Serving Legionnaire, will answer any questions!!

Gareth yep me too, hoping to hear from someone who has been there recently, all i know there is one of toughest and solid army in world, only elite can serve there, correct me if im wrong
 
OK he did contact one of his friends so since 1/20 this is the 1st anyone has heard from him he has bee gone just under 11 weeks. He told his friend he only had 4 hours off. Does that make sense? Still no address to write how long does boot camp last? Would he have signed his contract by now? When would he be moved to serve outside of France?

Thanks Kathy
 
gareth said:
Sorry SCT but when I was in it was Euro Disney/sketch all the way.
I don't mean to denigrate on your experiences but as you said- we are different generations of Anciens.
I should imagine that it was even harder back when you did instruction and went to regt but every generation has their own stories to tell.
I would really be interested in hearing from someone who has recently finished on how it is now.
All respect mate.
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G'day all,
well, just my two cents about few comments on this thread.

First, I left the FFL at 2012 after 22 years of duty, so, I can talk about the evolution since 1990 I think.

Well, I don't try to excuse or minimise things which was happen, but be sure just one thing, the evolution of the FFL concerning their materiel and, especially, combat tactics in the last 10 years is real and very successful.

Gareth, as I remember well, you served within the 6°REG. I was assigned within the 3th Coy on April 1993 after a sojourn of 2 years within the 3thREI in French Guiana.
You are right when you say there was a lot of "sketch/disney", etc.....but don't forget one thing, the Regiment in question was very young, just 9 years old....and was the first combat engineer regiment ever created in the Legion, so, this was absolutely new for a classique infantry/cavalry troup as the FFL.

Another reason why a lot of things failed at this time was the lack of volunteers from the other FFL Regiments for joining the 6thREG, because the NCO's and CO's didn't want....so, as a result we got the staff from the regular french army or guys which was fired about disciplinary reasons by the other units of the FFL as the 2ndREI, REP or REC.....in this case, I have to say, "many thanks to the Commander in Aubagne".....they couldn't do a much more worst thing as this one.....

So, the choice of the both NCO and CO staff was really bad.....e.g. we had 2 "schlappohr" as Platoon commander within the 3th Coy, the Coy commander was a fired (yes, yes!!!) Officer of the 13thRG in Charleville-Mazere, one of the most worst regiments in France, I never forget this fkg idiot....but as he got the Green Beret of the Legion, he was happy.....and we was singing from the morning to the end of the day legion songs.....

In 1994, I did my NCO cours and was assigned within the 1thCoy, which was much better because my platoon commander was a real good and realistic guy. I was lucky to both do and learn new things by his hand even if the material was still crap but....last arrived, last served...we had still the fkg VAB from the first Gulf war, etc, the battle dress was absolutely not adapted for combat requirements, they gourd was still dating of Dien -Bien Phu and the instruction was still shit... apart the instruction done of few young and new NCO'S/CO as my platoon commander with a modern mind.

So, both he and we did the best what we could do. A good instruction depends a lot of a good commander, and it was not easy for him to setup new shooting drills, etc, because there was still all the guys from the regular army who tried to control and to stop each advancement concerning new combat/shooting technics, especially the Officers in the BOI (operationnal regimental office) of the Regiment.....they kept a mind from the 70ths/60ths of the french army!

So, time is running.....I left the 6thREG for joining the 4th in Castelnaudary for 2 years as an instructor within the 2nd Coy for the newbies....and over there I saw again the evolution of the FFL, new combat technics, a new and modern shooting range, etc, etc. so, the FFL never stands still. Of course this all needs time, especially in France, e.g. give a look on their administration service and you will understand quickly, I think.

Right now, I never regret to served within the FFL for 22 years, even when the time in the 6th REG from 1993 to 1995 was not the best both time and souvenir, I have to admit.

So, I invite you Gareth to give a look on the former 6thREG, which is called 1th REG right now, you would be surprised, I think. One of the most modern EOD cells of the whole french army are in the 1th REG.

Few guys of the most experienced EOD's from France are over there, e.g.
About the both shooting/combat drills.....finish the "old stuff" since 10 years at minimum. There is a special cell on the BOI now, the guys are learning excellent combat drills also which has nothing to do with our crap in the early 90ths. They have also an AST (advanced search team) team over there, which is a british concept, so, the brits trained the French in Angers where is the combat engineer school.

The French create also another combat engineer Regiment, the 2nd REG which is a part of the Mountain Brigade.
They didn't made the same mistake as with the 6thREG before, they took only the fresh newcomers of Castelnaudary which was formed immediately in both mountain combat and engineer tasks by the experienced mountain school in Chamonix in the Alps of France. Both group/platoon leader has to fit and make both mountain as engineer tasks. Myself, I served over there as an platoon commander over there for 6 years, so, I know the Regiment very well and I love it.

Well, as I wrote above before….good thigs needs time, I think.

So, was just my two cents….

Cheers,

MAY
 
Fu cking 6REG!
So along with the totally shit song we had..." Sapeurs, mineurs et batisseurs, en avant legionnaires du 6" that nobody could be arsed to learn properly it was also the shittest regt in the legion?
I feel robbed, I tell you!
It still doesn't explain the mega-sketch which was Castel but I respect your views May.
I was 2'cie in L'Ardoise and it was full of bloody schlabos too mate.
You remember Adjt Allouche in 1' cie?
Good runner but pretty shit soldier really- sums it up pretty well.
And that complete cu nt Adjt Viriot in the bureau du regiment? Man he made my life hard. Another schlabo!
Then there was Danigo, the chef-de-corps who was also inapte outré mer.
6REG was the pits, we used to lose 2 guys every week as blokes just couldn't handle the shit life.
 
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May - brilliant post, I'd heard 2 REG had had issues too at the begining, but after all I wasn't there, and I know for sure it's currently a great regiment which I respect a lot.

Gareth : I can't post a link unfortunately, but if you search you will see pictures of a recent exercice involving legionnaires properly embedded with the Duke of Lancaster regiment, it looks like it worked. If you know people there, ask them (I would be interested about their answers too). I know for a fact that the Yanks have been happy cooperating with legionnaires in Afghan (much more with the guys on the ground, than with the sh1tty officers). Actually, Afghan has done a lot of good things to the legion and generally the French military. It forced to adapt the TTPs, some of them had been advised for ages by people inside the French military, but you know how it goes : "if it comes from the USA it's great, if it's one of our guys advising it, we'll tell him to STFU".
I "only" served from 2006 to 2011, but I felt changes in the training and preparation. Everything became more serious and technical after ~2008 when Sarkozy reinforced in Afghan and people started dying.
 
Well at least they could do some joint live fire drills without blue-on-blue LOL


"Major Matt Adams, the second-in-command of 1 LANCS told them he was pleased with how the exercise was unfolding.

“We are preparing to fight a generic war,†he said. “There are a variety of threats out there and we try to reflect a situation rather than a specific environment.â€

The exercise saw British and French troops try to seize a variety of positions. Typically, once one group of men had moved forward, they were supported by another behind them, who would then move forward themselves.

As well as firing live ammunition, the soldiers used mortars and grenades. The size of the groups involved rose over the course of the weekend before the final, full-scale operation took place."

View attachment 6127
 
Hey at least they're doing fire-team tactics (advance to contact) now and have got better webbing than just 2 mag pouches and a water bottle!
Have the boots been kicked into touch for a better option yet?
 
I have to say I'm shocked to find out the FFL infantry skills are so basic.
Even in the Irish Defence Forces we were drilled to death on all the basic infantry section/platoon attacks, setting up patrol harbours, river crossings, advance to contact, fire and maneuver tactics such the center peel etc. I find it hard to believe the FFL don't train in these tactics. Could it be true?
 
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IrishRookie said:
I have to say I'm shocked to find out the FFL infantry skills are so basic.
Even in the Irish Defence Forces we were drilled to death on all the basic infantry section/platoon attacks, setting up patrol harbours, river crossings, advance to contact, fire and maneuver tactics such the center peel etc. I find it hard to believe the FFL don't train in these tactics. Could it be true?
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Just like I was shocked, when I joined, that the legion wouldn't train mag changes and tap-rack drills as well as in the Swiss Military, as I had been taught in the past.

Mindset bro... mindset. All the rest, in the legion, is secondary. Just like in real life :)

It's half six here in Dubai, I've just been partying with British ex-paras who respect legionnaires as good individuals. I'm drunk and it was a great night with great people met. Cheers. ;)
 
Back when I was in (early-mid nineties) it was all about getting beasted and we only had live rds when we went to the indoor range. Even with that restraint there were guys that suicided themselves on the range (Castel).
At 4RE/6REG we never did live-fire and never trained in basic soldiering skills (see your example above).
The only time I ever had live rds was on mission profond in Guyane and with that the bullshit and traumatising left the stage as the guys who thrived on breaking balls for no reason knew that an ND would end up in their back.
I have no idea if it's any better now but I do know that when I joined the Brit army I never told anybody how shit the Legion was and just kept up the façade instead.
Maybe the guys who've recently got out will say how it really is or will just keep up the "soldats d'elite/bêtes de guerre" image that the French public believe (any where away from the south where they know us well).
This is no disrespect to any anciens as the professionalism had nothing to do with the guys but lay 100% with the Froggie hierarchy.
 
gareth said:
Back when I was in (early-mid nineties) it was all about getting beasted and we only had live rds when we went to the indoor range. Even with that restraint there were guys that suicided themselves on the range (Castel).
At 4RE/6REG we never did live-fire and never trained in basic soldiering skills (see your example above).
The only time I ever had live rds was on mission profond in Guyane and with that the bullshit and traumatising left the stage as the guys who thrived on breaking balls for no reason knew that an ND would end up in their back.
I have no idea if it's any better now but I do know that when I joined the Brit army I never told anybody how shit the Legion was and just kept up the façade instead.
Maybe the guys who've recently got out will say how it really is or will just keep up the "soldats d'elite/bêtes de guerre" image that the French public believe (any where away from the south where they know us well).
This is no disrespect to any anciens as the professionalism had nothing to do with the guys but lay 100% with the Froggie hierarchy.
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Maybe you don't mean any disrespect but I, for one, am feeling disrespected. The picture you paint is not one I recognize, and I joined before any of you (1975).

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk
 
There's over 10yrs between mine and Arnaud's service and yet the guys still weren't being taught basic stoppage drills.
Perhaps things went majorly downhill since your day mate, this is not your fault so don't be offended or take offence.
 
gareth said:
There's over 10yrs between mine and Arnaud's service and yet the guys still weren't being taught basic stoppage drills.
Perhaps things went majorly downhill since your day mate, this is not your fault so don't be offended or take offence.
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Sorry for not expressing myself well enough ! They are taught stoppage drills, etc, based on (more or less) ASAA method. It started in 2006. I was just saying it could be better taught.

Moreover ; recruits learn a lot more in Castel nowadays. We learnt comms, explosives (including blowing up live charges), we shot rifle-grenades, did a bit of map reading, etc etc. Nothing really ultra-specialized, but at least, now they learn it, basic soldiering, instead of being beasted 100% of the time.

I also regret the legion doesn't have a procedure to use/recycle the previous military experience of its members.
 
American Small Arms Academy i.e. Chuck Taylor. Shortly, what actually happened was the French imported the Swiss method which itself had been imported from the US.
 
Arnaud said:
Sorry for not expressing myself well enough ! They are taught stoppage drills, etc, based on (more or less) ASAA method. It started in 2006. I was just saying it could be better taught.

Moreover ; recruits learn a lot more in Castel nowadays. We learnt comms, explosives (including blowing up live charges), we shot rifle-grenades, did a bit of map reading, etc etc. Nothing really ultra-specialized, but at least, now they learn it, basic soldiering, instead of being beasted 100% of the time.

I also regret the legion doesn't have a procedure to use/recycle the previous military experience of its members.
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I was taught stoppage drills in the 70's..... WTF happened?
 
I have no idea mate.
It wasn't till I could compare training with a different army that I spotted lots of things wrong.
I remember we did NBC for an afternoon at the farm and the TRPP11+13 at Quartier Danjou but the rest is pretty much a blur.
Arnaud, did they adopt the respirator with large filters on the left and right (so you couldn't use your wpn properly)?
I remember we trialled it at Garrigues back in 95 and we all thought it was madness.
 
Affirmative


View attachment 6128

As to what happened... no idea but you can easily guess ; since the French military system has no real doctrine and depends heavily on what chiefs decide individually... probably a stupid officer, thinking he was more intelligent than the others as they usually think, decided to stop training stoppages... I wouldn't be surprised.
 
gareth said:
There's over 10yrs between mine and Arnaud's service and yet the guys still weren't being taught basic stoppage drills.
Perhaps things went majorly downhill since your day mate, this is not your fault so don't be offended or take offence.
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Gareth, the guys are taught stoppage drills and shooting drills since over 10 years. It's calling ISTC, Instruction au tir de combat, is absolutely not bad and is also mandatory for everyone (have to say was fkg funny to see all our "old-timers" NCO nad Officers on the shooting range, Lol).
I did myself the ISTC instructor course, pistol and Famas, in Djibouti with the 13°DBLE, when they was still over there in 2006.
So, to think because there was a bad instruction within the 6°REG for few years, in the other regiments was not the same. Combat & Firing tactics are also teached but surely more then 10 years, especially within the 2°REP and 2°REI.
So, to take and judge the FFL by the view through the 6°REG of the early 90ts is a big mistake....FFL is fighting everywhere, from Afghanistan to Mali, they never stop since at minimum 2003.
 
Branko said:
i met not long ago a guy claiming that he served 5 years in Legion, when i asked him simple question in French language he didn't know a word to say in French also he mentioned he speaks some languages but didn't mention French. Personally i think he is selling bull shit around but i would like to know from someone from Legion is it possible to serve 5 years and after that not to speak language? Thanks
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Absolument..... NON! :) He's a fcuking walt.

I have been out 30 years and I can still get by and I don't speak it that often. You may forget some words etc, but you NEVER forget how to read French and you will remember things even if its only "demerde toi" :)
 
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