finish with roses all around the inside of its perimeter. These are carefully maintained by the prisoners and any spare recruits. Any petals that fall in the wind are swiftly picked up by the Corvet Quartier who sweep around the building twice a day. Once back at "Castel" (Abbreviated term for Castelnaudary) you will soon be back into lectures, running and once every couple of weeks a trip onto the terrain for some patrolling (Normally about 20 kms or so) and practise of fieldcraft skills. Temperatures can get up to a hundred degrees in the summer and there are often reports in the local press of locals dying whilst out in the heat of the day or over doing it. The Legion has great experience of working in hot conditions and takes this sort of weather very seriously. If the weather is too hot then certain excercises may be cancelled or postponed until it is cooler. Many of the recruits will not be used to such weather - some may not have even acclimatised from their native country yet. You will quickly be taught that water should be treated like gold in these conditions. When out on excercise the training team will be watching very closely who has the discipline in them to conserve water 45 from their Bidon (water bottle). If you take small sips of water throughout the day, as opposed to great gulps - it will last you longer. On top of that, the more you drink - the more you sweat. But if you want to earn smartie points - be the one with half a bottle of water left at the next water stop. "Do not drink water from the rivers in France. If you do - it will make you very ilL For a week you will not know whether you're coming or going. Even sterilising tablets added to water are not safe in certain rivers. " A Typical Day. 6.00 am: the Section assembles in line in the corridoor for the morning Appel. After a quick shave and a wash you will get into Tenue de Sport (PT Kit). The room must be tidied and the beds made. The beds are not made in the normal way however. In the Legion the bed is stripped every day and the blankets folded to an exact size and placed one on top of another. These will sit at the end of the bed with the Couverture (Top cover) underneath. The sheets are folded and rolled in an exact manner to form a sort of tube. These are then laid diagonally across each other on top of the blankets to form a cross. This routine does not stop at the end of basic training but continues for as long as you reside on a Legion Quartier - regardless of rank. 6.20am: The Section will be either marched or doubled across to the refectoir for Le Petit Dejeuner (Breakfast). 46 This consists of a glass bowl of black coffee or drinking chocolate. With this you receive half a baguette each and some jam or marmalade. You will always carry your issued Opinel (Pen-knife) which you use for breakfast. You may only have ten minutes to eat this before being assembled outside to to return to the block. You may again either march or run back - dependant upon what is on the agenda for the day and the schedule of timings. 6.30am: Corvet Quartier is next on the agenda. (Straight line sweep around the building done by the complete Company to pick up cigarette ends etc.) At the same time as this, anybody wishing to go sick, reports to the Caporal Chef down in the Company office. If the rooms are not yet finished then one or two Legionnaires per room will remain behind to finish them off. There will also be a couple of Legionnaires left behind to carry out the Corvet Chiot (Toilet cleaning duties). 7.00am: Rassemblement (Assembly) by Section, or, if it is a Monday, it will be as a complete Regiment (Reglementaire). The Caporal Du Jour will hand you over to the Sergent and then if there is a senior rank present you will be handed over to the most senior rank present. From here you will normally go for a run. Distance varying from four to eight kilometres. (Incidently, you will always talk in Kilometres in the Legion. There are approximately 1.6kms to one mile. Or 0.6 miles to one kilometre. Therefore, as an example; eight kilometres equals approx. five miles). Runs in the Legion never start very fast - a great emphasis is put on warming up for at least the first kilometre or two, and then it gradually gets faster. At the end of the run there are usually exercises, rope climbing (always without the use of your legs), pull ups and sit ups, followed by stretching. 47 Periodically the Sergent will have you all straightening each others spines. The method used, does, for the first time sound like a very painful process. It can be a little disconcerting when you hear your spinal column cracking into line and the man doing it has only learnt the technique thirty seconds previously. It is however a genuine technique which was once used by osteopaths. 8.30am: Section arrives back at the block. The Senior rank will dismiss you into the building where you can get showered and changed ready for the Casse-scroute (Snack). This will be probably a quarter of a baguette and some pate. The Section will now be in Tenue verte (green combats) for the rest of the day. 9.30am: There will now be a lecture on postings in the French Foreign Legion. This may be taken by the Sergent, Sergent Chef or the Lieutenant. The period will last about one hour. After which you will be allowed outside for a cigarette break for fifteen minutes. 10.45am: A second lecture will follow on French language taken by the Lieutenant. 12.00am: The boots will be taken downstairs for a quick polish before lunch. There will also be time for a quick Aperitif before lunch. 1230: The Section will assemble ready to be marched across to the refectoir for lunch. The Section will almost always march and sing their way across the Place D'arme (Parade square). There may well be other Sections doing the same thing. 1250: Feeding time in the Legion is a very well executed procedure. The Legionnaires form a long line from the doorway up to the servery with a Caporal at the head of the queue controlling the passage of troops. When the head Chef calls out the word "Quatre" - the next four 48 Legionnaires walk past the servery, picking up a dish of food each. Since all the tables are laid before the meal with plates and all the cutlery, there remains only the food to be collected. This makes for a very rapid feeding system. In the space of only a few minutes literally hundreds of Legionnaires can be seated and eating their food without the hassle of a fifteen minute queue. At the end of the meal the plates are left on the tables to be cleared away by the Legionnaires on Corvet. (Which will at sometime be you). 1330: March back to Le Batiment (Building) to carry out the Corvette Quartier once more. The rooms will also have to be cleaned once more if they require it and the boots polished. 1400: The Section will be assembled and the Sergent will brief you on what is happening in the afternoon. Today it consists of being taken over to the Infirmerie for some tests. These may be urine, blood, a chat with the Medecin (Doctor), chest X-rays or whatever. 1530: Lessons in drill. Droit droit (Right turn), Gauche gauche (Left turn) and the demi-tour droit (About turn). There may also be further lessons on La Presente. 1650: The Compagnie will assemble together for the march across for the Repas du soir (Evening meal) sometimes known as La Soupe. Again you will sing. This may again be preceeded by an Aperitif in the form of pull- ups, press-ups and sit ups. 1700: La Soupe. (Evening meal) 1800: Les Chants de La Legion (Songs of the Legion). For several hours you will be in a classroom singing and reciting Le Code D'Honneur. There will be breaks every hour or so. For this you will go out into the corridoor/veranda outside and can smoke. 49 2100: Apel du soir. This will be carried out by the Sergent. If he is happy with the rooms and the turnout he will say Bonne Nuit (Good night) which everyone shouts back in unison - Bonne nuit Sergent! You can then get to bed. Qaurtier Libre - Time off down the town. At some time before the Section departs for a weeks training in the Pyrenees there will be guartier Libre (Time off down the town) - Assuming that is if the Section has performed reasonably well up till then. For this you will be allowed four hours out down in the town of Castelnaudary and you will be given about F200 francs to spend. The Section is transported in Tenue De Sortie (uniform for going out in) by camion (Lorry) to the old Quartier - Quartier Lepasset, again in Castelnaudary where basic training used to take place. You are on your own whilst out in the town, but there are Police Militaire (PM's) everywhere and the rules are strict. Nobody is to eat in public, drink or be loud. Most Legionnaires go to a bar and get drunk and then try their best to act sober. Most of them do a pretty good job and the training team does not really mind so long as the Legionnaires behave themselves. This is prime time to get ahead. Spend the first two hours sorting out your admin - i.e. getting anything you need and making phone calls. (A paintbrush is worth buying. It can be used for weapon cleaning and is invaluable as a cleaning tool for the likes of the magazines and the bayonet. (There is a brush in the weapon cleaning kit but the bristles are too thick). A bottle of iodine is also worth getting, for sterilizing infections or blisters). Most of the things that you need on a day to day basis are available in the Foyer back at the Quartier, but there is always 50 something you might need and it may be some time before you're allowed out again. This will also be your first opportunity to make a phone call. The number to get out of France is 0044 followed by your area code minus the first zero. For example, if the tel. no in England were 0171 123456 the whole number from France would be dialled as follows: 0044 171 123456. Trying to get help or advice from the French directory enquiries can give you a major Mal a la tete (headache) so try and get a francophone to help you if you have problems. If you want them to ring you back they must dial 0033 to get out of England, followed by the digit "4" for Castelnaudary and then the eight figure digit marked on the telephone in the kiosk. You may also find that because there are forty Legionnaires all trying to get a telephone, there are queues outside every phone kiosk. Try going to a hotel - if the people you are ringing want to ring back, it will be easier for them to get the number from international enquiries if they have any problems. Lager is served in half pints in France and is referred to as "Demi " or "Pression ". It is also quite expensive in France and especially so in the nightclubs where the equivalent of a full pint would cost you F100. Nightclubs however, will come later on in your career. The Camion will meet you at a pre-arranged RV (Normally the old Legion quartier in the town of Castelnaudary) to take you back to the Quartier. You are left to your own devices for the next few hours and it is not unknown for the Legion to allow you to sleep it off on arrival back at the guartier afterwards. Anybody fighting, getting rowdy or mouthing off goes straight into the slammer for ten days. If there has not been too much trouble on the first trip then a second trip may be allowed about a month or two later. There is also a town called Carcassonne not very far away from Castelnaudary which is the home town of the 51 French Paras. The Legion is reluctant to allow engages there due to the trouble that normally ensues. When you arrive at your regiment you are allowed to leave the Quartier in the evening aAer work and stay out until six o'clock the next morning assuming that everything is in order and ready for the next day. You will pass before the Bureau Compagnie who will inspect you. Then you must present yourself before the Chef de Post at the main gate - who will decide whether or not to let you out or not. Quartier Libre on a Regiment refers to a thirty six hour period over the week end. Not every weekend is Quartier libre allocated. The same routine applies when it is granted however. Shortly after having been on guartier Libre, there will be a trip into the Pyrenees - a small village called Camurac. An idyllic farmhouse setting in beautiful countryside where you will be continuing your training but in a slightly more relaxed atmosphere. There will be the usual Petit footing (Running) at some time of the day but most of your time will be spent marching in the Pyrenees. It may be tactical or non-tactical, depending on the training team. There will be an introduction to climbing and abseiling at some stage during the week's stay. At least a few evenings will be spent in the mountains drinking wine around the camp fire singing Legion songs. (The fires that the Legion make are not small bonfires - but more like mini Guy Fawkes nights). It is a slightly more relaxing time than usual - but as always assume nothing. 52 On arrival back at Castelnaudary it will be back to business as usual and this, if it hasn't happened already, could well take the form of the La Piste De Cornbat (The assault course). This pleasure is experienced about once a month and is located about five kilometres up the road from Castel. It must be said that this is one of the hardest assault courses in the world and in total, makes up a length of about five hundred metres; an internal circuit followed by an external circuit. All the obstacles have a certain amount of technique required and they will all be shown to you by the training team. Although no equipment is worn it is very, very knackering, but it is good. Now that the greater half of your training is completed there is now a large proportion of training which comprises of Guarde and Corvet around the Quartier. This is, in a way - a sort of training for what to expect at your Regiment. Every day, or for at least a few days of each week, some or all of the Section will be involved in such tasks as corvet mess officiers (Working in the Officers mess), corvet mess sous-officiers Working in the Sergents and above mess), Le Garde (Guard duty on the main gate) Corvet refectoire (Working in the Legionnaires mess) or Corvet Foyer ( working in the Foyer). None of these jobs are particularly hard, but it will certainly teach anybody who doesn't already know what a good days work is all about. You will work long hard days - and that is life in the French Foreign Legion. If you are working in the refectoire, mess ogiciers or mess sous-officiers you will have the bonus of extra food during the day. All this will be done when you arrive at your regiment as there is always a Compagnie de Corvet responsible for the chores and the guard to be done around the Quartier. Each company takes it in turn to carry out these tasks. 53 Le Garde - The Guard Duty. The one task that does require intensive preparation is Le Garde - this is a privileged position of responsibility. Although under the direction of the Sergent and the Caporal du Jour, you are the front line in the Quartier's defence. You will be armed with FAMAS and have live rounds in the magazine. For the Guarde there will be six Legionnaires, a Caporal and a Sergent. There will also be a "Clairon" (a buglar) allocated to your Groupe. The guard takes place from six in the morning until six o'clock the following morning. The preparation is just as important as doing the Guard duty itself. The weather can vary enormously throughout the year but in the summertime temperatures can reach up to a hundred degrees Fahrenheit. The Tenue de Garde is worn, which in summertime means fifteen creases in the shirt. If it is wintertime then the brown jacket and trousers are worn. This is easier to iron and there is not the heat to contend with. Whatever uniform is worn, the Epaulettes de Tradition are also worn on the shoulders. The FAMAS (Personal weapons) are drawn early in the morning and wiped thoroughly to remove any excess oil. Even the slightest mark will stain the summer shirt badly. Make sure you have a hanky with you. There is normally an assistant attached to each group of six to assist in tucking up the trousers under the elastics to make a neat finish and to fetch and carry. They are basically there to perform any other tasks necessary to ensure a smooth operation of the Garde. Although the Legion does not normally bother too much about bullshit and ironing of the normal working uniform - in this area of turnout they really do excell themselves. The boots are still not bulled 54 however, but the ironing must be spot on. It is also here that you will wear the "Centurion Bleu" - the wide blue band that is worn underneath the combat belt. Because the blue band is so long (about six feet) it requires two people to put it on, one holds it out straight and the other holds the start of the band to his side and turns his body until it is wrapped tightly around his waist. The blue sash must end with the tail at the front of the body in the centre, folding itself over to form a neat finish. The normal working day belt (Le centurion) is the positioned over the top. This item is again worn whether it is winter or summer. All the idiocyncrocies of getting it right are also the responsibilty of the Caporal and the Sergent in charge. (The Sergent is referred to as the "Chef De Poste" on this day). If there is one man whose turnout is a mess, then it is not only he who will go to jail but also the Caporal and the Sergent, since the culprit is their overall responsibility. The duty starts at 6am when you replace the previous night's guard from another Section. This is in itself is a ceremonial procedure. It will only take about ten minutes to do, but in this time the Chef Du Corps will have had brief words with everyone taking up the new shift. He nearly always has a friendly disposition and is a likeable character. He will ask you questions like, What did you do before the Legion? Are you enjoying the Legion? What did you do in training this week? and Are you in good spirits? These questions obviously are all asked in French but he is not un-used to encountering communication problems. By the time you are doing a stint of guard in the Legion you will probably have no problems in understanding and answering any of these questions in French. Once the Chef Du Corps has had his say, the Garde commences, two men on duty at a time. The shift works on a two hours on, four hours off basis. But the four hours off is not totally relaxed since it is forbidden to 55 sit down (In case it creases the trousers), coffee may be drunk but woe betide the man who spills it on his uniform. There are usually magazines to read in the guard room. The Sergent may let you sit on two stools one on top of another with a blanket on top. (To lessen the chances of creases appearing on the trousers). The meals are brought to you by the current prisoners, who will also take away your dirty plates etc. For the two that are on guard it is a long two hours. One of the two guards has a FAMOUS slung across the front of the chest in the traditional manner. Although it is not a particularly heavy weapon it does become that way after two hours standing motionless. The only movement permitted by him is to come to the "Gardez-vous" and to "Presente arme" when a Sergent or senior rank passes or drives through the gates of the camp. The man facing him and who operates the barrier does not have a weapon, and has the luxury of being able to move slightly more often. During the shift you are not allowed to wear a watch and there are no clocks in view. For two hours you are not permitted to move a muscle. You are on show for the French Foreign Legion and must show absloute discipline. The time passes hideously slowly. The ability to judge the two hours does come after a fashion, but there are times when you're out there and you're certain without a shadow of a doubt that your relief is late. They never are. The other duties of the Guard are to raise and lower the flag on the Place D'arrne in time with the Clairon. This happens at the beginning and at the end of each day. The flag must be lowered in exact time with the Clairon's tune. The lowering starts when the tune starts and should end when the tune ends. There are numerous threats on route to the flagpole by the Sergent to shoot you if you mis-time the procedure - but it rarely happens. 56 As evening approaches you are allowed back to the block to get changed into Tenue de Combat (Normal working green uniform). This is worn from 2000Hrs onwards and comes as a great relief for everyone. From hereon you patrol the area in front of the gates with a riot baton in hand. Check peoples ID cards as they come in and get the Chef de Poste out of the guard room if there are any problems. In the morning the guard goes through the same ceremonial changeover with the next shift and you return to your Section. There is no time off for working through the night - you go straight into the next day. It is the Section's responsibility to collect your petit dejeuner. Whilst you have been doing the guard duty there will have been another Groupe that will have been acting as a "Force d'Intervention Rapide" to react to any potential threat to the Quartier. They however have a much cushier time and apart from a practice run for a call-out they spend most of their time resting, watching TV or reading. Their shift starts at the same time as yours but they will wear Tenue de Combat at all times. La Legion c'est Dur - Mais Gamelle c'est sur( - The Legion is hard - but food is for sure I The quality of food in the Legion varies considerably from Quartier to Quartier (camp to camp). In some, the food is of an exceptionally high standard, probably as good as you would eat in many a restaurant. In other camps the 57 food is of a much lower standard. If you have any ideas of eating anything really disgusting - don't worry, none of it is that bad. What the different camps do have in common is the fact that there is rarely enough to eat; leaving the Refectoir feeling really full is a rare experience. At Castelnaudary the food is of the highest standard I have ever seen on a military camp anywhere in the world - but again there was not enough to feel completely full. Most people would probably agree that they would rather leave the refectoir having enjoyed the meal and slightly hungry than full to the brim of some sludge that the duty cook has thrown together in a pot out the back. Food is after all, a morale booster and you will always look forward to in the Legion. The feeling of hunger however is one you will become accustomed to during basic training. It is, if you like; a feeling which goes hand in hand with being an Engage volontaire. It is worth remembering that when in the field and rations are issued, it is vital that you eat the food hot. The difference between eating hot and cold food can mean the difference between passing and failing a march or run. Likewise, chocolate and cakes will not give you the stamina and energy that a full meal in the refectoir will. Do not therefore pack your Sac a Dos with Mars bars thinking that this will carry you through Raid Marche. There really is enough food supplied by the refectoir and the ration packs during your training to get you through, but when you join your Regiment and you are able to miss a meal and slope off to the Foyer, remember that proper hot food will serve your body better. 58 Before making ready for Le Raid there will be a few days spent at one of the French army camps towards the centre of France. Here you will undergo training in the firing of a variety of APILAS (Armour Piercing Infantry Light Armour Systems) and various small arms. The weapons fired include the RAC112, the LRAC89, the FAMAS rifle grenade and the two inch mortar. There will of course be various shoots done using your personal weapon - the FAMAS, one of which will be a night shoot. There will also be an introduction to explosives as well - how to put together a charge and each Legionnaire will experience firing a small charge in a controlled environment. You may also be given the chance to throw a grenade, of which there are two types - Offensive and Defensive. The Defensive grenade is the more powerful of the two. The trip will last about five days and you will be staying in French army accommodation. There will of course be Le petit footing done in the morning or when time permits during the stay. In the lead up to Raid Marche there will be further lectures on the differences between the Regiments and what to expect in the line of Regimental roles and the lifestyle to be expected after basic training. As regards the system for allocating which recruits go where, it works on the basis that those that perform to the highest standard during L 'Instruction are given the first choice as to which Regiment want to serve in. If anybody is deemed to be good enough they may be offered a position as Caporal Fut Fut. (To achieve this - a reasonable command of the French language is important). 59 Le Raid - Raid March. The final week of basic training is when Le Raid takes place and the Section will be taken up into the mountains and dropped off at Perpignan near the coast to start their long march back to Quartier Capitaine Danjou. The Section marches about 150 kms in three days and culminates in a series of tests which will certify you as fully trained legionnaires. This final test is known as the CTE/00. The test will examine your ability at voice procedure on the radio (Le PPll), first aid, fieldcraft and personal weapon handling. The march is tactical and apart from crossing open areas of ground in a tactical manner, hard targeting (Moving quickly) and pepper potting (One covers - one moves), you can expect to be ambushed at any time. You will pass through villages and small holdings in the country which must likewise be approached and negotiated as if in combat. The Caporaux and Sergents will map read during the week. Evenings however will take a non-tactical line and there will be the customary wine drinking and singing of Legion songs in front of a camp fire. The route is very hilly to start with but as the Section nears Castelnaudary it begins to level out more. This will be the longest march that you will have done in the Legion. If you are hoping to go to the 2REP (Regiment Etranger Parachutistes) then this will be taste of things to come. (it is tradition in this Regiment to march across the island of Corsica, where they are based once every year - a distance of over two hundred kilometres). By the time that you do Le Raid your feet will be well used to marching and the boots will be well worn in. The night before the Section is due to re-enter the Quartier the Capitaine Compagnie will join you and there will be 60 plenty to eat and drink. The following day the Section continues the remainder of the march straight back in through the camp gates, where you will be looked upon by any other passing Sections with envy and respect. This is the point at which most Legionnaires believe that the Kepi Blanc should be issued - when the job is done. However hard you might have found the march, the lack of sleep, the sudden ambushes - there is still more work to be done before you can relax. It is a tradition of the Foreign Legion to prepare the equipment for return to the stores immediately on return to the guartier after the final march. Since this is the end of your basic training, ALL the equipment must be immaculate. Tables are brought outside into the morning sun, all the Section weapons are cleaned to the extent that there is no trace of oil, grease or dirt anywhere. You may well be using pure alcohol to remove all such traces. Likewise the Le Brouillage (The webbing) is scrubbed, scrubbed and scrubbed again. The Section will be cleaning, scrubbing and polishing for the following twenty four hours non-stop after arriving back at the Quartier. Your feet will be blistered and bleeding - you will be so tired that you are delirious. Only once the work has been done can you start to relax. This is undoubtedly the hardest part of L 'Instruction, and you will by now be looking forward to your first posting more than ever. There are always foot and body inspections after every march or excercise in the Legion. If it is just a matter of minor blisters or ailments then one of the Caporals in the training team will see to you. Anything more serious and you will become a subject for the Infirmiers who are undergoing their training at Castelnaudary to deal with. Castelnaudary is also where the "Infirmiers" (Medics) undertake their training and who better to practice their new found art on than a Section of EV's. 61 Within a few days Chef De Corps will have you all assembled on La Place O'Arme for a final talk before sending you back to Aubagne for Regiment selection. As mentioned previously - the priority of choice goes to those that worked and performed best during basic training. It will also depend on whether or not there are the spaces available at the Regiment that have been requested. The most popular choices are the 2eme REP, 13 DBLE Djbouti and the 3eme REI in French Guyana. (See section on Regiment postings). There is various paperwork to be done at Aubagne, and it is here that anyone wishing to leave the Legion has the right to do so. (They can give notice that they wish to leave but cannot actually get out of the Legion until the end of the sixth month. Any remaining time waiting for the leaving date would be spent carrying our menial tasks around the Quartier) How Hurd? Passing French Foreign Legion training is within the capability of most men in a reasonably fit condition - (in mind and in body). Physical training in the Foreign Legion is taken at a gradual pace and, like basic training in many armies, will be governed somewhat by the overall ability of the Section under instruction. The hardest part of training that you will experience, from the physical side of things will be the Piste de Combat and Le Raid. From a mental point of view, the Legion does apply considerable pressure on recruits. Whatever your expectations are when you walk through the gates of the Foreign Legion for the first time - you can be guaranteed that it will not be what you expect. Things will be sometimes done in a way which seems illogical and 62 unnecessary. If you can accept that it is being for a reason, then you will not have a problem. In order to instill military discipline into a batch of raw recruits from a wide variety of cultures - it is necessary that they learn not to question authority, but to obey it - no matter what they might think of the concept or method. It is unlikely that you will find the physical side of things your greatest obstacle in becoming a "Bon Legionnaire ". Brutality. Yes, the Legion can be a violent place, but as time goes by, the Legion is finding itself coming more and more into line with the French army and with it, French military law. The cases of violence subjected on recruits are nothing like they were even ten or fifteen years ago. The worst brutality you will hear about will probably be on your ears at the Selection centre where you will be bombarded with "War stories" by other Legionnaires or "engages volontaires" (Raw recruits) in the Aubagne sick bay. Don't listen to stories; most of it is rubbish. Sometimes a guy will get a beating, but he will probably have deserved it. It may not be by an instructor, it could well be by one of the other Legionnaires in the Section. Standard corporal punishment consists of a "Stick" - which is the palm of the hand (normally fairly large) smacked against the back of your shaven head with as much force as possible. This example however, is a sort of controlled brutality if you like and is dished out as a formal punishment (Not really in a sinister way either). It is not as if the recipient is being beaten to a pulp through uncontrollable rage. A "Stick" will sometimes makes you feel momentarily dizzy but rarely does it knock you out. It just stings a bit. The other punishment which is ritually 63 dished out in a formal manner is the "Marche (en) Canard". For this the individual or group responsible for their crime will march a distance in the squatting position, with or without equipment with their hands on top of their heads. It is a little uncomfortable but that is all. The people who receive most of the physical abuse in basic training are the Eastern block engages - a large proportion of whom have joined ultimately for a passport, good food and a wage. Since the Berlin wall came down the Legion has been inundated with Eastern block recruits. Most of them are quite open and honest about why they are there. For this, they tend to get more stick at Castelnaudary. Sooner or later there will come a time in the Legion when you must stand up for yourself. If you are weak - then you will be walked over. The Legion is a tough army and you must abide by it's unwritten rules. Respect is earned, not only as a soldier, but also as an individual - as in all walks of life. Le Contrat - The Contract. The contract in the Legion is commonly thought to be for a fixed five years. In actual fact there is a probationary six month period. If the Legion decides that you are not suitable to be a Legionnaire then they will discharge you. Likewise, you too have a choice, but not until the end of the six month period. If at the end of the six months you no longer wish to be in the Legion you have the option to leave. At the end of the six months the Legion has the option, if it so desires - to add a further six month probationary period to the contract. This will only be done 64 if they consider you are still not quite up to the grade in all areas. (This is almost unheard of however). Anybody who is deemed unfit to be a Legionnaire is normally extracted before the end of the three weeks selection, and if not then - during the four months at Castelnaudary. Bear in mind that after three weeks at Aubagne and a further four months at Castelnaudary you will then have one month to go before signing the final binding contract. It is the case however that after basic training everybody is sent back to Aubagne before departing for their respective Regiments. Here you are asked which Regiment you would like to join and it is also here that you have the option to leave the Legion. But not for another five weeks or so. If you decide to get out, then there will be five weeks of menial tasks and corvet found for you to do around the guartier. When it comes to signing your contract you will not have the paper work in front of you translated. You will be told that the contract is for five years and given the paper to sign. There is little time for questions and answers and neither will it be written in your mother tongue. You do however have the option to leave at any time during your first three weeks at Aubagne without obligation. The Legion will normally donate F500 towards any travel expenses to get you home. (Same amount applies for whichever country you have come from). Below is a translated example of what will be presented before you when you sign at the end of the three weeks selection period: 65 ACT OF ENGAGEMENT in the name of (1) JONES David as a foreigner in the Foreign Legion In the year nineteen hundred and ninety five, the eighteenth of May at 1000Hrs, presenting himself before us was(2): Mr JONES David aged: 23 years professional in the trade of: carpentry living in Bath District of Avon in the Country(3) Great Britain. Son of(4) Steven and of(4) Jane nee Smith living in Leeds . Hair: Chestnut brown Eyes: Brown Eyebrows: Heavy j oined Chin:Divided Nose:Concave Teeth: CM90% Face: Oval Additional Features: Scar r. arm, L. leg Height: 1m 94 Weight: 91Kgs Any additonal marks: Tattoo r.upper arm, who has declared his wish to serve as a foreigner in the Foreign Legion, and to this effect has presented us with: l. A certificate dated on this day 18.05. 95 by(5) the French Army Doctor BUCHENNET, Doctor in charge of the 1 ere RE, Aubange. and certifies that the applicant suffers no disablity and has reached all the physical and height requirements for service in the Foreign Legion. 66 2.His birth certificate and proof of identity(3) certifying that he was born on 19.08.72 in London (GREAT BRITAIN) and is of British Nationality. 3.Authorization has been recieved from his legal representative(6). 4. (7) After having verified the documents presented before us, he has read articles (8) 6,7 and 13 on Decree No. 77-789 as on 1st July 1977 relating to foreign military person