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What is "basic training" like ?

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vassago

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it's 4 months so defiantly longer than US forces

is there an explosives course ?

whats the personal combat training like ?
 
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Stoeng

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First of all welcome to the forum and incidentally your first “broadsideâ€￾:)

Let’s think a bit… Hmmm… Do you really think that the Legion hires people from all over the world, speaking different languages, coming from different social and economic backgrounds, and that we start by teaching them explosives???

No !!!!!!

The basic training is exactly what the name says it is. BASIC !!!!!! VERY BASIC !!!!

Basic training is aimed at changing a person from anywhere in the world, into a basic soldier that is capable of functioning in a Legion regiment. With functioning I mean that he is capable of getting up in the morning and knowing what to do, that he is capable of understanding BASIC orders, and execute basic soldering tasks. THAT IS ALL!!!

After basic training you will be able to maintain your weapon (to clean it and understand if it is malfunctioning), to hopefully be able to shoot with it, in other words to operate safely on a shooting range (something that is not always so obvious). You will be capable of doing some VERY BASIC combat missions (the first missions in your miserable career). Se poster and Se déplacer (remember the little presentations I posted earlier??). For the moment most of you guys don’t even understand the meaning of the two little French words. How are you going do be “big Rambosâ€￾ if you don’t understand the most BASIC of the BASIC missions?

You will learn about radios, but you will not be any transmissions specialist, you will be a standard stupid (that has everything to learn) legionnaire. You will be able to change the batteries, change the type of antenna, turn on the bloody thing before setting a requested frequency, but THAT IS ALL!!

You will most of all, learn to clean and clean again. Simply because that is one of the most important BASIC MISSIONS!!
You will learn how to do your personal maintenance; that means cleaning your ass and your uniforms, as well as how to put them on and what to wear at a given moment.
You will learn how to run and how to walk for miles. Sure you know already, but you do not know how to do it while keeping your mouth shut and without asking stupid questions.

You will NOT learn much about combat, simply because the group (yes the group, you as an individual has no whatsoever value) is too stupid to understand the simplest basics of infantry operations.

Military life starts with BASIC training and a large majority of the future legionnaires (yourself included) are completely incapable of absorbing more than the simple basics for the first 16 weeks.

Forget the explosives, forget the fancy combat missions, forget all the crap that your miserable little brain has seen on TV.
 

Pagoda_Warrior

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A brutally honest post which I'd like to see more of on this forum as it doesn't pull any punches or glamorize The military life. If this is the path you decide to follow after you sign on that dotted line then the best of luck to you...
 

FINN'79

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Very good description indeed…

Don’t know if this is done in the Legion, but in our army, during basic training, we also got to do plenty of what we called “poskilaukausâ€￾ (“poskiâ€￾ = cheek, “laukausâ€￾ = shot)...meaning no bullets, no blanks, just a bunch of guys shuttling between the woods yelling “laukaus, laukausâ€￾ :D

By the way, is that done in the Legion as well? Surely not..?
 

Rapace

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Let's not forget that during basic training, non French speakers (non francophones) EV (engagés volontaires) will also have to learn basic French vocabulary (a minimum of 400 words).
To remain in the same vein as Stoeng's post, do not expect any "fancy" language course or language lab... The Legion is not Berlitz ! It will essentially be rote learning : an officer or an NCO shows an object, tells its name in French and you have to repeat. You'll be paired with a French speaking EV who'll be given the task to help you. Another help will come from the instructor himself... in the form of a good slap on your head if after 10 times you still can't pronounce the word correctly :D.
 

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Good post... Seems quite obvious to start with simple things instead of blowing up stuff...
Is map reading being thought in basic? May sound like a silly question but i think it's a skill every soldier should have. I was stunned to hear they didn4t teach it anymore in basic in Belgium...
How is it done when in basic training you fail one or more tests? They kick you out? Make you go to the next platoon and start all again? Or go to a comission to proove you are worthy to stay in?
From my experiance ni the Belgian army I always thought they were to soft on this subject and some idiots were given to many chances.
 

Pagoda_Warrior

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According to someone I know just out of 2 REP Senior NCO's and Officers do all the map reading in the FFL. Legionnaires are considered too stupid to be allowed anywhere near a map!

But hey, they have their system and it works for them! So who is an outsider to criticise??

Lets just hope all that can crushing down at the recycling station pay's off and makes them better rounded soldiers in other ways.
 

Bram

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Very true, everyone has their system. It's the same here, Nco's and officers use the maps but every is learned how to read a map. If they know how to do it or not, that is an other question...
 

Stoeng

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In the 1°REC everybody is instructed in map reading and there are orienteering courses both on company (Squadron) and Regimental level. Also (and it exist in every regiment) you can join the regimental orienteering club and participate in civilian competitions during the week ends. However I suppose that means taking some personal initiative, and not sitting on your ass waiting to get everything feed by a teaspoon (not so easy for everybody).

In the cavalry map reading is very important, and a Lance corporal (1cl) can perfectly be in charge of a VBL, and hence find himself on a solitary mission miles away from his platoon commander. Ask Raider about how many times we where miles away from anybody trying to get a look over a hill or in another valley. On the other hand the 1°REC goes on different commando courses where map reading and the reality of your map reading competences are put to a test.

While in the famous 2°REP (not starting a quarrel here), the legionnaires are a few meters away from their Sergeant who usually are a few hundred meters away from the platoon commander. Their war is 300m long (that is how far they can kill anybody).
 

Rapace

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While in the famous 2°REP (not starting a quarrel here), the legionnaires are a few meters away from their Sergeant who usually are a few hundred meters away from the platoon commander. Their war is 300m long (that is how far they can kill anybody).
Exactly... L'infanterie : l'arme des 300 derniers mètres !
Normally, in a regular infantry unit, map reading capability is not required below the level of squad leader (chef de groupe) who can be a sergent or caporal-chef in some cases.
 
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vassago

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First of all welcome to the forum and incidentally your first “broadsideâ€￾:)

Let’s think a bit… Hmmm… Do you really think that the Legion hires people from all over the world, speaking different languages, coming from different social and economic backgrounds, and that we start by teaching them explosives???

No !!!!!!

The basic training is exactly what the name says it is. BASIC !!!!!! VERY BASIC !!!!

Basic training is aimed at changing a person from anywhere in the world, into a basic soldier that is capable of functioning in a Legion regiment. With functioning I mean that he is capable of getting up in the morning and knowing what to do, that he is capable of understanding BASIC orders, and execute basic soldering tasks. THAT IS ALL!!!

After basic training you will be able to maintain your weapon (to clean it and understand if it is malfunctioning), to hopefully be able to shoot with it, in other words to operate safely on a shooting range (something that is not always so obvious). You will be capable of doing some VERY BASIC combat missions (the first missions in your miserable career). Se poster and Se déplacer (remember the little presentations I posted earlier??). For the moment most of you guys don’t even understand the meaning of the two little French words. How are you going do be “big Rambosâ€￾ if you don’t understand the most BASIC of the BASIC missions?

You will learn about radios, but you will not be any transmissions specialist, you will be a standard stupid (that has everything to learn) legionnaire. You will be able to change the batteries, change the type of antenna, turn on the bloody thing before setting a requested frequency, but THAT IS ALL!!

You will most of all, learn to clean and clean again. Simply because that is one of the most important BASIC MISSIONS!!
You will learn how to do your personal maintenance; that means cleaning your ass and your uniforms, as well as how to put them on and what to wear at a given moment.
You will learn how to run and how to walk for miles. Sure you know already, but you do not know how to do it while keeping your mouth shut and without asking stupid questions.

You will NOT learn much about combat, simply because the group (yes the group, you as an individual has no whatsoever value) is too stupid to understand the simplest basics of infantry operations.

Military life starts with BASIC training and a large majority of the future legionnaires (yourself included) are completely incapable of absorbing more than the simple basics for the first 16 weeks.

Forget the explosives, forget the fancy combat missions, forget all the crap that your miserable little brain has seen on TV.


that was very demoralizing :(
 

libertypo

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Well it is what it is the basic training. Everywhere, in whatever army it's more or less the same.
 

Phantom309

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ok, not had time to read he whole post but speaking as someone who has just finished "training" (details to follow) the first response by Stoeng says it all really, shit but for the very good reason that the mongols of the section won't have a clue what is going on if it gets anymore technical. A shame really but I believe the real training goes on in regiment, Castel is sh*t and as everyone here says "you don't see the real Legion until you get to regiment". I came to think of my time here less as training and more as conditioning. I will explain when I can, right now I'm off to get drunk with the caporaux-chefs which is cool cos we hog the bar and the premiers classes of the cic see my tenue de sport and assume I outrank them, game on...
 
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Eagle eye

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it's 4 months so defiantly longer than US forces

is there an explosives course ?

whats the personal combat training like ?
.....the explosive course is only fot sergeant's and even then you'll be vetted to death before letting you near a full-blown explosives course in the FFL....personal is understood in each legionnaire before he joins and then tested en chambre by drunken corporals particularly in the wee morning hours...stools are provided and can be swung or thrown up into the air at will in billets.....
 
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Rye

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Glad Im not the only one who was told and educated in how to do your beddings, learning the ranks, to clean the showers, logement, barracks, chowhall, your locker, your boots, your teeth, your "snuskburk", your weapon before you even had a chance to shoot it, that everything had a different name in the military even if it was in your native language, how to dress, how to shut up and shut up some more as there are a lot of better reasons for shutting up then say anything, how to piss and shit, how to eat damn fast and simply that its not anything like what you thought it would be for quite some time.
The shakkalakka shooting was a very welcomed experience. It was kind of what the recruiter told you all about that would be so "suitable" for your own "capability".
What you really thought from the very beginning you vere there for. It just had to wait for a very long time.
Doing this in a language I didnt already knew? Crack on me..
 

mm66

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my question is, if I make best buddy's in basic training that blows that we all go to different regiments but I guess thats how it is in all armies.
 

speed racer

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You will make more friends and probably see the ones you left in basic again. I was lucky because my best friend and I met in basic then went to jump school together then went to our final duty station together and were assigned to the same unit. We are still really good friends to this day, even though we live in different states and hardly ever see each other.
 

Pagoda_Warrior

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hey speed racer.. Bum fun is frowned upon in front line infantry/ airborne units! Go join the navy! ;-)
 
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