So I'm back from Aubagne, that is...

**Dean Dury** · 14th February 2006, 15:42

Hi all,

My former name on the forum was Dutch Threat, Dean Dury was my Legion name so i'll use that one. I went to Paris, Fort de Nogent, on 12 January to join the FFL. I was sent the day before to an information station for the Legion in a armée de terre caserne, but i couldn't join there cause it was closed, i was told to come back the next morning at ten sharp. I took a room in the hotel near the bus station and went out at night for beer and some great Chinese food.
After instructions the next morning i took a bus to Fort de Nogent and took a deep breath and rang the bell. I was let in and after 2.5 hours was walked to the preliminary psychotechnique test which was very easy for me. I spent about 8 days in Paris and had a great time doing corvée cuisine with a group of guys who almost only spoke French

. The chef was great no problems in Paris, made some friends there too.
Wednesday was the pre-medical test, almost 40% of the guys were sent home there mostly due to broken or rotten teeth. After the test we signed the pre-contract which btw you don't get to read, only to sign (a lot).
Aubagne was a bit different, food is a lot worse than Paris where they served restaurant quality meals (and seconds for friends of chef O.

). To clear something up: there is no more Cooper test, it is the beep test (level 6 minimal).
I don't know if that is clear on the board but in Paris and Aubagne most people "knew for sure" that it was the Cooper test, because this is being told by the caporal-chefs in Paris, they even tell you that it is 3000 m nowadays.
So you start with the psychotechnique test, then medical, sport test and gestapo.
I past all these tests, even the sport test (6.5) despite being sick as a dog, i even lost my voice totally.
Then came rouge selection, about 35 guys were there and about 15 spots were available, i was not selected though, no reason given, just a paper which says something like inapte définitif, your profile does not meet the Legion needs.

Honestly, despite being 34 now, i was fit as hell maybe stronger even than the younger guys, i did not expect to "fail" at the last selection, i can think of several reasons though as for why they did not take me but i will never know for sure.
Anyway, I'm back in Holland and try to pick up my life here again and i'm in peace with myself cause I TRIED and gave it my best.

Hope i didn't bore y'all too much hehe and if any of you have questions fire away, im no EV-Pro like some of you

but i had a great time over there and i'd like to help fellow "wannabees"

DD

**another_wanabe** · 14th February 2006, 15:57

what's the beep test ?

**wannabee** · 14th February 2006, 15:57

Originally Posted by Dean Dury

To clear something up: there is no more Cooper test, it is the beep test (level 6 minimal).

I read that somewhere here. Stupid beep test. Anyway, sorry to hear that. But hey, Dutch armed forces have trouble finding technical personal or something, maybe try there

**Dean Dury** · 14th February 2006, 16:01

Originally Posted by wannabee

I read that somewhere here. Stupid beeptest. Anyway, sorry to hear that. But hey, dutch armed forces have trouble finding technical personal or something, maybe try there

No thanks, i had my fair share of the Dutch army in my younger years, one of the reasons why i joined the FFL, no crying pussies when being sent on a mission abroad...

**voltigeur** · 14th February 2006, 17:48

Well at least you will never have to wonder later in life "what If" you tried and gave it your best shot. Het beste in de rest van je leven

**st george** · 14th February 2006, 18:21

Listen mate’ you went and was there and gave it the full crack so you have my respect for that , there is and will be many on this board who will talk about them joining the Legion but will never go for one reason or another , and again you made the effort instead of talking about it. Good luck to you.

**son_of_scotland** · 14th February 2006, 19:45

Unfortunate not to pass and well done for trying. One thing though and no offense intended but you say "you were fit as hell". Level 6.5 is not great and certainly not fit as hell. I think a pass at level 6 is VERY low for the beep test. For the Royal Marines, the pass is between 11 and 13. My pb is 12.6. Point I'm trying to make I guess to wanabes is that you shouldn't "aim" just to pass.

Anyway good luck in whatever else you do .

**Nickfury** · 14th February 2006, 19:51

Hi Dean,

I think our stories are very very similar. I joined on Dec 19th went home after rouge selection on Jan 5th. Lone American age 35, was very very sick the first week when I took my Luc Léger, only got 6.5, they told me they want people to get at least 7 on the Luc Léger but they let some guys get by with 6 or 6.5 if they had promise, that is just what I overheard.

I too wasn't totally sure why I wasn't chosen but had a few ideas. Had a great time there, off on other adventures in a few days to work in Korea. The first few weeks back from the Legion was hard to fit back in and figure out where to go since I had given maximal effort towards that one goal.

Still thinking I have what it takes to succeed, so trying to write a letter to the Colonel/Chef de Corps to ask for a 2nd chance (they told all of us who failed rouge selection that we could write a letter to try and get another chance.)

I wrote up a bit about my trip there, actually a LOT, I am a lot more long winded ...

Good luck man. I had two good friends who were Dutch and over 30 who did make it, the Dutch were all cool guys.
Nick

**flash010** · 15th February 2006, 01:10

haha i had a duch mate in hao atoll his name was cpl cool true lol

**cobra_hj** · 15th February 2006, 02:43

As I know,you must pass the level 7 of the beep-test.
Maybe that`s the reason.

**Dan26** · 15th February 2006, 11:51

Is age in the Legion becoming an issue ? I'm 26 as old as the hills. I don't have bad teeth are bad eye sight are any other medical problems. I just now as of last week got a full physical and a dental checkup,The only problem I had was a cavity that I had filled and repaired. I plan on leaving in June 2006, to the Legion. Is 26 too old to join up the Legion ? I understand the Legion wants the brightest and the youngest. I know they have a secret age range even thou they say they take men at 40 there becoming more and more secretive, their standards are high. What are they ?

**voltigeur** · 15th February 2006, 16:23

26 is in the average range.

**Dean Dury** · 15th February 2006, 19:03

Bedankt Joe zal wel lukken denk ik

Son of Scotland, as you can read in my post i was very sick, had fever and all. After the running i asked the CC if my result was bad if I could run another day, cause i talked to an Irish guy who had failed his 1st run because of illness, the CC told me it was ok.
There was a friend of mine who was sick also and he ran only level 7, while late 2005 he tried out for the French marines and ran level 12 at that time. He passed all the tests for the French marines but was told he could only join as late as september 2006, so he tried the FFL. He wasn't selected either so will now join the French marines. Still, sick or not, level 6.5 is not great, but it could get you through.
Btw, 26 yrs old is good i think, most guys there are 20-27.

DD

**Deserter** · 16th February 2006, 17:00

It's not about the age or anything. Legion is very strict on who they take. You might have a medical problem or you are not the material for them. It's really stupid being here to discuss on the matter that what will help me get in. You go and join. You will get in or not.