I have been looking at my options as far as joining the service and due to my juvenile charges the army and the marines have both denied my enlistment one day i was joking around with some friends and one suggested the FFL after doing some research and nobody has much info on them i mean a few things but what my real question is will i still get in with my charges the training i can handle i like pain and to be tested and as far as severing ties for some time i can handle that so i was just wondering does anybody have any legit info personal experience would be the best
I can give you some help you with this, my soon-to-be-father in law is a retired French Army Colonel who has worked directly with FFL parachute companies. I can answer a few (but not all) questions here, if you need anything more specific I can ask my father in law and Ill get back to you. I cannot get you into the FFL, (nor will I try).
(To the Mods: I admit I have not been in the service myself, and I generally avoid this forum. But the information I am giving is legit from a family source. I would not volunteer this info if I didn't have access to this information). PM me if this is a problem.
1. First of all, are you an American citizen? If so that could be bad because you can technically lose your citizenship by enlisting in a Foreign Military. Yet *I think* there is an exemption for the FFL as Americans do serve in it.
However, Since I am not 100% certain of this myself and won't vouch for it so you will need to ask the US State Department before you go any further!!!
2. As to the question of your criminal record. Yes, you can join the FFL with a criminal record but there are somethings you should know. Most importantly, if you have a criminal record or are wanted by the autorities
YOU MUST TELL THE FFL EVERYTHING DURING THE INTERVIEW. Minor Crimes can be overlooked, even *certain* Felonies. Serious Felonies (violent, drug offenses, etc) however will not be tolerated, and they DO check. My suggestion would be to call the FFL recruiting office and explain your exact situation, they will tell you if you are eligible or not.
DO NOT TRY TO LIE OR BE DISHONEST TO THEM. The FFL follows a strict honor code, punishment for violating the code is severe and chances are they will find out if you try to hide something. Just don't do it.
Contact info is here
http://www.legion-recrute.com/en/contact.php
Also if you have been sentenced to Prison in another country, service in the FFL will
not exclude you from your arrest or sentence there,
UNLESS the crimes were committed within the French Republic. In this case years in the FFL can (not in every case) be exchanged on a certain ratio (which I would have to check for you). However at the completion of your service you can apply for French citizenship and your record will be clean. My father-in-law says that many recruits are people trying to get a new start for errors made in the past.
One final point. The FFL standards and discipline are particularly strict, this is not the regular French Army or even the US Marines. I'll be frank, Legionnaire Life is quite Spartan and many of the recruits have prior military experience including some very unpleasant parts of the world where Americans are not liked. Be sure you want to do this, because once you have signed on your in it for the full 5 years. Think hard before doing this, this isnt Hollywood, forget your pre-conceived notions. It is a hard but rewarding life.
If you need other info, reply or send me a PM. I can check my inlaws for any other questions you might have.
P.S
I found this for you from a magazine, just to let you know what you are in for...
http://www.military.com/news/article/french-foreign-legion-is-still-a-draw.html?wh=news