personnel are present in many conflict zones. In addition to Libya, the French Legion also took part in hostilities in Syria. So, in Homs, 150 were arrested, and in Zadabani - 120 French legionnaires, mostly paratroopers and snipers. And although no one can confirm that they were legionnaires, such an assumption is quite logical, since this unit is completed from citizens not only of France, but also of other states. Thus, France again has the opportunity to claim that there are no French citizens in Syria.

Another place where the French Foreign Legion also noted is the conflict that broke out in Côte d'Ivoire. One gets the impression that France has set itself the goal of creating for itself the most aggressive image on the entire European continent. Very often, Paris starts the game "for big", ignoring the interests of its allies in the North Atlantic Alliance. So, in April 2011, French paratroopers occupied the airport of the economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan. Thus, the total number of the French military corps stationed there was about 1,400 people.

The total number of the UN peacekeeping contingent in this country is 9 thousand people, of which only 900 were French. France independently decided to increase the size of its military corps, without coordinating actions with the UN leadership. The basis of the French military corps is the military of the Foreign Legion, which has been taking part in Operation Unicorn for several years. In addition, the French government stated that the contingent that arrived in Côte d'Ivoire is coordinating actions with the unoci troops, thus actually recognizing that, in addition to the Unicorn, France is also conducting its own independent operation on the territory of the country.

Thus, the French Foreign Legion is sent to those areas where France seeks to protect its interests within or "under the cover" of the European Union or the North Atlantic Alliance, as well as where there are certain historical obligations or a threat to the lives of French citizens.

Dozens of young guys arrive in France to start a new life - to enter the Foreign Legion, earn money, receive French citizenship. Again, military romance beckons. However, almost no one has complete and reliable information about what awaits them there. Many are disappointed.

First approach

The French Foreign Legion is one of the most closed military organizations in the world. To a greater extent, it is subsidized by the French state, to a lesser extent - through special operations on a contract basis. They accept only foreign citizens into the legion (officers are an exception, many of them previously served in the French regular army), and it ensures the military presence of France in the "hot spots" of the planet, including conducting special operations (here we can mention, in particular, Cat- D'Ivoire, Chad, Senegal, Gabon).

The French public is quite calm and even positive about the fact that the interests of the country are protected not by the French military, but by foreign contractors. Yes, France protects its citizens, and regular units in special operations are used (if it comes down to it) only in the second place - legionnaires go first. And no one in France demands the withdrawal of troops from South America and Africa, because the country's armed forces there are represented by the Foreign Legion.

To this day, it is believed that the legion hides criminals. This is wrong. Firstly, everyone who wants to join is checked against the Interpol database and, if a person is wanted, he is handed over to the police. Secondly, a serious control of the cleanliness of the rows is carried out as part of the entrance tests. Thirdly, for each language group there is a legion security officer who unofficially travels to the country where the candidates come from and collects a dossier on each.

So it is impossible for a character with a serious criminal past to get into the legion. At the same time, one-time drives to the police-militia for petty hooliganism are not taken into account.

Nikolai Chizhov, served in the Foreign Legion for five years under a contract, now an employee of the Encore security agency in Bordeaux: There are quite a lot of Russians in the Foreign Legion. There was a period when our guys were accepted very willingly, but now, when recruiting, the military gives preference to Europeans (Germans, Finns, Irish, etc.), respecting national diversity. Russians entering the service in the legion are divided into three main categories: young romantics, former military men and guys from the "brigades" who managed to leave before a criminal record and are hiding from their own. Russians mostly stick together, help each other.

Recruitment to the legion outside France is prohibited. In France itself, there are 20 recruiting centers where those who wish can come and try to sign up as candidates.

Now you are incognito

Let's say our guy found the addresses of recruiting points in France, bought a ticket from a travel agency (you can, of course, use an invitation from any Schengen country), received a visa and arrived at the place. What's next?

Vadim Osmalovsky, was prematurely discharged from the legion due to an injury, is now setting up a private business: At the entrance to the recruiting center, my passport was taken away, then they searched me, conducted a medical examination and asked my name, surname, date and place of birth, where I came from, whether I had a criminal record , asked about parents, motivation, etc. After that, they assigned a new name, date, place of birth and were assigned to a room. It was possible to go out only when necessary: ​​to eat, to undergo an additional medical examination, for example. There was a TV in the room and a video player with cassettes about the Legion - that's all leisure. I did not speak French, so I was helped by Russian legionnaires who translated. A couple of days later, we were all sent to a selection camp in the south of France - in Aubagne.

A question that interests many: why do they change the name of a volunteer? This used to be done to hide the person, as the Legion didn't care about the volunteer's background. At the beginning of the last century, well-known criminals were indeed hiding from justice in the Foreign Legion, and after World War II, former employees of the Wehrmacht.

Now the name change is largely due to the fact that in some countries, mercenary activity is considered illegal. And of course, this is a tribute to tradition.

Nikolai Chizhov: When I entered the service, not everyone changed their name - for example, they left me the real one. And now everyone who joins the legion is given a new name. The old name is returned to the soldier after the "ratification" procedure, which takes place in the first three years of service. But then, when applying for French citizenship (this can be done after three years of service in the legion. - "Money"), a person can indicate that he wants to change his surname. Then he is given a list of several surnames beginning with the same letter as his former one. You need to choose from the list, you can’t invent it yourself. Changing a surname makes everything very difficult, but some people do it anyway.

Every four weeks, 50 people are recruited from all recruiting centers and sent to the south of France in the city of Aubagne, where the legion's selection camp is located. In Aubagne, candidates pass tests that become more difficult every year. This is due to the introduction of new equipment into the arsenal, including sophisticated electronics, so the IQ passing score rises.

Vadim Osmalovsky: Upon admission, we passed the following tests: psychotechnical (two hours to solve problems for logic, technical intelligence, puzzles), physical (for endurance - you need to run at least 2.8 km in 12 minutes), medical (complete medical examination up to dental conditions). In addition, they passed a three-stage interview with security officers (applicants call it the "Gestapo"), where you need to tell your biography in detail and explain your motivation. Basically, the people are weeded out there, and it is impossible to understand the methods of the security service, it is guided by its own criteria.

If all the tests are successfully passed, the legion concludes a contract with the newcomer for five years, after which the recruit is sent for four months to a training camp in the Pyrenees - not far from Toulouse. If the tests are not passed, then the person is simply returned things and documents, given the money earned during the tests (the main work is cleaning the territory or premises, for which they pay 25 euros per day, on weekends - 45 euros).

With this money, failed commandos return home. The most persistent again begin to prepare for entry into the legion - there may be three attempts, if the commission does not issue a verdict "unsuitable for service in the legion."

Dangerous and difficult

After the conclusion of the contract, the volunteers begin a new life in the truest sense of the word. The boys with the new names go through a rigorous four-month boot camp training, learning French, weapons, tactics, legion history, and more. Loads are crazy, information is no longer duplicated - everything is given only in French, so some can not stand it and desert. Recruits who have been fully trained are assigned to regiments based on the needs of the legion and the level of preparedness of the fighter.

The word "deserter" is a fairly common word when it comes to the Legion. A very common (in the same media, for example) myth is that desertion is the only possible way to leave the Legion. Allegedly, the fighters of the legion are held by force, forced to serve almost under torture, and beaten.

Vadim Osmalovsky: Yes, before they really caught, beat, tortured and forced to serve. About 50 years ago. Now they are trying to keep them with long conversations and persuasion, periods for reflection and a "lip", which is akin to a boarding house from the times of the USSR. It is really difficult to leave the legion in an official way, so more often they simply desert by jumping over the fence, but there is no talk of any violence - the times are not the same, and people are legally savvy, and the legion does not need scandals. They break down mainly in the "training room", less often - in the first years of service. They try to keep promising guys. And deserters often exaggerate to justify themselves in the eyes of their friends, compose tales of hazing, which is not in the legion. It happens that seniors in rank go too far, but such cases are severely suppressed by the command, because the legion is a contract service, not an obligation.

Now the legion consists of eight regiments and one semi-brigade, where about 8 thousand soldiers and officers serve. Not so long ago, two regiments and one special detachment were disbanded on the island of Mayotte (Comoros). Regiments are deployed mainly in France, in the cities of Aubagne, Castelnaudary, Calvi (Island of Corsica), Orange, Avignon, Nimes and Sainte-Christol. And also in Djibouti (Africa) and in the overseas department of Guiana (South America), in the city of Kourou.

Legionnaires serving in regiments stationed in France regularly go on business trips and exercises in Djibouti, Guiana, Reunion (an island east of Madagascar).

Nikolai Chizhov: Our "experience" in Guiana lasted two weeks. Guiana is a jungle where the humidity is probably 120%. We traveled a day to the base on pirogues and trucks, then the exercises began. The last was a survival course in the conditions of the equatorial forest. They explained to us what to eat from living creatures and plants, who to fear, who to hunt. Then we were thrown into the jungle for three days without provisions, with one rifle per platoon, one more machete, a knife, a fishing set and salt were supposed to per group. On the first day they built a bivouac, on the second they set traps for animals, on the third they made a raft and rafted down the river to the goal. By the way, it is very difficult to build a raft, since almost all tropical trees drown, you need to know the non-sinking ones, but there are few of them. Nothing came across in the traps, because the "experiences" are constantly carried out in that area, so that the animals fled, the fruits were eaten. We went hungry all the time, eating palm cores. The most desperate ate scorpions and grasshoppers. And they slept only in hammocks, so that snakes and insects would not bite. And with a mosquito net, because there are millions of mosquitoes. It was also desirable not to get hurt or scratched, since scratches due to moisture heal painfully for a long time. Some had to be hospitalized.

Vadim Osmalovsky: One of our "experience" took place in Djibouti, there is a different specificity - African. In winter, the temperature is plus 30-40°C, and in summer it can reach up to 60°C. We got just on a summer "experience" - it was unbearably hot. At night they could not sleep because of the heat, they covered themselves with wet towels. In general, the African "experience" is difficult. We did not sleep much, some could not stand it and left the race - to the infirmary.

Advantages and disadvantages

Service in the Legion is difficult not only because of the exercises, but also because the Legion is constantly on alert - service can be easily classified as "survival". What do the legionnaires have for this? Firstly, after three years of service, any legionnaire has the right to apply for French citizenship, then the immigration service will examine his profile, and the result depends on the track record and characteristics. Secondly, the salary, which is not miserable or fabulous, as the Russian media often reports, is the truth, as usual, in the middle.

A novice legionnaire with 10 months of experience serving in France receives about 1,000 euros per month, and in the case of a business trip, for example, to Djibouti, about 2,500 euros per month. Legionnaire parachutists receive about 1,800 euros in France and a little more than 3,000 euros. in Africa. If we take into account that a standard business trip lasts about four months, then there is no need to talk about a strong enrichment of the legionnaires. As for the command staff, for example, a sergeant-chief receives about 1,800 euros while serving in France. And in order to earn 5 thousand euros, you need to be not only a high-ranking officer, but also an extremely large father, because the salary is calculated based on the number of children, including.

Vadim Osmalovsky: In the rank of corporal 1REG, an engineering and sapper regiment, I earned 1247 euros per month, being at the place of deployment. When I was sent to Djibouti for five months, I received 2900 euros per month. But business trips usually happen once a year, so in a year I earned about 25 thousand euros. Then I was without a family and children, such a salary suited me. Now it would be more difficult: renting an apartment, food, clothes for the whole family ... In general, the salary of a legionnaire cannot be called large, but you cannot call it beggarly either.

Contrary to legends about the fabulous pension of legionnaires, after 15 years of service in the legion, they pay 800 euros per month. And in recent years, these 15 years have turned into 17.5. There is also a pension billing, which depends on where the legionnaire served and how much, and for paratroopers, the number of jumps is counted. However, billing does not fundamentally change the amount.

So is it worth it for the sake of non-guaranteed French citizenship and a very average salary by European standards to go to serve in the legion and risk your life there? After all, legionnaires are dying, despite the fact that France is currently not conducting hostilities. During peaceful missions, for example.