LegionStories

28. Chapter – Summary of my first year

Written by

Aron

Updated

Former NCO · 8 years in the French Foreign Legion · Independent site

French Foreign Legionnaire stand in the door

With the BAM I didn’t only finish a training but I also arrived to the end of my first year. Probably those were my quickest 12 months in my life. I don’t want to come back to all of the things I went through in this chapter but rather answer 3 questions you asked me in your e-mails or Instagram message.

Do you regret your choice?

Not at all. Joining the French Foreign Legion was one of the best decisions of my life. I didn’t became a millionaire or something but I found an interesting way at the beginning of my adulthood I like and want to follow for a while at least. I met people from all around the world and I learned a new language I would definitely not do by myself. These two things made me richer than if I had gone to a university to study some random stuff.

I also like the fact, that sport has an important part in my life. If I had a “normal” working place, I’d be probably in a much worst shape than actuallly I am.

What was the best moment you passed in the FFL?

I couldn’t pick only one “best moment”. I have many great memories of my first year, I chose 3 of them. The first is when I heard my name during the selection and I officially get in the French Foreign Legion. The second was the whole week we passed in Fourmigueres with my platoon (more about this period in THIS chapter) and the third was a day during the BSM when we were just skiing with a polish sergeant. I loved it because I was already a legionnaire and we weren’t threated as a dogsh*t anymore.

Would you recommend to someone else to enlist?

Not really. If someone asks me, I tell him the good and bad sides (from my point of view) of this life but I wouldn’t recommend to someone I don’t know to join the FFL. I can’t think about this “job” as an actual job. I’d say it’s a lifestyle rather. It could be awesome for a type of person but horrible for another one.

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I profit this chapter to assure you that I’m trying to write two post a month but sometimes I don’t have enough time. If you have any questions just leave a comment on the latest blog post and I’ll answer. It would be a great help for me also as well, because if someone else has the same question, he won’t have to send me an e-mail. Thanks for your support and hope you’ll keep following my stories.

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  1. Chetan

    Hii Aron bro Iam from India Iam 19 years old right now Iam preparing out for ffl . Right now my luv liver test score is 11 and pull-ups are minimum Iam scoring 8and maximum Iam scoring 10 is it good and please tell more us about the interview questions, the iq test which they take on the gate also and is swimming also mandatory right now ?

    Reply
  2. David

    hey Aron I love the stories you have been sharing and have been reading them every night now. I remember watching the FFL as a child in the late 90s and I was always interested in joining. now I am 29! soon to be 30. I still have a passion to join. sadly I also have a record with the police in my country but I did not serve jail time. however this isn’t the issue, but recently I was told by my doctor about a hernia injury in my abdomen, it’s not visible and it does not cause pain. however do you think this would disqualify me from joining the legion if I decide to go? it’s really put me down because I have been healthy all my life! than you! keep the stories coming and I look forward to buying your book!

    Reply
  3. Antonio

    Bonjour, j’aime les 2 départements de la légion le 2 rep et le 2 rei et si je ne peux pas aller dans l’un d’eux je serais blessé et alors je vivrais mal ma vie dans la légion.

    Reply
  4. Antonio

    Bonjour, combien de temps faut-il pour devenir sergent? Quelles sont les conditions pour entrer le 2 rep?

    Reply
    1. Aron

      Salut, ça dépend de tes résultats. Si tu es exceptionnel (et que tu maîtrise bien le français), tu peux passer à 3 ans de service si tu es déjà caporal. Sinon les gens passent aux alentours de 4-6 ans de service.
      Pour aller au rep il faut être apte parachutiste et de finir relativement bien l’instruction car les places peuvent partir vite.

  5. Rico Le pera

    hello i am 30 years old and i want to serve with the ffl. i have a wife and a child and she is willing to
    to travel with me to france. The question is: when you have completed the training, can you see your family during the weekend. or do you also stay at the barracks on weekends? please give me here some information because can’t find anything about this on the internet? Greetings

    Reply
    1. Aron

      Hey,
      It would be very complicated to bring them when you join, because during the first year, you won’t have too much free time to see them. As a légionnaire you don’t even have a right to rent an apartment for a long time. During the weekends you can go out if you aren’t on service, in a field mission or on a training. Family life is very complicated during the first 5 years or until you become a sergeant.

  6. Tudor

    Hello Aaron. I read every of your stories and I am very thankful for all of them, its a great inside view. Since 2 months I am training to go to the legion, I went running in the woods everday, doing pull ups and also my regular fitness training. I lost 7 kg already and I still have 14 days I am going to Strassbourg on the 1st July. My question ist where did you work after the Legion? Or are you still un the legion?

    Reply
    1. Aron

      Good luck for joining, don’t forget to test yourself on the Luc léger before going. I don’t share any exact information about my life after the FFL. I’ll write about in the near future, but for the moment I want to keep my thoughts for myself.

  7. Uros

    Hello sir,

    My questions refers to actual combat missions and deployment. I don’t know if you have seen “action” or if you can talk about it.
    My father told me that FFL is the first deployed in any kind of mission because French army sends you guys first always since they don’t want their soldiers die first in combat. Is this true?
    How risky are FFL missions and what are the chances of getting killed in action?
    Is there also people with wife and kids? How do they do it? Can they go back visit and when?

    Reply
  8. Uros

    Hello sir,

    My questions refers to actual combat missions and deployment. I don’t know if you have seen “action” or if you can talk about it.
    My father told me that FFL is the first deployed in any kind of mission because French army sends you guys first always since they don’t want their soldiers die first in combat. Is this true? How risky are FFL missions and what are the chances of getting killed in action.

    Reply
    1. Aron

      Hey,
      An interesting question! There’s no secret when it comes to missions of the FFL. As we aren’t special forces, we can talk about them once they are finished.
      What your father said isn’t 100% the reality. The Legion can’t go on mission “by itself”. The regiments are fully integrated into French brigades, so when a new mission comes up, we go all together. I also heard many times people saying that the Legion is the first to go and the last to come back. Maybe it was true 20 years ago but it isn’t nowadays. Being in the FFL isn’t more risky than serving in any other regiment of the French Army. That’s also a reason why I’m actually writing this blog. It allows people to get a real vision of the FFL.

  9. José Molina

    Una pregunta tengo mucha barba y a la hora de presentarme si voy con barba no hay algún problema por eso o te retrasa he visto varios legionarios con barba, me gustaría en un futuro poder tener denuevo barba se puede y como? Y el 2 REI tiene algún comando especial así como son los GCP o el GCM y qué tal son los comandos que tan activos están en misiones, gracias saludos desde Panamá pronto ingresare a la legión cuando abran fronteras.

    Reply
  10. Batikan

    And one more think i will threated all tooth but i have 1 black filled tooth others filled white is there any problem ?

    Reply
    1. Aron

      No, if they are treated and healthy there won’t be any problem.

  11. Batikan

    Hi Aron my name is Batikan from in turkey i want to join the legion what i have to do actually this january i will go to france. Is it any racist behavior in there ? Thanks

    Reply
    1. Aron

      While you are working with 140 different nationalities, there is no place for racism

  12. Christos

    what is best in pull-ups for 20/20 ?

    Reply
    1. Aron

      I’m not 100% sure, but it’s around 17.

  13. Patrick

    Hi! I”m 18 years old and I am from Romania and I am thinking of joining the legion, but I am 1.80 m and 65 kg, a skinny boy. Will it be a problem?

    Reply
    1. Aron

      Hey. No that’s not a problem, however I think it would be better if you took up a few kilos in muscle. I’ll publish a post about the medical requirements, so stay tuned!

  14. Khag bahadur jhedi

    Hi sir my name is khag bahadur jhedi from nepal. Recently iam in Qatar. Sir I want to join French foreign legion army. Now my age are 30 years my plan is thise 2020 November to go France but unfortunately thise Corona virus is coming so I will change my mind. Then now I want to go 2021 November that time my age 31. so age are any esu? Please reply thank u .

    Reply
    1. Aron

      Hey,
      You can join the Legion even at 31. You only have to keep your physical fitness as high as possible and I’m sure that you’ll make it. Best regards and good luck

  15. Dallas Rivera

    Hey man, I appreciate the time you put into this blog, it’s refreshing to hear about the raw unfiltered experiences you had in the FFL. You mentioned that being a Legionnaire isn’t a job and it’s a lifestyle, what is the lifestyle of a legionnaire? Is it just training, drinking, and getting laid as much as possible like your average soldier, or is there a bit more to it? Cheers.

    Reply
    1. Aron

      Hey,
      I said that it’s rather a lifestyle than a real job, because you work a lot more than other people and I couldn’t do this job only for money. If you don’t like to shoot, working in a team or just to look for a checkpoint at 2am somewhere in the countryside, it’s not for you. During a weekend you can’t go back home to your family, but rather to a city in France and probably yes, you’ll drink as much as you can. But a bit later when you learned the language and you know better the country, you’ll find other opportunities which make this whole adventure a cool thing. I’m not sure if all these things are clear, but that’s how I see my actual situation. Thanks for your comment!

  16. Alessio

    Hi Aron
    thanks for your blog it is always interesting and you tell many beautiful stories!
    could you describe the typical day now that you are in regiment.
    how do you describe the relationship with the corporals and the elderly?
    thanks

    Reply
    1. Aron

      Hey Alessio,
      A wouldn’t say that there is a “tipical” day in the regiment, but I’ll try to describe.
      5.30 wake up
      6.00 appel
      6.30 cleaning
      7.45 company assembly and sport
      9.30 training with rifle or preparation for a field mission
      12.00 lunch
      13.00 cleaning
      13.30 combat training or an activity according to the company’s program
      17.30 end of the day, you are free until next morning.
      Back those days I was a new guy, so I didn’t have a close relationship with the corporals or NCOs, but after my first deployment it was much better. We worked together as a team.

  17. Ru

    Thanks for the site and the stories brother, it’s a great source of information. I’m pre-training at the moment for the physical selection tests, will be going over to France in July to sign up. I’m 32, which is a few years older than the average age so I’m curious about the number of older guys who a) made it through selection and b) made it through the first year. I would really appreciate hearing any and all information about any guys my age that you were training with. Cheers

    Reply
    1. Aron

      Hey, guys over 30 are more serious, so if you are motivated enough, you’ll join and stay as long as you want.