History 1

Christmas on mission is a time for reflection and sharing, says a French officer among the thousands of NATO soldiers spending the festive season far away from home in Afghanistan. Full coverage ...

Peacekeepers Deserve Piece Of History

THERE are things about your family that you never know until you ask questions you normally wouldn't ask; things like how your older brother, at the age of 28, ran into a minefield in Cambodia to pick up a six-year-old girl who had her leg blown off by a tiny jumping jack mine More ...

The article was taken from the Daily Telegraph and It highlights the purpose of peacekeeping forces around the world, including the French Foreign Legion. I included this article because the French Foreign Legion still has its image as a refuge for people running away from the law or running away from their past. But the main role of the French Foreign Legion nowadays is peacekeeping missions - anywhere they need to stabilize the potentially dangerous situation, especially in the previous French colonies in Africa. These men from around the world, serving under one flag deserve more respect that they have. The image must be changed, the traditions must be kept.

Elite Snipers From Around the World Meet in Canada

for annual Canadian International Sniper Concentration and competition. French Army is represented by a team from 2 REP (coach, sniper and spotter). The selection was based on the French Army sniper competition held early this year. I included an archive article from Canadian Army web site from the event held in 2004 ... Gagetown Canada

French Foreign Legion proves that nationalism not only a product of ethnic origin

European TV stations broadcasted the ceremonies marking this weekend's Bastille Day and much time was devoted to the resplendent military parade that went through the Champs Elysees as it does every year. According to tradition, the parade ends with the French Foreign Legion, wearing their white hats and red shoulder tassels while marching their slow steps – exactly 80 steps per minute. more ...

14 July - Bastile Day - what's missing in Wikipedia

Bastille Day is the French national holiday, celebrated on 14 July each year. In France, it is officially called " Fête Nationale " ("National Holiday"), or more commonly " quatorze juillet " ("14th of July"). It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789; the storming of the Bastille was seen as a symbol of the uprising of the modern French "nation", and of the reconciliation of all the French inside the constitutional monarchy which preceded the First Republic, during the French Revolution. Military parades, called Défilés du 14 juillet, are held on the morning of 14 July, the largest of which takes place on the Champs-Élysées avenue in Paris in front of the President of the Republic.
This is what you can read in Wikipedia. What is missing there is a small detail about the parading legionnaires: There is a rounabout on the way the parade is marching and all French army units split and then join agian after the rounabout. Not so the Legion. They march on one side only- it's a symbolic message that the Legion always keeps together, never split.

Life goes on - the Legion way

It has been 5 years since a young boy, filled with expectations and seeking challenge, entered the Legion gates in Marseille. These pages (at least partly) show what is happening behind the gates, in the mysterious world of the French Foreign Legion. 5 years in the Legion is over, young boy is a man and he has already signed a new contract. As I said 5 years ago - "We all miss you, but we wish you all the best in your future life".

New Caledonia 2006 - 2007

New series of images have been added to the collection of photos from New Caledonia mission 2006-2007. However, there are still more on the waiting list.

Legendary Force Updates Its Image -

"Most of its soldiers in this era of globalization are economic immigrants rather than Rambos or felons on the run. And modern Legionnaires are required to be as proficient with computers and high-tech gear as with their French Famas automatic assault rifles."

Gone to The Dawn

ANZAC day. Today is the 92nd anniversary of the ill-fated Anzac landing at Gallipoli in Turkey. Australia and New Zealand commemorates those who served for the country and did not make it home. I included few pictures from The Dawn Service held at 6 a.m. at the Shrine of Remembrance - Melbourne. Anzac Day 2007 ...

Moniteur Commando

A new series of images from Moniteur Commando stage has been added to the Moniteur page and more are still to come. Enjoy.
The New Caledonia mission is over - all the legionnaires are back home in Calvi enhanced with new experiences from New Caledonia's bush and local life. The collection of pictures are comming soon.

Check It Out - Free Fall, French Air Force over Djibouti, French Navy and Djibouti-Underwater

New pictures from Djibouti - Commando course and awesome pictures from Calvi - free fall. More pictures coming soon.
My apology for those who requested information about FFL - I read all messages and I try to answer all of them, but time in not my best friend - please be patient and bear in mind that I am not a legionnaire, this web site is dedicated to my son, who has chosen this military path five years ago and I decided to share some interesting moments from it with others. I would recommend to visit the best web sites about the French Foreign Legion: Joe van Raamt's Voltigeur which covers all aspects of the Legion life from Algiers to present and Cervens For Guy with its FFL message board where you can ask a question or read all FAQ (recommended).

1 March 2007 - Vendemiaire at Willington

"Everything went fine on this "étape" from Melbourne to Wellington, with only some rough seas on the way. We've been authorized to shoot from the helicopter, but on the two occasions that I was supposed to go in the helicopter the seas were a little to rough to fly so my turn has been postponed until after Wellington. New Zealand is fantastic, except it's a lot cooler here than in Melbourne or New Caledonia."

19 February 2007 - French Navy visit Melbourne

The first stop of the French Navy frigate Vendemiaire was Melbourne. On the board were 92 sailors and two legionnaires. It might have been the first "official" Legion visit to Melbourne - "You won't see this uniforms very often here" said the guard at Station Pier when exploring Zdenek going through the gates. They stayed in Melbourne until Friday before they set on the next leg of their tour to New Zealand, Tahiti and Polynesian Islands. A few photos from their stay are here ... (And along came a DVD with 5GB of professional quality photos - from Djibouti, New Caledonia, Calvi. My best regards to the photographers from 2REP and French Air Force pilots who took the photos and thanks for their courtesy that we can enjoy the stunning pictures on the net - well I hope I will be able to make them soon ready - here's just a sneek preview...)

11 February 2007 - The Legion Is Full Of Surprises

The Legion is truly full of surprises. We started a three-week commando course here in New Caledonia on Monday, and yesterday (ie. Thursday) my platoon leader comes up to me and tells me, as calmly as you'd tell someone 'bonjour', that I'm going sailing in the Pacific on a French Navy ship for a month and a half. Actually, the ship is a frigate (see photo - from Wikipedia) that is stationed here, and it is going on a 45 day cruise/mission with various stopovers, including New Zealand and (possibly) Australia. They plan on doing some rifle shooting (the commander of the ship is apparently a rifle buff) and so they asked us, the sniping experts, if they could borrow one of our rifles. The captain of our company, seeing an instant window of opportunity, said: 'Yes, even two or three rifles, but they will come with two snipers with them!' 'No problem!' said the commander, and the deal was done. Me and one of my boys from the sniper group, with three rifles and a thousand rounds of ammunition are embarking on the Vendemiaire on Monday morning and hitting the high seas.

7 January 2007 - New Caledonia

is just round the corner from Australia. It shares the same time zone as Melbourne, so we celebrated New Year with a symbolic toast with Zdenek. While we were watching fireworks at Federation Square, Zdenek was deep in New Caledonia's bush with his friends from 2REP- the photo I got with an email shows Zdenek in mid-air just about to release his gaine before he hits the New Caledonia ground.

Then there was some time to explore the life in Noumea - downtown at the "la baie des citrons" - filled with european and Australian tourists and soak a bit of relaxing holiday atmosphere before heading back to bush ...

3 December 2006 - Your Kepi

A new page has been added - Your Kepi - a page where you can publish your photos and/or stories you would like to share with us - anything with connection to French Foreign Legion or military life in general. You can post your pictures with the text to email address: zdenek@iprimus.com.au . You will be notified with a preview before your page is published.

Parallel - Traditional Gifts For the French Army

logos, commemorative plaques and more; all top quality workmaship for your friends or relatives. Also includes French Foreign Legion.
Visist: www.atelierparallel.fr

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti, Feb. 8, 2007

Soldiers, sailors and Marines from the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa recently graduated from a grueling five-day French commando's course at the Commando Training Center in Arta, Djibouti ... full article...

21 July 2006 - Been to Mont-Louis?

This picturesque medieval fortress town in Pyrenees can be a good holiday destination for some. Bush walking in Summer, skiing in Winter. But if you find yourself there with the French Foreign Legion your experience will be different. The town is the base of "Centre National d'Entrainement Commando" and you will be doing endless marches with heavy backpacks, including rock climbing and hand to hand combats and racing through the most difficult obstacle courses you can imagine. You will be digging at the bottom of your physical and mental stamina for a few (very) long weeks. Sleep and food will be luxurious items you'll get only sparingly. You will be shaped into a commando combatant or at least you'll get a taste of it. That's Mount-Louis for Legionnaires.

Chants de la Legion Entrangere

I came recently across a beautifully presented music book with all Legion songs accompanied with two CDs. Learn or just listen to the songs sung by the men in kepis. Most of the songs are in French, some of them in German. A really nice and complete collection of the Legion songs.

Camerone Day - 30 April

The best Camerone Day to all who belong to kepi blanc - this is your day, enjoy it. Cheers.

A big hello from Calvi - after one year in Castel - 17 April 2006

"Yes, as of today morning I'm back at Camp Raffalli, soaking up the much-missed Corsican atmosphere. I've finished my CT1 infantry squad leader course, which together with the CM1 (aka FG1) will give me the official
title of Chef de Groupe de combat in the REP. It was quite possibly one of the most challenging courses that I have done so far within the ranks of the legion; we spent a total of seven weeks out of ten in the terrain, ceaselessly drilling motorized infantry combat (in our VABs), and learning the various intricacies of combat leadership. Physically the course was very demanding as well, with one of the final challenges being the 15km run in full fatigues, helmet and equipment (belt-kit), a 10kg sac-à-dos (backpack) plus of course a FAMAS. I managed to do the 15km in 1hr21mins, a time which whilst not the best (two of my GCP buddies did it in just under 1hr16mins) I am more than happy with nevertheless. Overall, at the risk of bragging, you'll be proud to hear that for the entire CT1 course I finished first, out of a total of twelve candidates. This officially ended my almost year-long stay in Castelnaudary (the Pré-FG1, FG1 and CT1 combined) and I'm now more than eager to rediscover the pleasures of Calvi life!
I must apologize for staying out of touch for so long, we were just so pressed for time, even on the rare weekends that we were on-base in Castel we had to take service, doing guard duty as the Chef de Poste (guard leader)."
"In Djibouti a highly overcrowded passenger ferry sank a few hundred meters from leaving port, with 109 people drowning as there weren't enough lifeboats. My company, along with the police and Djiboutian authorities had the grim task of recovering the tens of bodies that washed up on the beaches - it is sad to hear that even in our days easily preventable disasters like this still occur. Also, there has been some trouble in Chad, a long-time french colony, with (apparently) Sudan-backed rebels storming N'Djamena (the capital of Chad) in a desperate effort to overthrow the government. Luckily, the attempt failed but there has been (and still continues to a lesser extent) significant bloodshed and there is the risk of deterioration to almost a civil-war state. Hopefully the situation will stabilize before French troops need to intervene. "
This is the long awaited email from Zdenek, we congratulate you from "OZ" and wish you all the best in your new challenging position.

A (very quiet) celebration

The French Foreign Legion celebrated 175th anniversary of its existence. On the 10th of March 1831 the French king Louis-Phillipe issued the official royal ordinance, stated that foreigners aged between 18 and 40 years be recruited for service in the French army, but (as the first provision said) only outside of France. Although this provision had been dropped from the final text of the law signed on the 10th of May 1831, it was clear that the main destination of the troops would be outside of France - Guadeloupe and Martinique, the French garrisons in Greece or at Ancona in Italy and the most likely destination - Algiers .
The anniversary is not celebrated in the French Foreign Legion - the most celebrated event in the Legion is Cameron day - 29 April.

14 February 2006 - Zdenek's kepi blanc is at home - Down Under

I found a parcel at my doorsteps with kepi blanc and some other memorabilia inside. The letter reads: "I thought I might send home some items which might be of interests for you. The kepi blanc is my personal one I have been wearing on every occasion that calls for it (parades, outings, ceremonies, guard duties etc.) It has been through quite a lot and now I can "hang it up". The "galons" rank epaulettes are those of a 1ere Classe (one stripe) and of a Caporal (two stripes with my signals operator badge). The epaulettes for a sergent are like those for a caporal except they are gold ... ". The letter was written on a card with all members of the 4 compagnie of 2 REP.
I add one more "legionnaire" from Down Under- Zdenek's sister. And I also wish Zdenek good luck with his course in Castel.

20 December 2005:

As the end of the year approaches, I'd like to give you all the Season's Greetings, I wish you a peaceful Christmas, especially to those who are far away from their families, much of happiness and fulfilled dreams in the new year 2006. I thank you for your visits and support and I'll be happy to meet you on these pages next year. Latest news - Zdenek swapped his kepi blanc for kepi noir - congratulations from faraway homeland.

20 October - new pages added:

Some more pictures from the FGE - Caporal course at Caylus.
And more pictures from Gabon - Stage Commando Course

Promo jumping- the first para course after the basic training and pictures taken during training with MILAN anti tank missale and pictures from around Calvi.
New chapter added - Missions Ivory Coast 2004-05, deployment of the 3rd Compagnie, guarding the airport in the hot summer days when the conflict escalated once again.

9 August - from Castel:

...It has now been one week that we're back from the farm, and I apologize for being out of touch for so long. As you can imagine, our program is heavily loaded, and I rarely get time off, even during weekends. However, you do not need to worry, I am safe and sound and very busy moulding new members of the Foreign Legion family. The section I am with successfully completed their "March Or Die" Kepi Blanc March and thus they all became, officially, legionnaires.
The work here is not easy, but can be very rewarding. The young recruits have a lot of basic military skills to learn, and it is difficult to teach these skills in a language which, to the majority, is unfamiliar. The bulk of the instruction is carried out by the "cadre" of the section (the sergents and other sous-officiers), leaving us, the "caporaux", to teach them discipline, proper behaviour and all the general attributes that make a legionnaire. It is work that is very different to what I am used to from Calvi, and I find that patience, calm, persistence and a firm grip to be the tools essential to being a good corporal with a section of young legionnaires. After the Kepi Blanc March, which effectively ended the instruction at the farm, we spent last week alternating between service and time at the indoor firing range here in Castel, the guys for the first time taking guard duty and firing live rounds from their FAMASes. This week we're going on a three-day "manip" into the terrain, marching 30 or so kilometres to the farm "Bertrandou" to work with a peloton of future corporals on instruction. And next week we're off to Formiguère, the mountain retreat from where I sent home the first photos when I myself was a young legionnaire going through Castelnaudary on instruction. I still have about a month left with the section, which means that I won't get to be with them all the way to the end of their instruction. I begin my own stage FG1 on the 5th of September, and I have been studying in preparation for the entrance exams, touching both on the military subjects such as armement characteristics, NBC warfare, explosives, signals and topography, as well as more general topics such as the international conventions on warfare, the organisation of the French armed forces, the
structure of the French government and French history. Quite often I bump into the other corporals which will be doing the stage FG1 with me, that are dispersed within other compagnies of young legionnaires: they are all keen and motivated to do their FG1, and I know that working with them will be both challenging and satisfying. During my time here in Castel I have noticed a few things that have changed since I passed through as a recruit, and which might serve as a correction to some of the questions within my FAQ page. For example, in Aubagne, as part of the selection process, the classic "cooper" test of running the maximum distance in 12 minutes has now been replaced by a "beep" test, the principle of which, if I understand correctly, is to do shuttle runs back and forth on a set distance, based on time signals ("beeps") that get progressively shorter and shorter. I cannot speculate what the minimum criteria is for a successful test (for the cooper it was 2800m or seven "tours" of the track). More interestingly, I have noticed that an increasing number of young legionnaires are being posted to overseas regiments straight out of basic training (ie. after Castelnaudary). Three years ago, it was very rare that a young legionnaire would be posted to either Djibouti or the Guyane after Castel. Evidently, this trend has changed, and nowadays it is not uncommon to see as many as seven or eight legionnaires out of a section of forty to be posted overseas. Thus for those that would like to join an overseas
regiment of the Foreign Legion (13 DBLE in Djibouti or the 3 REI in Guyane), now is a good time as ever it would seem. In closing, I join a photo of the farm of the 1ère Compagnie d'Engagé Volontaires, named Bel-Air. The photo was taken by another caporal here, during the previous instruction during the last weeks of winter, thus the somewhat drab surroundings and leafless trees. I hope that back home everything is OK, that you are all safe and happy and that we'll see each other soon. (Farm, pic 35kb)

from Zdenek says "I am very busy on the Farm with 50 or so new legionnaires, I'll be in touch when I am back in Castel. In meantime I enclose a photo of my VAB I was driving on the narrow roads through Corsica with a MILAN anti tank missile unit." (See photos ... )

22 June - it has been three years

since Zdenek crossed the gates at "Malmousque" in Marseille. Three years in the elite army in the elite unit. Joining FFL is like a new birth, so we wish you a happy birthday - from faraway home Down Under.

"Yes, I'm back in Castel, as a caporal d'encadrement of a section of young legionnaires at the 1ère Compagnie d'Engagé Volontaires. Having already worn the red, black and green sweaters of the various compagnies of the 4e RE, I'm now adding the blue one to my collection. I'm sorry for not being in touch earlier, but as luck would have it, I arrived in Castel last weekend on Sunday, and on the Monday we all left for a week-long regimental exercise in the terrain, forming a"compagnie de marche" on manoeuvres in the nearby hills south-east of the
regiment. It is certainly different to be working with an entire section of young legionnaires compared to the usual "ancients" back in Calvi, but I'm adapting quickly and finding the other corporals here with me extremely helpful and eager to give me a hand to settle in. I'm sure that the three months or so that I'll spend with the 1ère CEV will pass very very quickly and before I know it I'll be commencing my stage FG1."
This latest email from Zdenek contains also an attachment which will be of an interest to all "wannabies":
"I've attached one of the additions to the website that I've been working on for quite some time now, an FAQ of the most common questions that you tend to receive in your mailbox. I hope that the readers of the website
will find this helpful, especially seeing the amount of emails containing the majority of these questions that you receive. I tried answering all of the questions as concise as possible, based on information available to me."
The FAQ are accessible on the left hand side menu - FAQ.

Zdenek's going back to Castel. His email reads: "I have been informed at the last minute, and have just today found out that I'm leaving for Castel this Saturday. The reason - "Préparation FG1", a four month preparatory period for my sergent's course. I'll spend four months with a section of "engagé volontaires" - new recruits from Aubagne. As their "caporal d'encadrement" I'll be helping with their instruction, helping to mould them into legionnaires. I'm finishing my Pré-FG1 on the 2nd of September, and I'll (normally) have two weeks of holidays. After this, I'll attack the stage FG1 itself, a four-month course which will aim to form me into a brand new sous-officier (non-commissioned officer) of the French Foreign Legion. I'm due to finish on the 26th of December. I'm very excited that I have the opportunity to do the FG1, however I'm a little anxious seeing that I'm going so soon after being promoted to caporal. Literally, the ink has barely dried on my ID card saying that I'm a corporal!
I'm also a little saddened that I'll be missing out on being the instructor of the stage sniper which is starting next week. Much like last year when I did the stage myself, this year ten new sniper candidates will be doing a three week course on sniping around Corsica. I was previewed to being a"caporal d'encadrement", but now that I'm off to Castel someone else will have to stand in for me. In addition, there are supposed to be some snipers from the RAID team coming along for a week to participate in some of the activities during the sniper course.
Aside from this, I am now the proud owner of a new computer, a fantastic new laptop from ASUS. I'm slowly transferring all of my programs and utilities to the new system, and Dad, don't worry, I'm attacking your CD with photos and new additions for the website in the very near future." Thanks Zdenek from your dad (and the readers of this website).
We wish you good luck from home and we will be looking forward to hear from you wherever you are. (And I can't help it but the Australian Air Force missed on one dedicated man.)

"Never give up on what you really want to do."

After a short stay on Calvi, Zdenek's back in France - this time as an instructor on the Tireur de Precision sniper course somewhere near Nice. As one entry in the Guest Book says - it's down hill now and from your folks back home Down Under - is it the dream come true? "Never give up on what you really want to do" - how true it is.

A New Chapter has been added to this site - FGE Caporal Course

and a new chapter is about to be written in Zdenek's legion life. Congratulations from your folks back home and let your well deserved holiday be filled with sunshine and warmth.

Ivory Coast - Heart Of Darkness :

New series of pictures from Ivory Coast 2002-2003 arrived from Calvi (thank you Zdenek), and they are progressively published under Missions >> Ivory Coast 2002-03 >> Ivory Coast - Heart Of Darkness. Please be aware that some of the pictures may be disturbing to some viewers - they show raw nature of the conflict and its consequences for all people willingly or not willingly involved in it. If French forces stopped or at least eased the tensions and violence in this country than all efforts have not been wasted.

February 7, 2005:

"I am back from the terrain, having survived the exercise, the march was OK, we walked approx. 8 hours a day, slept in the public halls, gyms (once in an indoor rock climbing gym). But bitter cold, wind and snow in Caylus together with accomodion in stone houses with no heating at all was like living in the fridge - hard to digest.after two winters spent in Africa! The only time to warm up was at night in the sleeping bag. Needless to say that it was hard to get up into the freezing cold in the morning, wash up and shave (if the tap water wasn't completly frozen).We spent the days in the shooting range practising all sorts of rifles - FAMAS (bullets and granades), machine guns, FRF-2, even anti tank LARCs. We also practised orientation (day and night), dynamit chains and other army tactics. Because of the winter conditions it was hard and it took toll on everybody's physical and mental strength."
A word from your dad: "I believe you remember our winter trips to Beskydy, when you were about 8 years old, knee deep in snow we were wading to Javornik; maybe that hardship long time ago helped you to overcome new hardship now. A maybe this new hardship will help you to overcome some other hardships in the future."

Back to Castel

this time for a three month Corporal course. Involves hard physical exercises - e.g. walking 120 km in four days with the full kit, learning skills for future assignments in the Legion etc. And it is harder in winter time, of course. Pity you can't do the course Down Under - we are sweltering in 36 deg C right now, but as the proverb has it: "It is better to get sunstroke twice then get frozen once."

Stage THP with RAID

The 4 th Company of the 2 nd REP, with a long-standing history of sniping as its speciality, has close links with the snipers of the RAID.. more ...

November 28, 2004 - the radio transmittion course in Castel is nearly over

and Zdenek missed the recent deployment to Ivory Coast with 2 REP. The mission objective was to protect French citizens in Abidjan in wake of recent violence triggered by death of seven French soldiers and in retaliation destruction of Ivorien air force. Although the situation in Ivory Coast stabilized it is just a matter of time when the violence erupts again (according to BBC media).

Les Lions de Calvi,

a thriller book by Ippolito Edmondo Ferrario has been published by Blu Di Genova (in Italian). The book will take you to Italy where two legionnaires play a key role in the plot saving life. Those of you who browse and know this site will recognize pictures in the preface of the book taken by Zdenek - I am proud that the author included them in his book. I hope that the book will be soon translated into English. I wish it all the success.

August 28 - The Summer on Nothern hemisphere

is nearly over and so is your holiday - four weeks away from the Legion life, hopefully next year we will se you Down Under if your identity is rectified. Today is your departure to Castel for four month training in radio transmittion - among other things learning Morse code which is still used in today's world of mobile phones and all wireless technology.
--. --- --- -.. .-.. ..- -.-. -.-

Attention all ex-Legionnaires:

thanks to courtesy of my son I got photos from French Foreign Legion dated back probably to 1990-95. The photos (slides) have been recovered from Calvi Corsica with no information about date or author of the pictures. If you can comment on any of the pictures, you can send me an e-mail and I will be happy to send you the full size picture via e-mail (or CD with the pictures for the cost of P&H). Archive photos ...

June 22 - It's been two years since you joined the Legion ...

and I bet your experiences are worth many decades of civilian life since then. I took the liberty to publish your last e-mail, which may be of an interest to our readers:
Hello back home! Thought I'd send you a little greeting from northern France. We're stationed at a large military base called Mailly, at the edge of an extensive military terrain where next week we'll be conducting motorized combat against an opposing force. The photo is of an escadron of Leclerc tanks, which, thankfully, are on our side. The entire area is amazingly beautiful with its wide open fields stretching into infinity - a distinct contrast to the Corsican environment. We're close to Verdun and it is in these fields that the bloodiest battles of World War One took place. There are wild poppies everywhere, now I know why the poppy is the symbol of the remembrance day. The weather is generally fine, but at night it can get very cold - again something us from Calvi, where summer is in full swing, aren't used to. We're due to return to Calvi on Saturday 3/7. Zdenda.

June 7 - On The Road again ...

Driving jeep to France for a week summit where snipers from French and Switzerland police task force will exchange their experience on sniping. Only two snipers from the Legion participate (what was the name of the town - I think Montpellier where the venue takes place).

May 2

Driving trucks, VAB transporters and all kinds of army vehicles on roads and off roads in Corsica - brushing off and honing my driving skills. Strange - they drive here on the right hand side of the road - they taught me something different in Australia.

April 26

the sniper course is over - congratulations from your folks from Australia for being the best! We are looking forward to a report and some pictures from the course. It was your dream to be a sniper - now it has come true - you worked hard for it and you achieved it. Enjoy it. Sacrifice and win!

2REP opens its door for visitors on Cameron Day, April 29

if you happen to be in Corsica at that time you can visit the 2REP quarters on Calvi- there will be lots to see when the Legion celebrates. To read more on Cameron click here.

March 30

Two weeks holiday in Paris is over and now we started a second stage 4 week sniper course. It takes place in the Corsica country - marches, running with equipment, shooting etc. After that - a new rifle - a French-Belgium made PGM is waiting for me. 19 kg weight! But being a true sniper is sort of privilege.

March 24

Hello back home,
I'd thought I'd sent home a little "taste-test" of some of the photos from Gabon. All of them are from from our "stage commando" when we did the "piste Malibe", an aquatic obstacle course. Consisting of swimming, wading and crawling through muddy mangroves while carrying wooden trunks, ammunition cases or a stretcher. Timed, our group was the second best with a total time of 3 hours and 20 minutes. More to come soon ...

February 25 - E-mail: Gabon was wonderful

The four month stay in Gabon is nearly over, return to Calvi is scheduled on March 4. Africa is a wonderful piece of world, I would return here any time, under the same circumstances (with the Legion). I will never forget the places we've seen - Libreville, Port Gentil, Ekwata and others we have been through on four wheels or on foot. I have lots of photos from my camera and from other guys, I will send you a CD after we are back on Calvi.

February 7 - Life's good in the Legion

at least for this week. After all those days in the Gabon jungle a week off on the beautiful beaches at Port Gentil. Situation "RAS" (French for Nothing To Report), clear sky, ocean waves and white sand help getting back in shape.

January 30 - Update on training in the Gabon jungle

Our company underwent a 10-day commando training jungle warfare course, in the specially designated "Centre d'Entrainement Commando en Foret Gabonaise", or CEC FOGA. The entire course is run by elements of the 1er RPIMa, (Regiment Parachutiste d'Infanterie Marine), a highly professional regiment of French Marine paras (red berets) that specialize in commando and SAS-patrol tactics. The entire course is based, naturally, in dense Gabonese forest that spreads out onto unspoilt ocean beaches, ideal training
grounds for all sorts of jungle warfare tactics. For instruction we were usually split up into groups of 10, this being the usual unit size during jungle combat. The main focus of the course was to get a feel of proper conduct during combat in jungles and dense rainforests - proper camouflage, progression, hand signals, attack and evasion maneuvers and other specialized tactics, most of which are taken directly from the SAS jungle tactics. We learnt how to make animal and anti-personal traps, how to properly set up a "bivouac ops" and tips and tricks on minimizing the dangers and discomfort caused by the hundreds of different insects and animals in the equatorial forests. Navigation and topography in a forest environment was also mastered, using a boussole and a "jalon" (guiding stick). Finally, as part of the physical training, we had to complete three different "pistes" or obstacle courses, one being a collective course where we had to carry cases of ammunition along with us, one being a nautical course that involved swimming and wading in muddy mangroves and a final individual course which tested an individual's ability to tackle various obstacles such as crossing a wide river stream on a slippery wood log, climbing up into a tree and sliding down a liana, walking unassisted across a rope bridge and others. These three pistes were the toughest elements of the course and several of the guys in our company failed them by not crossing the obstacles in the prescribed (correct) fashion. The final phase of the course, which we will begin next week, is a 5-day exercise where all the tactics taught are put to the test in a real-life scenario of a commando attack by an air-dropped team of men on a hidden enemy objective of unknown strength in equatorial forest. Once this exercise is successfully completed, we will earn our CEC FOGA "brevets" (badges).

January 1, 2004 - PF2004

"New Year's was great, we celebrated until early in the morning, drinking and generally causing mayhem in the many Libreville nightclubs. We had a four day weekend (Thursday the 1st until today), mixed in with guard duty of course, and everyone was out celebrating and having fun. The streets were like a war zone with everyone (of the local population) throwing around home made firecrackers. Certainly the atmosphere was much better than last year where I spent New Year's on guard at an Ivorian checkpoint."

"Early last week there was an airplane accident at the airport here. Our base (Camp C. De Gaulle) is situated right at the end of the runway, and airplanes taking off and landing over our heads are a constant feature. We went for our morning run one day, taking a small track that basically does a circuit around the runway. We're running through dense bamboo and grass fields 2m high when suddenly, about 100m from the end of the runway emerges the tall rudder of an airplane. We keep on running and reach a strip of earth flattened, razed and full of debris of all kinds and description. At the end of the strip of earth, a Boeing 737 in a sorry state, its undercarriage and engines ripped off, wings all torn up and twisted. Apparently there was some kind of technical error during the takeoff and the plane just refused to fly, coming down just after the pilot lifted off. As the speed and altitude weren't too great, luckily there were no casualties, the few passengers being battered and bruised but that's about it. Certainly, this accident is overshadowed by the accident of Saturday when a B737 crashed into the Red Sea, killing all of its French passengers aboard."

October 3-15

Back to Castel. Two weeks behind the wheel of trucks on roads of all kinds. The driving skill comes always handy although it is not sure when one will be able to use it. And than - four month training in Gabon, Africa. At least I will escape the French winter in Corsica.

September 27-28

St. Michael's Day at the 2REP Calvi, Corsica. A Fair with barbeque and open day for visitors. Parachute jumps and various activities form life in the legion. If you happen to be nearby, do not miss this! St. Michael is the patron of the paratroopers since WWII - Arden operation.

August 26

Two French soldiers killed at Ivory Coast.
The men were attacked Monday by Lake Kossou, near the central town of Sakassou, by former rebels who seemed to be drunk, Colonel Christian Battiste, a spokesman for the French army headquarters in Paris, said.
Battiste said a patrol of about 25 French soldiers were chatting to local fishermen when a group of former rebels arrived. They started hurling abuse and then began firing, he added.
"Suddenly they started shooting. We riposted. During the exchange of fire we believe there was one dead and several wounded (among the rebels)," Battiste told Reuters, more...

An afternoon ceremony at the Camp Raffalli Parade Ground (Place d'Armes) marked the passation of command of the 4e Company of the 2e REP. Capitaine Favrot, having been the leader and commander of the company for over two years, including the three-and-a-half months spent on the Ivory Coast, passed over the company's "fanion" to Capitaine Dufour who takes over the duties as Capitaine d'Unite (CDU). Along with Cne Favrot, the OA (Officier Adjoint) Capitaine Carleton also passed over his duties to the newly promoted Capitaine Dampierre, who formerly held the position of Chef de Section (Platoon Leader) of the 3e Section. A few weeks later saw the arrival of new Chefs de Section for the 2e and 3e Sections - new Lieutenants who graduated from the French Officer Academies. This signifies a new era for the life of the 4e Company.

July 14

It's French National Holiday - The Bastille Day. Legionnaires are marching down In Paris and Marseille, the best men honored. Among them Igor Konev, Russian boy who joined the French Foreign Legion for the reason only he knows. Maybe a desire to blend into the western culture with the prospect of French passport, maybe an adventure seeking "molodec" for who there was no work and prospect in once wide Russia. His dream was cut short on Ivory Coast by a French helicopter gunman who fired a friendly fire into Legionnaires and 20 mm bullets found their way into Igor's chest. He survived. Now he got a medal. Another Russian boy Andriy Vyakhirev (formerly A. Vetrov) was not so much lucky - his forearm missing after an RPG hit their vehicle also in Ivory Coast. The boy got a medal and the French citizenship. My salute to them.

June 2003

What's the next country to see the French Foreign Legions? France started deployment of their troops into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The troops are part of UN peacekeeping forces and they should help to stop violence and to restore peace in this mineral rich country. Although the press did not mention they are FFL, it's more than likely they will participate sooner or later. more...

May 2003

Goodbye to FAMAS - I swapped it for a sniper's rifle. Going to France for a sniper course - more...

30 April 2003

29 March 2003

Back from Ivory Coast to Corsica, followed by two weeks well deserved holidays in Paris. Well done Zdenek!

Latest development, March 9, 2003:

"...Automatic gunfire could be heard coming from the west of Guessabo early yesterday after the French Army said the rebels tried to punch through onto the main highway between Duekoue in the west and the cocoa center of Daloa.

15th December 2002

deployed with 2e REP to Ivory Coast, Africa. A letter posted in January from Duekoue, Ivory Coast. Digging trenches, building sand bag protection walls, doing reconnaissance missions on foot or using army vehicles, fighting with rebels... Duekoue is a town in western part of Ivory Coast, close to Liberian border. There are rebels mainly from neighboring Liberia, the worst individuals without any discipline, mostly under drugs and alcohol influence, looting, raping and killing civilians. The French Foreign Legion stopped them from advancing to Abidjan and the capital city of Ivory Coast.

" ... Gbagbo said the 3,000-odd French troops deployed in the world's top cocoa producer to protect foreigners and enforce a shaky truce were not backing the rebels. "We must stop viewing the French soldiers as supporters of the rebels.

"The day I am convinced that they are backing the rebels logistically, I will take appropriate measures," he said. "Leave the French alone in peace and let everyone do their work. I hope that things will be calm," he added. The leader's appeal came as hundreds of Gbagbo's supporters ringed the French military garrison near Abidjan airport, defying a government order to scrap the protest, to denounce the French military. Firebrand youth leader Charles Ble Goude, whose men ran riot through Abidjan after the French deal attacking symbols of France including the embassy and businesses, heaped scorn on the French troops.

"We are asking the French soldiers to redeploy in the Malian and Burkina Faso border regions because that's where the rebels have rear bases," He said, adding that the French troops should stop policing a ceasefire line or protecting the main city of Abidjan. "They (the French troops) tell us that they have come to prevent the rebels from descending on Abidjan, we ask them to go to the frontier or back to their barracks." Experts say Abidjan would fall in hours if the French withdrew from the ceasefire line."

December 24

Celebrating Christmas under the hot African sun. Beer, food, music and fun with friends, that's Christmas in the Legion. A bit different from the family tradition, but nice and unforgettable experience for life.

December 3

Returning to the base to be on 24 hour alert as the situation in Ivory Coast deteriorates. More ...

November 26

November 5

Departure to Gabon - 4 month training in Africa. Good Luck from your folks back in Australia. We are looking forward to hear from you soon.

A Christmas far away from home for troops in Afghanistan

Peacekeepers Deserve Piece Of History