I will spend 1-2 days in Paris before joining!

[Joseph Cosgrove]

IMHO, finish the education. Specially if you're young enough. Th FFL won't go anywhere. In the meantime you can learn french, work on your fitness, live your life. Just my 2 cents (mit MwSt.)

P.S.: I wouldn't say the German army is full of sissies, they have the KSK (army) and the famous GSG-9 (police).

Just remember that life carries on after the FFL. Get your education and as Tonyus wisely says get yourself fit and learn French. If you do finish your education and then go, the first thing the recruiter will ask you is can you speak French. If you say no, he will then say 'You knew you were going to join the FFL, you finished your education but didn't learn French!'
To all future candidates: the competition is rude, you have to stack all the chips in your favor. On the legion recruiting website, if they say that you have to be able to do five pull ups, you should be able to do at least twice that. You are not going all that way, spending lots of money to then kick yourself up the ars* because everyone is twice as fit as you. You've taken the time to learn a bit of French and got as many tips off the forum as possible and are in tip top condition. We're all behind you, but when you get there you are on your own.

 

[Mercenary]

Iam good with fitness, 182 cm 90kg only muscles, 16-22 pull ups (the hard variant), 40-50 push ups, 80-90 sit ups, good stamina, i read perfect french ... i learn every day 10 vocables. Thanks iam ok. ^-^

I won't spend so much money, because iam from germany, 40-80 euro 4-8 hours for a great experience

 

[Martin Scott]

you will end up skint in a seedy hotel room waking up with a sore arse and a huge tranny called fifi laying beside you awooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

There speaks the voice of experience lol

 

[Tonyus]

Ha ha ha. Someone did admitted a while ago to his fondness regarding thongs... fifi undercover maybe? It might be the one who's trying to hack this forum. "Hell hath no fury like a scorned... tranny!"

Joke aside, looks like you are prepared, Mercenary, all I can say Good Luck!

 

[Martin Scott]

Ha ha ha. Someone did admitted a while ago to his fondness regarding thongs... fifi undercover maybe? It might be the one who's trying to hack this forum. "Hell hath no fury like a scorned... tranny!"

Joke aside, looks like you are prepared, Mercenary, all I can say Good Luck!

You can have your shite wired tight but its the Legions decision whether they want you or not. bonne chance anyway.

 

[Sarajevo1992]

Stuttgart have the best chicks!!

Maybe because of all the Mercedeses there

 

[voltigeur]

I meant mostly how it would work if said Legionnaire didn't drink at all, all the memoirs I've read make it sound like drinking (not getting wasted) is almost mandatory. For instance I'm reading through that Banks to Battlefields blog and in it he describes having to share a drink with every Cpl in his section when he first showed up to regiment, drinking a helmet full when becoming 1 class, and then drinking an entire bottle with the captain, lieutenants, sergeants and other Cpls upon being made a Corporal himself.

But I'm pretty sure Joe answered the question well enough, and those are some wise words voltiguer.

Sound Like BS to me, unless things have changed drastically, Officers very seldom would drink with Legionnaires. Camerone and Christmas being exceptions. In my time there was no such thing as needing to bring a case of beer for the platoon when first assigned. What this blog describes, is more like a bunch of immature students having a hazing session.

 

[Rapace]

I meant mostly: how it would work if said legionnaire didn't drink at all? All the memoirs I've read make it sound like drinking (not getting wasted) is almost mandatory. For instance I'm reading through that Banks to Battlefields blog and in it he describes having to share a drink with every Cpl in his section when he first showed up to regiment, drinking a helmet full when becoming 1 class, and then drinking an entire bottle with the captain, lieutenants, sergeants and other Cpls upon being made a Corporal himself.
(...)

I believe what Legion-eire described in his blog is true, however, think about it... How often will you change rank in the Legion, and how many times ? Once every 2-3 years, in the beginning, if you're (very) good ? How many times do you have to introduce yourself to new team mates ? Every time you're changing regiment, that is once when you arrive from basic training and then maybe never again, or only once every 3-4 years. Drinking for Camerone, Christmas or some repas de corps (luncheons taken with all the regiment, for some special occasion, like the patron saint day), will be a few times a year.
So, it's not really difficult to respect those ‘traditions’ (which I agree may seem weird in the US Army...), without falling into the booze. On the other hand, you may become an alcoholic without never getting drunk, if you take the (bad) habit to drink “just a little bitâ€￾ every day... If you end up needing a few shots of whiskey (or any other alcoholic stuff) every day, to ‘feel good’, then you're on a slippery slope.

 

[Martin Scott]

Bloody hell, it was law in the early eighties to present a case of Kronnie to you new chef de chambre and room mates. Well it was in 1er Rec and what the brothers form the Rep said was common as well.

 

[voltigeur]

Times change, not always for the better.

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Bloody hell it was law early eighties to present a case of Kronnie to you new chef de chambre and room mates. Well it was in 1er Rec and what the brothers form the Rep said was common as well.

I agree with Martin and even though turning up as a Cpl in the REP and made chef de chambre, I brought my caisse. It was expected.

 

[Martin Scott]

I agree with Martin and even though turning up as a Cpl in the REP and made chef de chambre, I brought my caisse. It was expected.

Sort of Rite of passage.
1. Joining the regiment
2. When promoted to Brigadier ie Caporal to anybody else.
3. Promotion again and finally on joining MLE

 

[Chas]

Mercenary,

You come from Dortmund and you don't drink ? I find that astounding.
Well Dortmund beer is a pale lager influenced by golden pilsner.
Have you never sampled beer from the Dortmund breweries ? As I recall, Zum alten Markt, Hoevels Hausbraueri, Der Thueringe and Wenkers Brauhaus. In days of yore I had a fantastic holiday in that region sampling all beverages.
Finally I never smoked and sold my cig ration. I was such a wimp I also sold my rum ration. When I was promoted, 'oh how things changed'. A Captain at that time was paid £700 Pds Stg per annum.
Bonne chance with the FFL and learn to drink in moderation.

 

[Martin Scott]

Remember a lager called Dortmund er the only place you could get it was a little Indian Curry House on Lillie Road Fulham, a fantastic pint very smooth only problem was being a import very strong stuff. 3 pints and your legs didnt work.
700 pounds a annum was that a fortune in days of yore.

 

[Mercenary]

What the...?! I drank with 16 years like a russian guy
Now Im training like Schwarzenegger!
Alcoholic drinks arent good for my muscles