French Foreign Legion

[Danjanou]

Son you have been advised by persons on this board who have been there done that in French Guinea no less. You can choose to take their hard won advice or not, no one is being hostile here just interjecting a little dose of reality into your youthful enthusiasm and second and third hand misinformation.

Yes there is a mythos around Le Legion, but as has been pointed out to you they are a part and parcel of the French Army., no matter what Hollywood may say that differs. Perhaps a bit better trained, and equipped than some other units in the French Army but that’s it and one could argue that exists in any Army, The Paras with the Brits, the 75th Infantry Regiment with the Yanks and/or our own CSOR. They ain’t superman and as I am sure you ain’t either, that probably is “a good thing.”

If you find this hostile then trust me don’t waste the plane fare. It is nothing compared to what some nasty Chef Caporal will toss your way at Orange or wherever they’re running recruit depot these days.

I strongly suggest you switch from send to receive for a while here, or you will be introduced quickly to our local warning system, and if you bitcha bout it odds are you won't like an hour or two of theri unique brand of duck walking.

For what it’s worth from my addled memory. Rue d'Ostende
67000 Strasbourg, is where you want to go. It’s due east from the main railway station about a good 30-40 minute walk IIRC, better to write down the address at the little glass kiosk at the station entrance and take a taxi.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl&q=

 

[Chain]

Is Rue d'Ostende like fort De Nogent?

 

[Blackadder1916]

Is Rue d'Ostende like fort De Nogent?

1, rue d'Ostende is the address of Quartier (Barracks) Lecourbe, where a L.E. recruiting office is located in Strasbourg.  If you are coming across the Rhine at Kehl (from the direction of Lahr) you keep to the right.  There used to be signs (small but visible) indicating the direction.

 

[daftandbarmy]

FWIW, there were 2 soldiers in my unit (1 PARA) who deserted and joined the FFL in 1987. They were back 10 months later (and did 10 months in cells to make up for it). Their reports on the FFL were that the basic training was pretty cavalier, including getting beaten up alot and having live grenades chucked at them, and that the food was even worse than the British Army was able to provide at the time. They each looked like they lost about 20 pounds. The pay was also ridiculously low, which also impressed me at the time as pay in the daft&barmy at that time was pretty awful.

Later, in 1992 or so when I was back in Canada, a soldier from my militia company joined the Legion - 2 REP - and had alot of good things to say about it. He made it to LCpl after 5 years, then left to do contract work as a combat medic somewhere in North Africa. I called him in Corsica once when he was on guard duty and it sounded like he was having a good time doing daily 10 mile runs etc in the local mountains!

So, the lesson here is that it all depends. Why not give it a shot and let us know how it works out for you?

 

[George Wallace]

1, rue d'Ostende is the address of Quartier (Barracks) Lecourbe, where a L.E. recruiting office is located in Strasbourg.  If you are coming across the Rhine at Kehl (from the direction of Lahr) you keep to the right.  There used to be signs (small but visible) indicating the direction.

When was the last time you were in Strassbourg?  Seems to me that the last time I was there, the FFL was long gone and that Camp was now devided up into tiny plots as a "Community Garden".

 

[Rowshambow]

I saw a show on the FFL on discovery a couple of years ago, now from what I remember, isn't the legion one of the only units to have never done well in battle? I think (once again from what I can recall) the guy talking was saying they usually put the Legion into battles that are "unwinable", I mean it makes sense, why put in your fellow Countryman when you can put in the dregs of society that can't make it in their own society!
Seriously think about it, why join the legion, is it because of training?, tours? really the SAS or JTF2 are probably better trained (prob cause they don't talk about it) tours, well the Strats right now are doing many rotos back to back, so really what are the reasons to join the FFL? I know it's not to get the french Lang training! Is it?

 

[Blackadder1916]

When was the last time you were in Strassbourg? 

About 5 years ago, but as I spent most of my time in the centre-ville or in a village on the outskirts visiting a friend I don't recall going by the barracks.  To refresh my memory (damn those aluminum mess tins), I checked their website.
http://www.legion-recrute.com/en/ou.php

If I recall correctly the last time I actually went by there (visiting a friend/French officer who served with them) was in 1994 shortly before I left Lahr.  But I think that the French Army camp to the south of Strasbourg (which was visible if driving up from Lahr on the French side) is no longer there.

 

[Danjanou]

Well I just double checked the Google map link I put up earlier and it still shows the red roofed while building s there just up from the traffic circle and what i guess is the small grass parade square. Don't know how old the pictures on google are and/or what they're being used for.

For the older types move east on the link and take a look at Lahr, Baden, and Hugey.  8)

 

[Chain]

Wellthanks for the support daftandbarmy .But againI just want to see whats it about I mean it unlike any other army in the world in that it only fights for france but swears allegience to themselves. I heard the pay went up but its not why I want to join but rather the mystique of it. As was said in one of the videos they are not special forces nor do they want to find the best shooters in the world rather they want to teach the soldiers on how to go into battle with nothing or in an environment with nothing and still able to fight naywere without the use of modern day high technology and how to do certain things that normally would not be taught anywere else. Plus as said before its maybe the only army that does almost everything real whether they be exercises hand to hand combat or training regime.Anyways chances are I probably wont go to the Legion not for at least 2 years since it took me 3 years of hell to try and get into the University and take the criminology course that I will be taking in the fall,and I'am not about to throw that away since the acceptance is very strict at UofA. But if after 2 years I still feel the same way about the Legion as I do know then I guess I'll join. I mean my cousin never once told me lie and when he talked about them he was really taken by how trained and motivated they are.

 

[3rd Herd]

Wellthanks for the support daftandbarmy .But againI just want to see whats it about I mean it unlike any other army in the world in that it only fights for france but swears allegience to themselves. I heard the pay went up but its not why I want to join but rather the mystique of it. As was said in one of the videos they are not special forces nor do they want to find the best shooters in the world rather they want to teach the soldiers on how to go into battle with nothing or in an environment with nothing and still able to fight naywere without the use of modern day high technology and how to do certain things that normally would not be taught anywere else. Plus as said before its maybe the only army that does almost everything real whether they be exercises hand to hand combat or training regime[color=yellow[color=red]].Anyways [/color] chances are I probably wont go to the Legion not for at least 2 years since it took me 3 years of hell to try and get into the University and take the criminology course that I will be taking in the fall,and I'am not about to throw that away since the acceptance is very strict at UofA.[/color] But if after 2 years I still feel the same way about the Legion as I do know then I guess I'll join. I mean my cousin never once told me lie and when he talked about them he was really taken by how trained and motivated they are.

Chain;
a few hints beginning with "shot rep over". Since I am not currently getting paid for spell/grammar/punctuation please refer to the proper FAQs. Your posts would then be easier to read.

Edit: my own glass castle is now fixed

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Chain;
a few hints beging with "shot rep over". Since I am not curently getting paid for spell/grammer/punctution please refer to the apprioate FAQs. Your posts would then be easier to read.

I will echo what 3rd Herd has said as it is in the Guidelines. Enough said!

Army.Ca Staff

 

[Torlyn]

Anyways chances are I probably wont go to the Legion not for at least 2 years since it took me 3 years of hell to try and get into the University and take the criminology course that I will be taking in the fall,and I'am not about to throw that away since the acceptance is very strict at UofA. But if after 2 years

Since when did U of A start offering a Criminology diploma program?  I've got my Crim degree from Calgary, and it was 4 years, as is the one I found on the U of A website.  Could you perhaps copy a link to the 2 year program?  I'm interested to see how the U of A has expanded on what I previously thought was only being offered at Red Deer College.

As well, as a prospective university student, I urge you to check the following link:
http://www.uwsp.edu/psych/apa4b.htm

You may want to look at MLA formats as well, as some of your papers (especially english) will require said format.  Good luck, and I look forward to seeing that link.

T

 

[Chain]

Here you go 

http://www.su.ualberta.ca/services_and_businesses/services/infolink/agc/featureprogram/criminology

Its probably the one that you talked about But I only paid for two semesters at the Grant mac college and the two years at the UofA.I will begin my first two semesters at the Grant Macewan Police and sociology program and then two years at the UofA. I can continue two more years at the criminology course at the UofA but maybe quit as I will already have enough courses completed to start my career. As for writing on forums or message chats I don't really look over it 100% of the time to see if it is grammatically correct so I'am sorry if I made anyone angry over this.

 

[Franko]

Back on topic troops....or this one will be locked up.

The Milnet.ca Staff

 

[slayer]

I read the topics on these guys, but can't find the answer to my question, and was hoping one of you guys can.  If you can't learn French what happens to you?

 

[George Wallace]

I read the topics on these guys, but can't find the answer to my question, and was hoping one of you guys can.  If you can't learn French what happens to you?

Do we seriously have to do this all over again?  It was only last week that we had this resurrected and closed, and now you want to try again?

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Go to their website and ask them the question.

Here I will get you started, French Foreign Legion Website

 

[tomahawk6]

Ran across this video series tonight about life in the 2d Foreign Legion Infantry Regiment. Takes some of the romance out of the Legion meaning its all work and not alot of play.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=814_1207444048

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2dc_1207446572

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=ee1_1207447428

A five part series about commando training in Fr Guiana.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t1I3eXpWys&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp3lW_aVF3I&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koDdy8BPg5s&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mAgGXcd3Qo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18P5ZPXc520&feature=related

 

[gl22222]

ran across this site while doing a google- search , good info on this just wanted to say thanks, been in the cf for 6 years, have been very serousily debating joining the legion after im done teaching some courses summer anyways wish luck. thanks again

 

[Colin Parkinson]

FWIW, there were 2 soldiers in my unit (1 PARA) who deserted and joined the FFL in 1987. They were back 10 months later (and did 10 months in cells to make up for it). Their reports on the FFL were that the basic training was pretty cavalier, including getting beaten up alot and having live grenades chucked at them, and that the food was even worse than the British Army was able to provide at the time. They each looked like they lost about 20 pounds. The pay was also ridiculously low, which also impressed me at the time as pay in the daft&barmy at that time was pretty awful.

Later, in 1992 or so when I was back in Canada, a soldier from my militia company joined the Legion - 2 REP - and had alot of good things to say about it. He made it to LCpl after 5 years, then left to do contract work as a combat medic somewhere in North Africa. I called him in Corsica once when he was on guard duty and it sounded like he was having a good time doing daily 10 mile runs etc in the local mountains!

So, the lesson here is that it all depends. Why not give it a shot and let us know how it works out for you?

I knew a guy that did a tour in the legion back in the early 80's, he said that Garrison life was hell, but it was a great outfit in the field. that was 30 years ago so things will have changed.