Physical requirements for FFL

[Lord Pchelovod]

I see, it's not a problem for me to get enough cash for one or 2 train tickets so in that case I guess I'll head straight to Marseille to give myself a better shot at making the cut

It was mentioned on one of the other threads Aubagne is the "better" option.

However Marseille isn't as easy to fly to (unlike Paris) and may be a bit more awkward to get home if rejected.

I presume you are similar to me; able to go to Marseille, can afford to, and can afford to make return home.

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Lord P, our friend JeanB lives in Paris which is why I'm trying to get him to cut his ties by going down to Aubagne. As soon as he realizes that the legion isn't what he expected (as you all will - as we all did) it is too easy to say, I'd like to leave. At least going south will give him a bit of time to re-think what it is exactly that he wants in life.

 

[Papillon]

We had a 6’4”” or a bit taller South Africa in the REP, don’t think hight will be your disadvantage but depends if you can carry your height and weight and do the rest as you will no getting in is like a game of black jack Good Luck just hope your a bit better than some of the French lads that I crossed paths with as to be honest was not impressed but that’s a personal observation

 

[JeanB514]

Lord P, our friend JeanB lives in Paris which is why I'm trying to get him to cut his ties by going down to Aubagne. As soon as he realizes that the legion isn't what he expected (as you all will - as we all did) it is too easy to say, I'd like to leave. At least going south will give him a bit of time to re-think what it is exactly that he wants in life.

I see where you're coming from but to be honest I've mentally given myself no room to back out at this point, I've been pissed off w/ life for about 2-3 years now, nothing gets me excited or thinking positively/highly of my future and role in life except joining the military, especially a unit like the Legion which provides a bit more isolation than most units in the French Army (from what I've heard) and getting away from my surroundings is also something I've wanted for a very long time. It's got everything (I think) I'm looking for and my plan B in case I get inapte definitif would be l'armée de terre, so I've thought seriously about this and literally wouldn't want to go anywhere else (or have anywhere else to go really) if they took me in, no matter how bad it might suck for some extended periods of time. However I'm sure I'm not the first "naive" prospect you've encountered and can imagine you shaking your head reading this lol

 

[Le petit caporal]

Just do not turn up at Aubange wearing a gilet jaune
Belive me or not
Joining the Legion is a lot easier than joining the Bidasse
Takes 6 to 12 months nowadays
Legion, c'est direct. .oui ou non
Couple of questions
Age
Niveau d ' études
Gitane
If so, have you all your teeth
If yes, any problems with
Get them checked before attempting anyway
Mutuelle
Wife and or children
Debt
Criminal record
Profession
Last time you worked
P.S.G. fan
If so, Boulogne boy or Autiel

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

I see where you're coming from but to be honest I've mentally given myself no room to back out at this point, I've been pissed off w/ life for about 2-3 years now, nothing gets me excited or thinking positively/highly of my future and role in life except joining the military, especially a unit like the Legion which provides a bit more isolation than most units in the French Army (from what I've heard) and getting away from my surroundings is also something I've wanted for a very long time. It's got everything (I think) I'm looking for and my plan B in case I get inapte definitif would be l'armée de terre, so I've thought seriously about this and literally wouldn't want to go anywhere else (or have anywhere else to go really) if they took me in, no matter how bad it might suck for some extended periods of time. However I'm sure I'm not the first "naive" prospect you've encountered and can imagine you shaking your head reading this lol

It is entirely your choice. Don't mention anything to the recruiters about being cheesed off with life. Use what le petit coporal has said about the waiting period to join the regulars when as asked why you don't join them.
Best of luck.

 

[Hans Welsh]

Thanks for the welcome, I'm living near Paris at the moment (Drancy) so since Fort de Nogent is closest to where I'm at + I have a relative living in Paris whose place i can stay at for a few months (in case I get turned away from the Legion), FdN seems like the most obvious choice in my case. Is there a major difference between attempting to join at FdN vs Aubagne?

Paris vs Paradise (Paradise being the initial selection phase of Aubagne before progressing on to Bleu) is a hard argument, one that I thought a lot about during my short time in the Legion. I went to Paris and I spent about a month and a half observing and talking to guys who went to Paradise.
Overall I would recommend Paris.
Paris is a lot slower than Paradise but from what I have seen more guys from Paris make it to Bleu than those from Paradise. The recruiting staff in Aubagne seem a lot pickier than the guys in Ford de Nogent. Now when a place is called "Paradise" you know its going to suck, and it does, its just a tiny cage with a tent. In Paris you have half the Fort to yourselves, you have plenty of space to run, you have a pull-up bar, you have a TV, vending machines and even chessboards. Paris has better quality food and you get more of it. Although you will be working and waiting around a lot more in Fort de Nogent.
In the grander scheme of things what place you pick for initial selection doesn't really matter, yes Aubagne are a lot pickier but if you're a sh*t candidate from Paris they will find you out and get rid of you during commission.

 

[Le petit caporal]

Slept in front of the FdN in 81 November
Just me and a towel wrapped around, plus my hungry insides
It was pishing rain, like cats and dogs
Fucquers didn't even offer me the Kawa (sobs)
Not even a Chicorée
Bar Stewards

 

[sexpert]

Slept in front of the FdN in 81 November
Just me and a towel wrapped around, plus my hungry insides
It was pishing rain, like cats and dogs
Fucquers didn't even offer me the Kawa (sobs)
Not even a Chicorée
Bar Stewards

 

[USMCRET]

As a young Lance Corporal my Platoon Sergeant was very tall like you, his feet were so damned big I have never seen boots that big before in my life, they were like size 18 US, I have no idea what that translates into the EU.

As tall as you are you will never be the running gazelle; however, you have a very distinct advantage on the Forced Marches, Humps, you will be a pack animal not a stallion.

When it comes to the forced marches, like Chas said, USMC Marines with a 4 feet 10 inch stature were brutalized on the humps, poor bastards had to almost run the whole way. Bigger guys just stride it out.

The biggest thing to remember when it comes to swimming, JUST RELAX. The more you relax the better and then you will be able to grow with your swimming.

Good Luck!

 

[Crawdad]

Size 18 US is, like, size 53 in Europe. That's some big dadgum feet. I can't imagine what his BDU size must have been; someone probably had to shoot a GP Medium and skin it.

 

[USMCRET]

Size 18 US is, like, size 53 in Europe. That's some big dadgum feet. I can't imagine what his BDU size must have been; someone probably had to shoot a GP Medium and skin it.

His feet in boots looked like black boats

 

[sexpert]

Slept in front of the FdN in 81 November
Just me and a towel wrapped around, plus my hungry insides
It was pishing rain, like cats and dogs
Fucquers didn't even offer me the Kawa (sobs)
Not even a Chicorée
Bar Stewards

 

[JeanB514]

As a young Lance Corporal my Platoon Sergeant was very tall like you, his feet were so damned big I have never seen boots that big before in my life, they were like size 18 US, I have no idea what that translates into the EU.

As tall as you are you will never be the running gazelle; however, you have a very distinct advantage on the Forced Marches, Humps, you will be a pack animal not a stallion.

When it comes to the forced marches, like Chas said, USMC Marines with a 4 feet 10 inch stature were brutalized on the humps, poor bastards had to almost run the whole way. Bigger guys just stride it out.

The biggest thing to remember when it comes to swimming, JUST RELAX. The more you relax the better and then you will be able to grow with your swimming.

Good Luck!

Appreciate the advice, yeah the marches aren't something I really worried about tbh, I mainly plan on building confidence in the water from now until I head for FdN. Honestly if I feel comfortable treading water and doing a few basic strokes by January or February I'll probably say f*ck it and go right then instead of waiting pointlessly until March.

 

[sexpert]

Appreciate the advice, yeah the marches aren't something I really worried about tbh, I mainly plan on building confidence in the water from now until I head for FdN. Honestly if I feel comfortable treading water and doing a few basic strokes by January or February I'll probably say f*ck it and go right then instead of waiting pointlessly until March.

swimming is not hard to learn.. i think people on here make joining the legion sound like it´s some kind of special forces. Just be fairly fit & if your face fits they will get you fit which is what basic training is designed to do. Don´t listen to all the BS.

 

[USMCRET]

But you are Hard Corps

 

[USMCRET]

Slept in front of the FdN in 81 November
Just me and a towel wrapped around, plus my hungry insides
It was pishing rain, like cats and dogs
Fucquers didn't even offer me the Kawa (sobs)
Not even a Chicorée
Bar Stewards

Expected no less from Petit Caporal, Hard Corps!

 

[JeanB514]

swimming is not hard to learn.. i think people on here make joining the legion sound like it´s some kind of special forces. Just be fairly fit & if your face fits they will get you fit which is what basic training is designed to do. Don´t listen to all the BS.

Yeah i do know that they'll take care of teaching you basic swimming (I called up a recruiting centre and guy said if you show up and can't swim it's not a problem) so I'm not gonna spend ridiculous amounts of time on that before going, like I said just getting a very basic comfort level

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

I think the swimming test in Aubagne is to simply weed out those who are down right scared of being out of standing depth. It will mean spending/wasting a lot of time to persuade the person to jump in at the deep end. As a life guard in 13 DBLE, Djibouti, I can tell you that there is no point in just shoving someone in at the deep end. They have to go in themselves otherwise they will never get over it. They'll come back to the pool only when they are forced to and then hang around the shallow end.

The idea of basic training is to teach you how to do things and to improve on what you can already do. There will be people coming from poor African countries who will only see water when it's been carried on their mothers head from the well. If they have the nerve to jump in and try a few strokes, then as far as the first swimming test goes, they should pass. It's then up to the cadre at Castel to make sure at the end of their instruction that they can pass the test.
Otherwise we'll end up by obliging people to strip down a FAMAS just after doing your initial pull ups test, too bad if you don't have a one to train on before joining.

 

[sexpert]

I think you have to try & put yourself in the place of the Recruiting officers..or selection Panel. Fit guys will turn up every day. So they might look at a guy & think,
does he have the aptitude to learn a Foreign language?
If yes will he make Cpl in X amount of time?
Will this guy be a future Nco?
They need to see a candidate that they can improve & mould to maybe be a career Soldier. An Nco.