French foreign legion, medical problem

F

fenix

New Member
Hi there, I was wondering if any one could help me with a issue that I have?

I'm from South Africa and flew to France to join FFL, I do have 2 screws in my knee from a rugby accident that I had a few years ago. I had my medical report about my knee with me when I arrived there but was told that it needed to be in French, needed to be original (not a simple translation done by some-one) and that it needed to be a more recent report (mine was the report from a few years back).

My question is, do any of you guys think that it was a way for them to turn me down or would they FOR SURE except me if I complete their request? I have to fly back to France seeing that I had to come back to South Africa for the report and had no place to stay there.

Kind regards
 
I am afraid they have said thanks but no thanks in a polite way.
FFL requires you to be physically fit to serve at all times and places all over the world for at least 5 years.

I´ve been in the infantry for some 10 years now and I´ve been deployed several times. I know how hard it is for my knees.
Unfortunately your chances are extremely limited when they have plenty of others to choose from.
 
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tetvet said:
Too Want to join the FFL you'd have to have screws in your Head .
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Why?
What is it you think you know about the the legion?
They have a esprit de corps which is very similar to what you find in the USMC.
They are trained at almost the same level as a British RM
None is so shrouded in myths and assumptions as the French Foreign Legion. The vast majority are clearly exaggerated horror stories.
Once you have participated in exercises and met and talked with a legionnaire, you get a different view of them.
 
Thank you Kesse81 for your insight. Do you think that if I get the screws removed and I heal completely with no signs that something was ever wrong with my knee that they will let me in then? I am willing to do that but need hard assurance that I'll be let in.

Kind regards
 
There´s no guarantee that you will be admitted.
They each year receive approximately 6,000 applications, but they only need about 1,000, so it´s no longer quite so easy to get in. You can try to contact the French Embassy in South Africa. They can probably give you some better advice on what to do.

One thing you need to make quite clear from the start is that there is a lot of Racism among the rank and file especially if you are not European looking. The vast majority of recruits is from east Europe and is not very friendly disposed towards all who don´t have white skin color. In fact, the vast majority of desertions are because of the Racism they experience and not because of the hard training.
 
Kesse81 said:
There´s no guarantee that you will be admitted.
They each year receive approximately 6,000 applications, but they only need about 1,000, so it´s no longer quite so easy to get in. You can try to contact the French Embassy in South Africa. They can probably give you some better advice on what to do.

One thing you need to make quite clear from the start is that there is a lot of Racism among the rank and file especially if you are not European looking. The vast majority of recruits is from east Europe and is not very friendly disposed towards all who don´t have white skin color. In fact, the vast majority of desertions are because of the Racism they experience and not because of the hard training.
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During the early 50's my father came into contact with the Legion while stationed in north Africa. At that time the Legion was made up of largely ex Nazi's. They were brutal to say the least and had no hesitation of opening fire on a crowd to get a an Arab resistor. Not sure if this is on topic but those legionaries were racist.
 
fenix said:
Oky thank you. I am white but doubt that I look European. Would the racism still be there?
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What I hear from ex-legionnaires is that officially Racism is prohibited but that many NCO´s tolerate it because they see it as part of the psychological training. Western Europeans look down on the East Europeans which in turn look down on Arabs and Africans.
If you are Afrikaans speaking you will surely; according to a legionary be seen as inferior by Western Europeans and the East Europeans will treat you as a Pseudo-African.

One thing you should take into consideration is that you can´t choose which job you end up with. They have the exclusive right to decide what they think you can do. So if you think you are entering to be paratrooper, you might end up with a surprise. Perhaps they want you in the infantry or as a medical orderly, a cook or in supplies. And you have signed up for five years, and all you are going to do is to cook or move around boxes in a warehouse for five years. How fun is that when you thought you were going to conquer the world?

Consider it carefully before taking the decision my friend.
Maybe it´s not worth it anyway!


JOC said:
During the early 50's my father came into contact with the Legion while stationed in north Africa. At that time the Legion was made up of largely ex Nazi's. They were brutal to say the least and had no hesitation of opening fire on a crowd to get a an Arab resistor. Not sure if this is on topic but those legionaries were racist.
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I´m not surprised.
Once read a Danish legionary´s memories from the war in Indochina.
He told that there were former enemies together in a company. Men who had fought on opposite sides in WWII and now fought together. German and English legionnaires talked about World War II as if it had just been a football game.
 
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The French Foreign Legion provides France with the opportunity to deploy military forces abroad without jeopardizing young French lives. The French government has never trusted the FFL due to the failed assassination attempt toward President De Gualle. Governments never forget and never forgive.

Today the FFL can be a headache for the French when they occasionally are rather rough toward civilians. Although, they are useful for Paris in the implementation of French foreign policy.
 
I3BrigPvSk said:
The French Foreign Legion provides France with the opportunity to deploy military forces abroad without jeopardizing young French lives. The French government has never trusted the FFL due to the failed assassination attempt toward President De Gualle. Governments never forget and never forgive.

Today the FFL can be a headache for the French when they occasionally are rather rough toward civilians. Although, they are useful for Paris in the implementation of French foreign policy.
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They were expendable and ruthless was how my dad described them from the 1950's.
 
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