 Home Additional Information Contacts Order Book |
| Castelnaudary - Chapter 4 Castel is the main training facility of the Foreign Legion. Basic training is conducted here as are specialist courses. Castel is located in southern France 50 kilometres southeast of Toulouse. You are placed in a section of approximately 30 men and share a room with six or eight fellow recruits. Caporals (corporals), who are part of the training staff, are assigned to live with you in the rooms. You are paid each month in Castel but won't receive the entire sum. The balance is kept in an account and later transferred to your combat regiment. You will be assigned a French-speaking partner or binome who will help you learn French and understand what is going on at any given time. Training begins with a month-long excursion to "the farm" which is a farm house located in the French countryside. Each company maintains its own farm for training. French is the workaday language of the Legion. All orders and commands are given in French. You must learn how to speak it in order to function and do your job properly. Lessons are given on the farm and throughout basic training but it is up to you to learn it. Most can speak it adequately within a year. Singing is an important part of Legion life. You will learn several songs during basic training and in your combat regiment. Once you've learnt a song it is combined with marching. The Legion marches at 88 paces per minute which is substantially slower than the 120 pace per minute norm of most military units. The Code of Honour must be memorized and recited flawlessly before you receive your képi blanc. The Code of Honour is listed below followed by an English translation. An amendment to Part 6 of the Code of Honour appeared in the November 2000 edition of the Képi blanc magazine. The change is listed below in red along with the previous version.
A képi blanc is a traditional white peaked hat that is a symbol of the Foreign Legion recognized throughout the world. You will be permitted to wear it after completing a 50 kilometre march a month into your training. You don your képi for the first time following a ceremony during which you recite the Code of Honour. Rank, Saluting/ Addressing Superiors Below are the ranks of the Foreign Legion.
Major is not the rank of an officer but is as high as one can go without then becoming an officer. All ranks from sergent (sergeant) and above are saluted by subordinate ranks. When addressing a superior in a formal setting there is a procedure that must be adhered to. You would say the following:
There are variations of this presentation but it is essentially always the same. The Legion does not employ civilians as do other military units. Each company furnishes manpower for one week, known as a semaine de service (service week), to complete necessary duties. Tasks include things such as working in the mess halls, supply warehouse, doing environmental chores such as raking leaves, any job that requires labour, and guard duties. Guard duty is one of the most important functions you will perform. It is taken extremely seriously. The principal guard duty involves protecting the main base of your regiment during a 24 hour shift. Other guard responsibilities commence at night and engage several dozen Legionnaires in manning the posts. Corporal punishment is still a factor in the Legion though on a much smaller scale than it used to be. It has, in fact, almost been completely eradicated as an accepted form of discipline. Isolated incidents do occur however. The most common form of punishment is to be sent to the lockup. You won't be able to phone or write anyone until you've been in Castel for roughly two months. After this there should be no further restrictions on contacting the outside world either during basic training or in your combat regiment. In most regiments laundry is done by hand using a bar of soap and a brush. This is slowly changing and washing and drying machines are becoming available. Meals in the Legion are mediocre at best. Breakfast isn't much more than bread and coffee. Noon and evening meals are comprised of some type of meat and vegetable, cheese and dessert. Beer and wine are available on tap to use at your discretion. In the combat regiments it is mandatory that you eat at noon but you have the option of declining the evening fare. You are trained on the principal armament of the French infantry. The main focus will be on the FAMAS which is the standard combat assault rifle of the French soldier. Other training includes grenades, the 9mm automatic pistol, and 89mm and 112mm anti-tank rocket launchers. Additional training takes place in your combat regiment. Some of the physical tests you undergo are:
There are no actual pass or fail requirements for these tests. Anyone displaying a less than average physical ability will still be sent to a combat regiment at the completion of basic training. Nevertheless, it is in your best interest to do as well as you can. The physical side of life gets more difficult in the combat regiments, not easier. March or Die is an ominous motto from the Legion's past, alluding that stragglers on a march either kept up or were left behind to perish. Things aren't this severe anymore but the spirit of these words lives on. You will complete several marches at Castel, the final one being roughly 160 kilometres. This activity occurs regularly in the combat regiments. Below are the regiments of the French Foreign Legion:
They will ask you for three preferences as to which regiment you would like to be sent. There are no guarantees that you will be sent where you want. |