So You Want to Be a Foreign Legionnaire Quiz

Answer: The Legion accepts all nationalities

Persons of any nationality are accepted into the French Foreign Legion. I believe that is where the "Foreign" part comes in. The entrance requirements are simple: 1. you must be between 17 and 40 years of age, 2. you must have an official identity card, 3. you must be physically fit enough to serve.

While women were traditionally unable to join the French Foreign Legion, recent pronouncements that women will be able to serve in any part of the French Army has changed that. While women may not join the Legion straight from civilian life, they may be able to transfer from a military school.

No matter what your marital status, you will enlist as "single" so get your wife's permission before you go.

Answer: False

The Legion originally instituted a "declared identity" requirement because some people who joined did so in an attempt to start a new life. Having every Legionnaire change their name upon enlistment was thought to make it equal for those who were seeking a new identity and those who were not.

After one year of service, a Legionnaire may switch back to their birth name through "military regularization of situation." There is no requirement to switch back, however.

Do not join the Legion just because your name is something like Percy Dillhoefer and you want to change it. There are other name-change avenues you should explore first. The Legion is a five-year commitment and desertion is frowned upon.

However, in September 2010 the policy was changed to allow new recruits to join under their real identity if they wished. Then, in 2014 there was a further change to require all to enrol using a declared name.

Answer: There is none

While all the training, papers, orders and even songs are in French, you would not need to know French before enlisting. You will be able to pick up a working knowledge of French while a Legionnaire. Although pretending not to understand French would be a good thing if you end up getting chewed out a lot.

Answer: No

Minor offenses may be overlooked, especially if they are isolated cases. Felonies or a record of continual criminal behavior would definitely disqualify someone from joining. They do perform background checks.

Answer: FAMAS assault rifle

The FAMAS (Fusil d'Assaut de la Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Etienne) is an automatic rifle which fires the NATO standard 5.56x45mm cartridge. It is also the rifle used by the French Army. In fully automatic mode, the FAMAS can fire 1100 rounds per minute. It is of the bullpup design, meaning the bolt and ammunition magazine are located behind the trigger. This allows for a shorter overall length. The FAMAS is only about 30 inches long.

The AK-47 is a Russian assault rifle in service from 1947 to the present day. The Kammerlader was a Norwegian rifle from the mid-1800's which fired a minie ball. The Springfield 1816 was a US rifle from the early-1800's which fired a musket ball. You don't want to go into a modern firefight with a Kammerlader or Springfield 1816. It would be akin to me entering a battle of wits. I would be unarmed.

Answer: General de Division

General de Division, or Division General, is the highest substantive rank in the French military. The Foreign Legion is a branch of the French military. Titles such as Marechal de France and General d'Armee are special distinctions and not separate ranks.

Interestingly, Major is the highest non-commissioned officer rank. In other militaries, Major is an officer rank. Llama first class would be a nice rank to have, but, unfortunately, I just made that up.

Answer: In combat you act without passion and without hatred.

The complete Code of Honour:
1. Legionnaire, you are a volunteer serving France with honour and fidelity.
2. Every legionnaire is your brother-in-arms regardless of his nationality, race, or religion. You will demonstrate this by the strict solidarity which must always unite members of the same family.
3. Respectful of traditions, devoted to your leaders, discipline and comradeship are your strengths, courage and loyalty your virtues.
4. Proud of your status as legionnaire, you display this in your uniform which is always impeccable, your behaviour always dignified but modest, your living quarters always clean.
5. An elite soldier, you will train rigorously, you will maintain your weapon as your most precious possession, you are constantly concerned with your physical form.
6. A mission is sacred, you will carry it out until the end respecting laws, customs of war, international conventions and, if necessary, at the risk of your life.
7. In combat, you act without passion and without hatred, you will respect the vanquished enemy, you will never abandon your dead or wounded, nor surrender your arms.

Answer: Peaked hat

A new Legionnaire receives his kepi blanc (white kepi) after completing a 50 km. march in training. Officers and senior NCO's wear dark blue and red kepis.
A ditty bag was a small bag carried by soldiers in WWI as well as sailors. It held needles, thread, and other small pieces of personal gear.

Jupon is French for petticoat. Real Legionnaires don't wear petticoats. At least not in combat.

Answer: 88

Most military units march at 120 steps per minute. The 88 step per minute pace was how fast (or slow--Legionnaires refer to their marching pace as "the crawl" and always find themselves at the tail end of any military parades they enter) the former King's soldiers marched.

450 steps per minute is roughly 20 miles per hour. That would be pretty fast.

Answer: French Guiana, Djibouti and Gabon

France has interests in French Guiana, Djibouti and Gabon which accounts for Legionnaires being stationed in these places. The Legion's headquarters is in Aubagne, France. In the past, the French Foreign Legion has assisted in the Gulf War as well as conflicts in the Suez in 1956, Chad and Libya from 1969-1972, Republic of the Congo in 1978, Rwanda 1990-1994 and the Ivory Coast from 2002.
Its too bad they do not have posts in Bermuda or Peru. Bermuda has such nice weather. Peru has llamas. I'm sure those other places are nice, too.