The French Foreign Legion (Légion Étrangère) is an elite corps of the French Army composed of foreign nationals that serve the unit and the nation under a strong esprit de corps. Regiments within the Legion include regular infantry and light cavalry, as well as heavy engineers and airborne commandos. Each unit belongs to a different brigade or territorial command of the French Army, according to their specialities.
Among the main features of the Legion is the prospect of French citizenship and a fresh start for the recruits. Legionaries can apply for citizenship under their real name or an assumed identity after the termination of their five-year contract. Additionally, service members wounded in combat are granted immediate citizenship under a provision known as “French by spilled blood” or “Français par le sang versé.”
Unlike other elite units in the world, the Legion is not a highly classified force, and its activities have been documented in detail by retired members and military historians over the centuries. This characteristic allows us to deep dive into the history and traditions, as well as myths, surrounding the training and recruitment of a military outfit that has been romanticized in countless books and movies.
1 Motto, Symbols, Patches and/or History
1.1 Motto
The Legion has used three mottos since its creation; they have been in use for more than a hundred years each.
- Valeur et Discipline. “Valor and Discipline” originated from the French Army of the First Empire (1804–1814).The Foreign Legion began using it in December 1848 under its regimental banners in Napoleon Second Republic Army (1848–1851). The First World War saw the motto disappear gradually from the banners, before finally losing importance in the Second World War. After the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in the First Indochina War (1946-1954), use of the motto ceased entirely. [source]
- Honneur et Fidélité. “Honor and Fidelity” is the second longest-used motto of the French Foreign Legion. It stands in contrast to the rest of the French Army’s use of the motto “Honneur et Patrie” (Honor and Fatherland) on their regimental flags. According to the unit’s history, it is said to originate from the motto of the Swiss Régiment de Diesbach within the French Imperial Army (1721-1806).
- Legio Patria Nostra. “The Legion is our Fatherland” is the current motto in service. Initially, it was used by the Third Foreign Infantry Regiment in the North African Rif War, but later it was adopted by the rest of the Legion during the First Indochina War. Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Frédéric Rollet is credited with enforcing the motto in 1920 as an attempt to strengthen the morale of the deployed recruits. [source]
1.2 Symbols
- Képi Blanc (White Hat)
Originally, it was a khaki-colored kepi cover, worn by all units taking part in the pacification of Morocco (1921-1925). At the Legion, under the dual action of the sun and repeated washing, it quickly took on an immaculate appearance and became the object of pride of the elders. It made its first official appearance in Paris on July 14, 1939, and was worn extensively after the war. The white kepi is worn only by non-commissioned members (with the exception of master corporals who have served more than 15 years in the Legion, who wear the black kepi), while non-commissioned officers and officers wear the black kepi with red cap, embossed with the seven-flame grenade.
- Flaming Grenade
The Foreign Legion official symbol is the seven-flame grenade. As a typical symbol of the legionaries, two flames are directed downwards, in contrast with the rest of the regulars that have all seven flames in one direction. Depending on the regiment, the symbol can have further elements. The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment uses a silver triangle bearing a winged dragon in slight relief over its entire surface; in the center, lies the grenade with seven flames. [source]
- The Epaulettes and Fouragère
Epaulettes are worn on the shoulders in parade dress, except by officers and senior non-commissioned officers. The fouragère is a distinction awarded given to regiments that have received more than six commendations in a single campaign. It is part of the parade dress and sits on the right side of the torso.
1.3 History
1.3.1 Foundation
The Foreign Legion was established by King Louis-Philippe in 1831, as a force multiplier for the French Army during the conquest of the Algiers Regency. European veterans seeking refuge in France were the primary members of the unit, led by unemployed French officers from the July revolution. Almost the majority of the foreigners present in the Legion were nationals from Poland and Switzerland who previously served in the Napoleonic campaigns.
Each battalion followed the form of a regular French line infantry battalion; each battalion had eight companies of a hundred men. 1st Battalion was composed of veterans of the Swiss Guards and the Hohenlohe Regiment, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were composed of Swiss and German volunteers, the 4th Battalion consisted of those of Spanish extraction, the 5th Battalion consisted mostly of a mixture of Sardinians and Italians, the 6th Battalion was formed of Belgians and Dutch, and the 7th Battalion consisted of volunteers of Polish origin. [source]
French military operations in Algeria had proven unpopular in domestic politics, as the campaign became enmeshed in the occupation phase. The Legion formation would not only address the national instability but also boost the colonial endeavours. However, the initial performance of the unit was poor and the Legion had a reputation as an outcast regiment with desperate officers, mismanagement, underqualification and widespread desertion.
1.3.2 Bad Company
The White Kepis were reassigned to the Spanish Crown in 1835 to assist Queen María Cristina de Borbón in suppressing an insurrection. The Battle of Huesca inflicted heavy casualties on the Legion and forced their reorganisation from a regiment into a battalion. Redeployment into Algeria required more manpower. Consequently, recruitment standards became more flexible regarding criminal background or political affiliations.
Conditions for legionnaires in Algeria during this period were harsh, brutal, and short-lived as they became the spearhead of the counterinsurgency campaign against nationalist rebels.
It was during this time that the unit forged a reputation for fierceness in combat. The 1840s were the definitive turning point to the Legion, as its legend of an elite outfit composed of foreign nationals built a strong esprit de corps and improved discipline among different nationalities.
During the following decade, the regiment became an expeditionary force of Colonial France during its expansion. By this time, five battalions strong, the unit was blended into the 1st Foreign Regiment and the 2nd Foreign Regiment. The 1st was composed mainly of Poles and English, while the 2nd Foreign Regiment comprised mainly Mediterranean recruits, including defeated soldiers from the Spanish campaign against the Carlistas.
1.3.3 Becoming a Legend
The Foreign Legion engaged in further combat actions in the Algerian desert oasis of Zaatcha in 1849, in the Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War in 1853, and in the storming of Ischeriden in 1857. It also served in the Italian Independence during the Battle of Magenta, but it was France’s intervention in Mexico and the Battle of Camarón in 1863 that set the stage for the White Keppis in obtaining international recognition and becoming a national legend.
The Battle of Camarón was an engagement between a small infantry patrol of the Foreign Legion and a larger element of the Mexican Army. According to historians, the overwhelmed legionnaires refused to surrender and lasted at least ten hours engaging hundreds of enemy soldiers before succumbing to their wounds. Captain Danjou’s patrol actions developed into one of the Foreign Legion most cherished combat actions. [source]
France colonial expansion between 1871 and 1914 launched the Legion’s 10,000 soldiers into the conquest of Morocco and Indochina, eventually overtaking the role of the French Marines as the elite force for overseas campaigns. The 5th Foreign Regiment became a permanent fixture in Indochina and eventually substituted the French Marines in the Benin expedition and the pacification of Madagascar during the 1895 and 1910 period.
1.3.4 World War One
Stimulated by the requirement to enlist under an assumed name, the regiment quickly gained the aura of a romantic military outfit, filled with tragic figures seeking a fresh start in a group of brothers, bonded in blood. World War I brought an abrupt end to the golden era of the expeditionary force. High numbers of Germans and Austrian volunteers with the Legion made senior officers in the French Army wary of the legionaries’ allegiances.
The French Government subsequently organised the Foreign Legion into a loose task force within the Moroccan Division, headquartered away from the Western Front. It should be noted that, despite the organisational setback, legionaries managed to fight in many critical battles of the war, including the Battle of Verdun and the Battle of Galliopoli. They also engaged against the Red Army on the Easter Front while supporting Imperial Russia. [source]
Postwar years saw the Legion deployed as part of stabilisation campaigns in Northern Africa. 30,000 soldiers of six multi-battalion regiments including the 1st Foreign Infantry Regiment (1er REI), 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2ème REI), 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3ème REI) and 4th Foreign Infantry Regiment (4ème REI), 5th Foreign Infantry (5ème REI) and 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC) played a key role in the Rif War.
1.3.5 World War Two
The White Kepis played a smaller role in World War II, as it became divided between loyalists to Charles de Gaulle and collaborationists of the Vicky Regime. The 13th Demi-Brigade aligned itself with Charles de Gaulle and spearheaded the Gaullist efforts to reclaim French territories in Africa and Syria, where they actively engaged in combat against Legion units loyal to Vichy. During the rest of the war, the unit saw combat in Italy and France.
1.3.5 Indochina and Africa
The Legion contributed approximately 30,000 troops throughout the French Indochina War (1946–54). This conflict saw the emergence of parachute battalions, one of which eventually evolved into the 1st Foreign Parachute Regiment (1er Régiment étranger de parachutistes; 1er REP). In the Mekong Delta, the Foreign Cavalry Regiment innovatively adapted commercial tracked vehicles, nicknamed “crabs” and “alligators,” to form what became known as the “cavalry of the rice paddies.” Despite the commendable efforts of several battalions of legionnaires at Dien Bien Phu in early 1954, these actions could not reverse the fate of the faltering French imperial endeavour or justify the loss of over 10,000 legionnaires. The defeat of legion paratroopers by Viet Minh Genenal Vo Nguyen Giap’s 308th “Iron Division” on 04 May 1954, marked the decisive turning point for Dien Bien Phu, leading to the French surrender just three days later.
1.3.5 Modern History
Disgust at the decision made by de Gaulle to abandon Algeria translated into the Legion taking part in a military rebellion against the president in April 1961. Allegedly, Defense Minister Pierre Messmer, who had served with the 13th Demi-Brigade in World War II, narrowly dissuaded an enraged de Gaulle from abolishing the regiments altogether. However, the 1st REP was disbanded, and the remainder of the legion’s units were scattered in garrisons on the mainland and in overseas territories. After 1962 the legion headquarters was transferred to Aubagne.
During the following years, the legionnaires served as part of French and allied expeditions in Chad in 1969–70; in Kolwezi, Zaire in 1978; and in Lebanon in the early 1980s. They also deployed to the Persian Gulf War as part of the French Army Opération Daguet. White Kepis additionally took part in various peacekeeping efforts and military operations in Afghanistan, Southeast Asia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and the Central African Republic.
2 Organisation
2.1 Place in the Army
The Foreign Legion consists of a headquarters command and eleven regiments led by an appointed general who had previously served with the institution. He oversees the Legion and reports to the Chief of Staff of the French Army, advising him on Foreign Legion matters. Each regiment of the Foreign Legion belongs to different territorial commands of the French Army, according to their area of operations. Legionaries constitute almost 1/10 of the manpower in the ground forces of the French Army.
Almost all the units are stationed in Metropolitan France, with some units being deployed in overseas territories. Except for the well-known parachute commandos and the mountain commandos, each infantry regiment possesses its own commando-like unit and dismounted combat support. These platoons may provide support for their regiment or be assigned to the brigade command, if needed.
2.2 Regiments in Service
1st Foreign Regiment
(1er RE) is the oldest regiment of the French Foreign Legion. It has been stationed in the Quartier Viénot in Aubagne, France, since it left Sidi Bel Abbès in Algeria in 1962. Extraficially, it is known as the Legion Headquarters. [source]
- HQ & Regimental Service Company
- Foreign Legion Personnel Administrative Company
- Foreign Legion Services Company
1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment
(1er REC) is the only cavalry regiment within the French Foreign Legion. Camp Carpiagne in Marseille serves as the station centre for the recon and assault armoured vehicles.
- HQ & Logistics Squadron
- 1st Squadron
- 2nd Squadron
- 3rd Squadron
- 4th Reconnaissance & Surveillance Squadron
- 5th Reconnaissance & Surveillance Squadron
- 6th Squadron Squadron
1st Foreign Engineer Regiment
(1er REG) is one of the two combat engineer regiments with the French Foreign Legion. It has been stationed in the Quartier General Rollet and their last deployment was to the Central African Republic. [source]
- HQ & Logistics Company
- Combat Support Company
- 1st Company
- 2nd Company
- 3rd Company
- 4th Company
- 5th Reserve Company
2nd Foreign Engineer Regiment
(2e REG) is the “mountain” regiment of the French Foreign Legion tasked with combat support to other units of the French Army. It has been stationed in the Quartier Maréchal Koenig at Saint Christol, France, since 1999.
- HQ & Logistics Company
- Administration Support Company
- 1st Company
- 2nd Company
- 3rd Company
- 4th Company
- Combat Support Company
- 5th Reserve Company
2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment
(2e REP) is an elite airborne regiment of the French Foreign Legion. It has been stationed at Corsica since it left Algeria June 1967. The 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment also incorporated men of another two Legion airborne regiments: the 3e REP and the 1er REP.
- HQ & Logistics Company
- 1st Company
- 2nd Company
- 3rd Company
- 4th Company
- 5th Company
- 6th Reserve Company
- Combat Support Company
- Regimental Maintenance Company
2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment
(2e REI) is the longest-serving regiment of the French Foreign Legion. The Quartier Colonel de Chabrières in France serve as the motorised infantry headquarters since it left Bonifacio (Corsica) in November 1983.
- HQ & Logistics Company
- 1st Company
- 2nd Company
- 3rd Company
- 4th Company
- Combat Support Company
- 8th Reserve Company
3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment
(3e REI) the most decorated regiment of the French Foreign Legion. Currently, it is stationed at French Guiana and in charge of both the security of the European Space Station and the management of the Jungle Training Center.
- HQ & Logistics Company
- Jungle Training Center (CEFE)
- Specific Maritime Support Platoon
- Dismounted Action Support Platoon
- 2nd Infantry Company
- 3rd Infantry Company
- Combat Support Company
- 4th Infantry Reserve Company
4th Foreign Regiment
(4e RE) is based in Caselnauday and its the training regiment of the French Foreign Legion. It should not be confused with the Legion Recruiting Group based in Fort de Nogent in Paris. [source]
- HQ & Service Company
- 1st Enlisted Volunteer Company
- 2nd Enlisted Volunteer Company
- 3rd Enlisted Volunteer Company
- Team Leader Training Company
- Specialist Training Company
- Driver Training Center
- 6th Reserve Company
5th Foreign Regiment
(5e RE) is a newly reactivated regiment of the French Foreign Legion. It has been stationed in the Quartier Cabaribère in Dzaoudzi, Mayotte since 2024. It was initially activated as the Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte (DLEM) in 1976.
- HQ & Logistics Company
- Infantry Combat Company
13th Foreign Legion Demi-Brigade
(DBLE) is the only demi-brigade of the French Foreign Legion. It has been stationed at Camp Larzac near La Cavalerie, France, since it left the United Arab Emirates in June 2016. Between 1962 and 2011, the 13e DBLE was stationed in Djibouti.
- HQ & Logistics Company
- 1st Company
- 2nd Company
- 3rd Company
- 4th Company
- 6th Company
- Combat Support Company
- Reserve Company
Foreign Legion Command
(COMLE) is a headquarters regiment in charge of administration and logistics inside the other regiments. COMLE is divided into a research bureau and four departments. It also includes the office of the Commander of the Foreign Legion.
- Synthesis, Management & Research Bureau
- Human Resources Division
- Security & Protection Division
- Influence & Heritage Division
- Mutual Aid & Solidarity Division
2.3 Recruitment and Training
Requirements
The Foregion Legion only takes male recruits between the ages of 18 and 39 years. Among the entry requirements are a valid passport and birth certificate. Said document must be not older than six months since its certification by the issuing authority and must be officially translated either into English or French. Individuals with standing warrants or with pending trials of criminal nature are barred from enlistment. Additionally, candidates with serious offences in their criminal record are automatically disqualified after background checks. Other requirements include the ability to pass physical trials, as well as mental tests. [source] [source]
Assessment
Candidates must undergo a weekend screening process at the Foreign Legion Information Center. During this period, a first batch is selected and transferred to the Foreign Legion Recruitment Center for a second assessment on administrative requirements and medical checkups. The Recruitment and Selection Center in Aubagne conducts the final phase of the selection process, which lasts for a whole month and includes physical and psychological tests. Afterwards, the candidates sign the enlistment papers and the five year contract.
Pipeline
- The Farm: Basic, six-week training and introduction to military lifestyle. Also a training stage where candidates can be kicked out for poor performance.
- Képi Blanc March: Fifty kilometres, two-day march in full combat gear. Candidates that complete the rucking are awarded with a Képi Blanc in an official ceremony.
- Field Training. Three weeks of technical and practical skills, including weapons and navigation. French lessons are introduced to the candidates.
- Mountain Training: One week of mountain warfare training at Formiguères Peaks in the French Pyrenees.
- Field Training: One additional month of firing range and navigation courses. Further induction to advanced weapons platforms and small unit tactics.
- Raid March: a 120-kilometre final march with full combat gear, must be completed in three days before returning to Aubagne for an operational assignment.
3 Equipment
3.1 Weapons
- GLOCK 17 Gen 5 (Service Firearm)
- HK 416 F (Assault Rifle in Service)
- FAMAS F1 (Assault Rifle Pashing Out)
- FN Minimi (Squad Machine Gun)
- FN MAG 58 (Platoon Machine Gun)
- SCAR-H PR (Designated Marksman Rifle)
- HK 417 A2 (Designated Marksman Rifle)
- PGM Hécate II (Heavy Sniper Rifle)
- AT4 CS (Light Anti-Tank)
- ERYX (Heavy Anti-Tank Launcher)
3.2 Vehicles
- Peugeot P4 (Unarmored 4×4)
- ACMAT VT4 (Unarmored 4×4)
- PVP (Light Armor 4×4)
- VBL (Light Armor Recon)
- VAB (Armored Personnel Carrier)
- VBMR Griffon (Armored Personnel Carrier)
- AMX 10 RCR (Recon Calvary)
- EBRC Jaguar (Assault Calvary)
3.3 Armor and Kit
- Spectra Helmet
- Felin Helmet
- SMB Plate Carrier
- Tigre Plate Carrier
- ComFest Plate Carrier
- GoreTex Parka Jacked
- T4 Shirt and Pants
- F3 Shirt and Pants
- F2 Shirt and Pants
- Haix Combat Boots
- Lowa Combat Boots
- Haix Combat Boots
- Meindl Combat Boots
4 Tactical-Operational Information
4.1 Operations
Opération Sentinelle is an ongoing French military operation with 10,000 soldiers and 4,700 police that began after the January 2015 Île-de-France terrorist attacks. The Foreign Legion is part of the last batch of troops deployed in Nice with the objective of protecting the deemed sensitive “points” of the territory from possible attacks. [source] [source]
4.2 Core Purpose
The Foreign Legion’s core purpose is to serve as the main expeditionary force of the French Army in overseas deployments. Their training and composition provides the Champs Elises with a versatile and rapidly deployable force capable of conducting various missions that range from direct combat to peacekeeping roles. Furthermore, the corps also have the ability to become a force multiplier, through their cavalry regiment and special brigades, to regular units in the same theatre of operations. [source]
4.3 Tactics
The French Army has historically chosen doctrines and command styles based on violence of action and rapid movement instead of firepower supremacy and massive assaults. More specifically, an approach that relied on battalion and company-sized combined arms battle groups tailored for specific missions. These are known as tactical combined arms groups (GTIA) and the smaller tactical combined arms sub-groups (SGTIA). Their modularity helps efficiently aggregate and disaggregate forces, cobbling together forces from bits and pieces of multiple companies, regiments, and brigades.
Legionaries use motorised infantry and light cavalry to move quickly into enemy territory, once targets are detected, combined arms manoeuvres and close air support clear the area. Afghanistan and Mali saw this kind of tactics during the deployments of the Foreign Legion in the past two decades. The current process of professionalisation in the French Army is also reaching the Keppis Blancs, providing a historical “make-do unit” with updated technology for improved performance and improved manoeuvrability. [source]
4.4 Personnel size
Approximately 9,000 men are in active service and 1,500 belong to the reserve. The Foreign Legion is divided into 500 legionnaires on the headquarters level and in training regiments while the rest of the regiments have around 900 soldiers and officers. Almost the majority of the units are divided into six companies, with five being operational and a sixth one in reserve that acts as a combat support element on overseas deployments. [source]
5 The Future
Today, the normal framework for engaging the French armed forces outside national territory is that of collective action. France has a clear aim, asserting its role as a framework nation within the European Union. The French Army has the ambition of deploying a ‘high-intensity’ division (19,000 men and 7,000 vehicles) within 30 days by 2027 to reinforce the country’s status as a reliable and credible ally. “The aim is to demonstrate our strength as a means of deterring our potential adversaries and asserting our strategic solidarity with our allies,” explains General Pierre Schill.
This is the reasoning behind the 2024 creation of the Lille-based Land Forces and Operations Command. It aims to enhance the Army’s power and responsiveness in order to engage organised, equipped and mission-ready units at the right time and over the long term. The Foreign Legion, being its prime expeditionary force, its expected to be at the forefront of the initiative. [source]
Regarding weapons and equipment, the future for the Legion looks promising as France increases its defence budget and deep dives into the professionalisation of their soldiers. The White Keppis are expected to phase out the FAMAS in favour of the HK416, even for training purposes and reserve weapons. Felin helmets and Tigre vests are also transforming from a previous status as rare and newer equipment into everyday combat gear.
6 Conclusion
The French Foreign Legion stands out as a unique component of the French Army designed and created as an expeditionary force for overseas deployments, characterised by its diverse composition of foreign nationals banded together through a strong spirit de corps embedded in history and tradition. Looking ahead, the French Foreign Legion is poised to continue its vital role in asserting France’s military presence within the European Union and adapting to modern warfare challenges. As it embraces technological advancements and professionalisation, the Legion remains a second chance for foreign nationals looking for a second chance or a stable career under a new nationality.
