I once tried to join the French Foreign Legion. I spent a week at the base in Aubagne (Southern France) for the selection process, but didn't make the cut. AMA
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Posted Nov 28, 2009, 7:22 PM UTC
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You're Nigerian, your written English is absolutely fluent and you speak both French and German. Wow! Not bad! How did you pick up all those languages? Did you study languages (or at least English) in a school or did you pick them up along the way? Apart from the Cooper's test, I would've thought the Foreign Legion would love to have someone with your sort of language skills.
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how did you fuck up? were you glad you got cut? do you speak French?
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I can run the Cooper test in 12 minutes flat. Ha!
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Way to kick him in the balls.
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I can run it, but not when the temperature is 7 degrees.
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My X girlfriend ran it in 12 min flat.
She's had a boob job since then.
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We had the Cooper test at school too.. Hated it back then, and still do.
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2800m in 12 minutes? You should be glad you didn't get in, you would've been utterly destroyed.
So, did you try to re-apply? Can you even do that?
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Something seems wierd. Wikepedia says average 12minute distance running the Cooper test is 2200 meters. 2200 divided by 600 (600 meters in a mile) is 3.6. You're telling me that average is running 3.6 miles in 12 minutes? That's faster than a four minute mile. How can that be average?
Is my math broken?
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600 meters is not a mile
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There's the problem. 1600 meters is a mile. Yeah, so 2200 is doable. I jog every day on a treadmill and average 9 minute miles just doing cardio. Lousy metric system ;)
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A mile is 1600 meters, not 600.
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What is your nationality?
What was the psych test like? How in depth was it?
Are you going to try again?
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Are you a prince looking for an heir?
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Why did you try to join the FFL as opposed to any other military outfit?
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Was this the movie that inspired you?
It seemed so real to me, like I was right there with them.
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What was it specifically about the FFL that was attractive to you and made you want to join?
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Can you give us a picture of what daily life was like when you were in. Was it like the U.S. boot camp, with 5am wake up times and obstacle course running until you drop? What advice would you give to someone thinking of joining?
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Was it like the U.S. boot camp, with 5am wake up times
In U.S. army basic training in 1999 wake up time was commonly 0300 and we didn't run an obstacle course but one time. Watch those generalizing assumptions!
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why didn't you make the cut? what exactly does the French Foreign Legion do?
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In other words, you are expendable?
If you had succeed in your quest, would you have become a French citizen?
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Foreign legionnaires can apply for French citizenship after they finish their 5-year term or after being wounded during their duty (not in bar fights or such).
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Cannon fodder?? fffffffffuuuuuu
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They've been used as cannon fodder since 1831.
What happens when you send the same group, over and over, into suicide mission situations?
Eventually the only ones you have left are the toughest, meanest, and best there are.
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Where are you from?
What did you do after you didn't make the cut. Apparently you were desperate even trying, but since you're posting here I'm assuming there were options still open.
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May I as one human being to another apologize for all the idiots who keep connecting Nigeria with mail-scams and nothing else.
So you're back in Nigeria. What prompted you to try and go to Europe in the first place?
And what are you doing now?
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May I as one human being to another apologize for all the idiots who keep connecting Nigeria with mail-scams and nothing else.
Did you see the part where he says he committed forgery?
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Yes, I did. There's about 155 million Nigerians. Will you judge all of them by the mistakes of one?
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I don't mind being downmodded. Just saw 12 Angry Men (good movie) so I'm in the mood.
Well, to be perfectly honest I think you've been lucky (at first sight!). I work in social services and I've met a lot of people who've traveled to Europe for much more dire reasons than you.
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Not related at all to the title of your post but I was wondering anyway. Europe is very open to immigration right now, people aren't complaining that much because the economy is good and most foreign religions and ethnicities are still a small minority, although that's changing with Islam. Are you scared that if the economy got really really bad from one day to the other, it will be 1933 all over again?
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Many immigrants in Europe think they are entitled to live as they please without integrating with the host country's society, but they don't realize how altruistic and open European societies are being and how easy that can change from one day to the next. Do you think many immigrants get a feeling of entitlement and that's why they don't try to integrate? I'm talking about Arabic and Turkish immigrants, I haven't seen South American or non-Muslim black people holding the same disregard for the host country's culture. I apologize if I sounded racist and xenophobic, I'm not, I just feel like being taken advantage of.
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I don't think a new thread is a good idea. I'd like to hear your opinion though.
Edit: Sorry, I just realized why you said I should start a new thread, I forgot this was an Iama thread.
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I have seen that though, but not so often.
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Are you living two or three years in the past?
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This economic crisis isn't that bad compared to what it could be. I was referring to a crisis as bad as the Weimar Republic's in the 30s.
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Well, Europe is not open to immigration any more.For example, last year Spain (one of the nations most open to immigration in the past) kinda paid immigrants to leave. Also, the economy is pretty bad - OK not 1930s style, but people are complaining all over the place.
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You would be right in saying Spain isn't open to immigration if they forced people to leave and didn't let anyone else in. Paying immigrants if they choose to leave because they want to is not the same.
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Besides the Cooper Test, what are the other requirements for joining? And is speaking French a requirement?
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How interesting. I too am Nigerian and am considering the FFL. Except for getting to the South of France, I am unsure if I could commit 5 years of my life to them. It would be nice thing to say I've done. I would love to be a sniper and a field medic, or even a doctor...
Has anyone else on Reddit serve in there?
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I don't know much about the FFL, but I'm sure that to be a doctor, you need to BE a doctor. ;P
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I did not know that. So you have no influence as to what your military specialty would be? Is there anyway to find out the likelihood of what it could be?
Also, don't feel bad about not passing the Cooper's Test. The Marines, if I remember correctly, only require you 1.5 miles in 12 minutes. 2800m is about 1.73 miles. I think the best I've ever done is what you submitted in. Not bad at all.
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Are you OK now that you're back in Nigeria?
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so what do you do now back in nigeria?
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I don't have a question, but a while ago I came across this book (the whole thing is online). It talks about pretty much everything, from the legions history to the experience of serving.
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Did your ability to speak French influence your decision?
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Did you explain that you were a prince and had a really sweet deal for them that they could not pass up?
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Error 419. Gullible victim not found.
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This is the kind of IAMA that is really interesting to me. Thank you for posting. My question would pertain to the fraud you mentioned earlier. Were you just making documents to try and remain legal in a foreign country?
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I have a question, how come Nigerians are considered the worst people to deal with in China? The other Africans believe that Nigerians make Africans look bad. Why do you think that is?
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The Chinese are bitching about the Africans now? Shouldn't it be the Africans who are annoyed with dealing with Chinese?
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Why? They have relatively awesome jobs and get to live in a relatively awesome place.
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China is now a popular place for entrepreneurially minded africans. Sorry, abstract only.
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Obvious question: What crime did you commit before deciding to join the FFL to escape prosecution?
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What did you (try to) forge?
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I was under the impression that all Euro countries had universal healthcare? What is the system like over there?
so what happens now that you've failed? where you off to?
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Ok, that's great to hear. I was watching The Legion in NatGeo today and saw this guy who deserted because he couldn't take it anymore.
"I once tried to..." clearly indicates a past event. Your title was fine.
Does it involve transferring trapped funds out of Nigeria from deposed royalty to US bank accounts? If so, count me in.
What was your country of origin, if you don't mind my asking?
Edit: Nevermind, found the answer elsewhere.