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More new legionnaires in 2017 and more reservists

loustic

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Hansenmann

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So after July no more candidates?
They will still be recruiting new EVs. Since 2015 they've been recruiting more than usual which ends in July, this means that the recruitment number will go down to whatever it was before they started expanding the Legion.
 

Hawkeye47

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They will still be recruiting new EVs. Since 2015 they've been recruiting more than usual which ends in July, this means that the recruitment number will go down to whatever it was before they started expanding the Legion.
I need to get there ASAP then... Then I already have that “I'm Americanâ€￾ going against me lol...
 

loustic

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I'm not going there humble. I am conqueror !! :)


Remember the basic pillars : RESPECT, HUMILITY and MODESTY !

You are not going to conquer anything, except maybe and with difficulties, yourself !
 

Peter Lyderik

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Rapace

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Very interesting. I do believe that below a certain level of native French speaking recruits, this can have adverse consequences on the operational level of the Legion. For the foreigners, if you can quickly demonstrate you have a good mastery of the French language, that will definitely be a plus, if you want to make a career in the Legion.
I saw the other day a documentary on the Legion (yes... another documentary), that I had never seen before. It was shot in 2006 by Elizabeth Nord, a Norwegian TV producer, at 2e REI in Nîmes. It was broadcasted on French channel RMC in three episodes of one hour each. Apart from the fact it was for me an opportunity to see again my old friend Calmon (a Lt-Col at that time), the documentary was quite interesting (i.e. not too much ‘propaganda’) in that it didn't avoid some difficult topics, like desertion (actually, one of the legionnaires interviewed in the documentary, an English, deserted during the shooting). One of the cadre who was one of the recurring characters was another English, a NCO and platoon commander with 20 years seniority in the Legion, Adjudant Raubenheimer. He clearly said that, being able to speak (reasonably) good French was important if a legionnaire wanted to progress. To help them, he said he made a point talking in French to all the legionnaires in his platoon, even the English speakers. He also criticized one of his men, a Slovak, for not making enough efforts in improving his French, in particular because he spent all his free time with his fellow countrymen talking their native language. The Adjudant basically said, even if the legionnaire had potential, not speaking good enough French was a clear hinderance to his career.
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USMCRET

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Very interesting. I do believe that below a certain level of native French speaking recruits, this can have adverse consequences on the operational level of the Legion. For the foreigners, if you can quickly demonstrate you have a good mastery of the French language, that will definitely be a plus, if you want to make a career in the Legion.
I saw the other day a documentary on the Legion (yes... another documentary), that I had never seen before. It was shot in 2006 by Elizabeth Nord, a Norwegian TV producer, at 2e REI in Nîmes. It was broadcasted on French channel RMC in three episodes of one hour each. Apart from the fact it was for me an opportunity to see again my old friend Calmon (a Lt-Col at that time), the documentary was quite interesting (i.e. not too much ‘propaganda’) in that it didn't avoid some difficult topics, like desertion (actually, one of the legionnaires interviewed in the documentary, an English, deserted during the shooting). One of the cadre who was one of the recurring characters was another English, a NCO and platoon commander with 20 years seniority in the Legion, Adjudant Raubenheimer. He clearly said that, being able to speak (reasonably) good French was important if a legionnaire wanted to progress. To help them, he said he made a point talking in French to all the legionnaires in his platoon, even the English speakers. He also criticized one of his men, a Slovak, for not making enough efforts in improving his French, in particular because he spent all his free time with his fellow countrymen talking their native language. The Adjudant basically said, even if the legionnaire had potential, not speaking good enough French was a clear hinderance to his career.
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I too watched this, even watched it a couple of times, it was a good look at the Legion, that is from my perspective
 

kkillert0fu

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I believe that documentary was titled "Tougher Than the Rest" in English. It does come in three parts, I've watched it several times.

From what you saw, is this one of those documentaries that doesn't give a real depiction of the Legion? Or is it pretty legit?
 

dusaboss

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I think any documentary can be realistic only to the same level. When camera is rolling people do not act same.
 

capgros

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Documentaries, I've watched them all, they pack you the whole selection and training process in 45 minutes. When in reality all that happens in months. Documentaries show very little in reality.
 

Rapace

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I believe that documentary was titled "Tougher Than the Rest" in English. It does come in three parts, I've watched it several times.

From what you saw, is this one of those documentaries that doesn't give a real depiction of the Legion? Or is it pretty legit?
Yes, correct, “Tougher than the restâ€￾ is the title in English. It's available on YouTube, but I had never seen it before it was (re)broadcasted recently on some French TV channel. Always a bit of the Legion usual myths being glorified, but otherwise I found it quite honest, not trying to evade sensitive issues, like desertion as I said before. One of the characters, Lt Riou, platoon commander, is even seen filling in a form because one of the men in his platoon has deserted.

Documentaries, I've watched them all, they pack you the whole selection and training process in 45 minutes. When in reality all that happens in months. Documentaries show very little in reality.
This documentary actually shows very little (if any) about the selection process, and was is shown in other documentaries is actually quite accurate. The selection process doesn't last months, fortunately, but rather a few (2-3) weeks.
 

AYF1993

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View attachment 5803 - This was cut from the official Legion site !

View attachment 5804 - Le processus de recrutement de la Légion étrangère – 2016 (The Foreign Legion Recruitment Process )

This means that every candidate from the total of 8332 had almost 5% chance to be incorporated in 2016.





* I will let here the adress with the complete announcement : http://www.legion-etrangere.com/mdl...-Legion-dans-la-manoeuvre-de-l-armee-de-Terre

P.S : It is in French only (for the blues)
 

Joseph Cosgrove

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Hi AYF, I think it's best to look at the break down of the figures. ~ 8,300 have presented themselves to the Legion in various posts. Of those ~ 8,000 a quick look at the arms for drug abuse will have eliminated x amount of people. A drunken tramp/hobo looking for somewhere to sleep during winter or the rainy season and X are gone. Down right crazy is also eliminated and so on.

More accurate and realistic would be those that go to the commission and those that are accepted. The Legion recruiting posts will have for rules to note down all those who have tried to join. In total over 8,000. But take any army in the world and ask for the same statistics it would probably be the same. As a well respected member of the board says 99 % need not apply.

BTW let's look at the same chart for the Royal Marines.

Blowing my own trumpet here. I did the All Arms Commando Course, and after having being certified by my regiment to be up to the grueling task (I was ACC - cook- with the Ordinance corps) and spent three weeks beat up, those that passed were sent on the six weeks course. There was a cartoon outside the staff office of the six week course, showing a RM kicking a 'Pongo' up in the air with the caption 35% RTU'd, Return To Unit. And that is after passing the beat up.
 
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