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The Legion in the media

mark wake

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Thanks for sharing that particularly interesting article, Peter. I was slightly surprised however at the grammatical error Tasting Le Légion Etrangère. It even goes on to say Le légion étrangère... Grande Cuvée.
For some reason as I get older that place is looking better and better!😉
 

Le petit caporal

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You can buy a box of panache...blanc, rosé and red...three bottles
Most are médaillé, usually
Perso, i only schluck the rouge
 

Le petit caporal

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Rivesalt is more nearer Perpignan than Nîmes...
Old refugee camp, Spanish civil war exiles and then the Harkis
We, the 2 REI use it for urban combat training at times
The type of white wine you are referring to, is the Muscat...
Tastes like over cooked and sugary
 
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Kevin Clément.

11 '

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"The Legion does not mourn its dead, it honors them": in Franche-Comté, last tribute to Kevin Clément, who fell in Mali
By Vladimir from Gmeline
Published on 09/02/2020 4:38 PM
He was twenty-one years old, was a legionnaire and came from a small village in Franche-Comté, Abelcourt, near Luxeuil-les-Bains. He fell in Mali on May 4. Three months later, those who had not been able to pay tribute to him because of the confinement found themselves this Saturday, August 29.

It is a rainy corner of the countryside, on a Saturday morning at the end of August, between Luxeuil-les-Bains and the small village of Abelcourt, in the heart of Franche-Compté. It's far, it's beautiful, and at dawn, in the Avenue des Thermes still dimly lit by the halo of lampposts, elegant old ladies holding their little sports bags go to their treatment session. The Luxeuil resort is renowned for the softness of its water and its benefits for the skin.
Tired buildings, closed hotels, signs of past prosperity, as in many of these cities away from the main roads, but where you can nevertheless feel the energy of those who continue to believe in it. The casino, its cinema, the restaurants, and the teenagers who spin two on a bicycle, right down the slope after dark. Kevin was probably one of them, dreamy, enthusiastic and hungry for sensations. On May 4, when confined France hoped to find life in the open air, he gave his own, far in the sands of Mali. He was twenty-one, he was a legionary, and Luxeuil-les-Bains lost a local child.
Kevin Clement, on mission in Mali - DR


Kevin !? I was his supervisor at the Lycée Lumière for three years, from second to final. We talked a lot, he was more mature than young people of his age ”. Guillaume Locatelli, the taxi driver, learned the news through social networks, like everyone else. Today, we learn everything through social networks. He wears a mask to drive, and everyone attending this morning's ceremony will wear one. The funeral of Brigadier Kevin Clément, killed during a clash with the jihadists of the EIGS, in Liptako Gourma, known as the region of the three borders (Mali, Niger, Burkina-Fasso), took place in May in the strictest privacy, Covid requires. At Invalides and Carpiagne, where his unit, the 1er REC (Foreign Cavalry Regiment) is stationed.
"it was affirmed, endorsement"

Jean-Marc, his father, Christine, his mother, and Morgane, his little sister, had met there, united in grief, the parents of Brigadier Martynyouk, a Ukrainian also belonging to the REC, fatally affected a few days earlier by the explosion of an IED (Improved explosive device), a homemade bomb. Three months later, on this day when Kevin's name will be unveiled on the war memorial in his village of Abelcourt, alongside those of 14-18 and 39-45, and Luxeuil, where he will be the only one. on the new “Opex” stele which has just been erected, the faces will always be hidden. But relatives, friends, anonymous and legionaries, in service and old, from all over France, will be there.
" It was affirmed, pleasant, it was not the kind of guy who posed the problem ", continues the former pawn of the high school, " for three years, of all the students, it is the one of which I was the closer, with which I exchanged the most. I think he was more advanced in his choices, in his projects, he sought the company of adults, advice. "His desire to join the Foreign Legion, like his father Jean-Marc, a veteran of the first Gulf War, he often spoke of:" When he told me he was leaving, I was happy for him. . In his head, it was either that or nothing. He will not have enjoyed his dream for long ... "

"Kevin wanted a career"
In front of the cemetery where the crowd is already waiting, there are Théo, Judikael and Julien, three high school and party friends. They had known each other since their adolescence, and Théo, who then joined an engineer regiment, served with him as a volunteer firefighter: “ The last time we saw him was the year last, in Fresse-sur-Moselle. "" When we had a party, he was there, "they smile," he knew how to mess around, but during the day he was straight. Once engaged, we found him even more mature, open, fulfilled, he told us about his passion, what he did outside, lots of anecdotes.»Theo remembers the guards, their last intervention on a fireplace, his taste for organization and supervision, his physical transformation after his classes at the 4th RE (Foreign Regiment) of Castelnaudary, the parent company, where all the future white caps go - the legionaries: “ Kevin wanted to make a career, to go further. He wanted to write his journey. "A few days before the hooking up, they spoke to each other" on snap ", evoked the evening they would have when their friend returned:" When we heard the news, we did not believe it, we had to read it several times. the article. Seeing people go into battle and not come back, we know it happens, but when it's a loved one ... "

Lieutenant Leconte, the head of the Luxeuil fire brigade center, evokes the photo of Kevin which should soon adorn the hall of the barracks, next to that of Sergeant Bonnot, another volunteer, who died in the fire in 1959: “ Kevin , it was hard to imagine him in the Legion, he had the face of a child. A child's head, yes, but in all the photos, in the middle of that chubby face, there is this incredibly determined blue gaze. This determination is what also remembers the Maréchal des Logis Arnaud, his group leader at the REC, a young man from Mauritius, discreet but full of muscles, arrived by train from Marseille: "I wanted to be there, alongside the family and his father, with whom I communicate regularly by Skype. Kevin, when he arrived he was shy, and then he asserted himself. We have so many memories together, the aquatic hardening course in Martinique, he was a leader, always voluntary, took everyone on the same path. "" His father, he talked about it all the time, he was very proud of it, "he continues," and then Kevin had something special, he was one of the rare French white kepi. With us, the overwhelming majority are of foreign origin. "

When Kevin was hit in the head, the housekeeper was seconded to another element of the GTD (Desert Tactical Group) Montclar: “ I was on Carmin, with the infantry of the 2nd REI (Foreign Infantry Regiment), him was with Jaune. We learned that there was an injured "alpha". We knew it was serious. When I knew it was him I was wrong, I'm not gonna lie. Kevin is one of my legionaries, but he's also a friend. But I am ordering men, we are in combat, I could not be weakened. "He continues:" It's a big loss for the Legion. He could have made a career easily. He had it all. "
From the cemetery to the war memorial, where the bell rings, played by two men from a Zouave regiment in traditional uniform, then in Luxeuil in the afternoon, speeches follow one another, mayor, sub-prefect, prefect, senator , deputy. The mayor of Abelcourt evokes the family, the mother who worked at the communal social action center, these people that everyone here has always known, in the middle of these fields and these woods, in front of this church: "For us, this name inscribed on the monument to the dead of the town has a face: The face of the child who played with his comrades in the streets. The face of the 14-year-old was enlisting in the fire department. The face of the young man who is 19 years old enlisted in the French army leaving his parents, his family, his friends. The face of the soldier, who came from a small village in Haute-Saône, who died for France in operation in the Malian desert 3,500 km from his home. "

In the rows, impeccably aligned and weathered faces, bikers in leather vests. They are the members of the “ Green Beret Brotherhood ”, bikers, former legionaries or co-opted sympathizers. A brotherhood created in memory of Sergeant Penon, of the 2nd REP (Foreign Parachute Regiment), killed on August 18, 2008 during the ambush in Uzbin, Afghanistan. About thirty enthusiasts, coming from all over Europe. Gone, Pat, Porter, Doume and Padre rode in the rain, on their Harley, to come and support Jean-Marc, their brother in arms whose eyes keep blushing, and who fights against the guilt of having given birth in his son the desire to wear the uniform.
Kevin and Jean-Marc took their guards together at the Luxeuil barracks, where the father, who is called "the old man", is an institution, as Fabien tells us, a volunteer who did not see himself " not not coming today. ". A guilt which General Mistral, who commands the Foreign Legion and arrived as a young lieutenant in the regiment when Jean-Marc left him in 1991, and his comrades, his friends everywhere, seek to rid him. But in addition to this feeling, we especially feel this lack of a son who was also a brother, with whom he shared passions and enthusiasms, a taste for service, for others and for the country, a love for France which leads to oblivion and to the gift of self.
 
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https://www.marianne.net/societe/la...honore-en-franche-comte-dernier-hommage-kevin

Here's the rest of the article....

"This fraternity is essential"
" We are here for that ", says Padre, bearded smiling who was in the same squadron as Jean-Marc, whom he had not seen since 1989. After the ceremony in the village, the planned reception was canceled. due to "sanitary conditions". But in the shed of Jean-Marc's house, who works as a boiler operator in a nearby sawmill, we made arrangements ... We parked the Harleys outside, under the attic where the “Brotherhood” sleeps. in his duvets, as before. “ This fraternity is essential ” they continue, “ we will always be there, we are marked for life and we recognize each other. There are two things to remember: “The Legion does not mourn its dead, it honors them”. And “Legio Patria Nostra”: the Legion is our homeland.They are civilians now, working in transport, insurance and security, but their values, nothing has changed.

Captain Baudouin, thirty-two, was Kevin's unit commander. This Saint-Cyrien already seasoned, with three stays in Mali, belongs to these new generations of officers who, since the beginning of the 2000s, have accumulated combat missions. His squadron was one of the two which, with a company from the 2nd REP, were triggered to leave and reinforce the French device following the Pau summit: “ I called Kevin, who was on a brigadier internship at Catelnaudary, to let him participate in the mission. His specialty as a health aide was valuable. This squadron, a mixture of young and old, has worked very well, and we have worked with the Malians and the Nigeriens, who are very good and are growing in strength. "
He evokes the very strong ties forged between these men who often have no family and who find one at the Legion, the importance of celebrating Christmas together so as not to leave anyone alone in the neighborhood, the responsibility and the questions of the chief: “ We moved a lot during this mission, five thousand kilometers in Liptako-Gourma. Kevin, I knew him well. Because he was a striking boy, turned towards others. He would soon be assigned to the infirmary. Skirmishes, with groups of jihadists in pickups and motorcycles, we had half a dozen. "It was not the baptism by fire of Kevin, who had already fought a few days earlier:" The day he was hit, it was"To his comrades, the young captain said that his death, to fight the jihadists, far from home, far from home," made sense ".

In front of the hangar, before joining Luxeuil for the afternoon ceremony, the bikers turned on the engines and took those who wanted to take a ride. Morgane loved it. They promised him that they would take him again. And with them, the promises, we do not need to.
 

Joseph Cosgrove

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As some of you may know, France and Italy have been hit hit by major storms, Alex was the name given to the biggest. I saw one of the REGs on France 2's News. clearing away ribble with a bulldozer.
That is France 24, I'll try and find out about the REG (which one, I don't know, yet).
 

Joseph Cosgrove

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Not really legion, I may hear some say. But it is. The hundreds of terrorists that have been released are not going back to being goat herders. Not after spending months, years in a jail in Mali. And who is putting their lives on the line? La légion.
Is it best to kill them rather than having them exchanged for one old missionary who refuses to call the people who held her "jailers" or "terrorists" and says that on the first chance she gets that she is going there?
Now France has a no ransom for hostages policy. Yea, right. And Loustic did the night jump in Timbuktu! :ROFLMAO:
It seems to me that Switzerland has a no ransom for hostages policy.


Mali hostages: Swiss woman killed last month
Published1 day ago

Sophie Pétronin returning to France and being greeted by Emmanuel Macron

image caption Sophie Pétronin, who returned to France on Friday, alerted officials about the unnamed woman's death
Officials in Switzerland have announced the death a month ago of a Swiss woman held hostage in Mali.

Foreign affairs chief Ignazio Cassis condemned the killing, saying officials were trying to locate her remains.

They learned of the death after French charity worker Sophie Pétronin alerted the French authorities.

Ms Pétronin, 75, was seized in December 2016 and freed this week. She was the last French citizen to be held hostage anywhere in the world.

Two Italian nationals and the ex-Malian opposition leader Soumaïla Cissé were also released this week.

The release was part of a prisoner swap for more than 100 jihadists, believed to be affiliated to al-Qaeda.

Civilian leader sworn in after Mali coup
Why Mali's coup is cheered at home but upsets neighbours
The Malian presidency has not revealed how it was able to free the hostages.

Malian and international armed forces have been struggling to contain a jihadist insurgency in the north of country that first emerged in 2012.

What has Switzerland said?
In a statement, the Swiss foreign ministry said the woman - who has not been named - was "apparently killed by kidnappers... about a month ago".

Information about her killing "was obtained by the French authorities from the recently released French hostage" Ms Pétronin, it said.

It added that officials "are making every effort to find out more about the circumstances of the killing and the whereabouts of the remains", and that the ministry has demanded that the body be handed over.

Mr Cassis added: "It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of our fellow citizen. I condemn this cruel act and express my deepest sympathy to the relatives."

What's the latest with the hostage release?
Ms Pétronin and Mr Cissé, who was abducted in March while campaigning for parliamentary elections, were taken to the capital, Bamako, in a military plane along with the two Italians, Mali's presidency announced on Thursday.

image captionSoumaïla Cissé (R) was abducted in late March
The two Italian hostages released were named as Pierluigi Maccalli, a missionary priest who was kidnapped in 2018, and Nicola Chiacchio, who was believed to have been captured while travelling in the region as a tourist.

Earlier on Thursday, the Malian authorities announced the release of a dozen political and military figures arrested during the coup.

In August, Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta was overthrown by a military junta and little is known of what happened to talks to secure a prisoner swap after the coup.

What's behind Mali's Islamist insurgency?
A separatist rebellion in the north of the country that began in 2011 created the conditions for militant jihadists to take control of parts of the region.

In 2013, a French-led force helped seize back territory, but a network of jihadist groups remained active and they were able to carry out attacks and kidnappings.

The Malian government has not been able to regain full control of the north.

France continues to support forces in Mali and in other parts of the Sahel region in their fight against the militants.

More on this story
 

Le petit caporal

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A must read and see ( photos inclu)
Source: millavois. com
Siegfried Freytag, un as de "la Luftwaffe", devenu " légionaire de la 13"
If it's possible for someone to post the link and in english, i say, ta in advance
L.P.C.
 

Le petit caporal

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Why can't i have a link to this info,?
Is it too much to ask,?
I kid you not it's well worth the endeavour
 

Joseph Cosgrove

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Perhaps it's because you spelled, Freytag with a Y instead of an I? No it's because I copied and pasted what you wrote legionaire
I used Word translate, which isn't the best of translators.
1606867575900.png




As the month of May 1971 comes to an end, the Sainte-Victoire mountain seems to be ablaze under the blazing reflections of the rays of the Provençal sun. At the foot of the southern slope of the massif, on the commune of Puyloubier, is the Institution of the Invalides of the Foreign Legion which is a haven of peace for its valiant warriors. It has been several weeks since Siegfried Freytag, a former legionnaire, left active service and retired to the Institute.

At the end of the afternoon, Freytag came to the terrace of the Castle to watch the sunset. While he is sensitive to the beauty of the show, he cannot prevent his thoughts from reminiscing about memories more or less distant. And all of a sudden, he wants to classify them chronologically! So it is his whole life that he lives again!

Freytag, Siegfried was born on November 10, 1919 in Danzig-Langfuhr, Poland. He is the youngest of five children in the Freytag family whose father is a brewer. Raised severely by his parents, he showed a lively character and a fiery spirit as a teenager. Having always shown a strong taste for aviation in his youth, he enlisted in 1938 in the Luftwaffe (German Air Force).

After completing his fighter pilot training, he was assigned to JG 77 (Jagdgeschwader 77 or 77 Fighter Wing) nicknamed Herz As (Heart Ace). Appointed Obergefreiter (master corporal) he participates with his unit in the Polish campaign. On his return, he was assigned to the 2nd Fighter Group of Wing 77 (II/JG77) in Uetersen (30 km to the N.O. of Hamburg) where, in January 1940, he was promoted to aspirant and then second lieutenant in April, during the invasion of Norway.

In the autumn of 1940, he followed Group II/JG77, which was tasked with settling on Brest-Guipavas airfield to relieve other hunting units, exhausted by bombing raids in England. Siegfried Freytag won his "first victory" on 31 October 1940, the last day of the Battle of Britain. After several months in France, he took part in the invasion of Greece and Crete in the spring of 1941, where he obtained his "second victory".
1606867848051.png

On April 24, 1941, Second Lieutenant Siegfried Freytag was shot down by the Allied DCA near Athens. Hospitalized in the Greek capital, he allegedly seduced a British nurse who helped him escape. This romantic story was denied after the war by the man himself: "After the British left, I watched from the balcony of my hospital room at the entrance of my compatriots into the capital."

Recovering from his injuries, he returned to his squadron in June 1941 and followed her to Romania on the 22nd to participate in Operation Barbarossa against the Soviet Union. On the Eastern Front, at the controls of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E, he distinguished himself by shooting down 57 Soviet aircraft in one year. At the end of July, he had 8 "wins", on 12 August he won his 11th "victory", on 27 October his 19th, on 27 November his 26th.

He was promoted to Oberleutnant (Lieutenant) and was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class. During the harsh winter of 1941, his unit was withdrawn from the front, but returned in March 1942. Freytag won his 30th victory on March 24, his 35th on April 16th and his 43rd on May 18th! On the same day, he was awarded the "Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe" which is the cup of honor that rewards the best pilots. On June 26, 1942, Siegfried Freytag was promoted to Staffelkapiron (Squadron Leader) and was given command of his squadron's 1st Fighter Squadron (I./JG77). On July 3, 1942, he was appointed Knight of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz of the Eisernen Kreuzes).

In early July, Wing I./JG77 left the Eastern Front to join Sicily to take part in the air battle over the island of Malta. In all his commitments, Siegfried Freytag will quickly prove his qualities. During his four months on the Mediterranean Front, he shot 20 Spitfires and a Hurricane, bringing his score to 78 "wins". Best axis pilot over Malta, he was nicknamed "The Lion of Malta" ("Der Lewe von Malta").

On October 26, 1942, Freytag left Sicily with his hunting group (I./JG77) and joined Erwin Rommel's Afrika Corps in North Africa, where he recorded another 16 "success". On January 25, 1943, he was awarded the German Gold Cross ("Deutsches Kreuz im Gold")
On February 13, 1943, he was promoted to Hauptmann (Captain) and took command of Group II./JG77. He won his 90th "victory" on March 27, 1943.

When the defeated German troops left North Africa, he followed his group to Trapani in Sicily. Freytag, who continued the fight over Sicily, was shot dead on 12 July 1943, although wounded, he parachuted in and managed to join his unit. On 24 August, he was sent to Germany for a long recovery. He did not join ii./JG77 in northern Italy until the end of 1943. The group was sent near Siena in January 1944 to intervene on the Italian front. On January 29, 1944, during the bombing of his airfield by American fighters, Freytag was seriously wounded in a lung. Evacuated as soon as possible to Germany, he did not return to II./JG77 until 18 March 1944, being aware that Italy was lost. Rome fell into the hands of the Allies on 5 June 1944.

On June 13, 1944, Freytag, who was promoted to Squadron Leader (Major) in May, celebrated his 100th official "victory" by shooting down a B24 near Udine. On 25 July, as the I./JG77 group left Italy for good, the second group, II./JG77, was the only German fighter unit on Italian soil. For a short time, because on August 15 he joined Orange to try in vain to prevent the landing in Provence.

On 9 September 1944 Freytag Group II./JG77 was tasked with going to the Netherlands to take part in the Battle of Arnheim. Due to the air superiority of the Allies, air commitments rarely turn to the advantage of the Lutwaffe, yet Siegfried Freytag will still demonstrate his flying qualities by shooting down a Spitfire on 27 September.

On December 25, 1944, Major Siegfried Freytag was promoted to acting commander of JG77 Wing, he was 25 years old! In his new role, he won his 102nd and final "victory" by participating on January 1, 1945, in the famous Bodenplatte operation that targeted Allied aircraft grounded by bad weather.

After leading the group in the Reich's defence operations, Freytag became the commander of JG 51 and 30 April of JG 7, where he flew the Me 262 jet fighter until the German surrender on 8 May 1945.

At the end of the war, after 879 combat missions, Siegfried Freytag won 102 "victories".

He was captured near Regensburg by the Americans who used him as an interpreter. Released, his return to civilian life is particularly difficult because he has lost everything. His family home was confiscated by the Poles, but above all he learns that his sister and the rest of his family disappeared in the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff torpedoed by the Soviets on January 30, 1945 (this is the largest maritime disaster in history, 5348 victims out of 6600 passengers). Moreover, he cannot find a job. According to him, he was successively a minor, a technician and finally a taxi driver in Frankfurt-on-Main. But unable to adapt to civilian life and the new post-war society, in 1952 he swapped the elite pilot headband for the white legionnaire kepi.


At Sidi Bel Abbes, the "Mother House" of the Foreign Legion, he followed the "classes" of instruction to become an infantryman. At the end, he was assigned to the 5th REI (Foreign Infantry Regiment) in Indochina, nicknamed the "Tonkin Regiment".

In 1953, he was transferred to the 13th Half Brigade of the Foreign Legion, where he served with courage and dedication for 12 years, in Indochina, Algeria, and then in 1962 in Djibouti. In this corps, he is promoted to sergeant, but he asks to be demoted to the rank of Master Corporal!

In 1965, he joined the "Vienot Quarter" in Aubagne, where the 1st Foreign Regiment (1st RE) is established, which is the oldest regiment of the Foreign Legion.

In 1970, he decided to retire from active service and end his life in anonymity at the Institution of the Invalides of the Foreign Legion in Puyloubier. Discreet, he continues to never mention his prestigious past as an ace of the Luftwaffe; there were only a few officers and the administrative services of the Legion who were informed.

A former Director of the Institution of The Invalides of the Foreign Legion, reports that "Siegfried Freytag had accepted the responsibility of managing the clothing store". He adds that "by his function, Robinson (Freytag in French means "Friday") had his place in the "Popote des Cadres", nevertheless this simple man, obliterated, but excellent comrade, preferred to share the meal of the residents in the dining room of the Chamber."


Siegfreid Freytag died on 2 June 2003 at The Laveran Hospital in Marseille at the age of 83. The pilot of the 102 "victories" was buried on June 5, 2003, with military honors at the Military Square of the Puyloubier cemetery.

A senior officer of the current Luftwaffe came to attend the funeral to greet him one last time. On the cushion of the decorations, the Ritterkreuz rubbed shoulders with the French medals.
1606867917767.png

As this pilot served in the 13th Half Brigade of the Foreign Legion, currently stationed at Camp Larzac, it was naturally appropriate to talk about his life and his assignment as a mere infantryman in this prestigious unit.
Bernard MAURY

Honorary Chairman of the Veterans Affairs Agreement Committee
 

Le petit caporal

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Actu.fr Bretagne
350 french speaking legionnaires to be recruited by Christmas
Le monde.fr
Président Valérie Giscard d'Estaing dies at the age 94
Kolwezi and the REP are mentioned in the article
 

Joseph Cosgrove

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Actu.fr Bretagne
350 french speaking legionnaires to be recruited by Christmas
Le monde.fr
Président Valérie Giscard d'Estaing dies at the age 94
Kolwezi and the REP are mentioned in the article
Hi LPC, could you put the title in French, concerning the French speaking legionnaires? I've said it before, I can see a day when you will be tested on your French before being accepted.
As for VGE, I'd say it was because he president at the time of Kolwezi and of course the famous diamond necklace.
 

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Armée: avec 350 postés à pouvoir d' ici Noël, la Légion étranger en quête de Français..."Pontivy journal"

(Word translate)
Army: with 350 positions to be filled by Christmas, the Foreign Legion in search of French

The Foreign Legion wants to recruit 350 people by Christmas, a recruitment campaign held back by Covid-19. She is mainly looking for French, not enough


The Foreign Legion wants to recruit 350 people by Christmas. On the other hand, Warrant Officer Radu Knotek, Head of Recruitment and Information of the Foreign Legion for the Greater West. (©Pontivy Journal)

By Angelique GoyetPublished Dec 1, 20 at 11:34

The Foreign Legion wants to recruit 350 people by Christmas, a recruitment campaign held back by Covid-19. She is mostly looking for French, not enough.

350 vacancies by Christmas

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic is even slowing down the March of the Foreign Legion.

"We can no longer do large-scale recruitment action. Like being present at sporting events, markets... CommentsWarrant Officer Radu Knotek, Head of the Foreign Legion's Recruitment and Information Post for the Greater West, based in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique).

People are unsuitable for travel because of the health crisis. Reaching out to the people is one of the Legion's main recruitment methods.

This summer 2020, we were able to tour the coasts, with our coach-podiums. We see parents especially before meeting a candidate: these parents find out what solutions can bring to the Legion to an unemployed son, to a child who does not know what to do. We get our messages across through families: the type of contract, the benefits, the disadvantages, the career prospects. Today's young people are hard to get out of their homes. The army is not just a soldier, there are as many trades as in civilian life. We need everyone, in the kitchens, in the infirmaries...

Warrant Officer Radu KnotekHead of the Foreign Legion Recruitment and Information Post in Nantes

The Foreign Legion's 2020 target for recruitment had been set at 1,750 recruits. Of which 350 positions to be filled before Christmas 2020. A goal made difficult to achieve because of the pandemic...

The Legion has 10 recruitment positions across metropolitan France and DOM-TOM, not to mention its two pre-selection centres in Fontenay-sous-Bois (Val-de-Marne) and Aubagne (Bouches-du-Rhône).

A huge need in French for better integration of foreigners

The Foreign Legion has 10,500 soldiers in 2018, of 150 nationalities. "The nationalities of the arrivals reflect global geopolitics," says Warrant Officer Radu Knotek.

Russia and Caucasus countries, such as Chechnya, are among the most represented countries among foreign arrivals (28% of Slavs in 2018). There is also the Western world (North America, Europe and Australia) with 34% of which 10% are French (2018 figures); 13% from Asia; 13% from Latin America; 12% from Africa; 11% of the Arab world.

Today, we are 13% French, our goal is to go up to 20% to work well. The French have a key role in the administration and operation of the Foreign Legion. They are in partnership with foreigners to help them learn French, to enrich their vocabulary, to help them integrate. A stranger knows what he is coming for from the Legion; for a Frenchman, it is more difficult, he arrives in a Babylonian environment where everyone has his own way of thinking. But he enjoys more advantages of having a trade in the Legion than in civilian life...


 
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