"Run Away With The Foreign Legion" Topic

"No matter how carefully you plan out your life, sooner or later it's all going to fall apart on you. When that happens, and the divorce papers show up or the parking fines get to be too much to bear, you might find yourself tempted to throw it all away and run off to join the Foreign Legion or something. Thanks to Beau Geste and that one Laurel and Hardy movie, Americans all have the idea that the Légion étrangère is the kind of organization that will let you sign up and get a new start on life by traveling all over the world and doing a romantic, dangerous job that really impresses women in sleazy North African bars.

Of course, like every other cool thing in the world, it can't really be like that. Despite its reputation as a life preserver for the cast-away men of the world's societies, where you can enlist to escape your horrible life and rise through the ranks in a new community, there's got to be some kind of horrible catch. These days, they probably require a master's degree or something, right? No way are they going to let a high school dropout who doesn't even speak French just sign up and start firing a machine gun, right?

Actually, that's about the shape of it. Pretty much any failure under age 40 can get in, and they're really forgiving about most of the awful things you've done to wreck the life you're living now…"
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I loved FFL history!

Amicalement
Armand

They all laughed at me because I chose the ugly camel.

Life in the legion today is far from a walk in the park to escape your past. Its considered an elite unit in the French army and the training and deployments are grueling to say the least. Plus I think you have to serve for a long time before you can retire and gain French citizenship. You wash out or quit and the French don't care where you go, but you can't stay here

You are right.
I have a (french) relative who was Sargent Mayor en the Legion.
A truly veteran covered with scars.
He told me a lot of histories!.
Because of him, I began to love the FFL.

Amicalement
Armand

Damn, I'm too old!

It does appeal to me about now in the year. Well I am an accountant specializing in taxation. ;-)

At least a 5 year hitch,when completed,before the Legionnaire is offered French citizenship. I still remember the hostage rescue carried out by the 2me REP in then- called Zaire (present day Rep. of Congo) in the late 1970's.