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#Post#: 16312-------------------------------------------------- |
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French Foreign Legion |
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By: Beowolff Date: March 5, 2021, 4:41 am |
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[center] |
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https://i.postimg.cc/C11MM6y1/d10a65ffc44d4c3a9d2caa1af4a8c7f1.jpg[/center] |
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[center]The French Foreign Legion[/center] |
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Ah, the Foreign Legion! Of course this dredges up old memories |
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of myself as a kid watching those old black and white shows on |
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TV, those old movies... of gallant and brave Legionnaires |
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bravely marching through the burning desert always under threat |
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of attack by brutal tribesmen just over the next sand dune! |
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Oh how 'I' wanted to join up with them! But of course I wasn't |
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eligible as a kid of five or six, eh? LOL! ;D |
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https://i.postimg.cc/PrxSTWFq/b08091164c4126245c8e4dab169563e3.jpg |
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Those were the days of big dreams...my childhood...for stuck on |
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a hard scrabble farm/ranch where I was expected to work like a |
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grown man even at the tender age of four didn't leave me a whole |
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lot of 'fun' to have. I had to 'steal' time to play and just be |
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a kid and so such adventuresome, romantic ideas of gallant |
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Legionnaires (and cowboys and Indians and such) always filled my |
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head in what little spare time I had to play. |
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Of course true life wasn't so glamorous as my |
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daydreams/imagination would have it. |
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The Legionnaires had it rough, very rough, especially in the |
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early days and it's still no cakewalk today. |
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https://i.postimg.cc/wTMYZsXX/2ab6c170245384849152fbee370a0ed8.jpg |
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https://i.postimg.cc/jjr9xW7k/7fafa63028a3c35ae59f5025c4970956.jpg |
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{Source Wiki) |
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[font=sans-serif]Since 1831, the Legion has consisted of |
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hundreds of thousands in active service at its peak, and |
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suffered the aggregated loss of nearly 40,000 |
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men[/font][sup][font=sans-serif][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Foreign_Legion#cite_note-11][color=#0645ad… |
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/>in |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France][font=sans-serif]France[/font][/iurl][font… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algeria][font=sans-serif]Algeria[/font][/iurl][fo… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morocco][font=sans-serif]Morocco[/font][/iurl][fo… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia][font=sans-serif]Tunisia[/font][/iurl][fo… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar][font=sans-serif]Madagascar[/font][/iu… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Africa][font=sans-serif]West<br |
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/>Africa[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif], |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico][font=sans-serif]Mexico[/font][/iurl][font… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy][font=sans-serif]Italy[/font][/iurl][font=s… |
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/>the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimea][font=sans-serif]Crimea[/font][/iurl][font… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain][font=sans-serif]Spain[/font][/iurl][font=s… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-China][font=sans-serif]Indo-China[/font][/iu… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway][font=sans-serif]Norway[/font][/iurl][font… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria][font=sans-serif]Syria[/font][/iurl][font=s… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chad][font=sans-serif]Chad[/font][/iurl][font=san… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Za�re][font=sans-serif]Za�re[/font][/iurl][font=s… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon][font=sans-serif]Lebanon[/font][/iurl][fo… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Africa][font=sans-serif]Central<br |
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/>Africa[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif], |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabon][font=sans-serif]Gabon[/font][/iurl][font=s… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuwait][font=sans-serif]Kuwait[/font][/iurl][font… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda][font=sans-serif]Rwanda[/font][/iurl][font… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djibouti][font=sans-serif]Djibouti[/font][/iurl][… |
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/>former |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslavia][font=sans-serif]Yugoslavia[/font][/iu… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somalia][font=sans-serif]Somalia[/font][/iurl][fo… |
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/>the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Congo][font=sans-serif]Republic<br |
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/>of Congo[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif], |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory_Coast][font=sans-serif]Ivory<br |
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/>Coast[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif], |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan][font=sans-serif]Afghanistan[/font][/… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali][font=sans-serif]Mali[/font][/iurl][font=san… |
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/>as well as others. The French Foreign Legion was primarily use |
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d |
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to help protect and expand the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_colonial_empire][font=sans-serif]French<br |
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/>colonial empire[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] during the 19th |
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century. The Foreign Legion was initially stationed only in |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Algeria][font=sans-serif]Algeria[/font][/i… |
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/>where it took part in the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacification_of_Algeria][font=sans-serif]pacifica… |
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/>and development of the colony. Subsequently, the Foreign Legio |
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n |
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was deployed in a number of conflicts, including the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Carlist_War][font=sans-serif]First<br |
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/>Carlist War[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] in 1835, the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_War][font=sans-serif]Crimean<br |
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/>War[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] in 1854, the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Italian_War_of_Independence][font=sans-ser… |
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/>Italian War of Independence[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] in |
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1859, the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_intervention_in_Mexico][font=sans-serif]Fr… |
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/>intervention in Mexico[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] in 1863, |
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the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco-Prussian_War][font=sans-serif]Franco-Pruss… |
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/>War[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] in 1870, the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonkin_Campaign][font=sans-serif]Tonkin<br |
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/>Campaign[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] and |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-French_War][font=sans-serif]Sino-French<br |
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/>War[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] in 1883, supporting growth |
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of |
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the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_colonial_empire][font=sans-serif]French<br |
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/>colonial empire[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] in |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sub-Saharan_Africa][font=sans-serif]Sub-Saharan<br |
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/>Africa[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif], the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Franco-Dahomean_War][font=sans-serif]Secon… |
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/>Franco-Dahomean War[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] in 1892, th |
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e |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Madagascar_expedition][font=sans-serif]Sec… |
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/>Madagascar expedition[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] in 1895 a |
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nd |
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the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandingo_Wars][font=sans-serif]Mandingo<br |
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/>Wars[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] in 1894. In |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I][font=sans-serif]World<br |
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/>War I[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif], the Foreign Legion fough |
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t |
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in many critical battles on the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Front_(World_War_I)][font=sans-serif]West… |
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/>Front[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif]. It played a smaller role |
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in World War II than in World War I, though having a part in the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Campaign][font=sans-serif]Norwegian[/fo… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria-Lebanon_Campaign][font=sans-serif]Syrian[/f… |
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/>and |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_African_Campaign][font=sans-serif]North<br |
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/>African[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] campaigns. During the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Indochina_War][font=sans-serif]First<br |
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/>Indochina War[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] (1946�1954), the |
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Foreign Legion saw its numbers swell. The Legion lost a large |
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number of men in the (for them) catastrophic |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dien_Bien_Phu][font=sans-serif]Battle<br |
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/>of Dien Bien Phu[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif] against forces |
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of the |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viet_Minh][font=sans-serif]Viet<br |
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/>Minh[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif]. |
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[/font]{source quote end} |
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So, as you can see from the above, the Legion has never had it |
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easy... they've been thrown into combat all over the world in |
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the hottest of hot spots, they've been marched into slaughter |
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time and time again and for the most part (no matter the good or |
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bad of the political situation driving them) they've performed |
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magnificently. |
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Go here for more historic (wiki) information: |
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[iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Foreign_Legion]French<br |
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/>Foreign Legion - Wikipedia[/iurl] |
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Modern Legionnaires continue that trend from what I can |
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tell/read/hear about. |
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Now how do 'I' feel or what do 'I' (as an adult) feel about the |
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Legion? Well, I know they've not always been used wisely, many |
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times they've simply been the French Government's Enforcers |
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rather than Defenders... I get that. I also get that 'most' |
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military forces around the world has been used similarly from |
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time to time. (Sadly enough.) That's the way of life, I |
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suppose. Military units may not 'be' political (well, until |
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recently anyway) but the military has always been stuck with |
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having to do the political whims (good or bad) of governments |
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and politicians since time immortal. I doubt if it'll ever |
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change. |
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I still feel an excitement about the Foreign Legion...to this |
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day! Ha! Their [font=Roboto, sans-serif]Esprit de Corps has |
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always been and still is one of their main linchpins/attractions |
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for me. Of course they've 'still' got the coolest uniforms and |
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some darn exotic/cool looking weapons too. Too old and too fat |
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now to be a gob-smacked 'good-looking' Legionnaire I still |
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'imagine' myself marching along through the desert with them |
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though...lol! |
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Here is a link to an official site: |
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[iurl= |
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https://www.legion-etrangere.com/]LEGION |
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ETRANGERE |
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(legion-etrangere.com)[/iurl][/font] |
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A map showing recent and current Legion deployments and other |
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info: |
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http://foreignlegion.inf |
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o/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/operation-barkhane-map-20 |
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17.jpg |
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A link to more current info on the Legion: |
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[iurl= |
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http://foreignlegion.inf |
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o/2018/03/29/foreign-legion-overseas-deployments-2018/]Foreign |
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Legion: Overseas Deployments 2018 | French Foreign Legion |
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Information[/iurl] |
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These guys are superbly trained combat soldiers, certainly I |
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respect them immensely. I (as you might have already noted) |
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haven't always agreed with the political aspects of their |
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deployments...yet I have and still do feel they are a powerful |
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force (usually) for good in this world. Certainly they are no |
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one to mess with when it comes to hot combat! |
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Discussion on this subject is VERY welcome, as are comments and |
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shooting the breeze conversation. |
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Please join in and let us know your views, thoughts, opinions |
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here. |
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S! |
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Beo |
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#Post#: 16317-------------------------------------------------- |
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Re: French Foreign Legion |
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By: Dreamk Date: March 5, 2021, 5:10 am |
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The whole size of the Foreign Legion is less than 9000 men. Most |
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of the French troops operating in the Sahel area are not Foreign |
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Legion but regular French army units. |
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The Foreign legion is made of 8 regiments (including 1 paratroop |
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regt, 1 cavalry regt, 2 engineers regt , 2 infantry regt and 2 |
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non-combat regt that can serve in case of need as combat support |
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units) and a "half-brigade" (an expanded motorized infantry regt |
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operating in support of a light armour regular French regiment |
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to which it is integrated - roughly on the model of the |
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panzergrenadier units. |
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The Paratroop regiment and the 2 Infantry regiments are, |
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together with the 3rd marine Infantry Regiment, the best troops |
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of the French army - some say the only good troops, and in fact |
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till the intervention in Sahel they were the only French troops |
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with operational experience - The growing needs of troops for |
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the French intervention there has demanded huge changes in the |
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training of other regular French army units so as to bring them |
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to an acceptable operational status, an objective which seems to |
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have been reached in the last two years, that have seen a |
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drastic increase in the professionalism of French soldiers |
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involved in the Sahel operations - but also of their losses as |
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they are now directly involved in active fighting. |
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#Post#: 16318-------------------------------------------------- |
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Re: French Foreign Legion |
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By: Beowolff Date: March 5, 2021, 9:01 am |
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Excellent information, DK! 8) Thank you for your comment and |
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response! |
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9000 men seems such a small amount for the firepower they can |
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put out, eh! |
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For people unfamiliar with the name Sahel, here is more info: |
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[font=Roboto, Helvetica, sans-serif]The Sahel is the ecoclimatic |
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and biogeographic realm of transition in Africa between the |
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Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. |
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Having a semi-arid climate, it stretches across the |
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south-central latitudes of Northern Africa between the Atlantic |
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Ocean and the Red Sea. |
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Link to Wiki pages info- |
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[iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahel#cite_note-38]Sahel |
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- |
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Wikipedia[/iurl][/font] |
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[font=Roboto, Helvetica, sans-serif] |
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https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Camels_in_Chad.png[/font] |
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[font=Linux Libertine, Georgia, Times, serif]Instability and |
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violence (from wiki)[/font] |
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[font=sans-serif]Terrorist organizations including |
|
[iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boko_Haram][color=#0645ad]Boko<br |
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/>Haram[/iurl] and |
|
[iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Qaeda_in_the_Islamic_Maghreb]Al-Qaeda<br |
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/>in the Islamic Maghreb[/iurl] (AQIM) operating in the Sahel ha |
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ve |
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contributed to the violence, extremism and instability of the |
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region.[/font][/color] |
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[font=sans-serif]The violent |
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[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herder�farmer_conflicts_in_Nigeria][font=sans-ser… |
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/>conflicts in Nigeria[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif], |
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[/font][iurl= |
|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_2019_attacks_against_Fulani_herders][font=s… |
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/>[/font][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudanese_nomadic_conflicts][font=sans-serif]Sudan… |
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/>and other countries in the Sahel region have been exacerbated |
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by |
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climate change, land degradation, and |
|
[/font][font=sans-serif][iurl= |
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_growth]population<br |
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/>growth[/iurl].[/font][font=sans-serif] Droughts and food |
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shortages have been also linked to the |
|
[/font][iurl= |
|
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mali_conflict][font=sans-serif]Northern<… |
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/>Mali conflict[/font][/iurl][font=sans-serif].[/font] |
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[font=Roboto, Helvetica, sans-serif]French forces there: |
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https://i.postimg.cc/q7nzYSkf/Frances-Operation-Barkhane-1024x765.jpg[/font] |
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[font=Roboto, Helvetica, |
|
sans-serif] |
|
https://i.postimg.cc/NjvMXb6p/b98c076d9b62a0ff24bb4c210b9d1b6bc4179993.jpg[/fon… |
|
#Post#: 16320-------------------------------------------------- |
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Re: French Foreign Legion |
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By: Cashmere_Dave Date: March 5, 2021, 3:19 pm |
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--------------------------------------------------------- |
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From memory, there was a time in the early 1980s when they were |
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banned from training with the French army. The Army soldiers |
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sustained too many inuries. ;) |
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#Post#: 16324-------------------------------------------------- |
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Re: French Foreign Legion |
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By: Beowolff Date: March 5, 2021, 6:31 pm |
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--------------------------------------------------------- |
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[quote author=Cashmere_Dave link=topic=2275.msg16320#msg16320 |
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date=1614979144] |
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From memory, there was a time in the early 1980s when they were |
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banned from training with the French army. The Army soldiers |
|
sustained too many inuries. ;) |
|
[/quote] |
|
I heard that too but have no idea if it's true... anybody for |
|
sure on that or is it just people talking? 8) |
|
#Post#: 16330-------------------------------------------------- |
|
Re: French Foreign Legion |
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By: Beowolff Date: March 6, 2021, 8:19 am |
|
--------------------------------------------------------- |
|
Looks like the old FAMAS (and newer modified versions) along |
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with HK's are the standard rifles of the Legion. Nice weapons. |
|
I have fired a FAMAS (and thought it a grand weapon), I've not |
|
shot the HK but there's little doubt it's a quality weapon. |
|
[iurl= |
|
http://foreignlegion.inf |
|
o/equipment/#:~:text=French |
|
Foreign Legion Weapons PA MAC 50 PA,(MAC)%2C thereafter by |
|
Manufacture d�Armes de Saint-�tienne (MAS).]Equipment | French |
|
Foreign Legion Information[/iurl] |
|
https://i.postimg.cc/BncWMpGM/f1famas30.jpg |
|
#Post#: 16332-------------------------------------------------- |
|
Re: French Foreign Legion |
|
By: Dreamk Date: March 6, 2021, 10:46 am |
|
--------------------------------------------------------- |
|
The French army underwent a drastic change in the end-80s: they |
|
stooped being a conscription army ('people army"), the army |
|
being from now on a smaller professional army. |
|
The conscription army was fully ineffective (what can you do |
|
with masses of conscripts, staying only 12 months overall under |
|
the flag, beyond basic training) - and the combined training |
|
exercises involving both such conscripted units and professional |
|
units like the Foreign legion, resulted in a high level of |
|
accidental injuries (or worse), as could be expected - thus the |
|
ensuing logical decision to keep these units training |
|
separately. |
|
The French army of today is much more efficient for intervention |
|
in small conflicts (but of course totally unsuited to a full war |
|
situation) - implementing the model of training and logistics of |
|
the Foreign legion but also the branches integration seen in the |
|
US marines - this can bee seen on the map of the Barkane |
|
operation were armor, helicopters, engineers, logistic and |
|
infantry are integrated in a fighting force. The Air force |
|
remains the weakest point of the French army, and will |
|
apparently remain so in the coming years. |
|
#Post#: 16335-------------------------------------------------- |
|
Re: French Foreign Legion |
|
By: Beowolff Date: March 6, 2021, 10:56 am |
|
--------------------------------------------------------- |
|
Again, great information, DK... thank you. Question though, |
|
you mentioned aircraft being a weakness... what is the problem |
|
there? France has throughout the years had wonderful and |
|
sophisticated military aircraft (especially in the years AFTER |
|
WW2) so what has happened there to cause trouble? |
|
S! |
|
Beo |
|
#Post#: 16336-------------------------------------------------- |
|
Re: French Foreign Legion |
|
By: Dreamk Date: March 6, 2021, 12:50 pm |
|
--------------------------------------------------------- |
|
[font=Verdana]French air force main mission is still mainly |
|
focused on being a strategic nuclear vector - together with the |
|
aging ballistic submarines - something still more stressed after |
|
the French dismantled their land-based nuclear missile (both |
|
strategic and tactic) arm.[/font] |
|
[font=Verdana]Close air support has never been seriously |
|
developed since the sixties - the Franco-British Jaguar were a |
|
return to the failed concept of "vol rasant", once again using a |
|
badly armored plane, with an average overall weapon load (the US |
|
also implemented at this same period the "vol rasant" concept |
|
but with the A-10 which was a "flying tank") and the use of the |
|
Mirage F1 in this role were still worse. [/font] |
|
[font=Verdana]This is currently the most acute problem of the |
|
French air force - the Mirage 2000 is a quite good interceptor |
|
but not suited to close air support. And close air support is |
|
what is needed for the kind of military operations for which the |
|
modern French army is designed.[/font] |
|
[font=Verdana]Another huge problem is the logistics branch - |
|
still using the short-range short-capacity Transall, they were |
|
compelled, for the intervention in Sahel, to ask the US for |
|
support by temporary leasing them C-130 Hercules.[/font] |
|
[font=Verdana]PS. I see that I forgot the Rafale which is an |
|
issue by itself - once again, an aircraft initially designed as |
|
a pure fighter with some degree of stealth capability, it |
|
underwent a series of successive transformations over the years |
|
to become suited to a "multi-figher" role. The result is a |
|
fighter roughly equivalent to the F-18, but with a cumbersome |
|
(and expensive) maintenance. Maintenance in combat operations is |
|
are further questioned while at the looking overall very small |
|
numbers of aircraft built (overall 200 produced including 140 |
|
for France) - as compared with the over 4600 F16 produced - has |
|
the expected result of a permanent strain on replacement stocks |
|
(parts and whole aircraft). Maintenance and supply are a classic |
|
plague of the French air force: during the short intervention in |
|
Lybia, to oust Khaddafi regime (and put a hand over the oil |
|
refineries...), the French air force found it soon limited due |
|
to...the exhaustion of their stock of bombs, as these are |
|
exclusively French produced, and once again in very limited |
|
numbers. The re-entry of France in Nato as not improved the |
|
situation, as France keeps insisting on using only French |
|
designed and built equipment, instead of aligning with Nato |
|
standardization.[/font] |
|
#Post#: 16350-------------------------------------------------- |
|
Re: French Foreign Legion |
|
By: Beowolff Date: March 7, 2021, 3:47 am |
|
--------------------------------------------------------- |
|
[quote author=Dreamk link=topic=2275.msg16336#msg16336 |
|
date=1615056634][font=Verdana] The re-entry of France in Nato as |
|
not improved the situation, as France keeps insisting on using |
|
only French designed and built equipment, instead of aligning |
|
with Nato standardization.[/font] |
|
[/quote] |
|
Yes, I see your point. Perhaps it's the French "vive la |
|
diff�rence!" that is getting in the way? :D |
|
We have our share of that here too, unfortunately. |
|
You mentioned the Rafale, which is a 'very' attractive looking |
|
aircraft. I have not studied it's actual effectiveness but from |
|
what you say it seems quite powerful and useful, in particular |
|
if it could standardize it's armament around the NATO supply |
|
chain. |
|
[img] |
|
https://www.fliegerweb.com/data/NewsPictures/Rafale_F3R_Standard_640.jpg?c=8551… |
|
Still, effective as a ground attack or not, I suppose it cannot |
|
(as you mentioned earlier) replace/take-the-place-of such |
|
dedicated ground sluggers as the US A-10 for low, pinpoint, |
|
close-in tank/troop/weapon position/etc. strike/attack. Sadly |
|
the USA continues to try and get rid of the vaunted A-10 here |
|
despite it's continued, provable value in attack/close support. |
|
The A-10 survives here... but only because there is nothing to |
|
replace it with no matter how much brainless politicians want to |
|
do away with it. |
|
***************************************************** |
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