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Please read this message from the mods (Rapace)
People considering joining the Legion ('wannabes') are welcome to this forum, but let's make some points clear :
So you guys, please adopt the right attitude if you want to limit the risk of being pushed and shoved :
People considering joining the Legion ('wannabes') are welcome to this forum, but let's make some points clear :
- The primary role of the site is not to give advice to people who consider joining the Legion. The various official websites of the Legion are here to serve this purpose.
- Due to the fact that there are many former or currently serving legionnaires on this site, one may get some valuable 'insight', which is not always available on the official sites. However, if former or current legionnaires take the time to answer some questions, that does not mean that 'wannabes' *have a right* to have their questions answered.
- If you can't stand any harsh remarks on an internet forum, what will it be if you join the Legion ? Believe me, when you hear a caporal shouting at you, 5cm from your face, because he's not happy with the way you've cleaned the toilets, it'll be veeery different and much more difficult to stand.
So you guys, please adopt the right attitude if you want to limit the risk of being pushed and shoved :
- Introduce yourself first and explain what is your interest vis-Ã -vis the Legion (mere curiosity, historical buff, potential candidate, etc. etc.)
- Read the FAQs, stickies, etc. Avoid asking questions that clearly display your total absence of any upfront research effort (eg "I'm married with 2 kids, will the Legion provide me with a private quarter for my family?", "can I get paid on my bank account in my home country?", etc.).
- Don't ask questions that might sound legitimate, but for which you can easily find the answers on the Web (eg "how far is Fort de Nogent from CDG airport?", "where is the Legion base in Aubagne?", "how much is a plane ticket from Timbuktu to Paris?", etc.). In those examples, Google maps or Expedia.com are your 'friends', and you have many other 'friends' on the internet.
- Don't focus on 'menial' details (eg "how good are the running shoes they provide us with?")
- Use your common sense (eg "can my girlfriend accompany me to the Legion gates?" or "should I buy a return ticket?").
- Admit, once and for all, that rules in the Legion may vary and there may not be a clear "black or white" answer to any question you have in mind.
- Keep in mind that, regardless of the number of books you may have read about the Legion, your knowledge is little compared to those who have actually served (or are serving) in the Legion. Consider it's a bit like sex : you can read as many books as you want about it, you'll never be as knowledgeable as someone who's regularly practising (or has regularly practised, this is for the Mad Monk ) . So if you've never been in the Legion (let alone if you've never been in any military) don't go arguing with the Anciens, or playing the smart ass if their answers don't match your preconceived ideas. Or... do it at your own risk and peril !
- Don't behave as if you were entitled to anything on this board : if people don't answer one of your questions it's because they a) have got no time to do so, b) find it too 'stupid' or c) have already answered a similar question dozens of times before. In this case, show that you're a 'big boy' : shut up and move on. No use dwelling on this for days and starting whining about how unhelpful those people are...
- Last but not least, if you're a wannabe, don't bullshit yourself and don't bullshit others if you're not really serious about your plans to join. Statements such as "I'm 110% committed to enlisting in the Legion, but first I need to say goodbye to my girlfriend (6 months), get my parents' approval (2 years) and complete my degree (3 years)" will give you little credibility. Better say nothing and announce your plans when you're ready to go.
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