French Foriegn Legion
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They are the one of the most professional soldiers in the world. Although not special forces they are highly trained and often in the line of combat. Anyone is a fan of FFL? Wonder any Singaporean actually joined.
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I think there are surely one or two Singaporeans in it before.
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This topic have been discussed before, if i didn't remember wrongly its a crime for Singaporean NS men to join the FFL because like that you will have to pledge your loyalty to both Singapore and France. This is unacceptable in SAF point of view.
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Actually if I recall correctly under GOM, no serviceman, is allowed to work for a foreign government organisation unless they have permission from Mindef. But that only applies for a specified number of years after ORD.
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Hey, come to think of it, the FFL doesn't seem to have done anything recently. Why don't the French government let the FFL lead the way into Lebanon
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I seem to recall one guy here claim to have beaten up a ex-legionnaire or something. He also said the FFL was crap or something...
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They are stationed in camps in Africa to peace keep and watch borders.Also i think the french might send them in. When they mention para's,more often it means the FFL para'sOriginally posted by 21Alpha:Hey, come to think of it, the FFL doesn't seem to have done anything recently. Why don't the French government let the FFL lead the way into Lebanon -
Do a bloody search! Same goes for the posters here!Originally posted by banzie:They are the one of the most professional soldiers in the world. Although not special forces they are highly trained and often in the line of combat. Anyone is a fan of FFL? Wonder any Singaporean actually joined. -
They have a few deployments, 2 of which are a battalion(or regiment?) each in French Guiana & Djibouti, the former mainly to protect the ESA space facilities.
The FFL are interesting in that they allow the legionaires to choose the regiment they want to join after BMT. Eg, those who choose 2nd REP will be posted to Corsica, etc -
They also have a parachute regiment, considered an elite within an elite.
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My teachers at the Allianse Francaise recalled several local students who were studying French so that they could join the FFL. They say that those guys eventually did. The FFL is always in the vanguard of any French overseas deployment, especially zones which are likely to see action. Currently the French are very stretched in Africa.
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These people are usually criminals or people on the run, The French Govt accepts them and fight to the death
At least they avoid punishmentIn the past, the Legion had a reputation for attracting criminals on the run and would-be mercenaries. In recent years, however, admission has been restricted much more severely, and background checks are done on all applicants. Generally speaking, convicted felons are prohibited from joining the service.
After serving in the Legion for three years (out of a five-year initial enlistment), the legionnaire is allowed to apply for French citizenship. Furthermore, a soldier wounded in battle for France is also allowed to apply for French citizenship under a provision known as "Français par le sang versé" ("French by spilled blood").These deployments are current as of November 2005
Operations exterieures (other than at home bases or on standard duties)
Martinique - (Protection) - 2e REG / 2e Compagnie, RCS;
Paris, France - VIGIPIRATE - 2e REI / 2 units, EM; 1er REG / 2 units;
Montpellier - VIGIPIRATE - 2e REI / 1 unit;
Perpignan - VIGIPIRATE - 2e REI / 1 unit;
Guyane - (Protection) - 3e REI / 3e Compagnie; 1er REG / RCS;
Côte D'Ivoire - (Intervention) - Operation LICORNE - 1er REC / 5e Squadron;
Mayotte - (Prevention) - DLEM;
Iles Glorieuses - (Prevention) - DLEM;
Djibouti - (Prevention) - 13e DBLE; 2e REI / CAC, RCS; 2e REG / 1er Compagnie, RCS;
Kosovo - (Intervention) - 2e REG / BATFRA.
Afghanistan - (Intervention) - 2e REG / URH;
Training Operations
2e REP - France (Corse) - Regimental Exercise
1er REC - France (Provence/Alpes-Cotes D'Azur and Languedoc-Roussillon) - Ex. Amphibie " Melaoria II"- Exercise "PC Garrigues "Palmex II";
2e REI - France and United Kingdom - La Courtine, Ex. Cambrian Patrol and CIECM;
3e REI - Guyane - Stage Combat en Milieu Equatorial;
4e RE - Exercise Antarès with 17e RPG.
Any Singaporeans can join it, Just have to avoid deployment into Singapore
before getting your french citizenship that is
And expect to marry a african wife or something
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Why would u want to join the french foreign legion ?? A career in the Singapore Armed Forces would be Better... LOL
And the Marines Dont employ Foreigners... Only people with US visas... -
These people are usually criminals or people on the run, The French Govt accepts them and fight to the death
Your wrong boy... that was the past...They Dont do that now... Heard they check ur records with interpol..
At least they avoid punishment -
One more thing, IF you join the FFL, they give free French Language lessons for you! Casue in the near future, you will speak FRENCH!
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Seen today's paper? (Straits Times 26 Aug 2006). The French have sent in FFL troops (Legion Etrangere)
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kind of expected. who else would France send?
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Yeah. Our resident cowboy Gedanken.Originally posted by moca:I seem to recall one guy here claim to have beaten up a ex-legionnaire or something. He also said the FFL was crap or something... -
France was a colonial power, and like most colonial powers, it was prudent to have a mercenary (or expeditionary) force that is prepared to fight in the far flung corners of the empire with no questions asked.
The Legion is such a force. The Legionnaire is different from the citizen soldier or even the career soldier in that he needs only a salary - not morals or reasons - to fight.
The British have them - the most famous being the Gurkhas. Another colonial power - Spain - still have a force called the Spanish Legion, which is the equivalent of the FFL (though it no longer accepts criminals or foreigners).
The original Legionnaire is typically someone who is considered a good-for-nothing or a layabout rounded up from country taverns and pressed into service. Or someone who seeks out these kinds of employment and is accepted with no questions asked either way.
The Legionnaire fights harder cos he has nothing to lose, no one to miss and has nothing back home to look forward to. Escape from the Legion is usually firing squad offence and most serve till they are discharged or contract ends.
American troops in the World Wars were mainly citizens. Citizens fight well when their country are threatened. But after the war they expect to go home and carry on with their lives.
The next up is the career soldier, a citizen deciding to earn a living as a soldier. The US troops now in Iraq are career soldiers. But career soldiers still need a reason to fight, and when things get unpopular they will still make a lot of noise.
The Legionnaire, on the other hand, will not complain. They made up the great bulk of the French troops sent to fight in all of the nasty wars in former colonies in Africa and Asia where casualties among regular French troops will raise havoc as these people have families etc.
Therefore, the Legion continues to accept men of dubious background as to die without reason or regret is expected of them.