Post: #26

Yes, I have been well educated for a non member in gangster disciple practices. You have to ask yourself when you've reaches the point where your learning of a knowledge increases your life quality or promotes stagnation. I've been in a state of existential reflection for over three years H, so I hope you understand that I've pondered some of the same things before.

Post: #27

(05-26-2014 09:21 PM)hwuzhere Wrote:  

(05-26-2014 09:18 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  I've heard that a lot of thugs join the French Legion, the kind of people who have nothing else to look forward to and may be wanted for crimes in their countries. As a US citizen looking for military experience, why not just join the Army or Navy? Maybe study the subject and pick the most elite part of it you can get into?

I would never join the United States military as I would have much less to gain from it. The French Foreign Legion on the other hand would give me an instant EU passport as well as a high paying job(not to mention working for private military contractors later as the Foreign Legion on one's resume give much more prestige). I also happen to not like the United States on a personal level as well as studying and joining the elite sections is much harder than the Foreign Legion as the Legion forces the training onto you rather than the one in million chance I land in the SEALS.

Not sure the U.S. armed forces need people who dislike the USA "on a personal level," but have you heard of the GI Bill? It's a pretty substantial benefit, pays tuition costs and living expenses for a four year degree at a state university, with additional benefits offered by some private universities.

Three years' service and you're completely vested.

Post: #28

(05-26-2014 10:22 PM)Sp5 Wrote:  

(05-26-2014 09:21 PM)hwuzhere Wrote:  

(05-26-2014 09:18 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  I've heard that a lot of thugs join the French Legion, the kind of people who have nothing else to look forward to and may be wanted for crimes in their countries. As a US citizen looking for military experience, why not just join the Army or Navy? Maybe study the subject and pick the most elite part of it you can get into?

I would never join the United States military as I would have much less to gain from it. The French Foreign Legion on the other hand would give me an instant EU passport as well as a high paying job(not to mention working for private military contractors later as the Foreign Legion on one's resume give much more prestige). I also happen to not like the United States on a personal level as well as studying and joining the elite sections is much harder than the Foreign Legion as the Legion forces the training onto you rather than the one in million chance I land in the SEALS.

Not sure the U.S. armed forces need people who dislike the USA "on a personal level," but have you heard of the GI Bill? It's a pretty substantial benefit, pays tuition costs and living expenses for a four year degree at a state university, with additional benefits offered by some private universities.

Three years' service and you're completely vested.

I don't persay dislike the U.S. as a whole, but I dislike the government. My main issue is with the G.I. Bill though. A lot of my friends didn't exactly get those benefits and many vets I know ended up poor. I actually had a close friend of mine crash at my place after he got back and was fucked over. Also in the original post I stated that I had my college tuition completely paid for due to scholarship money and money my parents can provide. My choices are getting a debt free education and become an engineer or join the French Foreign Legion.

Post: #29

(05-26-2014 10:27 PM)hwuzhere Wrote:  My choices are getting a debt free education and become an engineer or join the French Foreign Legion.

Putting it that way, it seems that getting a debt free education is the better choice.

Guys have romantic notions about military service, but a lot of it is boring. Five years is a long time. Plus do you want to be an expendable asset for the French government?

Post: #30

Delete

Post: #31

(05-26-2014 09:18 PM)Brodiaga Wrote:  I've heard that a lot of thugs join the French Legion, the kind of people who have nothing else to look forward to and may be wanted for crimes in their countries.

I'm not sure if that is as much the case today as it was once.

To the OP:

I hope you notice that much of the advice in this thread, though well-meaning, is conjecture. Here's what I think:

1. Finish college first.

2. Find a forum where legionnaires or ex-legionnaires gather and inquire there, their experiences should be valuable.

3. Finish college first.

Post: #32

Well if I may add some clues to the thread it would be :

- yes the training for the FFL is tough and you'll meet people from all around the world with different backgrounds (some thughs probably);
- no you won't necessarily undergo fire;
- bonus point : after 3 years of services you may ask for French citizenship ;
- extra bonus point : UNI & engineering schools are FREE in France.

Sounds perfect innit ?

Post: #33

This thread needs more Ali-B.

I don't have any military experience personally, but I'd like to point out the elephants in the room -

1) There is a risk you will be sent home in a body bag. Are you comfortable with death?

2) You may be asked to kill people. Are you comfortable with pointing a gun at another human being and pulling the trigger?

3) There is a risk you will sustain a disabling injury in the line of duty. For example, I met an ex-cop once who was paralysed from the waist down due to a stray bullet. Are you happy putting your physical health on the line?

4) As far as I know, there is a high attrition rate for candidates to get into the French Foreign Legion. The fact that you will apply does not mean that you will get in, and if I remember correctly you actually have to go there on your own expense and train for a month before they decide if they really want you or not. If they reject you, what will your next plan of action be?

I'm not saying that you should not join the FFL, but you need to consider these issues before you are in the battlefield pointing a weapon at someone.

Post: #34

I seriously considered dropping out of school and joining the FFL when I was 21 years and 9 months and had never kissed a girl.

I got my first make out about a week after coming to a decision to join up if my prospects with the ladies didn't improve. I stayed in school and never looked back.*



*If stayed in school happens to mean that I dropped out every year or so to go back to China. Long story short, if you are looking for adventure, you don't need to commit five years to living in who know where just to experience an adventure.

Post: #35

If you're thinking of doing this, at a bare minimum you should:

1. Talk to guys who have actually done it. Not read about it. Not heard stories about it. Guys who have actually done it.

2. Know French.

3. Be in great fucking shape, with an emphasis on endurance.

4. Be comfortable fighting for France and her interests.

Post: #36

I knew a guy in high school whose dream was to join the French Foreign Legion. I often wonder what has become of him and if he had ever achieved his vision.

Post: #37

Here's a documentary on the FFL:

Warriors of the French Foreign Legion (2000)





















and here's a great article on Vanity Fair:

The dark romance and grim reality of life in the French Foreign Legion (2012)

An excerpt:

Quote:Recently, near Marseille, an old legionnaire told me about a lesson he learned as a young recruit, when a veteran sergeant took a moment to explain dying to him. He said, “It’s like this. There is no point in trying to understand. Time is unimportant. We are dust from the stars. We are nothing at all. Whether you die at age 15 or 79, in a thousand years there is no significance to it. So fuck off with your worries about war.”

Post: #38

Question is, do you really like army service ? I mean, have you tried it in your own forces ? If you have, why not stick with your own ?

If you are an American, and want to join FFL, i assume you have been in the marines previously, you were deployed, you liked the shit a lot, and now you wan't to move to an elite force.

Going straight from college to FFL, i can only predict one - they will not take you in. You are not desperate enough, you still have other dreams, you will not display strong determination to wear a uniform and deserve to carry a FAMAS rifle and french colors.

With US Army or Marines, you can even make a career, so you better see how you like that.

Post: #39

(05-27-2014 05:59 AM)Icarus Wrote:  An excerpt:

Quote:Recently, near Marseille, an old legionnaire told me about a lesson he learned as a young recruit, when a veteran sergeant took a moment to explain dying to him. He said, “It’s like this. There is no point in trying to understand. Time is unimportant. We are dust from the stars. We are nothing at all. Whether you die at age 15 or 79, in a thousand years there is no significance to it. So fuck off with your worries about war.”

Haha that's excellent advice, and interesting thread. I thought about enlisting post college and the french foreign legion crossed my mind about a year or so ago.

It sounds like you're interested in this and are fishing for reasons to do it. So why not go and do it? I can gaurentee you will discover a lot about yourself and have some interesting stories. It will be 75% hurry up and wait. Expect that. But still, i'd say go ahead and do it. You don't want traditional, so go and be untraditional. You'll be a better man for it and certainly raised eyebrow story to tell people.

As a forum, we knock on France's social politics but the attitude of Napoleon is alive and well in certain areas of that country. You'll understand the meaning of egalite, libertie, and fraternite (can't type the accent on my stupid phone).

Post: #40

With France engaging in Africa with Islamic militants and the increasing activity of Jihads in Africa as a whole you should expect to engage with them if you become part of the Legion I would think?

Post: #41

Talk is cheap.

If you do it, props to you for making a move. The worst thing you can do in life is to stagnate and let fear and/or momma's advice guide you to an eternity of subsistence in the marshmallowy part of society.

If you don't do it, there are a billion zillion adventurous, non-FFL ways to distinguish and improve yourself.

Post: #42

Highly recommend checking out this book, Legion of the Lost: http://www.amazon.com/Legion-Lost-Experi...005HKQSJ0. Any guy on this forum is going to blow through it.

It's story from a dude who graduated Perdue around 99/00 and worked for a big engineering firm in Chicago for a while, got disillusioned and decided to say fuck it and joined FFL at I wanna say 24 or 25. He ended up going AWOL after like 2 years and went back into engineering afterwards. Some serious challenges along the way and a few close calls, but sounds like it all worked out fine for him in the end. There's a decent amount of scenes of him gaming/banging girls. It's actually a great finding yourself abroad story. Almost akin to Dead Bat in Paraguay, except with a lot more guns and adrenaline.

Post: #43

It's an attractive romantic thing to do, join the Foreign Legion. I thought of it twice. Once when I was bumming around Europe after completing a 3 year term in the U.S. Army, I saw a recruiting poster in a Paris railway station which had the address of the recruiting office. I looked it up on a map and considered visiting, but decided since I was happy to be just free of one army, why join another?

The other time was when I was sick of college and sick of my live-in girlfriend a couple years later. Didn't have the money to fly to France then.

I knew one Irish guy who did a full career. He was only about 5'4" built like a fireplug. He seemed to have a good life - house in the south of France, French wife and kids. He was then working for a private security company and probably making $500 - $800 a day, but earning every penny.

Post: #44

You would be signing away five years of your life, your identity, and your possessions for the possibility of a French passport assuming you completed your service. €800 a month, most likely a two year deployment to Djibouti, archaic rules and traditions to follow, and extremely shit food. If you want real adventure you would have to join 2 eme REP (airborne). You would do your jump training in Corsica, you might get some jungle training in too.

I used to work with a guy who was ex-legion. Fucking hard as nails, but a great guy if you stayed on the right side of him. Watch the Bear Grylls documentary, and the few that are on YouTube. Read the few autobiographies of the guys who went through it, and join the Legion forum for those who want to join to get a feel for it. Your fitness levels have to be spot on to be able to join these days, since they get plenty of applicants they can be choosy.

There are easier ways to get a European passport, as five years in the legion would be hell for most. You will constantly have little to no money, you're not allowed to own any civilian clothes for your first two years, once you hit the two year mark you have to pay for your own uniform too.

If you are doing it just for the possibility of getting into PMC work, then you would be better suited joining the American military and going the special forces route, but you would get work as a PMC after the legion, you would just have to choose the right course provider.

Best of luck if you do go for it.

Post: #45

For what it's worth I remember reading in an article (can't find it now) that their health screening prior to joining is extremely stringent, with wannabes getting turned away for any kind of surgery scars (broken bones, etc) even if the underlying injuries had healed.

Post: #46

I would have done this 15 years ago if I didn't have a slight disability that disqualified me from Military service.

Joining the Legion is the kind of thing that makes a man. The one thing I don't see mentioned in this thread about the process is that once your service is up you will be given a new identity.

Could that be useful?

Post: #47

Fake identity is only for the purpose of you not being identified as a legionnaire (if you do not wish so, or to protect you from losing citizenship under laws of some countries like Austria for example), not for purpose of giving you anonymity for your own sake. Of course that as a civilian you will assume your regular identity.

Post: #48

Here's an article you might find interesting:
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/1...xpendables

and a reddit AMA
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/cv...ed_in_the/

Post: #49

Military seems to be touch and go. In some ways you get the adventure that all men crave, but then at the same time; we have to restrict our movement and sign away our time to an organisation.

Post: #50

I suppose there are worse things you could do. Honestly, I would consider working in the Dakota oil fields first to build up some capital but I can certainly see the appeal of the legion. A new passport, a new language, Sir Richard Burton-style adventure to interior Africa, being surrounded by alphas from around the world, there is a lot to be gained.

Honestly, it's your call. I would learn as much French as possible beforehand, which you said you have, and meditate on it. Talk to FFL vets, follow events in sub-Saharan Africa closely, and decide if your willing to make the 5 year commitment. You'll still be in your early 20s when you get out, and you'll have stories few other gamers can compete with.

Best wishes for whatever you decide.