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Légionnaires du Larzac sur le départ pour une mission au Mali

Joseph Cosgrove

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I keep thinking about the EVs in selection and Castel, they must be freezing their nuts off!
You can bet they are. In the old Castel there were so many coats of paint on the radiators it was just not worth putting them on. Not only that, they were below these huge single glazed windows which had no curtains. Getting up in the mornings was a nightmare.
 

dusaboss

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You can bet they are. In the old Castel there were so many coats of paint on the radiators it was just not worth putting them on. Not only that, they were below these huge single glazed windows which had no curtains. Getting up in the mornings was a nightmare.

Excellent! That way It would be perfect for me. I hate to sleep in hot room. I can't bear it ! What scares me the most is to sleep in hot room with bunch of guys farting over that hotness. :)
 

Joseph Cosgrove

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I keep thinking about the EVs in selection and Castel, they must be freezing their nuts off!
Snafu, it's cold that is for sure and it has to be said that not everyone's in the same boat. At the moment most people coming from Europe should be more or less used to it. But it will start getting warmer. Saying that anyone coming from South America or Africa will find a huge change.

I remember a few years back, there were two African officers training in the French Military academy of St Cyr. I forget which country but it was French speaking. It was winter time and the cadets were learning about living and operating in winter conditions. They had to dig a snow hole to spend the night in. You can forget your igloo, if you were brought up in certain parts of the world and know what you are doing, yes, otherwise there is no way.

The next day both of them were dead. I'm not sure if they ever announced what had actually happened to them. However with my time in Norway, I know that you do not just crawl into your maggot (sleeping bag). You have to make yourself a hot meal and get as many calories down you as possible. In the Brit Arctic rations you always had a sachet of drinking chocolate in them which the Mountain leaders said your MUST drink before going to bed.

I'm sure that there would be a lot of questions asked on the subject. I mean these are officers who are to set an example. On the other hand, it was probably their first experience in the snow. And let's face it, even if they had survived, what they had learnt will hardly benefit the recruits in their own country.
 
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Snafu, it's cold that is for sure and it has to be said that not everyone's in the same boat. At the moment most people coming from Europe should be more or less used to it. But it will start getting warmer. Saying that anyone coming from South America or Africa will find a huge change.

I remember a few years back, there were two African officers training in the French Military academy of St Cyr. I forget which country but it was French speaking. It was winter time and the cadets were learning about living and operating in winter conditions. They had to dig a snow hole to spend the night in. You can forget your igloo, if you were brought up in certain parts of the world and know what you are doing, yes, otherwise there is no way.

The next day both of them were dead. I'm not sure if they ever announced what had actually happened to them. However with my time in Norway, I know that you do not just crawl into your maggot (sleeping bag). You have to make yourself a hot meal and get as many calories down you as possible. In the Brit Arctic rations you always had a sachet of drinking chocolate in them which the Mountain leaders said your MUST drink before going to bed.

I'm sure that there would be a lot of questions asked on the subject. I mean these are officers who are to set an example. On the other hand, it was probably their first experience in the snow. And let's face it, even if they had survived, what they had learnt will hardly benefit the recruits in their own country.
Damn! I actually was thinking about going in winter to try my luck, not to increase my chances of being accepted or all that shit but simply because it is not a touristic season so you know plane tickets are not that expensive and visa acceptance is a little bit higher considering i am an Arab. Maybe I need to reconsider that strategy. I mean I live in Alexandria it drops to as low as 10 to 5 degrees celsius here but no less and I never really get cold but still never have I ever experienced snow in my life not even for once.
 

dusaboss

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Snafu, it's cold that is for sure and it has to be said that not everyone's in the same boat. At the moment most people coming from Europe should be more or less used to it. But it will start getting warmer. Saying that anyone coming from South America or Africa will find a huge change.

I remember a few years back, there were two African officers training in the French Military academy of St Cyr. I forget which country but it was French speaking. It was winter time and the cadets were learning about living and operating in winter conditions. They had to dig a snow hole to spend the night in. You can forget your igloo, if you were brought up in certain parts of the world and know what you are doing, yes, otherwise there is no way.

The next day both of them were dead. I'm not sure if they ever announced what had actually happened to them. However with my time in Norway, I know that you do not just crawl into your maggot (sleeping bag). You have to make yourself a hot meal and get as many calories down you as possible. In the Brit Arctic rations you always had a sachet of drinking chocolate in them which the Mountain leaders said your MUST drink before going to bed.

I'm sure that there would be a lot of questions asked on the subject. I mean these are officers who are to set an example. On the other hand, it was probably their first experience in the snow. And let's face it, even if they had survived, what they had learnt will hardly benefit the recruits in their own country.

Wow, I guess they were really done something really wrong while building it . If you build it well you should be fine even on temperatures of -30 C. Always at least two guys in (more is better) so bodies will warm up air inside. If you have gas burner you can put rock or something on it and that will rise up temperature for a couple degrees.

Even without any heat source with two guys temperature should be above 0 inside. You will definitely not have nice sleep, but you can have some rest and you will not freeze to death.

Actually is not so hard to build that snow-den. Just need to follow couple simple rules. Those two African guys F up something really bad.
 

Rapace

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(...) I remember a few years back, there were two African officers training in the French Military academy of St Cyr. I forget which country but it was French speaking. It was winter time and the cadets were learning about living and operating in winter conditions. They had to dig a snow hole to spend the night in. You can forget your igloo, if you were brought up in certain parts of the world and know what you are doing, yes, otherwise there is no way. (...)
This incident happened in 2004. To avoid any confusion or misunderstanding, let's mention that this happened in the Alps, at an altitude of ~ 2500 m, so nowhere near the conditions EVs will face around Castelnaudary. The group, on a trek in the region of Barcelonnette, was caught in a snow storm and the cadre, rather than risking to get lost, decided to stop and improvise a bivouac. Probably the best decision to make, given the circumstances, even if it went badly wrong... One of the victims was the son of the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs (in French Chef d'État-Major des Armées, abbreviated as CEMA) of the Togo armed forces... Three officers, accused of not having properly prepared and managed the exercise, were tried and two of them eventually received suspended time in prison sentences.

Damn! I actually was thinking about going in winter to try my luck, not to increase my chances of being accepted or all that shit but simply because it is not a touristic season so you know plane tickets are not that expensive and visa acceptance is a little bit higher considering i am an Arab. Maybe I need to reconsider that strategy. I mean I live in Alexandria it drops to as low as 10 to 5 degrees celsius here but no less and I never really get cold but still never have I ever experienced snow in my life not even for once.
I understand your concern, but at the end of the day, South-West France (where Castelnaudary is located) is not the Antarctic... Sure, you can die even if the outside temperature is only around +5 °C (don't need to have extra cold temperatures to suffer from hypothermia), but overall, it remains manageable.
 
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This incident happened in 2004. To avoid any confusion or misunderstanding, let's mention that this happened in the Alps, at an altitude of ~ 2500 m, so nowhere near the conditions EVs will face around Castelnaudary. (...) I understand your concern, but at the end of the day, South-West France (where Castelnaudary is located) is not the Antarctic... Sure, you can die even if the outside temperature is only around +5 °C (don't need to have extra cold temperatures to suffer from hypothermia), but overall, it remains manageable.
That's a good point actually. I overlooked the fact that training at first will be in southern France.
 

dusaboss

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This incident happened in 2004. To avoid any confusion or misunderstanding, let's mention that this happened in the Alps, at an altitude of ~ 2500 m, so nowhere near the conditions EVs will face around Castelnaudary. The group, on a trek in the region of Barcelonnette, was caught in a snow storm and the cadre, rather than risking to get lost, decided to stop and improvise a bivouac. Probably the best decision to make, given the circumstances, even if it went badly wrong... One of the victims was the son of the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs (in French Chef d'État-Major des Armées, abbreviated as CEMA) of the Togo armed forces... Three officers, accused of not having properly prepared and managed the exercise, were tried and two of them eventually received suspended time in prison sentences.

Yep, that is more reasonable and understandable story, but somehow expecting form DPSD agent :D.
 

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I'm joking of course (or am I ? :))

Why I can't edit post? Boss said it would be half hour. Now its like 5 min or something.
C'mon, you have to realize that on this forum lot of guys or not so good in English. And lot o them using (me to, for spell checking ) "google translate".
Five minute is far too short for someone to correct spelling mistakes or to rearrange sentence so it will sound logically to reader!

This is really big issue and if my word have some influence on this forum ... Boss please change that to at least half hour (are full 1 h)

I agree that one should not have possibility for changing content of messages much later because of dirty tricks one would be able to use, but this now is really, really too short!
 

Joseph Cosgrove

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French army kills 15 Mali jihadists
2017-10-26 19:30


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Paris - The French army said on Thursday it had eliminated an "armed terrorist group" linked to Al-Qaeda in northern Mali, killing 15 jihadists.

Army spokesperson Patrick Steiger said troops from France's regional Barkhane anti-terror operation had carried out a joint strike against the group with French special forces about 100km northeast of Kidal.

The operation, which was backed by fighter jets and helicopters, took place overnight on Monday.

It "allowed us to take 15 members of this katiba out of action", Steiger said, using a local word for a militant unit.


The group was a branch of Ansar Dine, which has links to the regional Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) group, he added, saying weapons and ammunition including assault rifles and grenades were destroyed in the raid.

France has had some 4 000 soldiers deployed in the Sahel region - a vast stretch of territory on the edge of the Sahara Desert - since 2014.

The announcement in Paris came as the Mali-based branch of al-Qaeda, Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, claimed an attack in the north that killed two soldiers.

US monitoring group SITE said the claims were made on the Telegram messenger channel of the group's so-called Al-Zallaqa Media Foundation.

"Fighters mounted a surprise attack on the Malian army position in Soumpi, killing two soldiers and burning military vehicles as well as those belonging to Sogea-Satom," a French road construction company that the troops had been "guarding", it said.

A second communique reported attacks on gendarmerie posts in Dioro and Ouan in central Mali on Monday and a landmine blast on a Malian army vehicle in the Mopti region on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the Malian defence ministry said two troops had been killed and a third injured in a "terrorist" attack in Soumpi.

Islamic extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012 at the expense of Tuareg rebels, but were chased out of Sahara towns by a French-led military operation launched in January 2013, which is still under way.

Mali's army, French soldiers and a UN mission (MINUSMA) are battling for control over large tracts of the country, which regularly come under attack in spite of a peace accord signed with Tuareg leaders in May and June 2015 aimed at isolating the jihadists.

Since 2015, jihadist attacks have spread to the centre and south of Mali and latterly to neighbouring countries, particularly Burkina Faso and Niger.

The creation of Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen was announced on March 2 as a fusion of Ansar Dine, the Al-Murabitoun of Mokhtar Belmokhtar and the "Emirate of the Sahara," a branch of AQMI.

Well done lads !
 
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I reckon the group is pretty much active and alive now, anyone knows any estimates about whether it is going stronger or just wavering?
 

Joseph Cosgrove

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To avoid confusion, this took place in October last year.
Yes, that is exact. Sorry everyone! In fact the article was supposed to be about French planes La Rafale which left 10 Jihadist dead,

Sorry about that, thanks Rapace.
 

Le petit caporal

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Read on TV (banner at the bottom of the screen): 10 jihadists killed last Tuesday. Nothing else... And still no more info on the attack that killed one and injured others (no names or which unit was involved). Must be, imo, deliberate low key.
 

Rapace

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Read on TV (banner at the bottom of the screen): 10 jihadists killed last Tuesday. Nothing else... And still no more info on the attack that killed one and injured others (no names or which unit was involved). Must be, imo, deliberate low key.
Yep, little information on this raid which was launched in the night of Feb 13 to 14. A new version of the St. Valentine's Day massacre... :D
It took place in NE Mali, not far from the Algerian border, between Boghassa and Tin Zouatin. A joint operation with Air Force jets and elements of operation Barkhane and Sabre (special forces). “High value targets” of jihadist groups Ansar Dine and Al Morabitoune are said to have been killed.
 

DCLXVI

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Yea, 2e REI is OLD news.... Going to Iraq anyway. Not sensitive at all. A whole section already left to Iraq from CCL. AND, 1st and 3rd Companies left ALREADY to Mali a month ago (1st) and 2 weeks ago, 3rd. 1st SECTION in 2nd Company left YESTERDAY to Mali, 2nd Section 2nd company leave first week March to Lebanon and We(3rd Section) are out of here, Super super shortly.
 

Le petit caporal

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Don't see many legionnaires out in town these days... I put it down to Vigipirate/Sentinelle and overseas deployment (our wages built this town, just saying).
 
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