French Foreign Legion

[One Day...]

Well, Muskox, I fully agree that France is overrun by immigration...

the tidal wave of emigration North from the exploding demography of Africa.

But while I have been living in the US since the early 1990's and I am now a US citizen, I still have several family members who are officers in the French Army, and a number of classmates from the Academy - although all but the highest ranking generals are now retired.

I can assure you that, as common sense would dictate, the "same assholes", to use your expression, who refuse integration in the French society, and create all the immigration-related issues, are not generally the ones who show up at the military recruiting booths or who apply for the Academy or the non-com schools

I am not promoting the French Legion over the US Military (one of my sons, of whom I am immensely proud, is a Combat Instructor Sergeant in the US Marines), I was just answering Zambezi's query, and on this specific aspect I darn well guaranty you that if the Legion is still what it was in the 1980's his son will NOT "deal with the same assholes" in the Legion. They are simply not tolerated... In French or European society at large, of course yes, in the Legion, definitely no

 

[One Day...]

... President Eisenhower chose not to involve the US further by bombing the fixed positions of the Communist troops/artillery. Khe Sanh was handled differently- the siege was offset by air resupply accomplished by C-130s making touch and go landings where supplies were pushed out of the plane during to touch phase. As the plane was doing this a series of F4 Phantoms would make napalm runs parallel to the airstrip where the NVA were attempting to fire on the supply planes.
...The situation was resolved when several flights of B-52s dropped delay fuse 500 lb bombs on the circumference of the wire

Yep, C130 Hercules escorted by F4 Phantom were definitely more effective than WWII DC3s or C47s escorted by F6F Hellcats or F4U Corsairs

Not to mention xx many times more numerous

As to B52s heavy bombers, well, the French simply had ... nothing ... maybe a few WW II B26 Invaders light bombers, but I am not even sure...

As I said, it is amazing what overwhelming material superiority will do to your odds on the ground...

As to the claim about discipline problems in the US military- they are much more common in Hollywood typewriters than in real life. Actual incidents were VERY few and far between.

I am clearly conscious of that, although I think that we can all agree that the morale issues took alarming proportions...

 

[Zambezi]

My son will be looking at both the Legion and the US army as options.
Thank you all for your replies and suggestions.
I think it would be easier to get into the Legion but the language will be a barrier. The opposite is true for the US Army, harder to get a green card but the instruction would be in English...

 

[mark-hunter]

On the end of accomlished goal, learning French will be a benefit.
I wish you and your son, a good luck in this endeavour!

 

[Muskox]

My son will be looking at both the Legion and the US army as options.
Thank you all for your replies and suggestions.
I think it would be easier to get into the Legion but the language will be a barrier. The opposite is true for the US Army, harder to get a green card but the instruction would be in English...

I would look at all the American military services. He probably won't be allowed in the Space Force, but I wouldn't write that off as you never know how things will work out.

Something that will result in a trade on the back end. Being a medic will generally not result in a trade that can be applied to a position (because of the professional requirements in the American medical field) As most of the general field medics, do not go on to get the nursing education that would give them a profession on the outside. He could easily do this, but he'd have to put his nose to the grindstone.

As a foreign born soldier/airman/Sailor/Marine/Guardian he'd be able to get into the nurse corps really easily, as the clearance requirements would be lower.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

if the Legion is still what it was in the 1980's his son will NOT "deal with the same assholes" in the Legion. They are simply not tolerated...

In the squad bay, no one will hear you scream.

 

[NewForester]

Well, Muskox, I fully agree that France is overrun by immigration...



But while I have been living in the US since the early 1990's and I am now a US citizen, I still have several family members who are officers in the French Army, and a number of classmates from the Academy - although all but the highest ranking generals are now retired.

I can assure you that, as common sense would dictate, the "same assholes", to use your expression, who refuse integration in the French society, and create all the immigration-related issues, are not generally the ones who show up at the military recruiting booths or who apply for the Academy or the non-com schools

I am not promoting the French Legion over the US Military (one of my sons, of whom I am immensely proud, is a Combat Instructor Sergeant in the US Marines), I was just answering Zambezi's query, and on this specific aspect I darn well guaranty you that if the Legion is still what it was in the 1980's his son will NOT "deal with the same assholes" in the Legion. They are simply not tolerated... In French or European society at large, of course yes, in the Legion, definitely no

Very interesting. And, if the French Foreign Legion is as it was, and most of the rest of the armed forces in the West have become more Woke and Politically Correct, in relative terms The Legion must be even more of an elite force than it was in the 80's.

 

[Dragan N.]

Yep, C130 Hercules escorted by F4 Phantom were definitely more effective than WWII DC3s or C47s escorted by F6F Hellcats or F4U Corsairs

Not to mention xx many times more numerous

As to B52s heavy bombers, well, the French simply had ... nothing ... maybe a few WW II B26 Invaders light bombers, but I am not even sure...

As I said, it is amazing what overwhelming material superiority will do to your odds on the ground...



I am clearly conscious of that, although I think that we can all agree that the morale issues took alarming proportions...

Drug abuse was an issue amoung American G.I.s in Vietnam as well. That is one thing that Hollywood sometimes focuses on, and its not wholly inaccurate. Ranging from methamphetamines given by the government to heroin use. I would guess that lack of morale and drug abuse are self feeding issues. The more demoralized a soldier is the more likely they are to abuse drugs. And the more that a drug, like heroin is used, the more demoralized that soldier/person becomes. Heroin addicts don't care about much except their next fix.

This NYT article from the 70s was pretty interesting: https://www.nytimes.com/1971/05/16/...idemic-in-vietnam-gi-heroin-addiction-is.html

It is somewhat similar to how it becomes hard to separate drug abuse from mental health issues in the general populace. A lot of users are mentally ill and the 2 feed each other.