Hi, Another that will be attempting to join

[Le petit caporal]

Yes, lots of courses can be done and most will help after wards in civilian life. ..Mechano, Cook,Fitness, Secrétaire and others (can help in getting rank too....note, as in Notation, how your superiors esteem you

 

[WannaWillbe]

Yes, lots of courses can be done and most will help after wards in civilian life. ..Mechano, Cook,Fitness, Secrétaire and others (can help in getting rank too....note, as in Notation, how your superiors esteem you

I love that they help you like that and theres lots of courses, and i get you, the legion is so varied in lots of ways, i personally think the british army could learn a good thing or two on how to treat its people.. i dont hear of them helping much into a transition into civilian life if thats what you want once you have served your contracted time..

 

[Chas]

A little update, I spoke again with the british army and was told things have changed slightly with there policies on certain issues, my issue, now they say that in 3 years I could try to join and it will be decided on a case by case basis, I would be nearly 31 then but until then there is no chance.

I then spoke with the marines, told straight up after a few calls to different places, no they would not accept me, there is no time period in which they would accept me and that was that.

You no what really does fuck me off, the fact that in the past I have been a fool, made a bad decision the same decision more than once but im in a different place now mentally, I no what I want and the person I am, but I cant be judged as the person I am now, hence why its just reconfirmed that trying to join the FFL, is the right choice for me. The marine careers person I spoke with, I said no problem, ill be trying for the FFL then, he actually laughed and said rather you than me, there not exactly ellite and a right funny bunch of people.. I was shocked, firstly that he let his person opinion come out during a simple call and didnt keep it professional and then it made me think, whats the deal with that outlook on the FFL? do some british marines carry a dodgy view of the FFL if so why?

Anyway my path to the FFL will continue, I kinda feel like why do i even want to serve a country that cant accept the person I am now anyway, least with the FFL they will at least entertain the idea of accepting me.. if they will or not remains to be seen, but least im given a chance..

WannaWillbe,
I can't speak for the modern RM careers office. However they are normally punctilious and well informed. In my day the Foreign Legion were considered to be the most battle hardened troops in the world. They were greatly respected. In subsequent decades many RMs' went on to serve in the Legion. Likewise several former Legionnaires served in the Corps. They mutually respected each other. Training is very different. The RMs' are much more physical. This has been mentioned every time, on the Forum, by those that have served in both. However the FFL is an immense challenge mentally by comparison. You have linguistic and cultural differences to accept. Often you will suffer from Le Cafard and wonder if you are going to complete your contract. Do so and you can walk tall. However in modern times, you do at least, have all the modern communication systems, which were unheard of in my day. There is no comparison however between someone who served in either during the 1950s' with those of today. We were brutally primitive.

 

[dusaboss]

Joe, I do follow this rules 99 % of time. During my time here I got the impression that rule #9 isn't so strict and that some naughty word now and then can be tolerated.
But then again new sheriff is in town and I will respect rule #11.

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Yes, lots of courses can be done and most will help after wards in civilian life. ..Mechano, Cook,Fitness, Secrétaire and others (can help in getting rank too....note, as in Notation, how your superiors esteem you

Also in your early stages as a young/new legionnaire or corporal, you have the chance to get qualified in several disciplines. You might like to do a mechano' s course whilst in a motorized company (which is practically every legion company today) , just after doing the section's mortar course. Then you could ask to do a sniper's course or a clerk's course.

Contrary to what a lot of people believe, the clerk's course is not limited to francophones (notable Malagasy - people from Madagascar).

The notation: Every time you go on a course you will be noted. It may be just the mark that you obtain on your final exam. In that case what counts is the "mention" which can be "bien" "assez bien" and so on.
Each year you go in front of the captain who will go over your year that you have just spent; what courses you did, how you did etc. He will then ask you what you would like to do in the following year; go overseas, change regiments, specialize etc. Then he will consult the chef de sections appreciation of you. And finally he will give his own. Andy may remember the days when you were noted out of 5 , number 1 being the best. MDR ie up to CCH NCOs have a different system.

However, in those days you still only needed 15 years to get your retirement pay. (my opinion) The government decided that it was costing them a lot of money to psy ex military personal a retirement pension for the rest of their lives any where in the world. So they decided on two options. 1 to offer a lump sum of money to legionnaires or soldiers, Navy etc at 11 years of service, to quit the military and at the same time making way for 'fresh blood'.

2. To put everyone's notation back by 2 and to have the notation to be out of 8. So let's say I was noted 2 in the old system, now I would be noted 4. This is worth mentioning because, it takes two consecutive notations to move up a point. So being put back to 4 would take me another two years to move up to 3.

Why is this relavent? Because you can move up and you can move down. When you go to sign your rengagement you have a certain note in which it is to be accepted. To go over 15 you had to be noted 2.

When I left the REP the first time to go to Djibouti, I was noted 5. That was with six and a half years service. This is screaming out bananier especially as the new system had not come into vigor. It's a long story and when I have time I'll go into it. Basically what happened was that I had a run in with the SCH in our section. He was drunk and completely out of order and he made a c*nt of himself in front of the whole section which he never forgave me for.

Then he became chef de section and wrote his appreciation of me just before I left for Djibouti. The ironic part of it was the CDU was away at the time and I went in front of the 2ic. When I challenged my notation, suddenly noted the same as a first year legionnaire, he said that I could contest it but I was leaving for Djibouti in a weeks time.

So I turn up in Djibouti as a corporal, six and a half years of service noted 5. The good part is two years later I came back a corporal chef noted 3. As I said it takes two years to be noted the same to move up a point. But there are exceptions !

 

[keegan mactavish]

Also in your early stages as a young/new legionnaire or corporal, you have the chance to get qualified in several disciplines. You might like to do a mechano' s course whilst in a motorized company (which is practically every legion company today) , just after doing the section's mortar course. Then you could ask to do a sniper's course or a clerk's course.

Contrary to what a lot of people believe, the clerk's course is not limited to francophones (notable Malagasy - people from Madagascar).

The notation: Every time you go on a course you will be noted. It may be just the mark that you obtain on your final exam. In that case what counts is the "mention" which can be "bien" "assez bien" and so on.
Each year you go in front of the captain who will go over your year that you have just spent; what courses you did, how you did etc. He will then ask you what you would like to do in the following year; go overseas, change regiments, specialize etc. Then he will consult the chef de sections appreciation of you. And finally he will give his own. Andy may remember the days when you were noted out of 5 , number 1 being the best. MDR ie up to CCH NCOs have a different system.

However, in those days you still only needed 15 years to get your retirement pay. (my opinion) The government decided that it was costing them a lot of money to psy ex military personal a retirement pension for the rest of their lives any where in the world. So they decided on two options. 1 to offer a lump sum of money to legionnaires or soldiers, Navy etc at 11 years of service, to quit the military and at the same time making way for 'fresh blood'.

2. To put everyone's notation back by 2 and to have the notation to be out of 8. So let's say I was noted 2 in the old system, now I would be noted 4. This is worth mentioning because, it takes two consecutive notations to move up a point. So being put back to 4 would take me another two years to move up to 3.

Why is this relavent? Because you can move up and you can move down. When you go to sign your rengagement you have a certain note in which it is to be accepted. To go over 15 you had to be noted 2.

When I left the REP the first time to go to Djibouti, I was noted 5. That was with six and a half years service. This is screaming out bananier especially as the new system had not come into vigor. It's a long story and when I have time I'll go into it. Basically what happened was that I had a run in with the SCH in our section. He was drunk and completely out of order and he made a c*nt of himself in front of the whole section which he never forgave me for.

Then he became chef de section and wrote his appreciation of me just before I left for Djibouti. The ironic part of it was the CDU was away at the time and I went in front of the 2ic. When I challenged my notation, suddenly noted the same as a first year legionnaire, he said that I could contest it but I was leaving for Djibouti in a weeks time.

So I turn up in Djibouti as a corporal, six and a half years of service noted 5. The good part is two years later I came back a corporal chef noted 3. As I said it takes two years to be noted the same to move up a point. But there are exceptions !

Wow, you know here in Egypt, you are not allowed to take any courses unless appointed by your superiors to do so. You can only take civil courses to ensure yourself a job or a career after retirement/serious injury and that's it. You cannot change your regiment, your specialization or anything about your military career no matter how hard you work. For example, once a sniper in the Egyptian army always a sniper. Even if you apply for any other course and you graduate with distinction unless your superiors decide you want to move you move. If you make the mistake of expressing your opinion or just a wish to go somewhere (except for Sinai, of course, they always welcome anyone wanting to go there) if you're lucky you will get 1-year jail if the officer is in bad mood or he had a fight with his wife you may get court-martialed. Even your very first specialization you don't get to express what you want to join you are just assigned a job and that's it. That was a very encouraging post mon Joseph

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

... mon Joseph

Je suis pas ton Joseph, je suis le Joseph de tout le monde,
just a legion joke.

 

[Le petit caporal]

Know of 1 ex legionnaire who runs his own Electronic Informatique / computeurs business (he learnt to do so in the legion
I have bus and lorry licences that i could use for working (but I dont, personal choice)
Stage chaud et froid / hot and cold course. ..repairing fridges, washing machines, climatisation units etc (big demand for that kind of service)
Speaking for France and no where else. ..best to create your own employment and fuque the rest

 

[dusaboss]

mon Joseph

Nije tvoj!

To je naša cura fina - Žozefina!

 

[Le petit caporal]

You Tube : Bashung, Osez Josephine and Fantaisie Militaire