Evo jednog legionara koji je tek 4 meseca unutra:
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My 4 months inside the Legion
Here’s my account of my 4 months in the Legion. I won't focus on what has already been said on this forum because I don’t want to waste space of things that one can find out by reading the other posts.
Aubagne: on your first day you have 3 min checkup with a doctor that just looks at your general body and teeth. If you’re over/under weight, bad teeth, then you’re out the same day. Then you have the psychotechnique test that was talked about already in depth. Next day you have another medical, longer: eyesight, hearing, and urine and heart rate/blood pressure. You fill out a indepth questionnaire with more than 50 question about your health history. You will see a SGT who will ask you a few question (why the Legion, family history, plans, motivations etc.) then you will see Capt xxx who will check out your balls and ask you the same questions. Next day is the Cooper test (2800 minimum in 12 min), then the interview with the Gestapo (already covered on the forum), then 2 motivation interviews in the CSI (Centre for Sélection et d'Incorporation). One with and English ADJ, and another with ACH xxx. If you pass all that, then you’re in the green section. Every Thursday the commission looks at the files of all “Greens” and choses 15 to 20 who will go Rouge. Usually at 14.00 hours the rest go civil. In the meantime you will work around the quartier. You will not work more than 3 hours/day, and mostly it's easy work because there’s always a lot of you sharing the job (ex. 10 “blues” cleaning 1 kitchen floor). You get at least 7 hours of sleep, on weekends 8 hours. Once you go Rouge then CCH xxx will scream the lights out of you, just to see who’s afraid. Keep your mouth shut, if asked whether you want to go civil, say “No Caporal-Chef” and that’s it. Once Rouge you will clean twice a day the whole first floor of the CSI. You will command the Blues and make sure they clean the quartier and the second floor, also twice a day. You will go to Lavéran (military hospital in Marseille) for a xray (dental and body). You will be obliged to buy new running shoes and buy insurance from AGPM (the money will be taken out of your salary). You will have to pay for all equipment, including the Kevlar helmet and the train ticket to Castelnaudary.
Castelnaudary: the farm is not very physically demanding. It lasts between 4 and 6 weeks depending on your company. You run only on week days for about 45min. The assault course is not difficult. You will spend 1 week learining how to ski, 2 weeks learning how to drive (car and van), swimming leassons. One week of gun/shooting practice. In the whole time in Castel you fire maybe 1 magazine (25 rounds). French classes 2 hours a day for about a month and a half, after that you’re on your own regarding the language. Marches you start with 8km full gear, very easy, kepi blanc march in the middle of Castel and then raid march 35km (it's actually more because the CCH will get you lost, it happens almost always). You get 5min to eat. Once you hear the CCH shout “debout” don’t try to sneak in a last bite. Get up immediately. I wanted to get a last sip of water, and the CCH poured it on my head. It was February and I couldn’t change close for the rest of the day. The usual advices apply, they have been mentioned many times: don’t talk unless spoken to, understand the orders given. If you don’t understand ask some of your mates, or even the CCH whose in charge, but be polite. Not timid but polite and respectful. There is a thin line between the two, if you cross it you will get walked over.
Regimental life (minor points): if in the 2REP you will not be able to leave Camp Raffali in your civilan clothes. For other regiments once you get permission, you can leave in your civilian clothes. There’s a bout that takes you to Calvi, 10min ride. The parachute promotion takes 3 weeks and 6 jumps from 300 meters. On almost every jump someone ****s up a knee or a anckle. The 2REP doesn’t get many overseas missions these days, at least not as many as the 2REI or 2REG, so even though your salary is higher (1600 eur), overall you earn less. Making sous-officer in the REP is extremely hard, in the others is much easier, if you perfect your French, if you’re smart, don’t do “conneries”. making it into the GCP or URH requires a SGT grade minimum.
General comments: you all know that Rumanians and Russians dominate the candidate pool. If you’re from an under-represented country, you stand a much better chance. Learing French quickly is the best preparation you can make. You will learn the code of honor of the legionnaire by heart, and the grades in the French army while in the Rouge section. The Gestapo is not the CIA and they cannot find everything about you, despite what some of you may think. They can only contact Interpol and the French police. They are however experienced interrogators. By the way, I saw someone mentioning Chris, 20 years in the Legion, English bloke, worked in the Gestapo, well I met him, nice guy, hard but fair.
I’m writing this in a rush, in case some of you are in a hurry. When I think of something else, I will repost. In case some of you have questions, PM me. I’m sure that I left out many things, but I can't think of everything in a hurry.
A bientot les gars
