[Joining] Smaller Recruitment Offices (Lille)

[cujo6688]

I think if you make sure you are trained up and in good health then you have a good shot based on your story and situation AS LONG AS the doctors approve your tendon and your lazy eye....that will be the biggest hurdle.
You certainly have reason to stay and make a new life and give a full commitment. Give it your best shot. Good luck.

Thank you very much, and I'm getting better every day (I eat a lot now and the medication helps). I start training again Monday just running, walking, push ups and pull ups, but I know I need three of four weeks to completely recover, yes I know the ankle will be a hurdle and the lazy eye too, I will take my doctors x-rays with me and I hope I'll pass the eye exam. For the rest I will do my very best, maybe sound strange but I like following orders and will do my very best.

 

[dusaboss]

15% body fat I think lower even

Cujo If you are too skinny that could be a problem to. Remember (BMI) should range between 20 and 30 kg/m². BMI = Weight/Height² (weight in kilograms an height in meters). In your case most concerns me that scar on your leg.

 

[cujo6688]

My BMI is around 23, I calculated it already. I'm not really skinny it sounds weird to say but I have an athletic body but build like a athlete/fighter. I have a decent amount of muscle but not to much don't like having a lot of muscle because I need speed and to be explosive and real strength not show muscle to look good , but I need an extra 5 kilo to be on my normal weight.

 

[UndertowINC]

It sounds like you have a very similar situation to my own. The last two years had left me assetless, barely managing to survive, I lost a ton of lean muscle in addition to any real chances of righting my life normally. A perfect catalyst for transforming a fleeting interest and curiosity in la Légion étrangère into a plan to enlist.

Been training my ass off for the last 8 months to get as much back as I can, but given circumstances it's slow going getting back to my old shape. I'm still confident enough in my chances of selection to have sold what little I still owned off for the chance. I'll be homeless come March, so that was my deadline.

I'll be landing in France next month, hopefully we'll run across each other in Aubagne!

 

[cujo6688]

It sounds like you have a very similar situation to my own. The last two years had left me assetless, barely managing to survive, I lost a ton of lean muscle in addition to any real chances of righting my life normally. A perfect catalyst for transforming a fleeting interest and curiosity in la Légion étrangère into a plan to enlist.

Been training my ass off for the last 8 months to get as much back as I can, but given circumstances it's slow going getting back to my old shape. I'm still confident enough in my chances of selection to have sold what little I still owned off for the chance. I'll be homeless come March, so that was my deadline.

I'll be landing in France next month, hopefully we'll run across each other in Aubagne!

I wish you all the best friend, i can totally understand your situation , i have my clothes a cellphone and a shitty 10" laptop and my most valuable item is a single book , but I'm still happy and I don't give up never, material and money are things you can loose and win back so don't worry about that. Most important thing in life is your health so make sure to make this your number one priority and also a strong mind if you have this i would consider myself a happy man and all the rest will come back, I'm easy to recognize because I'll be the shortest in selection lol.

 

[UndertowINC]

Totally agreed, I don't really care about losing the possessions. I'm a simple, tenacious bastard. If I have food to eat, some semblance of shelter, and a purpose to keep me busy I'm content. The Legion provides all of those, as well as a family and a reason to stand proud again.
I'll keep an eye out, I'll be a slim tattooed yank. I'm sure I'll crop my mohawk before I knock on the door, otherwise I'd say to look for that. Although that could be Finley.

 

[Finleythefox]

Undertow. If it doesn't work out for the two of us in the Legion. You're welcome to make a move to Florida and start landscaping with myself. They usually take anybody without asking questions and sometimes with no background checks. Steady pay (small) but still steady as long as you can take the heat and the long days. I guess we're both Mohawks and tattoos.
My hair is a shorter Mohawk. Nothing crazy, an I don't spike it up. Natural color. Simply shaved to zero on both sides and a strip going from the back of my neck to the forehead. No fights though over whose hair is prettier though please! Haha

 

[Chas]

cujo6688,
I am rooting for you all the way. Albeit I never had the honour to serve in the FFL you must have what I call the ‘want factor’. It appears that you have it in spades. I know the feeling for I was a diminutive little squirt when I joined. I had the want factor and somehow prospered. I respectfully suggest you ease up on so much details in your posts.
Good luck in your endeavours.

UndertowINC,
Welcome to the forum. I like your post about tenacity. I call it the ‘Want Factor’. I found that the braggarts and talkers simply dropped out or never even went. We had 3 guys on the forum who kept saying they were joining the RM or FFL. None did. However a 4th who I stupidly sponsored, after two or three informal meetings, joined the Corps after completing his PRMC. He could not hack it and was given the boot. I made a mistake about judging mental fortitude in adversity and it still niggles me a little !
If you go stay the Grey Man and keep us informed.
Good luck.

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Undertow, tell us a bit about yourself. No point in mentioning any bad things in detail, but let us know for whom we are gunning for.

 

[cujo6688]

cujo6688,
I am rooting for you all the way. Albeit I never had the honour to serve in the FFL you must have what I call the ‘want factor’. It appears that you have it in spades. I know the feeling for I was a diminutive little squirt when I joined. I had the want factor and somehow prospered. I respectfully suggest you ease up on so much details in your posts.
Good luck in your endeavours. (...)

Thank you very much and will follow the good advice. I know I have a very small chance because of my ankle and lazy eye but still I feel young, can walk for hours and really like to train.

 

[UndertowINC]

Undertow, tell us a bit about yourself. No point in mentionning any bad things in detail, but let us know for whom we are gunning for.

Sure thing, and thanks everyone.

I'm 28, originally from Michigan but spent the majority of my adult life in Florida. I'm a certified personal trainer, although not training anyone but myself right now.

I first heard of the Legion from an old boss of mine. He had a bunch of war gaming miniatures of ~WW1 legionnaires and a fascination with it. I had heard the name before, but once I actually looked into it I found it really interesting. Didn't think at the time I'd wind up trying to join it though.

Over the years I grew increasingly discontent with normal 9-5 life, I felt like I had no direction and was just stagnating, making me almost jokingly consider it. Multiple financial hiccups and mistakes later I was finding myself out of places to turn and it became real consideration.

Initially I was tackling my training and learning of French with almost grim resolve. As I kept going, learning more of the Legion along the way and becoming an acquaintance of a 2 REI member who I could talk about it with, it has become focused excitement and desire. I really want to be a part of it. If it takes jumping through flaming hoops and punching a nun, sorry Sister, I'll buy you some flowers and ice cream when I'm getting my burn gel.

I actually have my ticket for France in hand, and everything set to leave in the middle of next month.

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Goodman Undertow, no need to punch a Nun nowadays to join the Legion. Where are you thinking of joining, Paris or Marseille? Have a look around for a guy good with a shovel when you get there, you have things in common, and I don't mean the fox punches Nuns, maybe the ice cream connection?
Best of luck and please keep us informed. You could be the first to give us a complete rundown of experiences and prices such as train fares, or hotels, questions asked at the immigration and so on. Even the prices of meals, it's all beneficial to those going to join.

 

[UndertowINC]

Haha, I'm hoping no nun punching, but wearing the kepi blanc is my mission, and I'd be off to a poor start if I couldn't hold to the code of honor and treat it as sacred.

Yeah, I was talking to Finley. There's a humorously strange amount we have in common actually.

I'll be joining in Marseille. I know there's no specific need to show up in Aubagne, if they want me there they'll want me at Fort de Nogent as well. But I'm treating the journey there as a sort of pilgrimage, as well as a chance to acclimate a little and start getting over jet lag.

I'll have to do that, actually. Air fare is highly circumstantial (although mine was surprisingly cheap) but everything else should be a good example to use.

I'll keep an active log of everything along the way so people have something to pull from. And then make sure to post it all before knocking on the door, or else if all goes according to plan it might be a while!

 

[loustic]

Good luck for you. Keep in touch with the forum !

Send us a last message before you enter the silence zone and another one as soon as you are allowed to communicate again with the big world. We all hope that you will remain silent during 5 months, or so. It would mean that you are in.

Even if you are not selected, let us know how it went : not for you or for us, but for other wannabes. Think, in that sad case, that you had at least the courage to knock on the big door !

But we all hope, and think, that you will succeed !

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Let me know when you go and I'll talk you through the arrival, I was there only a year and a half ago and used to live there. No need for taxis and expensive hotels.

 

[Finleythefox]

That we do UnderTow. Unfortunately I don't think they would let me keep my big sharp iron shovel, maybe they can stow it away in the compartment with my wallet and passport? We're both headed there different times so we may not see each other. I'm leaving sooner than him.

 

[Joseph Cosgrove]

Cujo, I clicked on the site for Groupe de recrutement de la Légion étrangère at Lille. I then sent them an e-mail (put in my matricule and the regiments I had served in) and asked if you can join up directly at Lille. As Voltigeur had already said you can, I wanted them to confirm it. I'm as sure as Volt that you can. And if not eliminated at the starting block you will be then sent to F de N. as Rapace said. Again I asked for this to be confirmed.
This is what the offical site says in English:
The French Foreign Legion information office (smaller recruiting center) in Lille is one of those 10 recruiting centers of the Foreign Legion called PILE (Poste d’Information de la Légion Étrangère), where you can be enlisted in..
It's Saturday and unless someone in F de N (where the GRLE is based) is on duty, I'll probably not get an answer before at least Monday or Tuesday.

I still haven't heard anything back for the GRLE so wrote again,
http://grle.legion-etrangere.com/mdl/contact/contact.php?dst=2
It might help if someone else could also send an email. The guy in charge is a Major Rossi. Unfortunately being a major in Fort de Nogent means he is just waiting on his retirement, hoping to hang on as long as possible to a good number and doing as little as possible.
I also sent an email to Lille itself but do not know how up to date their site is as the information was 2013.
Basicaly what we want to know is if you pass the first stages of recruitment and are physically fit (in Lille) will you be sent on the next stage of the recruitment cycle.

 

[cujo6688]

I still haven't heard anything back for the GRLE so wrote again,
http://grle.legion-etrangere.com/mdl/contact/contact.php?dst=2
It might help if someone else could also send an email. The guy in charge is a Major Rossi. Unfortunately being a major in Fort de Nogent means he is just waiting on his retirement, hoping to hang on as long as possible to a good number and doing as little as possible.
I also sent an email to Lille itself but do not know how up to date their site is as the information was 2013.
Basicaly what we want to know is if you pass the first stages of recruitment and are physically fit (in Lille) will you be sent on the next stage of the recruitment cycle.

Thank you very much for trying Joe, i know the up to date mail address is legionetrangere.lille@gmail.com for the Pile center in Lille. but they told me to make an appointment before arriving by phone.

 

[Rapace]

Cujo,

Don't want to be rude, but seriously... If you can make it to Lille, you can pretty easily make to Paris too. Get to the first highway toll barrier and hitch hike your trip to Paris with a lorry driver. Really not that difficult, for someone used to living on the street (I think this is your case, if my understanding is correct)...

 

[cujo6688]

Cujo,

Don't want to be rude, but seriously... If you can make it to Lille, you can pretty easily make to Paris too. Get to the first highway toll barrier and hitch hike your trip to Paris with a lorry driver. Really not that difficult, for someone used to living on the street (I think this is your case, if my understanding is correct)...

no Rapace your totally right, but from where i am its around 10€ to lille, if i had to go to paris it would take me around train faire to brussels 16€+ around 60-100€ with the thalys and then some money for rer train to paris legion gates and some food on the way, so its much more easy to go to Lille then to Paris and i dont wanna show up all tired, and i will need my money because they will send me civil for sure for further testing in the hospital for x rays on my ankle so im actually saving my money for this instead of the trip, and i hate to beg for something or ask people for favors, i wanna do it on my own, i can have people give me a ride to Lille or paris but i will not and never do this, this is something i have to do on my own. with my own strenght and own money. (i forthenly did not had to sleep outside allot because but its very complicated to explain and its the past for me and a closed subject my apologies i did do allot of stupid things in my past to survive and seen allot of shelters,crashed at friends places, moved more then 40 times in my life,but cannot do this anymore i try to live now a good and decent life as a Christian)I cannot go to the legion right now because I need one teeth fixed because the dentist where I went just made it worse and need to go tomorrow back and see what the problem is .and I need my complete health back before attempting to join, I don't wanna be stupid and trying to join and waist the legions time, while I now I would not make it right now, so it would be very easy to go to Lille instead of Paris. that's why I wanted to learn the correct information for joining in Lille. bit if I cant directly join in Lille ill spend all my money to get to the gates of Paris for that I'm sure off,and hope my medical documents that proves my ankle is in good health enough because there not fake as it would be easy ofcourse to fourge it but that's not my case