Living legend - French Foreign Legion. How much do they earn in the foreign legion?

Military history has many pages in which various military formations are mentioned that are directly involved in hostilities and are located in the hottest spots of our planet. The most famous among them is the French Foreign Legion. This is a truly legendary military unit, whose military glory is covered in various myths and stories. Many books have been written about this elite unit and dozens of films have been made. For entire generations of men, service in this unit was considered the ultimate dream. Many have dreamed and continue to dream about how to become legionnaires and quickly put on a special military uniform. However, in reality, instead of bravado and ostentatious gloss, the foreign legion is hard service and work associated with constant risk and danger. Is a person ready to voluntarily give up all the advantages that civilian life promises, starting his military career in accordance with the harsh and strict military regulations?

You can refer to weighty arguments in favor of making such a decision: a good salary, full social security, the opportunity to subsequently obtain French citizenship. However, for all this one has to pay a high price: personal freedom, hard physical labor and deprivation, and finally, constant danger and threat to life, despite the fact that the romance of military service, future privileges and decent pay is a serious motivation.

French Foreign Legion - what is it really?

It should be noted right away that the legion is not a club of interests in which everyone does what they want. This is a full-fledged military unit belonging to the armed forces of the French Republic. Not only the military regulations apply here, but also a number of provisions that regulate the procedure for serving. Unlike traditional armed forces, the legion has a different recruitment and recruiting system. The military personnel of this unit undergo a completely different, exorbitant level of training. Subsequent service in the legion takes place in conditions as close as possible to combat, in various parts of the planet.

Only representatives of the stronger sex can become legionnaires. Women are not allowed to serve in the foreign legion!

The history of this legendary military unit goes back less than two hundred years. In 1831, King Louis Philippe I of France undertook an adventurous military operation in North Africa. The military campaign, according to the plan of the French court, was supposed to divert the attention of civil society from internal problems in the state. The purpose of the military expedition to Algeria was the declared expansion of the borders of the colonial empire.

This dubious event required a significant number of troops, which France clearly did not have enough at that time. In addition, the French generals were not delighted with the military adventure of the French king and in every possible way opposed sending units of the regular French army to overseas possessions. Life itself suggested a way out of this situation.

France in the first half of the 19th century was going through hard times. The economy was in decline and the country's population was in dire straits. The consequences of fifteen years of continuous wars that France waged under Napoleon Bonaparte were felt. A huge number of idle males appeared inside the country, looking for any ways and opportunities to improve their plight, without disdaining robbery. Neither the police, nor the gendarmerie, nor the army could cope with such negative phenomena. The only way out of this situation was a royal decree on the creation of a new paramilitary unit under the leadership of French officers, which could be staffed by people who had problems with the law.

In this way, it was possible to immediately solve two problems:

• by legalization, remove criminal and unreliable elements from the streets of French cities and roads;
• gather the required number of people for subsequent training and sending to the colonies.

The only condition stipulated in the royal decree was that the newly created paramilitary force could not be used on the territory of the metropolis. As a result of such actions, in just a few months the required number of people was recruited through recruitment centers. The set did not have any special requirements. The recruits were neither asked for their name nor their social background. To become a legionnaire, a man from the street only had to be in reasonable health and have an idea of ​​how to hold a gun.

Shortly after the first months of basic military training, recruits were sent to Algeria to suppress the uprising of local natives and to participate in the expansion of colonial possessions. The new army was given the name Foreign Legion.

The first combat experience showed that the chosen tactics were completely justified. Legionnaires, unlike regular army soldiers, knew what they were fighting for. Having shown enviable ingenuity, tenacity and perseverance on the battlefield, the soldiers and officers of the foreign legion were able to quickly suppress not only pockets of rebel Arabs, but also establish a strict and harsh colonial regime in the colony. From that moment on, the foreign legion began to be involved in almost all wars waged by France. In the 19th century, legionnaires had to fight in Spain and Mexico. The French Foreign Legion also took part in the Crimean War, fighting Russian troops near Sevastopol.

In the next 20th century, legionnaires became participants in the largest military conflicts that affected not only France, but also shocked the whole world. The conquest of Indochina, participation in military operations in the French colonies in Madagascar, Morocco, then the First World War. Everywhere, in the most dangerous areas, soldiers and officers of the foreign legion were involved. The French Foreign Legion became a kind of special forces that solved the most complex tactical and strategic problems. At some points, the number of units of the Foreign Legion was about 50 thousand people. The soldiers of this unit had to serve in various parts of the world, from isolated islands in the Pacific Ocean to the dense jungles of South America and tropical Africa.

The essence of the Foreign Legion as a unit and how to get into it

Despite the fact that the Foreign Legion is officially part of the French army, in reality it is a separate military unit reporting directly to the head of state. At first it was the King of France, then the Emperor, and in modern times - the President of the French Republic. Neither army regulations nor orders of the Minister of Defense apply here. Today the legion has its own developed infrastructure. Each regiment that is part of the legion has its own quarters, with barracks, headquarters and even its own guardhouse. At its core, it is a closed organization, reminiscent in its structure of medieval orders of knighthood.

The legion is financed from the state treasury and through sponsorship. A significant part of the Foreign Legion's budget comes from financial and economic groups and lobbyists, who have great weight in the domestic and foreign policy of France. In other words, there are no permanent and fixed allocations for the maintenance of the legion. Unlike the regular French army, legionnaires do not have broad social government guarantees.

The French Foreign Legion is also distinguished by its military doctrine. There is an unspoken limitation on the equipment of the units that are part of the Foreign Legion. There are no full-fledged tank formations or its own aviation. Armed with armored personnel carriers, light artillery systems, and helicopters. The bulk of combat work has to be performed by infantry units. Today the legion includes:

• one armored cavalry regiment;
• two airborne units;
• engineer regiment;
• infantry and training regiments.

Some military units are stationed on the territory of continental France and on the island of Corsica. In the town of Aubagne, department of Bouches-du-Rhone, on the territory of the 1st regiment, the General Headquarters of the Foreign Legion is located. Other units are located in overseas territories controlled by France.

The procedure for recruiting military units belonging to the French Legion is curious. In contrast to previously used recruitment methods, when citizens with any reputation and any nationality could become legionnaires, today the conditions for recruitment into this elite unit have been tightened.

In order to become a legionnaire today, it is enough to know the mechanism of the admission procedure and have a relatively unblemished reputation. Gone are the days when the Legion was a convenient shelter for those who tried to hide from the law, even from another state. The main and main condition for starting the process is a voluntary desire, which must be shown along with your passport at the recruitment point. This is followed by a strict medical examination and assessment of your physical abilities. Today, the Legion is not ready to support soldiers who are in poor health and who do not fully understand what they will have to deal with. The first contract is signed for a period of 5 years, and the main article of the contract directly indicates that you will not have to sit out in the rear at a warm resort. The main function of legionnaires is to serve in hot spots, where the likelihood of hostilities and clashes is always high.

Not only a person of French origin, but also a foreigner can become a legionnaire. Over the years of the existence of this unit, representatives of more than 130 states served in the Foreign Legion. Only privates and sergeants are recruited into the Legion. Command at all stages is exercised by French officers, so French is the main command language.

After the end of the first contract, military personnel who have demonstrated valor, bravery and have an impeccable reputation receive either French citizenship or a residence permit in France. Having been wounded during operations, there is a chance to immediately receive not only French citizenship, but also a serious increase in salary. The service life of a legionnaire is limited only by the period of validity of the contract. In other words, if a legionnaire’s contract has expired and he is tired of fighting, he can leave. For those who served under the banners of the Foreign Legion for 19 years or more, a lifetime pension with the right to provide housing is assigned.

Despite the fact that today the number of military conflicts in which the French Foreign Legion participates is limited, the life of a legionnaire is not easy. In parallel with high salaries and relative comfort in peacetime, soldiers of the foreign legion, as before, experience the hardships and hardships of military service to a double or triple extent.

Story

The French Foreign Legion was created on March 9 by King Louis Philippe I based on several predecessor regiments. One of these regiments was Regiment de Hohenlohe under the command of the German prince and French marshal Ludwig Aloys von Hohenlohe-Bartenstein. This regiment fought for the Royalists in the Revolutionary Wars and later served the French King Charles X. As France planned the colonization of Algeria, it needed significant troops. At this time, many foreigners settled in France, and especially in Paris. With the creation of the Legion, King Louis Philippe could receive the necessary troops and at the same time reduce the number of “undesirable” segments of the population in the country. So he passed a law the next day ( la Loi du 9 mars 1831) that the foreign legion could only be used outside mainland France. The officers for the new unit were recruited from Napoleon's army, and the soldiers were recruited from Italy, Spain, Switzerland, other European countries, as well as Frenchmen who had problems with the law. At the same time, a tradition was established - not to ask the name of the recruit.

The day of glory of the Foreign Legion was April 30, 1863, when the Battle of Cameron took place during the Mexican Expedition. A company of legionnaires under the command of Captain Danjou was tasked with scouting the outskirts of Palo Verde in anticipation of a convoy with guns, equipment for the siege, as well as three million francs in cash intended for the French troops besieging Puebla. Setting out after midnight on April 30th, the legionnaires encountered the Mexicans on the morning of the same day. Realizing the undeniable advantage of the Mexicans (1,200 infantry and 800 cavalry), Captain Danjou and his men occupied a building in a village called Cameron. To ensure the safety of the convoy, the Mexicans had to be held at all costs. Knowing that they were doomed and only a miracle could save them, the legionnaires vowed to stand until the end. For more than ten hours they confronted the Mexican army. Despite offers to surrender, the legionnaires preferred death to inglorious captivity. Their sacrifice allowed the convoy to reach Puebla unhindered.

Today, the Legion is used where the French state defends its interests within NATO or the European Union, has historical responsibilities (for example, Côte d'Ivoire) or where French citizens are in danger. It is subordinate, as in 1831, to only one person: the French head of state, today - the president.

The Foreign Legion took part in wars and operations in the following places:

French legionnaires in Kolwezi (Zaire) 1978

More than 600,000 people from all over the world served under the green and red flag of the Foreign Legion from its founding until the end of the 1980s. According to the speech of Colonel Morellon, at this time over 36,000 legionnaires fell in battle.

Nowadays, the Legion is not used to wage war, as before, but mainly to prevent military operations within the framework of missions under the auspices of the UN or NATO (for example, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan), to maintain peace, to evacuate people from war regions, to provide humanitarian assistance to restore infrastructure (for example in Lebanon and after the Tsunami in South-East Asia). Along with this, the Legion is ready to conduct special operations, such as fighting in the jungle, at night, against terrorists and to free hostages.

Locations

Organization and tasks

Foreign legionnaires can be recognized by their white headdress (“Képi blanc”), which, however, is worn only by the rank and file. The color of the beret in the Legion is green ( Béret vert) and icon ( Insigne beret) are worn, as in the entire French army, on the right. The Legion's coat of arms is a grenade with seven flames.

The legion's colors are green and red. (Green symbolizes country, red symbolizes blood. If a legion unit is in battle, then the triangular pennant of the Legion is hung with the red side up: “Blood on the country”).

The legion's motto: “The Legion is our Fatherland” (lat. Legio Patria Nostra). To more fully implement this slogan in the consciousness of each legionnaire, his contacts with the outside world in the first five years of service are limited and controlled - the Legion truly becomes a family and home for the legionnaire.

A special feature of the Legion is the song "Le Boudin", which, with the exception of the march, is always sung at attention! Another feature is the typical marching pace of legionnaires. While other army units march at 120 steps per minute, the Legion only takes 88. This is because African deployment areas often had sandy soils, making it difficult for them to march at a faster pace.

Organizations of former legionnaires

Although the number of Germans in the Foreign Legion is now small, due to the significant number of former foreign legionnaires, there are dozens of clubs and organizations of former foreign legionnaires in Germany ( Amicale des Anciens de la Legion étrangère), which mostly consist of legionnaires who served in Indochina and Algeria.

They meet regularly, take care of tradition and go to France for various holidays. Most of these organizations also accept people who have never served in the Legion. Deserters and those expelled from the Legion are not accepted. For this reason, each new member (if it is a former legionnaire) is checked by the union Fédération des Sociétés d'Anciens de la Légion Étrangère.

Films about the Foreign Legion

Artistic

• - “Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion” (eng. Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion ), director: Charles Lamont, USA;
• - "March or Die" March or Die), director: Dick Richards, USA / UK;
• - “The Legion lands in Kolwezi” (fr. La Legion saute sur Kolwezi), director: Raoul Coutard, France;
• - “Adventurers” (fr. Les Morfalous), director: Henri Verneuil, France;
• - “AWOL” (eng. Lionheart), director: Sheldon Lettich, USA;
• - “Legionnaire” (English) Legionnaire), director: Peter MacDonald, USA;
• - “Good job” (fr. Beau Travail), director: Claire Denis, France;
• - “Djinns” (fr. Djinns), directors: Hugh Martin, Sandra Martin, France / Morocco;
• - “Foreign Legion”, director: Kim Nguyen, Canada;

Documentary

• - "Escape to the Legion" (eng. Escape to the Legion), presenter: Bear Grylls, USA;
• - “Warriors of the world. French Foreign Legion", director: Roman Kaygorodov, Russia; == http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pfc1z90vF0 ==

see also

Notes

1. A new chance for a new life (Russian). Archived
2. Debatte unerwünscht (German). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
3. Fremdenlegionäre in Indochina (German). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
4. Bei den Deutschen in der Fremdenlegion (German). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
5. La Guerre d "Indochine (Russian). Archived
6. Simon Jameson French Foreign Legion (Russian). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
7. Foreign Legion (Russian). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
8. Shadursky, V. G. Foreign policy of France (1945-2002): textbook. allowance. Minsk: BSU. 2004.
9. Conditions for concluding a contract (Russian). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
10. Admission. In Aubagne. (Russian) . Archived
11. Richard Lucas Honey, I joined the legion (Russian). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2010.
12. Federation des Societes d "Anciens de la Legion Entrangere (French). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2010.
13. Zinovy ​​Peshkov: how the elder brother of Yakov Sverdlov became a French brigadier general (Russian). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2010.
14. Khreschatitsky Boris Rostislavovich (Russian). Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2010.
15. “The Great Defender of the Jews” Petliura (Russian). (inaccessible link - story) Retrieved February 6, 2010.
16. French Foreign Legion on the website "Heroes of the Country"

Literature

• Balmasov Sergey Foreign Legion. M.: Yauza, 2004. ISBN 5-699-06982-8
• Jean Brunon Georges Manyu: History of elite troops Foreign Legion 1831-1955. - M.: Isographus, 2003.
• Zhuravlev V.V. Daily life of the French Foreign Legion: “Come to me, Legion!” - M.: Young Guard, 2010. - 347 p. - ISBN 978-5-235-03355-9
• Paul Bonnecarrere: Frankreichs fremde Söhne - Fremdenlegionäre im Indochina-Krieg. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-613-01144-1
• Rajko Cibic: Geliebte gehasste Legion - Der abenteuerliche Lebensweg eines slowenischen Fremdenlegionärs. Verlag Lutz B. Damm, Jenbach 1996, ISBN 3-85298-020-8
• Pierre Dufour: La Legion en Algerie. Editions Lavauzelle, Panazol 2002, ISBN 2-7025-0613-5
• Pierre Dufour: La Legion étrangère 1939-1945. Heimdal, Bayeux 2000, ISBN 2-84048-130-8
• Pierre Dufour: La Legion étrangère en Indochine 1945-1955. Lavauzelle, Paris 2001, ISBN 2-7025-0483-3
• Dominique Farale: Mystérieuse Legion Etrangère de 1831 à nos jours. D.I.E. Paris 2005, ISBN 2-914295-16-2
• Peter Hornung: Die Legion - Europas letzte Söldner. Meyster-Verlag, Munich 1982, ISBN 3-8131-8123-5
• Yers Keller, Frank Fosset: Frankreichs Elite - Legions-Paras und Kommandos, Gendarmerie-Sondereinsatzgruppen GIGN, Kampfschwimmerkommando Hubert. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-613-02103-X
• Peter Macdonald: Fremdenlegion - Ausbildung, Bewaffnung, Einsatz. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1993, ISBN 3-613-01518-8
• Volker Mergenthaler: Völkerschau - Kannibalismus - Fremdenlegion. Zur Ästhetik der Transgression (1897-1936). Tübingen 2005, ISBN 3-484-15109-9
• Eckard Michels: Deutsche in der Fremdenlegion. 1870-1965, Mythen und Realitäten. Schöningh, Paderborn 2000, ISBN 3-506-74471-2
• Guido Schmidt: Der Cafard - Als Fallschirmjäger bei der Fremdenlegion. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-613-01795-4
• David Jordan: Die Geschichte der francösischen Fremdenlegion von 1831 bis heute. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-7276-7157-2
• Blaise Cendrars: Wind der Welt. Abenteuer eines Lebens. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt/M. 1990, ISBN 3-518-40262-5
• Friedrich Glauser: Gourrama. Unionsverlag, Zurich 1999,

About motivation

- the first ones are those who came to earn money, to get a French passport if possible, without planning to connect their lives with LE for a long time, those who do not have any special illusions about the service, who came for their 5-year contract and moreover;

- the second type includes those who love the army lifestyle, who are attracted to adventures, travel and various kinds of adventures (in the good sense of the word), who would like to see themselves in the French Legion as a “Soldier of Fortune”, to be a “Peacemaker”, helping people all over the world, and for this type of recruit, money is not a top priority;

- and others who have problems with the law in their home country and for them the French Foreign Legion truly becomes a refuge, since first of all, if you are allowed into the recruiting station, your first and last name will be changed, which you have the right to keep for yourself even after the end of the contract . It is clear that it will be much more difficult for law enforcement agencies to find such a person to bring to justice.

In my observation, it often happens that a recruit cannot be classified into any one category. So, many come to the Legion, including the author of the article, on the one hand, to get a job and a decent salary, and on the other, to satisfy the thirst for adventure and change, which is far from the least important in the recruit’s motivation.

Many come to the Legion for money, but subsequently stay there for the sake of length of service or, as they say, career, as well as French citizenship, and for them the Legion becomes a second home. Some flee to LE from persecution of the law, but subsequently realize that the Legion suits them in spirit, that this is their element.

It happens differently. Oddly enough, many recruits cannot clearly answer why they came to the Legion and what they expect from the service. As a rule, such weakly motivated young people who do not have clear goals make up a large percentage of refuseniks - those who refused to serve in the Legion of their own free will and left with the consent of the Legion leadership while still in the city of Aubagne - second place (after the recruitment point) to select future recruits, or refused, having already signed a preliminary 5-year contract while in the Castelnaudary training camp.

Often it is from such young people, who left the service for various reasons in the first months, but want to justify their departure, that you can hear heartbreaking stories about the difficulties and even horrors of serving in LE.

What will be noteworthy here is the fact that the bulk of the “deserters” are those who “broke down” in their studies or left before the end of the first year of service. They are less likely to leave in the second and third years of service - due to family problems at home, due to health problems, or simply being disappointed in the service, when what is expected from service in LE, supported by strong motivation, does not correspond or goes against reality.

Therefore, to summarize the above, I would like to point out some facts from the life of a legionnaire that you need to know and remember when preparing to enter the French Foreign Legion.

So, about the salary.

On average, a legionnaire in France receives from 1,100 to 1,700 euros, depending on rank, location, length of service, etc. However, as practice shows, it is very difficult to save something in the first years of service - a lot of money is spent on entertainment, items household items, rental housing (allowed to live outside the barracks after three years of excellent service), some uniform items, cigarettes, booze, etc., etc.

A few manage to accumulate more than 20 thousand euros during the first contract. And then, this is if you limit yourself in many ways. I quote the words of a current legionnaire on this matter:

«… We won’t take the castel (meaning that in the first months all your salary goes towards your own support – author’s note). From the 5th month of service, your salary is about 1100 euros.
So you:
— you spend the weekend in a unit (during your vacation, you also don’t go anywhere);
— you don’t drink beer (why, if there is water in the tap);
— you don’t buy anything for food (you eat exclusively in the canteen);
- don’t smoke (that’s right, smoking is harmful);
- the telephone, computer, iron and other appliances are not of interest to you;
— based on the above, you don’t use the Internet either.
But even with all this, you will spend about a hundred euros on soap, toothpaste and other personal hygiene items. You can, of course, “shoot” or steal all this (then you’ll be screwed)…»

or here's another one:

«… The main mistake of guys planning to join the legion is that they don’t take the legionnaire’s salary and multiply it by the number of months spent in the legion - from this you get a mythical amount that supposedly can be saved during service... The first couple of years in the legion are typical for EVERYONE , I emphasize - FOR EVERYONE - that money is spent very powerfully... You still don’t know France, and Europe in general, on your first vacation you still don’t know which hotels are best to stay in, which modes of transport are best to travel, and many other important things, in short - a complete mess...

Someone, of course, will say - “well, I’m not like that, I’m the smartest, I won’t get caught like that...” but this is all empty talk. I had a friend here in the parachute. He was - in the sense that he is now in another regiment, in Aubagne, he fell under the annual distribution from Corsica to other regiments and left for 1 RE. I remember sitting with him in a room in Djibouti, drinking tea, and I told him how I got rid of it after my first tournant in Kosovo... (And this trip in 13 DBLE was his first tournant, so he had yet to go through his “first "Vacation.) The only negative, I say - I arrived after vacation, went into the room, threw my bag on the floor, turned out all the pockets and poured out the change on my bunk - everything that was left after the vacation.

Naturally, he made such a clever joke, it was written right on his forehead - “well, I’m not like that, I won’t waste my hard-earned money like that - I need to save something for life, so to speak...”. We arrived from Djibouti, spent a week of guard duty in Calvi and left on vacation. I meet him after this vacation, and he returned from it exactly like I did from my first - with coins in his pockets. They went to Spain with a boy who was of the same draft as him. There are a lot of memories, but not a lot of money. But how you swore…»

Thus, if you spend practically nothing, you are left with about 10,000 euros per year or about 1,000 euros per month. Let everyone decide for themselves whether this is a lot of money or not. But it is difficult to imagine a contract soldier who does not allow himself to “let off steam”, who regularly deposits all the money he earns into a bank account or sends it to his relatives.

Of course, being in combat or other extreme conditions, a legionnaire receives much more. But, firstly, during the first 5 years of the contract you may never go on a long business trip, much less to hot spots (few people ever get there). Secondly, extreme conditions can mean loss of health and even life; is it worth talking about money in this case?

Secondly, regarding travel and the desire to see the world.

The French Foreign Legion sends its combat units (meaning outside France) to the following areas:

- firstly, these are places known to everyone with unsuitable conditions for life (climate plus flora and fauna hazardous to health), if not unsuitable, where your main activities will be daily grueling training, passing standards, exercises, tournants (long trips abroad) - so to speak, the routine of legionary life, and not at all sightseeing. Some, after such “travels,” end up straight in hospital beds;

- the second place where a legionnaire can end up is, naturally, any place where hostilities are taking place. And in this sense, the Legion may not be the best way to travel and see the world.

Third, it is reliably known that the Legion does not want to accept citizens who have committed serious crimes in their homeland(high probability of relapse) and especially those wanted by Interpol. I haven’t personally encountered this, but there are rumors that a person who is in the Interpol database, after being recruited and having his passport checked, goes straight to the local police commissariat. Long gone are the days when murderers and robbers were accepted into the Legion. Therefore, the only way to escape justice in LE is to hide your criminal history upon admission, which is not so easy, given the cross-examination system during selection in the city of Aubagne.

In conclusion, I would like to note the following. It may seem that I am exaggerating and portraying the LE service in a light that is favorable to me. Believe me, this is not true. My personal legionary history became a good school of life for me, given my young age at the time of recruitment.

Firstly, I learned from my own experience to accept the inevitable (meaning the ban on serving). In addition, about two years of physical training (more on this in the next article) were not in vain, physical education and running became partly a way of life for me, which prompted me to first quit smoking and then give up alcohol.

Secondly, today I can easily express myself in conversational French (before the story with the Legion, I only knew phrases like “bounjour monsieur, not manche pas si jour” and other similar phrases. Therefore, I do not hold any grudges against the Legion. And I have nothing to take revenge on him for, if this expression is appropriate in relation to the Legion.

Thus, the information that I offer in this article is not the final authority, it is just my personal view of events. And if future recruits read this article - if, of course, there are any - I want to wish them clarity in their motives and expectations from visiting LE, so as not to waste either their own or others’ time and money.

/Andrey Verenitsky, specially for Army Herald/

Detailed answer to the question: how to get into Frenchforeign Legion?
The French Foreign Legion is recruited only in the form of volunteers from among foreign citizens, as well as those willing from among French citizens. Although foreign players can be recruited from various countries around the world, the only official command language is French. After joining a foreign legion, all recruits who do not know it spend some time studying it at the initial stage of their training.

Based on the principle of recruitment, with the exception of officers, the legion cannot contain French citizens at all. Currently, people from more than one hundred different countries of the world serve in the foreign legion. There are no more than a third of the total number of legionnaires who are French, and even those are mostly not native French, but people from French Canada, Belgium or Switzerland.

Currently, the foreign legion includes two regiments, the main tasks of which are the selection of recruits and their preparation for service in the legion. Applications from candidates are accepted at eighteen recruitment points located throughout France. You cannot apply in another country; you must personally come to one of the recruitment centers. The thing is that in many countries, including the CIS countries, mercenarism falls under an article of the Criminal Code, and can be punishable by deprivation of citizenship. It is also worth considering that neither the embassies nor the foreign legion itself will provide any assistance in obtaining a visa, as well as in traveling to the recruitment point. All this falls entirely on the shoulders of the candidate. And yet - despite the very widespread legend that everyone is accepted into the legion, in fact people with a criminal past have not been accepted for a very long time.

Typically, future volunteers of the French Foreign Legion prefer recruiting centers in Paris or Strasbourg. The first is the capital of the country, and the second is the city closest to Eastern Europe. In addition, candidates from these points are sent to the selection camp faster than others. Paris - on Mondays and Wednesdays, Strasbourg - Tuesday and Thursday. Therefore, if a candidate arrives at the Paris recruiting station on Wednesday, he will have to wait until next week. And one more nuance - if you are not suitable for the legion, then you will be given a return train ticket to the city in which you came to the recruitment point.

The easiest way to get to the recruitment point is through a tourist package or an invitation to any country in the Schengen area. You should not try to enter there illegally, as this may cause problems when entering the legion, and if you do not enter, when returning home.

Behavior at the recruitment point

Let's look at a typical recruiting station - they are designed in such a way that everyone is similar to each other. In fact, a recruitment point is a fenced territory of a military unit. Near the gate of the recruiting station, all arrivals are met by a legionnaire - this can be a corporal or a corporal-chief. He will ask questions in French. After silence, unless of course you understand French, he asks what nationality you are. It will be necessary to answer russe (ryus) - that is, Russian. After this they will ask for a passport.

After checking the passport, the arrival is taken inside and escorted to a room where he can sit, go to the toilet or drink water. You will need to sit there and wait for the candidate to come. The peculiarity is that the door does not have a handle inside, so it can only be opened from the outside. You shouldn’t get nervous and run circles around the room - you should just sit down and calmly wait. After some time, a legionnaire will come and sign to follow him. By the way, when the legionnaire arrives, you will need to stand in front of him.

The legionnaire will lead the candidate to another building, located just opposite the one in which he was sitting in the room. There the process of “studying” the candidate will begin. And the first stage is a banal search. The candidate will be required to undress down to their underpants. After this, they will begin to examine him from head to toe - they will examine his teeth, check his eyesight, measure his height, weigh him, check for tattoos or scars. Questions will be asked about how these scars were obtained, why the existing tattoos were made, whether the scars are the result of operations, and which ones.

Then they will ask various questions - to find out the purpose for which the candidate expressed a desire to join the legion, what his religion is, who his parents are, and many others about him and his family. After all these procedures are completed, the candidate will be given a new name, surname, date and place of birth. It is very important - this is how the candidate will now be called in the legion, and it will be necessary to respond to him. Although, when getting to know each other, legionnaires very often prefer to call each other by their real names.

Then they will start working on personal belongings - they will count and rewrite everything that the candidate has with him. They will take away everything that, in their opinion, is no longer needed - a notebook, scissors (it is best to trim your nails in advance), they will throw away all the food that you had with you and much more. After this, the candidate is given a tracksuit and taken to a sleeping room, where they will be shown a bed, which will be assigned to the candidate in the near future. All free time will need to be spent in the room, you can only leave it to use the toilet. The room itself has a TV and VCR with a large number of tapes telling about the history of the Legion and its traditions. In addition, there are benches with ashtrays and a machine with Coca-Cola cans, designed for coins.

After the candidate has been placed in a room with other future legionnaires, the following daily routine is established for him. Rise around 5.00-5.30; breakfast 6.00; lunch 11.00; dinner 17.00; lights out around 21.00-21.30.

In the morning after getting up, the candidate must go wash and make his bed. After this, everyone is built in the corridor, and the quality of the covering is checked by the legionnaire. If the bed is cleaned carelessly, or not cleaned at all, punishment follows - usually a series of push-ups or a slap on the wrist. After checking, everyone goes outside and lines up. Then they march in formation to the entrance to the main building, where the legion officer selectively calls several people from a list. If you missed your last name, this will negatively affect your stay in the legion. All summoned candidates clean the premises before breakfast, and after breakfast remain to work in the dining room for the whole day.

Everyone else can be involved in other various jobs within the unit. This could be cleaning the yard, interior spaces, moving something, and so on. The main thing here is for the new recruit to turn his head as little as possible and unquestioningly carry out all the tasks of the legionnaires. It is necessary to work calmly and organizedly, in a good rhythm. Such work will take place every day until the candidate is sent to the training camp in Aubagne.

Before departure, all candidates undergo another medical examination, more in-depth than upon admission. In addition to all other procedures, blood pressure measurement, vision and ear examinations will also be added. They will ask in detail about all the diseases that the candidate suffered from and the injuries he suffered.

Sequence of selection and training for the French Foreign Legion

Staying in the camp near Obanya

Everyone is sent to camp after dinner. Everyone is given back the clothes they arrived in and taken to the station, accompanied by several legionnaires. There everyone gets on the train and goes to the south of France to Marseille. The train arrives there the next day at approximately 6-7 am. Immediately at the Marseille station, everyone transfers to the train, which arrives in Aubagne. In Oban, buses are already waiting to pick up all arriving candidates and take them to the Legion’s central base.

The first foreign regiment, stationed at the base near Aubagne, is engaged in the recruitment and initial training of all recruits.

Upon arrival at the base, everyone is taken to the volunteer building, where another search of personal belongings takes place. It should be noted that it is much more thorough than the very first one, conducted at the recruiting point. As a rule, the only personal items allowed are toiletries, a towel, flip-flops, a phrase book or a dictionary. After this, the volunteer is given the most necessary things. These are two pairs of panties, short sports shorts and a T-shirt (they will replace a tracksuit); if you don’t have sneakers with you, then you will be given tennis shoes. They will also give you a pack of disposable razors, shaving foam, a toothbrush and toothpaste, two bars of soap - one for showering, the other for washing clothes, toilet paper and two sheets.

After the items are given out, the volunteer is taken to a room where they will be shown a bed. Very often, recruits of completely different nationalities live in the same room, then from time to time they can be shuffled.

The daily routine at boot camp is very similar to that at the recruiting station. The main difference is that getting up occurs much earlier - at 5:00-5:30, and breakfast, respectively, at 5:30-6:00. The shutdown can also sometimes be delayed, but this rarely happens. There is practically no free time - you have to work a lot, but it’s still better than just sitting around doing nothing. Here, work is the best way to experience the life of the legion and meet other legionnaires. Very often they take people to work outside the training camp, for example, to the home of veterans of the legion - it’s a 40-minute ride by minibus one way. Sometimes there are trips to the officers' holiday home in Marseille - it's a 20-minute trip along the Mediterranean coast. But still, most of the work takes place on the territory of the unit.

Recruits usually spend all that little free time in the sports town, using logs instead of benches. Usually, all recruits here are divided by nationality, but in principle, if you wish, you can go and talk with Poles, Slovaks or volunteers of any other nationalities without any problems - it’s all just a matter of knowing foreign languages.

It should be noted that serious conflicts never arise, and in which case it is not worth escalating, since everyone involved is immediately expelled without clarifying the reasons.

And another interesting feature - for the time spent in the training camp in Aubagne, recruits are entitled to something like a salary. Everyone receives 25 euros for each day plus 40 euros for each day off.

Psychological test for joining the French Foreign Legion

Well, of course, each recruit undergoes various tests. Actually, that’s why everyone was brought to the camp.

The first test is psychological. It is usually conducted by a corporal. Explanations about the test are usually in French, sometimes in English, but quite possibly in Russian. It all depends on the nationality of the legionnaire who will conduct this test. It consists of many small tests that last one after another for 1.5 - 2 hours. In this case, a fixed amount of time is allocated for each subtest.

All volunteers are given tests in their native language. If the test was issued in another language, then you must immediately, without fuss, raise your hand and say something like “corporal, not Russian or Russian,” that is, explain that the test was not issued in Russian.

A psychological test usually includes the following tasks:

1. In one of the tasks it will be necessary draw a tree. Moreover, according to the test conditions, it will be necessary to draw only deciduous trees, excluding any coniferous trees (spruce, pine, etc.) and palm trees. After this, you will need to choose from the 20 proposed images of trees the two that the volunteer likes the most. It is best to draw and then select simple trees without a highly developed root system, a large number of branches, and so on.

2. Another possible test is gear test. The gist of it is this. Drawings with gears will be given, and from them it will be necessary to determine in which direction gear D will rotate if, for example, gear A rotates to the left. There will be several such drawings, and with each new one the complexity will increase. Gradually, belt drives, a pin, and so on will be added to the three gears in the pictures. As a rule, answer options will be given next to the pictures, and you will need to think carefully and choose the correct one.

When solving this problem, it is necessary to remember everything that was taught in physics lessons, or rather mechanics. There is no need to be afraid that with each new test task the difficulty will increase. On the contrary, each time it will be increasingly easier to navigate the solution to the proposed problem.

3. The next test will be a drawing is given, and in addition to it 4-5 very similar pictures. You need to choose one of them that is the same as the one originally proposed. When solving this problem, the most important thing is to concentrate your vision well on the proposed drawings.

4. Will drawing proposed, which will show cubes arranged in several rows. In this case, the rows can be of different thicknesses and heights. You will need to quickly determine how many cubes are shown in the picture and choose the correct answer from the ones offered. When solving this problem, you will first need to concentrate your attention.

5. Figures depicted, and they are located in the order of 3x3. One of the figures is missing from the picture. It is necessary to select the missing figure from the proposed options. Here again attention plays a decisive role.

6. The volunteer is given a list of questions. You will need to carefully read each question and answer it “yes” or “no”, or for example + or -. The questions there are of a completely different nature. For example - Do you feel good in a team? Do you like loneliness? Have you ever had a stomach ache? Have you ever lied in your life? Have you ever stolen?

When answering questions, you must read them carefully and answer them just as carefully. Sometimes there are two opposing questions, and if a positive answer was given to the question of whether you feel good in a team, then a positive answer about loneliness will be clearly inappropriate. The most interesting thing is that no one reads the answers in the future, and they are checked by applying a grid. It is unknown what the construction of the grid depends on.

7. Test as a keepsake. The subject will be given a map of a residential area, on which various houses and buildings will be marked. Everything shown on the map will be accompanied by comments like “school”, “gas station”, “shoe store” and so on. Street names will also be signed. The volunteer must memorize this card within five minutes, after which he will be given exactly the same, but absolutely blank card. There you will need to mark objects from the previous map. True, there is one relaxation - if there were about 25-30 marked buildings on the original map, only 10-12 need to be marked on the clean one. In order to perform well on this test, you only need to remember the buildings themselves, with their names and location relative to others. If you have difficulty remembering the entire map, then you need to focus your efforts on remembering, for example, only the top of the map, or only one corner of the map, or only gas stations and stores, and so on.

8. Test for attentiveness. The volunteer is shown a set of randomly repeating symbols, 7-8 in total. These symbols are arranged in rows on 5-6 sheets. A sequence of two characters will also be given as a sample. It is necessary to sequentially cross out these two symbols on the sheets of paper over a certain period of time. In general, successful passing of the test depends only on the attentiveness of the test taker.

Salary in the French Foreign Legion

Medical test

The medical test is carried out in another building. As a rule, a group of volunteers of 10-12 people is called to complete it. Arriving at the building, everyone called strips down to their underpants and sits on a bench to wait their turn. Here you need to be very careful, because everyone is called for a medical examination by last name, and you must not only not miss yours, but also answer when you were called.

The medical examination itself consists of three stages. First the volunteer goes through two corporals. Here the volunteer will have a urine test, check his vision, the condition of his teeth, write down where the scars are on the body and in what circumstances they were received. The volunteer is then asked various questions, including:

• Have you ever had jaundice (measles, mumps and other diseases)?

• Have you undergone any operations?

• Were there any fractures or serious injuries?

• Did you play sports, what kind and how much?

• Why do you want to join the Legion?

• Briefly tell your biography.

After all this, the volunteer moves to the next room - this is the second stage of the medical examination. The room will end adjutant, and he will ask various questions. Among these questions there will definitely be those that have already been asked before - you need not to be nervous, not to be rude, but to answer it again. Communication with the adjutant occurs through a legionnaire, who translates into and from Russian. Then the third stage - in another office there is captain, who once again examines the teeth, ears, listens to the lungs and examines the body. Then he asks questions again, and as a result, the volunteer is either denied entry into the legion or allowed to undergo a physical test.

Physical test

After successfully passing the medical test, volunteers are sent to a physical test. It consists only of cross-country, which usually takes place in the morning. The cross-country race takes place in a standard stadium with a circle length of 400 meters, the tracks of which are rubber-surfaced. If it’s winter, then the cross-country is rented directly to the parts around the hangars. Before the run, all volunteers are given T-shirts and numbers depending on how many people take the test.

Everyone runs to the stadium instead of walking. Distance - approximately 1-1.2 kilometers. Having arrived at the stadium, the whole group must line up at the start and then run laps against the clock. According to the test conditions, you need to run at least 2.8 kilometers in 12 minutes. But at the same time, having run the required distance, you cannot stop - you need to continue running further until the allotted time runs out.

The command to run is given using a whistle; the second whistle stops the test. Each circle is marked by a legionnaire in the general list. After finishing the test, everyone runs back to the unit, where they hand over their T-shirts and go to the shower.

In addition to being able to run well, you also need to be good at push-ups. The fact is that for any offense the command “pump” can follow, and the most important thing for a volunteer is not to be among the first to get tired.

Gestapo

No, no one is going to torture volunteers with a hot iron. This is the figurative name for going through the interview process with legion security officers. This interview aims to create a database about the future legionnaire. The questions that will be asked during the interview can be completely different and on different topics. You should answer as truthfully as possible; if it doesn’t work out, then you don’t need to create a too beautiful legend for yourself. There will be people sitting in front of the volunteer whose job is to see through the interlocutor, and their decision largely determines whether the volunteer will go further or not.

The interview process takes place in three stages. At the first, a sergeant speaking Russian will communicate with the volunteer. This may be a native of the former Soviet Union, a Pole, a Bulgarian or another Slavic nationality. Mostly questions are asked about life before arriving at the recruiting station. It turns out the biography, the reasons why he came to serve in the legion, whether there were any problems in his country and other similar questions that will complement each other and ultimately show the full picture.

The most important thing here is to say exactly what was previously told at the medical examination and recruitment point. The second stage is also a sergeant, and the same questions are asked only in a different sequence. The purpose of this stage is to find out how truthful the volunteer was before. The third stage - an officer no less than a lieutenant, basically the same questions, but this time communication takes place through an interpreter.

We don’t think it’s worth reminding that a volunteer will be able to get an interview with the Gestapo only if all previous tests have been passed successfully. It is also worth keeping in mind that all three interviews can be conducted on one day, or they can be divided into several. So the only thing that can help in this case is to answer all questions clearly, quickly and, most importantly, truthfully.

Rouge

Rouge - comes from the French word "rouge", which translates as red. Previously, all those volunteers who passed all the checks and were waiting to be sent to boot camp wore a red bandage on their sleeve. Currently, this custom is no longer in effect, but the name itself has been preserved. Only those volunteers who successfully passed the Gestapo, that is, who for one reason or another were not eliminated by security officers, get into the Rouge.

Legionnaire candidates are selected on Fridays during morning formation. First, groups are called to take tests and do some chores, then the names of candidates for the rouge are called, and everyone who has not been named is sent to the logs. Those who were called by the officers leave the general formation and line up in the place where the gun is stationed. As a rule, 18 people are named, rarely when this number exceeds one or two people. When the last name is called, the command “civil” is heard for the remaining ones. Those who were not named go and hand over the things given to them, receive theirs, plus cash payment for the time they were in the legion. Payment is calculated based on the number of days. After that, everyone goes on the train and goes home - this time the legion is over for them. But no one bothers you to try again after a while.

All those who are enrolled in the legion first of all go to the hairdresser. There they shave all their heads. After this, you must hand in your sports uniform, and in return you will be given a new military uniform, except for a beret with a badge, and boots. They give the uniform that the entire legion wears. Then they give you a new tracksuit, but with the emblems of the legion. They also give you new toiletries and move you to a separate room. The accepted legionnaire will spend further time with his comrades in arms, except for free time. There, no one forbids you to go and communicate with your people from Russia.

The daily routine is also structured differently. Now they wake up the Rouge first, and then the rest of the camp. Rouge is also on night duty at the entrance to the volunteer territory and at the entrance to the building. The shifts are only 2 hours long, but naturally you have to sleep less. Now there will be virtually no work on the territory, but now there will be regular cross-country races (5-7 kilometers each), swimming (about an hour in the pool at any desired time), and acquaintance with the life of the legion is also provided - they show films, take them to a museum, and so on. It will be necessary to spend a week in such an environment, until next Thursday. On Thursday, all former Ruzhovites are sworn in and given the traditional legionnaire's beret with a cockade.

Well, early on Friday morning, the newly minted legionnaires are sent to a training camp near the city of Castelnaudary in the Pyrenees mountains in the Toulouse region.

The French Foreign Legion was created on March 9, 1831, when King Louis-Philippe d'Orléans decreed the formation of the legion, prohibiting its use in France. The Legion recruits foreigners who perform military service in the interests of France. Anyone can try to enroll in the legion. 26-year-old Brest resident Denis spoke about how he served in the Foreign Legion.

- When and how did you get into the Foreign Legion?
- I decided to go there 3 years ago, after watching a TV report about the Legion. I wanted military romance, got a tourist visa, went to Paris, found a recruiting office and “gave in.” When I arrived, I was immediately asked to hand over my documents and belongings and was accepted into the legion. We were taken to the center of all recruitment centers and the headquarters of the Legion - the city of Aubagne, which is located in south-central France.

-Have you met our compatriots in the legion?
- About 40% of foreign players come from the CIS. If previously they only asked newcomers about their past, now they ask what they actually want from the Legion. Belarusians come here for 5 years to earn money for a car and an apartment, and then leave for their homeland. People come there to earn money, not to die. Money, career - they don’t understand anything else in the legion.

- By what criteria are they selected for the Foreign Legion?
- No matter how much we tried with the guys to accurately determine the selection criteria, we could not. For example, knowledge or ignorance of English or French does not play any role. There are also no special requirements for the appearance and training of guys: they take both thin and overweight ones. The only thing you need to pass are psychological tests. Men over 30 years old, as well as married and divorced people are not accepted. Apparently, out of fear that such a person might leave his unit and go to his family. Most often they take physically healthy 18-year-olds who have not yet served. It’s so beneficial for the French: it’s raw material, from which it’s easier to mold something.

- Why is the Legion needed?
- There is no professional army in France. There is a conscript army, they serve for ten months. The army is not sent to “hot spots”. They send only the Legion, where they recruit guys from all over the world. After all, if you are not a citizen of France, then it seems that you are not so sorry. There were people from Australia, South America, Canada, Africa, there was even a guy from Madagascar. When you finish your “training,” you have the right to refuse service. But if you stay, then after signing the contract no one will let you go. You must earn back the money that was invested in you. The minimum contract is for five years.

- What is studying in the Legion like?
- This is the same army barracks, only the living conditions are much better. In the “training school” we lived six people in a cubicle; the beds had orthopedic mattresses. There was also a shower room there. They were fed simply for slaughter: fruits, vegetables, french fries, and if it was a chop, it was the size of your palm. There was a machine with mineral water, Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fanta. We went through physical training, learned shooting, basic medical care, French, went into uniform, worked in the canteen, and did cleaning. They also forced us to learn French songs. It was comical. First, we wrote down the words of the songs in Russian letters, then we learned them and tried to sing with expression about what we did not understand. It was believed that singing together unites the team.

- Do soldiers have the right to choose their place of service?
- After the “training” everyone must pass an exam. According to its results, the first ten out of 30 people have the right to choose. We had already heard a lot about “hot spots” and knew where it was dangerous and where it was not so much. For example, no one wanted to join the parachute battalion in Corsica. There is a lot of physical activity, and the pay is low. Most of all I wanted to get into the second French battalion, which always went to “hot spots”. Every two years of service, a transfer to another location is required. If you are a good soldier, then you can choose the place in which you want to continue to serve.

- How is the service paid?
- It was about 1000 euros a month.

- What are the advantages and disadvantages of serving in the Legion?
- Advantages - in living conditions and the ability to quickly obtain citizenship. After five years, you have the right to receive a residence permit, which means that you can easily move around the country and across the border. Another advantage is that their service lasts only 15 years, while ours is 25. At 35, you can already receive a military pension. Many guys marry French women to get a residence permit and get a good job. The disadvantages are that, by French standards, the salaries of foreign players are low and it is almost impossible to save money. In reality, you can only obtain citizenship.

- Why did you decide to return home?
“I served for four months and returned home because, firstly, a friend was waiting for me in Brest, and secondly, my parents got sick. At first I regretted returning a little, but now there is no point in regretting. After all, if you leave the French Legion once, they will not accept you back.

Salary depends on rank, qualifications, length of service. In addition to the salary, bonuses are paid depending on the task performed.

Examples of monthly salary in euros:
private - 1.006;
corporal - 1.219;
junior sergeant - 1.372;
sergeant - 1.524;
sergeant, with “jumping” - 1,800;
ensign, with combat and overseas - 4.345.

Salaries are paid in cash monthly. It can be deposited into your Legion account or sent home. Taxes are not collected by the accounting department, but you must pay them yourself upon leaving the service.

Now the Legion has 7,700 legionnaires from 136 countries. It consists of seven regiments (including the famous 2nd Parachute, which includes CRAP special forces, manned only by volunteer officers and corporals), one demi-brigade and one special detachment.

TYPICAL DAY ROUTINE OF A LEGIONARY:

05.00 - rise.
05.30 - roll call, breakfast, cleaning of the barracks.
07.00 - cleaning the area.
07.30 - general formation, departure for classes and work.
09.00 - shower, second breakfast.
09.30 - training, outfits.
12.00 - lunch, cleaning the barracks.
13.30 - cleaning the area.
14.00 - general formation, departure for classes and work.
17.30 - dinner, personal time.
21.30 - cleaning of the barracks.
22.00 - roll call.
22.30 - lights out.