Been there,tried 2 times,passed all the tests and interviews, did my best. I have nothing to be ashamed of. Proud of myself for having the balls to knock on the big gate.
@@delyanangelov832 after you have passed all the tests, the people who interviewed you meet up and they decide who stays and who goes home, without giving a specific reason in case of rejection
I told myself I should start using quarantine to better myself, but here I am with 27 Wikipedia tabs open while watching a French Foreign Legion recruitment video.
Because your brain has been hacked by youtube recommendations. It shows you what they want you to think about. The more you click the recommendation videos, the more prone you become to click them. Stop watching youtube immediatly and enlist in the foreign legion already...joke
Don't feel bad about it, i've now discovered every female porn star the internet has to offer and i've also got an RSI injury and gone blind in my left eye :*(
They're not looking for you English now. Forget about it. Why don't you join the British Army? You wimps will probably all desert. And look and that a kid with a meme as a profile picture. They're not looking for PlayStation and Xbox players. They're looking for men who are sporty, mature and actually go outside.
If you are watching military induction training being filmed by a camera crew, you can bet that you are seeing a sanitized version of what really goes on.
I was about to same something similar. The instructors seemed so nice. I don't remember nice instructors. I was not in the FFL, but I was Infantry for a different country.
@@oopsiepoopsie2898 it's neither the French marine corps, nor the most elite French troops. Troupe de marine are the French marines, and elite troops are force spéciales, commandos parachutistes and commandos alpins
i served and had training with the Legion in Fr. Guyana (i was NOT in the legion we only were trained for 4 months by them!) and i speak and understand french but it was a hell the first days for people from the US/Germany etc :D so i was ordered to translate from French to English and German :)
but i think they don't use that kind of sport anymore it's more the "Luc Léger" Test. you need to run from one line to another ... i a short time and the times go faster and faster so at be beginning you have maybe 20 seconds to run 50 meters, next you have 18 seconds to run that 50 meters, next 15 etc etc etc... it is really a heavy test as they DON'T tell you how much you need they only take the best ones so you need to be in the group of the Best
@@perfection4749 Either that, or we should try to take individuals on their merits when possible or if not, at least try not to stereotype entire races and countries (I'm not American) regardless of what we're told by lamestream or anyone else, it makes all involved look pretty shoddy when we do that, imo
33:26 takes me back to September of 1994 when I graduated US Army Infantry Basic Training at Ft. Benning GA. We marched about 15-16 miles from our final field exercises to our barracks. Upon arrival we were presented with our blue Infantry cords & crossed rifle insignia. It felt pretty good.
I went through Army BCT at Fort Jackson in 98-99. I am fully aware that Benning would have been tougher. Ours ended similarly though with a long night time march back from a 3 day FTX. This was not OSUT, but there was a bonfire and all the Cadre was out there. It wasn't festive, but rather more solemn and it was the first time we were addressed as Soldiers. I was a Reservist, but proud to be there and proud to serve throughout my enlistment.. I was 27 at the time, old for a recruit, but no regrets.
The majority of French people fought bravely in WW2 but found themselves in an impossible situation, yet they as a nation did not give up the fight. The Foreign Legion are another formidable band of soldiers who deal in death or glory.
@@didierpaya9069 Probably an american...Nothing against them maybe I'm wrong, but jeez they often take the biscuit. I mean white flags and so on. Major in military history I guess, glad they were here nonetheless but hey as we did if you keep the reasoning.
@@Joetheshow445 no choice when you're facing a nation trained as fuck for 7 years before invading your country. Leaders were forced to sign Armistice. What to do ? To continue a lost battle, and see civilians die ?
Lol.Don't get me wrong, the Marine Corps is tough but you should look more into the Legion and more training videos they've got to do some things we didn't have to , and they're rules for the first five years they're in. It's pretty crazy.
The German. The Australian troops were very tough, soldiers in WW2. Watch - ATTACK FORCE Z, based on real WW2 events, with a young, "Mad Max" Mel Gibson.🤔
Yeah that was a great documentary that was, they say that only 10-15 out of 100 applicants actually get into the foreign legion and a lot of it is based on your character with motivation, the legion officers apparently have a keen sense of reading peoples faces like tracing paper in the interview....
I actually thought about the Foreign Legion back in the early '90s when the Clinton cutbacks were gutting military ranks and closing down bases. The training is certainly not any more difficult than what I've seen in the Marines, but learning French would have been incredibly difficult for me. Couldn't handle that in high school, wouldn't have been able to handle it here. Much respect to these men to who make this commitment.
sgtjarhead99 ...committment to make bankers rich and continue to play the phoney Hegelian dialectic of terrorism which the banker minions and political whores initiate continuously.? Most army. People are indoctrinated by design thru games and Liar TV media and Commiewood films...But still...there are people who want to take orders and be used by rich psychopaths..A person i knew in 1980 was on leave from the legion and took his life...He was discharged from a psychiatric ward then he was gone.
In the Marine Corps Boot Camp, when you are bone tired I would always recall what my father told me and that is, its mind over matter, you don't mind and it don't matter.
whywouldyou wanttokillthecook?? I agree however when the shit hits the fan, you will always revert back to the training you have received and this will keep you alive. Its always a good day when you wake up in the morning and your still alive.
Hope they all find a better life after enlistment ends... Can't imagine join a foreign arm forces thousands of miles away voluntarily, they must REALLY wanted out of whatever the hell's going on back where they came.
Well they do become citizens after the 5 years. Or get shot and become a citizen. Nothing beats becoming a french citizen and part of the EU. Well that's my opinion.
10:41 Medals: leftmost, Overseas Medal (with theater named on clasp), second from left on top (red/blue/red) "National Defence Medal" with branch name clasp, below commemorative NATO mission medal, rightmost "French commemorative medal" with mission/theater name clasp
My good friend spent 6 years as a french legioner ! Now he is working in Paris police as an officer. He has a lot of special operations behind his back. Most of them in cote d evoar
@@coreymesham-pritchard1988 it fucks you up. Every strict training fucks you up. They need a killing machine, not an individuality so the training is created to destroy the person you are and create a highly disciplined soldier. It's very hard to go back to being normal after such training.
I did 24 years in the US Army I wished I did the Legion it don't seem hard I was a 11B we had little hard at Benning but I did see guys fall out, cry, go awol, etc in my career
Dude im here waiting on the DAT waiver and theyre taking fuckim forever to make it available. Im actually slowly considering on flying to france to join the Legion...
This is how to do immigration correctly. These "foreigners" learn to truly love France. They are sure to be exemplary citizens upon completion of their service. They have earned it.
TheCommonRight that’s how it should be in America. Join the army a couple years speak the language. If you speak 2 that’s fine. Show how bad you want to be here and then they should be granted citizenship. If they can’t do that they shouldn’t come in. Same for president ‘s they all should serve at least 4 years before signing up
I remember a few of these guys tagged along on a few missions in Afghanistan. I remember being in awe at first. It was like this mystical creature you’ve always heard of but never saw. It was really cool
The instructor is mild mannered compared the one we had during my conscription in Norway. I suppose the legion have more time to get better though, seeing real conflict.
Alex so dogs aren’t a predator?? 🤣🤣🤣 go on Alex entertain me. What’s a predator?? Hyenas have the highest kill rate of all predators. Have you never seen Jack Russells going after rats or rabbits? If not put it on RU-vid and then tell me that they’re not predators. That’s a ridiculous statement.
Alex haha your making yourself sound like an idiot. Your knowledge of dogs is zero!...Jack Russells have one of the strongest DNAs of any dog. Hence they’re one of the longest living dogs. Stick to sponge bob square or whatever your interests are.
as a left handed person im vermently against bulfycking pups most would shred my face and my countrys main rifle is a right handed only bullpup shame im a very good shot not blowing my own trumpet but i used to shoot .22lr prone match the olympic disapline one and scored 98% to 80% on a bad day and the few farms i do pest control for i regularly takw 250yard head shots on rabbit using the farmers savage .17hmr
Interesting. The fact that the Russian guy arrived without a visa (illegal) actually helped him get in the Legion because it showed he was motivated. Only in France.
I consider myself relatively informed, and I've always seen France as somewhat of an enigma and a paradox. On the surface they seem like most industrialized nations, but their willingness to think outside of the box (the French Foreign Legion, their extensive use of nuclear power, socialism) has always impressed me. France has a lot of problems, but they seem more willing than other nations to take radical steps to solve these problems.
Pretty smart, IMO. They're not recruiting guys to run the central bank, they're recruiting guys to kick ass. The FFL wants people who aren't going to let technicalities get in the way of their asskicking.
I agree with Gra Inc . That level of motivation, given all the many hurdles that guy had to go thru just by getting there illegally, to JOIN A ACTIVE MILTARY Unit like the Legion, IS impressive. Thats not like the zillion and one other illegals out there in the World, THIS GUY says, Yeah, I'm here illegally, but I WILL PROVE MYSELF AND OFFER MY LIFE TO YOU IN EXCHANGE FOR MY LEGALITY. THAT is the difference between Men like him, and shitbags who are just tryin to scam another Country into giving them a Free Ride for nothing. Much Respect.
This translator/commentator is one of the best I've ever heard, he not only translates excellently but captures the affectations and little quirks of each recruit, great job.
37:00 18 year old kid joined an active military so he can send his family money so they can get educated does well enough to get put in with FFL paratroopers What a legend, hope hes still alive today
@@kevinfrancaissfkk8072 I passed the asvab my sophomore year of high school (I got the absolute minimum required to join). I was a fucking idiot back then and they still would have taken me in if I was 18 at the time lol.
I watched another good FFL documentary on RU-vid. Theres a scene where they made Christmas cribs, in a competition. And one of the Legionnaires who had passed out of training and was in his Regiment, still couldnt speak a word of French to the reviewing General. 26:34 in this good documentary: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_HYUkn-qSKA.html
Had a close friend growing up in Chicago named Rick. He had a tough childhood, mom was a drunk and his stepdad used him as a punching bag. One day at 17 years old he told his mom he'd dropped from HS and was getting a job. Carl, his stepdad, came into his room later and beat Rick badly. Real bad. Rick managed a hot shower, packed a backpack, caught Carl drunk in his recliner chair and stabbed him several times. The main one was a nasty slash from top of his face angled down to the chin. He didn't die, and I saw him often for a long time because he ran the convenience store where I bought shit on the corner by our house. He looked like fucking Frankenstein right up until he died about twenty years or so after Rick split. Every time I went into his store I'd ask if they'd heard from Rick. He'd always reach up and sorta finger that vicious and jagged scar before shaking his head no. Rick had gone to the only person he thought he could. Mr Peters had been his wrestling coach before he quit school. Peters had a friend who knew a friend and Rick was in his way to Canada, from there to France and the Legion. He came back to take care of his mom about a year after Carl died. Moms dead now also. Best part is Rick still owns the store. His Legion paraphernalia hangs on the wall behind the counter. He loved it, spent most of the time in Somalia
@Hugo Jeanne The thing is i dont think Rick ever was judged for thoses things and in my book that is correct. The legion can't refuse you if you don't have any criminal records, and anyway it was not a crime in my book. Just revenge on an abusive piece of shit. The legion is a refuge for people like Rick.
@Hugo Jeanne If the crime was done before 18 years old... he could get his record wiped clean when becoming an adult. They do that in the French code... a Kid cant be trialed for ''adult'' crime and vice-versa... so if you screwedup in your youth... at 18 you start fresh new... but if you do a crime after 18... you are done for
At the 40 minute Mark they learn the one lesson of military life. no matter how clean you can clean your rifle someone can always find carbon or other dirt and grime in it.
That’s cause the damn gun powder fairy always sprinkling some kind of grime in the damn guide rails or some shit when you ain’t looking. I could grab any firearm I have that I swear I cleaned up down left right inside and out and I’ll STILL find something.
unholy7 And then you find yourself wondering things like “How did I get here? Why did I choose this life? I wonder would it’s like to be in bed instead cleaning the fucking rifle”
It was terrifying enough for me to walk into my local Army Recruiting office and enlist. These guys have all my respect for traveling across continents and volunteering to serve in a foreign military where they know little of the language or culture. The austere nature of their existence in this film is fairly common to most boot camp environments, but the transformation from anonymous immigrant to being accepted into a brotherhood of arms must be quite an amazing feeling.
It is funny in 1994 I was a police officer with the Maui Police Department and having a lot of mental/personal problems and was thinking about joining the FFL....this is before i had access to the internet and due to lack of information I never even came close to attempting joining....if had todays internet I might have attempted to join.....I am glad i did not.....in 2000 i went back into the military part time in the reserves and got my life together somewhat....walked away with a pension....
Do you have any fucking clue how many criminals make up many the majority of militaries? Militaries are littered with criminals. Anyone who tries to contradict petty crimes with military has no firsthand experience with either.
Babylon falling, But not even to that extent; the US as well as other countries sometimes give an ultimatum to either be imprisoned or to join the army. Beliefs are subjective so I try not to have certainty in my convictions, but I believe they look for criminals because their lack of cultural morals as well as their lack of discipline make them easier to control even though there's no basis to my hypothesis besides correlation. Factually, though, there are many criminals in many militaries. Regardless of that, once personnel in general get out they often resort to criminal or questionable tactics because they've never been a legal member of society without the military taking care of them.
@@saints360row Don't be too sure, partner. I joined the Royal Navy at 18 to get out of what was partly my own drug use and partly living in a very deprived area. When I left, I not only had a great CV for many potential employers but I had learned a great deal of discipline and life lessons which have served me well. Having said that, of course, I would NEVER encourage my daughter to join the military, purely because I am acutely aware of the way they are looked upon in predominantly male professions.
But at least Gen'l Burger stated a year ago that as Commandant he has two priorities: 1) getting rid of all CSA paraphernalia on Marine bases, 2) promoting as many female "combat commanders as possible."
The narrator clearly states no serious criminal record. However, some grievences would be excepted. As in the SAS... "Born again men", as the narrator said quoting another. So, totally feasible. The problem I have with the documentary is it was cut short and about half way through the initial recruits progress seemed abandoned...
Not sure why they did had this kind of problem. I always thought average foreigners who seek adventures life always had good chance becoming French Foreign Legion
The *French were in Vietnam long before Americans* had even heard of it: so if anything, *Americans should* be adapting themselves to *French cultural references.*
@Novitrix i mean for some countries its obvious for others a little less. In the US for exemple i would understand the choice. As much as itd be hard for them to go for another country because of their deeply rooted patriotism for most people who are below middle class life in France after the service would be much easier than life in the US after a service
@Novitrix I don't know about this dude, but the Legion is known for accepting rejects of other countries because of slight criminal record or petty medical pseudo-reasons (bad teeth, lazy eye, etc)
It's bullshit. For some people, yeah, milk not good. However I train as hard as the FFL and I'm powered on chocolate milk. Soda, white bread, and sugar in all its forms is crap. Just eat primarily vegetables (mainly in the form of soups) and meat all day. Besides that though I consume a lot of dairy and my genetics are fine with that. Obviously the FFL doesn't recommend it because they take in a lot of recruits that can't handle that well but I'm Dutch. Oh also, do NOT brink coffee or wine. I never do that.
I have worked with these guys before. There was several units attached to my unit (Delta Company, 344th Military Intelligence Battalion) for a NATO exercise. It was a mixed bag. Most were really good soldiers but several I met had a severely over inflated opinion of themselves in the scheme of things. Maybe that's what is beaten into them. But they wouldn't run with us, they kept separate and ran in their own formations, they would not eat with us and basically kept to themselves. Which again is probably what any special unit would do in any army. Overall though I would definitely want them on my side in a fight.
@Good Fella il y a des étrangers mais aussi beaucoup de français qui se présentent à la légion , de dire qu'il n''y a pas de français c'est de ne riens connaitre sur le sujet !
@@usulebis7281 Il n'a rien dit sur le fait qu'il n'y avait pas de Français dans la Légion. Il ne critiquait pas la Légion, il faisait simplement état de son expérience. Désolé pour mon français, ce n'est pas ma langue maternelle.
Having read the opinions of people whove been in the Foreign Legion, I think id take any other allied army over them to be my battle lmao. They still act like its 1934 and youre in the Russian army. Beatings, cliques among whatever nation youre from, little to no deployments, very seldom combat drills. Theyre very good at propaganda though, and Im sure theyre tough as nails. But theres a reason we dont train like that anymore, imo.
One of my old Scottish neighbours from Edinburgh is ex-Foreign Legion. Served in the 60's. When i knew him, a very well travelled, hardened, absolutely unique fantastic man. Never ever could be like him. Always looked up to him. One of those stories.
I've just served 11.4 years in the British Army, I didn't want to leave but I came to the end of my contract. I can still soldier and need further adventure. My folks were obviously concerned at first but I've managed to talk them around. So I'm enlisting in the foreign Legion, new years day 2020, I'm excited!
@@taylorc2542 like I said before I was coming to the end of my 12 year contract and you needed to promote to a certain rank to be allowed to stay in for the full 22 year career, unfortunately my face didn't fit so I didn't promote and couldn't stay. I hope I've answered your question. I want to continue with a military career and the Legion is the only viable option.
During WWII, my Grandfather was in a town in France for a week or so. The British soldiers were very young and didn't know any better, they went to the pub at night and drinks were really expensive. He said then a group of French Foreign Legion guys came to the town and took the young British soldiers under their wing and suddenly the drinks became very cheap. He said that the FFL guys were as scary as their reputation.
Even BCT of US Army and any other army on tape is more intense than this video like damn Edit: fixed what I wanted to say as some ppl thought other things
josiah reilly After the break-up of the CCCP thousands of people went to join the foreign legion from Easern-Europe, by that they no longer needed recruitments who were convicted, or were being looked for in their country. Nowdays they won't accept your application with a history of serious crime offence(s); they don't refuse you for minor ones, but there is a possibility that it can lower your chances in case there are many other fine candidates in your group.
My wife's father did 10 years of legion. Afterwards he slowly went crazy, fading away until he "disappeared". Now, a guy who put a few beehives near my house did 10 years too. He lives alone in a caravan, miles from any house. He told me : "After the legion, I can't really live with people anymore."
@@kartofff I suppose they have experienced a very hard life in the legion, and they are tired of useless conflicts with civilians who believe they are tough.
My brother is doing his classes in the Police Nationnal. One of the students is an ex legionnaire who served for 11 years. The guy is strong like a bear, always stay alone and don't talks a lot. He must have seen some bad shit.
I had an uncle who was in the foreign legion for 27 yrs! Started out in the fishing business and joined bc he could not find any other work! -rank NCO equivalent - name :Chalifoux !
that's mad, because this means he was in at least one war or at least many real battles with bullets flying and everything - 27 years in the Legion is like 10 lifetimes anywhere else! But why would he not try his luck as a french speaking civilian? After 5 years he's a French citizen though - did he not want to take his chances in France? I would -
He would get a job everywhere in france, also as a private contracter, with earnings like 1k per day. Also He would get Pension from the Legion Like 1.5k+
Many of the foreign legion members even after the training and service, they find themselves on the battlefield but on opposite sides, they are still brothers and will protect each other. That is the Legion.
@@you-cf7df During Balkan wars in 1990, serbs who joined legion before the war were sorta like buddies with croats who also were in the legion. They fought on opposite sides but allowed each other to escape with each share of loot during the war. After all they are brothers in the battlefield
@@mrvic3952 I don't even want to know if this story is true or not, but "brotherhood" in an army (especially an army of mercenaries) is just an illusion to make the pawns more comfortable.
Journalist: 'What does the Legion meant to you?' Officer Lopez: 'Beaucoup.' Translator: 'So much, it's a way of live, it's twenty years it's a whole life...'
When I was young I wanted to join the Legion. I wound up joining the US military and eventually worked alongside the Legionnaires in Africa. While I have the greatest respect for the Legionnaires as my brothers in arms, I am also glad I did not join their ranks.
J ai connu un Allemand qui a fait la légion après la guerre il a fait l Indochine , l Algérie et après a fini mercenaires avec Bob Denard au Katanga un grand homme malheureusement qui n est plus la rip
Only speaking from my time in the American army, it's not am actual requirement. Now speaking as as a grunt....why would they train you in water if your going to be on your feet the whole time. Sums up my time in.....also if you may ask for every stupid fucker who wanted to fight us we met some very good people just trying to live and feed their families. That's what sucked most for me, you have everyday people just trying to live, but be harrassed by those jihadist fuckers. Pardon my french. A red erect that makes women a second class citizen needs to be dealt with. Yes yes I'm very aware of how women are treated in the us, I was raised by my mom, but still chose to enlist, pick up the steel and fight. We do have work in our own country to fix that's obvious. But its damn near club med compared to Afghanistan, to Iraq. I reccomend service for anyone unsure about your future. I enlisted on a promise I made to my grandfather, after high school if I wasnt working or in school I'd enlist. He passed away a year after I made that promise, "seventh grade". When I hit 17, my mother gave approval for me to enlist. The military has it shit days like any job, but unlike a normal job you gain a discipline, a toughness that follows you for the rest of your life, a brotherhood that always follows you, to this day I still run into vets, I still relish the fact to work with my brothers, and any civilian I come across i try to instill something I learned in them. Sincerely a grunt in the civilian world.
