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Broken bones

Joseph Cosgrove

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Christian, the thing is the legion doctors have a very hard job. In a way they are like Pediatricians dealing with infants who cannot express themselves, or simply want to try and hide something. Once you are seen as being fit in Aubagne, after a very stringent medical, the doctor will sign you as apt for continuation. When you finish your time in Aubagne you will go in front of the doctor who will check you again to make sure that you have not picked up any injuries during your time there or, as has happened in the past, your condition has not worsened.
When you get to Castel(naudary) you will be examined by their doctor. In Aubagne you have, maybe 100 people a week, going through. In Castel, you will have the final 20 or so who are going to go through basic training. Once the doctor signs off that you are fit and ready for basic training then they are from then on liable for any injuries that you may incur.

So all these people who say that they were injured during basic training and then thrown out...:unsure:
You went in there fit as a fiddle, passed three medical examinations and then injure yourself and get thrown out !!! Not in today's legion where it is that easy to say, I've had enough and want to go home.
What you say afterwards is a complet other story.
 

Gallowglass

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Haha it’s worth a shot when you’re trying to chase your dream.
Yep, it's always worth a shot! It was a very long time ago, but like Joseph said numbers probably had a lot to do with it. In Paris you used to get bused to a regular French army unit where a doctor gave you a pretty quick exam. For that one I think I just kept my socks on and the scar was hidden that way. In Aubagne I can't honestly remember how/why the doctor missed it, but there were a lot of guys getting processed, so probably just a heavy workload. At Castel the exam was pretty thorough and the doctor saw the scar as soon as he examined my legs. I then had to explain how I got it (old training injury from prior service) and was sent to an army hospital in Toulouse for x-rays. After that they were cool with it and just said the plate would have to be removed if I wanted to go 2e REP and jump training.

Also one factor that might have helped was this was my second attempt to join. Previously I almost made it through but was told I needed to sort "a problem" out before I could be accepted. So when I returned a few years later they had my old file and fast-tracked me in Aubagne. I went Rouge in a week which at the time was fast. I'm guessing my file may have had a note saying as long as I was in decent shape they wanted me, in which case a busy doctor would have done the basics, given me a clean bill of health and moved on. Hope this helps!
 

jonny

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Oh well, I volontaired for the paras while in basic training in Mascara, Algeria in 1957, but was knocked back because I had flat feet, a legacy of a habit of jumping down from high fences as a kid. But after excelling myself at a firefight with the rebels (not bragging, just quoting my citation) I suddenly received a phone call from our lieutenant who asked me if I still wanted to go to the paras, and I answered ; oui, mon lieutenant, and that was it, I was heading for the 2eme REP. (Actually, that was the first telephone call of my life.)

Just playing back memory tapes in my brain from my legion years. 😀
 
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voltigeur

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Christian, the thing is the legion doctors have a very hard job. In a way they are like Pediatricians dealing with infants who cannot express themselves, or simply want to try and hide something. Once you are seen as being fit in Aubagne, after a very stringent medical, the doctor will sign you as apt for continuation. When you finish your time in Aubagne you will go in front of the doctor who will check you again to make sure that you have not picked up any injuries during your time there or, as has happened in the past, your condition has not worsened.
When you get to Castel(naudary) you will be examined by their doctor. In Aubagne you have, maybe 100 people a week, going through. In Castel, you will have the final 20 or so who are going to go through basic training. Once the doctor signs off that you are fit and ready for basic training then they are from then on liable for any injuries that you may incur.

So all these people who say that they were injured during basic training and then thrown out...:unsure:
You went in there fit as a fiddle, passed three medical examinations and then injure yourself and get thrown out !!! Not in today's legion where it is that easy to say, I've had enough and want to go home.
What you say afterwards is a complet other story.
It was the same in my time, I remember that there was only the initial fitness medical checkup.
Anyone getting injured was sent to the hospital in Sidi Bel Abbes until fit for return to basic training or regiment.
However, if the injuries resulted in total disability, the Legionnaire could or would be discharged.
I assume with a form of pension.
A mate of mine during instruction was discharged after serving two years in the 3eme REI.
 

Papillon

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I can only remember one medical in Aubagne and it was not as robust as I thought it would have been as had medical for Brit army in the past, what I do remember was the amount of guys turning up on daily, and so many just more or less being rejected after a hair cut and quick medical think it was hair cut first so regardless in or out your head was shaved v short, suppose like everything in life equipment and ways of checking people’s bodies have changed which makes it harder to wing it.
I think if I was living my life again it is evident from my point that it’s the getting to Red on the shoulder and being accepted that’s the challenge everything after is the normal stuff recruits do ( well along with singing learning a language and picking up fag ends) I can still spot a Gauloises fag but from 30 yards
 

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I can only remember one medical in Aubagne and it was not as robust as I thought it would have been as had medical for Brit army in the past, what I do remember was the amount of guys turning up on daily, and so many just more or less being rejected after a hair cut and quick medical think it was hair cut first so regardless in or out your head was shaved v short, suppose like everything in life equipment and ways of checking people’s bodies have changed which makes it harder to wing it.
I think if I was living my life again it is evident from my point that it’s the getting to Red on the shoulder and being accepted that’s the challenge everything after is the normal stuff recruits do ( well along with singing learning a language and picking up fag ends) I can still spot a Gauloises fag but from 30 yards
Picking up fag butts was done everywhere 😄
 

Papillon

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Picking up fag butts was done everywhere 😄
Not so much the picking up of them but firstly the time you got up and started doing it on a daily, in my opinion the Legion are the masters of breaking guys with meaningless jobs! All part of the game just so happens when doing it it seems pointless and winds you up especially if your not getting to Red and watching others advance you start questioning why the f-ck and what am I doing here!
 
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jonny

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Picking up fag butts was done everywhere 😄
Actually, we were some times made to pick up from cigaret buts and what not after spending the night sleeping rough in the Algerian mountains. Total madness, perhaps. But on the other hand, perhaps to disguise our presense there? What do I know, but it just seemed totally stupid.
 
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Actually, we were some times made to pick up from cigaret buts and what not after spending the night sleeping rough in the Algerian mountains. Total madness, perhaps. But on the other hand, perhaps to disguise our presense there? What do I know, but it just seemed totally stupid.
it would be same with any ration packets and such.
 

jonny

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it would be same with any ration packets and such.
Yes obviously, but we were also some times just picking up cigaret buts in the middle of absolutely nowhere. I reckon the greenies would love us for that.
 
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Yes obviously, but we were also some times just picking up cigaret buts in the middle of absolutely nowhere. I reckon the greenies would love us for that.
does a Bear s³t in the woods? :ROFLMAO: go for a crap shovel in hand. actually squatting for a crap is better for your colon.
 
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remember as a sprog doing areas & i was looking down picking up fag bitts...RSM & Provo Sgt came along. Bollocks me for not bracing up to him & saying morning sir ! so i had to go to attention & shout Good Morning Sir .. can´t win can you
 
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