There and Back Again

[Joseph Cosgrove]

When I went in 2011, they also made us remove all combat kit while submerged. No breaths until the rifle, helmet and IOTV were removed. Have to admit, that scared the hell out of me

This couldn't be in Aubagne. The pool is the municipal swimming pool for the public, which will explain why it can only be done on a certain day of the week.

 

[Hans Welsh]

Smart men will listen to our advice and can learn much useful info. Talk less and listen more.

@ Hans... Sorry things didn't go your way. Were you paid for your stay in Paris and Aubagne, if so, how much?

I was paid on three occasions, first, was when I started Rouge I got 330 Euros, second, about 2 weeks into being a retardee they gave me around 800 Euros, thirdly and lastly, I got over 1000s Euro when I asked to leave.

 

[Hans Welsh]

If you don't mind, I would like to know how you made it to Rouge. My, and probably many others', primary concern when trying to join, is that our reason isn't good enough for the Legion. Getting a grasp of the kind of people who successfully join would be a good thing.

I just told the truth, how it was my dream to be a soldier. From my experience practically all of the Rouges fit into the good boy category, no criminals, no liars, very few even had tattoos, most guys sat around 19 years old. The people they picked where usually middle class, where healthy and intelligent, it seemed that the people who were overly desperate where sent home. They seemed to like taking the shy nerdy guys who got along well with others, followed orders, weren't selfish and didn't have inflated egos.

 

[Le petit caporal]

Thanks for the info, Hans, very helpful
2 months for more or less 2 thousand euros. ..
250 euros per week (you are paid the week ends too?)
If not, that's a 5 day working week
50 euros a day (sounds casher to me)
How long were you in Paris for ?

Seems to me he was paid for his time in Paris
Others claiming that in Paris, they were not paid
Maybe no cash in Paris. ..
The trésorière is in Aubange

 

[Hans Welsh]

Thanks for the info, Hans, very helpful
2 months for more or less 2 thousand euros. ..
250 euros per week (you are paid the week ends too?)
If not, that's a 5 day working week
50 euros a day (sounds casher to me)
How long were you in Paris for ?

Seems to me he was paid for his time in Paris
Others claiming that in Paris, they were not paid
Maybe no cash in Paris. ..
The trésorière is in Aubange

They pay you at any random time during the week after you turn Rouge, sometimes they will you pay you a second time right before you go to Castel. I was in Paris for 1 week, but I don't think you get paid for Paris/Paradise. The pay is weird though, the Legion doesn't really tell you anything about it, the general consensus among the lads is that we get paid around 30 Euros per day.

 

[Le petit caporal]

Paris to Aubange was by bus or train ?
What were the other nationalites?

 

[Hans Welsh]

Paris to Aubange was by bus or train ?
What were the other nationalites?

Train to Marseilles then a bus to Aubagne. There where quite a few different nationalities present, the Latin Americans made up the largest group, Colombians, Venezuelans, Mexicans, Costa Ricans, Cubans, at one stage there where at least 4 separate Latin American mafias each with about 10 guys. Up next where the Moldovan's, Russians and Ukrainians, with a few Kazakhs, Mongolians and Poles mixed in. The Nepalese had a pretty big group going with over 10 guys. There was a small French mafia as well. At one point there was a large Madagascan group, a lot of Africans tried but only the Madagascans seemed to make it to Rouge, the only non-Madagascan African I saw make Rouge was a guy from the Congo. Not a single Australian, 2 Kiwis but they didn't make it. 3 Americans. 2 Brits but they didn't make it. The white South Africans, the Afrikaners, had quite a decent mafia of their own, every single one of them went Rouge. You had a small Hungarian mafia, a small Romanian mafia, there where a number of Brazilians and Portuguese that made up their own little group. And then there where the Moroccans and also the Serbians, but none of these groups made it. After that you just had a bunch of random nationalities, 1 Finn, 2 Thai's, 1 South Korean, 2 Germans, 1 Lithuanian, 1 Irish, 2 Swedes, 1 Dutch, 1 Bosnian etc...

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Did you do any running, other than the Luc I remember going to the tennis courts in the park near the regiment and seeing EVs running. What about pull ups, other than for the tests?

 

[Hans Welsh]

Did you do any running, other than the Luc I remember going to the tennis courts in the park near the regiment and seeing EVs running. What about pull ups, other than for the tests?

Yes, every Monday the Rouges, along with some Caporals, led by an Adjudant, will go running into Aubagne to do a 4km run around a track. After the run we do pull-ups and squats. Also, if all the Rouges have some spare time a Caporal or a Caporal-Chef will do a little PT with us, this PT could be anything from rope climbing to full on workouts with a variety of exercises. Sometimes they will make you do pull-ups before dinner and lunch.

 

[Katalmach]

This couldn't be in Aubagne. The pool is the municipal swimming pool for the public, which will explain why it can only be done on a certain day of the week.

No haha, I'm talking about Parris Island, Joe. US Marine Corps

HANS WELSH

Thanks for the information, bud. I wonder why the Aussies and Americans didn't make it. No way to know unless you were in on their interview. Maybe didn't have a good enough reason. Knowing most Americans, they probably had records and that's why they were there

 

[USMCRET]

When I went in 2011, they also made us remove all combat kit while submerged. No breaths until the rifle, helmet and IOTV were removed. Have to admit, that scared the hell out of me

I forgot about that part, so true, had to release the Quick Straps move the pack around and use it as cover. It can be a bit stressful releasing the pack straps in the water, especially if one hangs up.