the foreign legion, it is a family and especially a state of mind. legionnaires, when you winyour white kã©ppi, you will understand: we become a legionnaireand it remains until death. abritez-vous tous.noboby here ! shelter all.nobody here ! you're in charge of shooting,remains! you're not lined up!align yourself! you still move your arm like a,i'll break your hand!
even if i have a heart attack,i'm not moving. rigor! discipline! you never give up your dead,nor your wounded, nor your weapons. in the heart of the foreign legion when you put the kepi, here, after, like that. it's not here, right? here, normal, okay?
get up ! market ! left, left ... slow down! put yourself in step,raise your head, align yourself! nobody moves here! fire ! every morning at fort de nogent, one of the two recruitment centersof the foreign legion, some menfrom all over the world
are candidatesfor a five-year commitment. they will change their name and,for french nationals. becoming a foreigner,because the region accepts the french, but on condition that theya national of borrowing. for what reasons?to the foreign legion? that the main reason. the sporting aspect, the travel aspect too. "the adventure?- yes. your last name,
this is more revel,but rossini, christophe. you were born on 6 november 1982‡ toronto. so you're no longer french,but canadian. its good. why engage‡ the foreign legion ? i do not want to drive in the street,i want to work. i want to workfor the french state, to do an interesting jobin relation to me. - judicial antecedents?- that is to say ?
- problems with justice?- yes. what, when, how? convocation at the police station. why ? baston. from now on, you do not have the right to contactwhoever it is from outside during the election period. the selection takes place in aubagne.
daily, around thirty candidates arrive there. of these thirty, four only will become legionnaires. one chance in eight, therefore, for rossini, the new canadian, or maynar, the cameroonian, are committed. all hope to become a region and put on the famous white kã©ppi go to the master corporal, down there,along the wall. undress. remove jacket,pants, and stay in pants. here we go.
socks! they find themselves with their new name and all the same underwear. one two three. one briefs each. you distribute and givethe socks ‡ each. for the next few days, many will be eliminated, but, from the start, they must get into a new skin. pass the t-shirts.same as above. when you have the t-shirts,put the t-shirts. each of the tests that will follow will be eliminated.
"a, this is the test. we will set an example together. four answers are good. is that ãa, yes or no? on the first evening, master corporal a polish, will give them the basics. in silence here! you laugh or what? the foreign legion,we have everyone: ex-lawyer, ex-ceo, pilot,head of section of the red army .. the total ! to the clodos.
everyone had his chance,he stayed, did things. it is up to you to show that you to put your white kepi, and show especially with ãa- your heart, l ‡, your muscles -, here, what you can dofor the glory of the foreign legion and for our homeland,france. and, for now,you will close your clapper here. i want total silence. the foreign legion,the valve is slightly opened: minimum corporal rank,two, three missions outdoors,
like ãa, y'a enough to chat.for the moment... you eat when you have to eat,you sleep when you have to sleep. - is that clear ?"yes, master corporal!" not for everybody.is that clear ? yes, master corporal! the only ones that the region does not, on principle, accept are the perpetrators of blood crimes and drug traffickers. they have one minute to take a shower and then a quarter of an hour to store their dormitories.
it's hot, it's speed. we have tohurry, do the stuff well, if not, then, ãa shouts at us,that's us. we are obliged to do well,be careful what you do, because if we have to start again,it's not good at all. everyone is in the same bath, therefore, we try to help each otherand then ... veil ‡. liãˆnart is a former gendarme. military life has already been practiced. it's square, it's strict.
everything that some people needto motivate them a little bit. "what motivates you?"- the hierarchy, the military spirit. what is it, ãa? there are hairs. come both here,the specialists. what is this filth?"apart with my finger, with the nail." it's not a fucking hearthfor refugees, here! you're in the barracks. â¿the foreign legion, barracks,it's our house. it's like ãa, with you?
um, what? go, hardware, and hand. when you do something, you do exactlyas at home. army barracks, and above all‡ the foreign language, gentlemen, it's worse than a private clinic. because it is with us,and it will soon be with you. it's clear ? - yes, master corporal.- nickel chromium, we will see ãa.
here, here, awakening,tomorrow morning, 4:45 am, quickly done, you get out of bed,shaving ... the beds are made. you give a shot in the shoulderand you go out. it's clear ? nickel chrome. bedroom ! rest. every day, it is a test.must pass them. but it's good, it's challenges‡ prove yourself, and also to others,of what one is capable. you must be proud to be a legionnaire. i am already proud to have entered,therefore, if i am, it is even better.
we will see the rest of the program tomorrow. apart from psycho-technical tests,i'm not sure i succeeded. so we will see,we will have the answer tomorrow. "would make me shit to stopcompared with psychotechnical tests, but i believe that ãa will go. tomorrow we attack a new day.we forget this one and forward! - good night !"good night, master corporal!" do not forget the awakening,4:45 tomorrow morning. from the awakening, they will discover which among them
will not even pass a second day here. - maynar!- now, master corporal. - rossini!- now, master corporal. i think it's over. direction to paris. we go back home. i grabbed the balls, because‡,this is the direction of the neighborhood. whore. fuck the hate.
rossini and maynar are eliminated. they will be able to represent themselves next time if they wish. the first day, how did the brain work? for those who stay the second day is: how is the body? medical tests now.next step: sports tests. but still confidentthan the beginning. no problem.motiv㈠‡ 200%. never had a problem knees, ankles?
no drugs?you smoke or not? swallow the saliva. a priori, is it fit for you? a priori, he is fit.no special problems. he is in good shape,it is a good sportsman, therefore ãa shouldvery well go for him. at the medical level, there's no problem. forty-five seconds. first physical test:
run faster for about 20 meters. those who do not arrive before the beep of the loudspeaker lose points. lim, the best, is american. he comes from san diego, california. one of the essential tests for the region: motivational interviews. it's lim's turn to go before the owner of this selection. lieutenant bral, polish, ‡ the region for seventeen years. the second interview, this time, with a psychologist.
now, lieutenant. hide me your glasses,this civil way of wearing them. you put in the pocketor you put on your eyes. on my eyes. and not pink floyd.here, sit down. what do you want here? the military hierarchy. and what's wrong with you here? - nothing.- there's something.
maybe the candidates a little lax. why you come‡ the foreign legion ? to return to military life and why not performof missions to the outside. why do you want to do missions? do not hide your face.it is also for money, but also to see a little of the country. do you havea question to ask me? no, my lieutenant.
- you can have it.- thank you, lieutenant. in your opinion, what wouldthe main defects? what would you likeimprove, modify if you could? sometimes i'm reproachedof being authoritarian, which can be a quality for here,but outside i am reproached. that is, authoritarian?too frank? too direct? yeah, i do not necessarily lick my words.i say what i think. "has avoided havingassumptions or misunderstandings. otherwise a little ...
i will not say maniac,but very organized. "see you. - really ?- yes. - i dunno.- a very conscientious character, therefore the meticulous side,pointilleux spring. you see ? i do not invent. in fact,storage maniac, and others. i got better. when you're in a group,how is it usually?
- i am very sociable.- how about the leader? follower? â¿the listeningor a little set back, in reserve? no, never in reserve,more often forward, in fact. if i know the domain,i put forward what i know so that otherscan benefit. after two weeks of observation, interviews and surveys on the past of these candidates, recruitment officers will decide who they will keep. each year, the region must recruit more than a thousand men.
the meeting must remain secret. silence! ongoing commission in a few minutes, lieutenant bral will announce the results. whore ! do not take your initiative.i said, "repeat." do not laugh. why are you laughing ? master corporal ordon is the ‡ so that everything is nickel chrome. there's nothing funny about it, boy. right now?
now! my ! lieutenant! rest for everyone. what is it, ãa?shave or not? what, yes? what is it, ãa? a legionnaire is razed to the ground.only the pioneers wear the beard. for the moment,you are far from being pioneers. so your faces are nickel chrome.
the clear eyes, well shaved face, you are clean, impeccable,like all the legionnaires. so, this is for the last time. when i make the remarks,and i am obliged to verify, as for children. you are big boys,you know what to do. rest. reflect already. when the lieutenantwill announce the results for the guys
which will be selected: are you able to5 years with honor and loyalty? come on, you have five minutes. - this is the big day.- so ? are you confident? at best, we try. do not go defaitiste. - just a few more minutes.- stop for section! commission results. come on, here, papa, wake up!what did we say earlier?
you have understood nothing!put yourself on your guard! this is ‡! go, action, ‡ cã™tãˆ!come on, guard you! come on, guard you!raise the head. come on, glue! - now, my lieutenant.- action ! to the right, those selected. among them, lim, the californian. to the left, recalã¨s. among them, lienart. i will be back, there's no worry.
are you dan? no, i was expecting it a little. i'm not a whorescouting monitor. i'm a master corporal‡ the foreign legion. we are in the foreign land,i give the orders. you are military,you are executing. i'm here, and i'm not letting goto the regiment, where my brothers in armswhich are in action, someone who did not give a fuckthe region and france.
you'll see how quicklyi'll find the specialists. all the mattresses, i need themand the covers folded with care. forward! move, move! now you're going to run!i was telling you already. come on! head of the chamber! look here, trace of shoe polish!activate, fucking! you take care of your fucking business,and ãa, these are your men, come on! the foreign legion was created almost two centuries ago. the memory,
tradition, ritual. the new ones will receive their letter commitment in the museum of aubagne. second section, assembledfor the award of contracts, in full, to your orders, lieutenant! section, rest. - voluntary commitment, lim.- now, my lieutenant. - voluntary commitment, jakow.- now, my lieutenant. ... listen to me. you can become a legion.
a legionnaire is not stupid,he is intelligent. two. the legionnaire is physical:he runs, he makes tractions, he climbs the rope, he is strong. three: the legionnaireis a good comrade. right here, we remember of the legionaries who died in battle. thirty-six thousand dead since its creation in 1831.
in 181 years of existence, the region has been of all wars, of the biggest battles: sevastopol, narvik, dien bien phu, kolwezi. in 1863, in mexico, at the cameron headquarters, 65 lions confront 2,000 mexican soldiers. the last five valid legions agree to go ‡ condition being able to treat their wounds and to retain their weapons.
the legend was born: the region never abandons its own. this troop of elite, strong of 7 600 men, is able to intervene at any moment in the hot spots of the planet. there was chad, lebanon, yugoslavia and, from 2001, afghanistan. afghanistan uzbin valley, 60 km from kabul the base of tora, a fob, in american, an advanced database.
the french have installed it in an old russian fort which controls the valley of uzbin. the taliban take this valley to go from pakistan to kabul. for them, it is the strategic road in their struggle against the power in place and against allied forces who support it. it's ‡ sper kunday, ‡ a few miles from here, as of august 18, 2008, ten french soldiers were killed by the insurgents.
the day before our arrival, four other soldiers died. i wanted to make this little ceremonywhich will end with a minute's silence in memory of the four frenchwho are deceased yesterday, including three who are deceasedin kapissa, due to inclement weather. one of red 30's vabs fell in a ditch, at the level of the gorges. the front-armed vehiclefell by 5 m, and corporal chechulinshooter on the back of the vab,
is dying in the accident. in place. guard you! to the dead! since 2001 and the arrival of the french troops, 40 soldiers died in afghanistan. afghanistan is a rough land. apart from the armies of genghis khan,
never any stranger was unable to submit these fierce and fierce tribes. the legionnaires of the foreign regiment orange cavalry. warrant officer reiser and sergeant sahraoui. in two days, they will be among the 800 men who will carry out a major operation to the village of sper kunday. we are coming for tomorrow's mission.today we make a small shot. weapons are checked. "has allowed us not to lose the handif ever we leave the gap for a long time.
lie down here. no one is there. get your shot. fire! well seen. for all 43,announce as soon as. the legion is not for the weak."a, that's for sure. the weak have no place here. warrant officer reiser leads a 30-man combat section. seventeen different nationalities.
the first armed time is done. end of shooting, we are serene,we can leave in two days. we know we can support someone.everyone will be clear. all weapons are set,there will be no problem. operation starts at night. the strategy of the general staff: transport, by helicopter, of the legions on the crests, who can secure the advance of troops on the ground and also prevent the escape of insurgents.
it's night also that the troops prepare entry into action observation drones, these small airplanes equipped with telescopes of very powerful thermal cameras. these drones are effective by night and by day. they will monitor the place of operations ‡ about twenty kilometers of their database. each of these drones costs more than one million euros. this one will fly over the track to sper kunday and broadcast live the images it films.
within 4 hours, another will relay it. in the light of early morning, on the ground we move forward with warrant officer reiser and sergeant sahraoui. "is there a risk of an attack this morning?"- yes. the possibility exists.the danger is everywhere. the peasant who makes his life or the nomad can be transformedin formidable insurgents who shoot. afterwards, they hide with the armament.
afghan intelligence servicesare mistrusting too much of these people. they say that with means like ãa,they carry everything. neighboring countries, ‡. look at the terrain:a propitious place for an ambush. for us it is not good;for them, it's ideal. that's the ideal. all coalition soldiers know images of the propaganda of the insurgents, since artisanal production from the mines to the attacks.
under each track meter, there may be an explosive ready to skip, like this one, filmed from a us army. the reiser section moves forward with caution. we are on the front line. have you ever killed insurgents? pleasure,it is not to kill insurgents. pleasure,is to do its job properly. his duty.
"is that what the region tells you?"- yes. without passion or hatred. and we respect the defeated enemy. section takes position on the zone where it must install its 20 mm guns to protect the troops that follow. before us, the dismantlers. when removers clarified the passage, vehicles advance again.
now we go up here,because we are the only ones ‡ be able to treat these hillswith the 20 mm gun. we are about ‡ 1 km of the village of sper kunday. warrant officer reiser is on the lookout. the first risk was the ambush. • mining, fdi,we went there afterwards. now the risk,it is infiltrations of insurgents who would be there to harass us, and we would leave.
in these rocks,if the guys are already in place, impossible to see.the only way is they shoot. pebbles, faults, rocks give good possibilitiesto infiltrate. an individual spotted,which unveiled on the line of crest and hid behind a rock, in 78-340. the bearded manure! do not touch the guns.
- are you ready to open fire?- loans. always ready. even with the cap. if one takes part,one pulls, and flies away. at the same time, 15 km back, the command post of tora. individuals in exfiltrationto the west, from sper kunday, have been joinedby two other individuals. it is possible that they are peoplewhich specify our device. faced with our action,they are seeing
what volume of force one has,until the crests are held. "may very well be peoplewho go into the fields, because it is the hourto go to work. and then there may be peoplewhich go downhill ‡ surobi, in the city. colonel durieux, patron of the 2nd infantry regiment. it directs the french forces throughout the valley. it has a nickname: the brain.
throughout the operation, colonel durieux is accompanied by an afghan colonel, because all the french undertake is made in consultation with the afghan national army. on the ground, two guns with a range of 40 km, ready to touch groupings insurgents in the village. two gazelles, reconnaissance helicopters, will verify the operations of the drones. colonel durieux wants to reassure the population
and show that it can count on the french military. he will therefore organize a shura, traditional assembly of the notables of the village, to reach out to them. to display its peaceful intentions, the colonel separates of his bullet-proof vest. the village chief, it is called the malek. i am very happy to see him. as in any choura,
it is by a prayer to start. and it is the afghan colonel that will lead it. gentlemen big white beardsand the guests, be welcome. you all know that last year, y'a had an important fight,where ten french soldiers died. i know the people of sper kunday did not participate in the attackagainst the french soldiers. when we are attacked, we retaliate,but otherwise i am very careful ‡ use the weapons to the minimum.
and it must be said‡ those who take up arms that the time has cometo leave arms. we are ready to talk‡ everybody. my mission is to help the afghan army and to dothat there should be no war here. of these men, it is certain that there are taliban. there are still many in the villages, but all do not display their rallying to the insurgents. a noise in the sky: observation gazelles.
no doubt the drone has spotted something suspicious. uncut informationwas given on the presence of insurgents on the other side of the crest line. one prefers to put them in flightand confirm the information, to see if there is a groupingon the other side of the crest line. beyond showing the strength of allies and occupy the ground, the afghan authorities wanted to search a few houses that could serve as weapons caches.
i told captain lenis,to the head of the anp, to come here and talk to each otherwith you and quiet. finally,i spoke with the colonel. i think today,nothing should be searched at all, because we made all the shuraon the subject : "you are the gentiles,the wicked are on the other side, "we trust you." so we do not care5 or 6 mortar shells. "you want to cancel the excavations?"- yes. have you noticed anything?
no, apart from the few movementson the crest line, but can not confirmthat it is hostile. the peacebuilding strategy of colonel durieux, is also to distribute some gifts: covers and kites for children. dragon, here panther, speak. panther, here dragon, speak. the gazelles were taken in partby heavy weapon. request authorizationmortar fire at this position.
it's outsidethe circus of sper kunday, correct? affirmative.the pole is located in another circus. they have the exact position? i am in the process of precisethe exact position via the 3rd dimension. well received. confirm the information.if we have the exact position, granted. panther, here dragon, reãu. allow a shot like ãa,is it always a heavy decision? oh yes.
yes, because there is a military aspectbut also political in the area. there is an aspect of collateral damage,so you have to be very careful. l ‡, it is on a line of crest,so nobody lives there. we have just been shot, so we knowthat it is an enemy position. and it is outsideof the area of ​​interest here. so, ãa is not going ... carry... "a does not enter the dialoguethat i have here
with this population of sper kunday. give a handfor more reconciliation and at the same time be firm,is that your philosophy? the drone located the starting point firing on helicopters. tora, 15 km back, the guns have been set. second. it's effective, yes. nothing should go unpunished.
their 155mm radioguided shells leave no chance of survival on the surface of a football field. for the 3rd riva *, this one. mission accomplished. we are from the region so far from our countries towards the front we will walk to defeat the enemy a few hours later, insurgents reacted.
they are a lot,these sons of whores! we will then learn they lost two men, including a commander, during the bombardment of their position. their target for this reaction: cop rocco, ‡ 10 km from sper kunday. a cop is an advanced combat post. it is surrounded by villages regarded as enemies. 250 members hold this position surrounded by the insurgents. this morning, the harassment continues.
put me on the network. lieutenant franã§ois ensures the command of the guard. we heard explosionsat the position of op1. 500 m in this direction,on the other side of the crest line. for the moment,we do not know what it is. we will see. but, in case we hold ourselves readyon the defense of the cop. for the 4,000 french soldiers stationed in afghanistan, danger, these are the chicoms, chinese rockets that can be launched
with handmade tubes and very mobile, but not very precise. message. message from tango 2: he saw a staff, a pedestrian,distance 200-300 m, no weapon, but telephoning. have identified a staff ‡ 450 m west of tango unit. learn to shoot.
- battle station ‡ right.- look at the white pebble. yes, visual, i see it. it is ‡, ‡ 150 m. again, visual, it is remountedon the plateau and runs north. start of blow. for the greens 99, a priori, start of blow,hold the observation. those who are at the top,you will not return to the famas. canon of 20.
fuck, the sons of whores! the shots leave, but they can not be seen. second start. get inside. go inside. we undergo shooting of 82 mm,mortar of 82, therefore, they are in the process of settling,they... "is approaching.
all staffwho are not in the bunkers are in the vab, received? the insurgents are in the process to adjust their fire. once again a shot,it comes from northeast. "comes from the top." "comes from the northeast,it looks like it's behind ... attention, if ãa falls ‡,it is not even worth it, no more vision. is there a shot of mortar ready? permission was granted to fire fumigants.
pulling smoke bombsto prevent them from observing and regulating. get out! it's an automatic. - who is it for ?- charge ! â¿charge 5! its good. fire! it is verdun,it is a battle of artillerymen. it is trying to spot the observer,the departs of blows, and shoot the beating starts. we put the foot soldier in the shelter.
shells to create a smoke screen to prevent an invisible enemy to see them. that day, the insurgents did not manage to touch cop rocco. ferme du cuinnear castelnaudary two three... the candidates from the region that had been selected in aubagne arrived in castelnaudary. among them, lim. in this training center, the selection will continue.
you choseto come to the foreign land. congratulations.it's a man's choice. you start todaywhich will last four months and who will make you legionaries. the legionnaire is an elite soldier. to train and instruct him,it takes time and a lot of work. for now, very few are able to understand orders in french. first test: their endurance. must be a little hard with yourselfand with everyone else too.
here, people have no pity. one can not remain soft, weak,or show its weaknesses to others. must be a hard one. must think sometimes on your own and spitting bloodto be a good legionnaire. there is the framework that is l ‡to reframe these young people, to get on wellin the atmosphere. and if they do not have enoughof mental, we will help them push themselves,‡ go further.
it is ãa that is important:always go further. this is the future of the foreign legion. it's not tourists on vacation. we're going to turn around,we will retrieve here. hey ! tighten! hang up.put yourself in my stride, we go! one does not accelerate, one keeps the cadence. stop making your victim. ah, to eat, there's no worry!
shut your mouth ! at the end of their training, in four months, to become legionnaires, will need to know at least 500 words from french. ... are not aligned. for five weeks they will live in autarky on this farm, without any contact with the outside. one concern: become warriors. you are twenty years old.the other hand!
hands like ãa. hurry up! come on, quickly. come on, stop. natural selection :there is no room for the weak. you do not stop! drop it! start! grenada!
that's good, shoot! shoot, shoot! jumped up! after fifteen days of tests, lim follows the rhythm, but it has some worries with his hands. some also with the french. so, today, you snatched it? it's good, it's not much, is it? on what obstacle did you have this problem?
what did you do? ramping? where did you snatch ãa? downstairs upstairs ... - over the jump?- yes, sergeant. and before, lim, you were never in the army, were you? pardon, i have not ... i did not understand. - you did not understand ?- i did not understand. "has it hurt?"- small.
if you're going to worktoday afternoon, put the gloves on. you can have it. i can have it, sergeant. vafaina is malagasy, he is twenty years old, and like the others, learns one of the first rules of the region: solidarity. should it be ranked how? it is necessary that if he looks from this side,there is nothing beyond that. everyone is afraid, becauseif someone has not done it right,
everybodytakes the cold shower out. so we're a bit stressed out there. - are you happy to be here?- yes. i love the region. as i had been told since,i too would like to be part of it. but is it a bit difficult? yes, it's a bit difficult,but everyone has gone there, so we must alsoto be a legionnaire. everything must be tidy,everything must be the same.
must be square, tidy. still not good. charged chief sergeant of this learning is called cho. they did not fold.
it's not the same. everywhere well-aligned heaps. gather your sections down. indeed, the sanction does not wait. to arrange a few socks,some t-shirts, some pants and a few jackets,
the result is not good. - okay ?- yes sir. in position ! action, there! up ! below ! - tired?- no, chief. at the end of the second week, little blow of blues for a belorussian candidate who wants to leave. voluntary engagement kastrov,2nd company. gives the contract of engagement.
contract of engagement. did not find what you were looking for?this is normal, nothing has been done yet. okay ? so you'll find,do not worry. no problem. waiting,you signed a five-year contract, therefore, as you are a guy of honor,not a kid, you're 28, you have a military past, therefore the military life,you touched it with your finger, and for me, you have committedto make a military career.
so you're a sensible guy,the two feet on earth, and what you came to seek,you'll find him, we'll give him to you. in any case, nobodybefore the end of the investigation, for the simple reasonthat he came, he pledged himself, it is a volunteer,so it follows the instruction correctly. "a will leave him the time largelyto know what awaits him after. take your contract and you can dispose of it. take your contract. it's up to you. beret on the head.
in fact, the candidate biã«lorusse can join civilian life when it wants. the blues strike many of the trainee apprentices. all of a sudden, the approach of winter worries them. they want to leaveonly because of the cold. they have a good physique- mentally, i do not know - but the physical, they are good,and they want to leave. you miss a bit of mentalat the moment ? here, i miss a little bitof mind, me, right now.
a lot of ... â«made 2, 3 daysthat i think a lot from. on this day, an 8 km walk with 15 kg bags vafaina, the malagasy, had never seen the snow. not too complicatedto walk in the snow? like us, there's mud. it's a bit like mud,except that the mud, ãa sticks. "it does not stick, but it slips. my gloves are full of snow,my hand is frozen. after that, we'll make nodes.
i do not know how to get there,but i'm going to get excited. i am a warrior, because there are a lot of tricksnot seen in civilian clothes we try to resist,while the force is not too l ‡, but we must resist. give your famas to the comrade. put your arms, there you are. the other arm. - do you know how to swim ?- yes, sergeant. - the men begin to harden?- yes, it's part of the training.
his famas! is it a hard training? no, it's more mental than physical. some hold fast,others who ... but what matters is willingness. men are marked. get off! snow has given them a moral boost. bag of bones !
it's cold and tired toowhich are beginning to do. and then, morally,when one moves away from friends, family, we think,we would like to make a phone call, but we wait. â¿the region, there are thingsthat you have no right to do? - yes.- what for example ? when one commits, one has no rightto marry for five years. no car for five years. cellphone,just at the end of the instruction.
and every thing we want to do,must ask permission from our chiefs or above us, to the captain. here. is it a bit heavy sometimes? for the moment. we have not tested yet. but we knew the conditionsbefore returning to the region. isolated from the world, having the right has no initiative, learning another life. the farm is a little backto the life of before
to take away our civilian life. like ãa, you can break up in some placeswhere you will find yourself in difficulty you'll be able to get excited every time.this is ãa. in civilian life, you are used toeating every time. in the farm, there will not be any ãa:chocolate, coca. if one day you go into war,there will not be ãa during the shots. you are willing to risk your lifefor the region? yeah.
why then ? because i got involved.i want to change my life. i have already adjusted my head. whatever happens, i will resist. if it successfully integrates, vafaina could go to afghanistan in a year to discover the war. cop rocco advanced combat station new alert to cop rocco: is a second attack in 3 days. harassment.
he passed over you? yes, i was in the showers,i heard "til", after it passed. i thought it was a mortar fire,but it is a chicom. we will leave. we go to the armor.there's still mortar fire. there are mortars there. sergeant slavo, polish, fervent catholic, specialist in mortar fire with his group. "can you see what's going on?"- yes, i see where they fall.
for additional adjustments. i think they'll be calmed down,because it is the second time in 3 days and there, we retorted the artilleryright now. puree was sentwith heavy mortars. we call ãa a "shell-type vacuum cleaner"in tactics. it is a high, dominant position,from which one sees very well, and that the artilleryvery easily at all times. so here is.here we hear aircraft. how to find out if there are injuries,of the dead on the other side?
it's just an air reconnaissancewho can tell us, because there, it is quite far, 5 km. after several mortar fire, the men of slavo have succeeded in silencing the insurgents. we tried to deal with the objective. we do not know, for the time being,if there are wounds or deaths, did not they kill anyone? i ask for authorizationto shoot 2 shots explo on the same elementsthan just now.
green ! here griffon! you have no commentson the request for fire. correct? it's just a harassment. correct? affirmative. it's to avoidthey come back for observation. griffin! here green! speak. green ! here griffon.shot requested. refuse. speak. green, reãu. completed. it's sometimes not easyto impose its point of view? i'm not hereto impose my point of view.
i reportof the different tactical possibilities, after which the leader makes his choice. at the end of the night, captain guillaume meets officers and non-commissioned officers. tonight, there is still a strong threatattack on the cop. watch out for lost balls. do not frog on the copwhen ãa shoots at the cop. put yourself under armor,hang out, wait for orders. ok ? "has no useto take a beating on the cop,
when we were not in a positionfighting shooting. i think nowretaliated massively. it's good. now, touch. as long as we do not hurtto one or two insurgent leaders, and that we will not havesome at the carpet, the bullshit will continue on the cop. in three days of harassment, only a rocket touched the camp wall. no injuries.
48 hours later, the afghan and french commands have decided to intervene in the villages surrounding the cop. when attacking, insurgents, often foreigners from pakistan, shelter behind the population, to try to prevent the allies' response. hosaynkhel, the first village, is 2 km away. on foot, the infantry of the region and the afghan soldiers are approaching it. the village is located below the valley.
this is the ‡ that the last shots started. the first step captain vincent: greet the malek, the village chief. he has the reputation to play a double game. i will start a small shurawith malek and white beards in the house of the malek. lieutenant ponticelli,to save time, we'll get downthe vehicle of gaulois unitãˆ, we have to get back the guys,
because there ischildren and women. so you push them back. let's stay alongof this movement of ground. women are always kept apart. afghans do not tolerate the idea that men can look at them. it is believed that securitydegrades in the area. there was an attack in the eveningon the disembarked elements. there was an attack on the copwith shots from chicom and rpg. the day before yesterday, there were 13 mortar shellswho fell on the ana posts,
in the vicinity of the cop. finally, this morning, there were still shotswho left, and there are ten men on footwhich have been walkingat the height of kabratu. i was told there were insurgentsin kabratu, but i did not see them. the ana respects people,do not dig houses. now must not lie. the captain of the anahad been very clear. he said :
"if next time, peoplepull us from the houses, "the houses will be destroyed." okay ? so do not lie to us. we know that people playand welcome insurgents. this becomes a real problem for us. they can be seen preparing their operationsnearby. we, the maleks,have no power. a round-the-clock discussion. all around the village, men captain vincent are ready to act.
nothing differences an insurgent of a peaceful inhabitant. until now, we have hadgood relations with the population. but it is certain: at the last attack,they went through this village. he may be hostile from time to timeif insurgents come into the area. if there is not, the populationwill not shoot us like that. suddenly, shots. gusts to the east, there. the home pax,get away from the device. we only keep the necessary pax
to securityof the distribution area. bursts heard to the west. oscar. i ask ‡ 23-21to be very attentive on observation. y'en for how longto distribute? ten minutes, a quarter of an hour. they distribute some gifts: shovels, picks and rakes. take into account the malek with farid,that it does not lose itself in the ... the atmosphere is special here? no, be careful,because there are a lot of people.
afghan police topchecking by checkpoints. the ana, which is in the talweg,can also control. the risk, like y'a of the world,must not be suicide-bombers. this village looks acquired to the insurgents for the moment? it's hard to say. in all villages, a part of the populationis favorable to the insurgents, a part is favorable to the force, and a large partis fluctuating, we will say.
this party ralliesor who best defends his / her interests. you think this kind of gestureis useful or somewhat illusory? it is useful to do ãa, because ãa allows usto have contact with the population, who sees that we are not only therefor armed actions. for the french general staff, it is important to occupy the ground, to finance projects and gain the support of the villagers. but it is still difficult to imagine that these bags of cement can return a population,
not ready to collaborate with the occupants. the next day, departure for the second village. objective: show power and the muscles of the coalition. do not let the population the impression that the insurgents do what they want. rodbar is located 5 km to the north cop rocco, in the bottom of the valley. to protect the progress of the column, sergeant slavo installs these mortars. that's 5572. the afghan military are in the first line.
they are a few hundred meters of rodbar. the french captain wants to organize a shura, a meeting with local officials, and meet the villagers. affirmative. since earlier,they are observed. i put the t under surveillancefacing their direction. * we await the arrival of the maleksto start the shura. there is a riskto be attacked by the insurgents? a priori, thanks to a listening,we know that they are preparing
and retrieve ammunitionand rockets to attack us. we wait. "did you frighten?"- no. you do not know fearto the region? if, everyone is afraid,but we must know how to master it. sergeant slavo learns by radio a man has been observed on the crest line. i can not see it, this mongolian. - do you see it ?- oh yes, it moves.
on the crest line squarely. insurgents in this region. their aim would benot to let us go. they do not want to let us go.they want us to stay here. enemies. i think they're going to attack us.it's possible. and it moves in every direction. pax is seen in all directions,north, northwest, northeast. they move by 6, by 5.
the legionnaires, with their interpreter camoufl㨠behind a scarf, try to get information. are there taliban around here? no, there are no taliban yesterday, there were. last night. they left last night. over there ? come on, i'll show you. over there.
behind the great tree. what are we doing ? shots, the explosion of a mortar: the insurgents attack. turn over there. lay it here. hold on ! by that, they shoot. this smoke? an insurgent rocket, fell next to the afghan soldiers.
get back! the role of slavo's men: neutralize the rocket launcher. - how many shells are there?- two here. five. prepare another five shells. shelter, kurva, nobody here! come on, back! you're in charge of the shooting, stay there! prepare six shots! more ! get the elements back home!
shelter! the men of slavo are now targeted by these shots coming from the right-handed crest. shelter, the others!come on, fire! second shot, as soon as.fire! second blow. lower all of you! visual: 100 m, right, higheron the line of crest, fire departures. where ãa shoots, there.
where there's the big smoke. where they are shooting now! prepare six! clean and collect all loads,the empty cocoons. come on, quick. clean the area. you never knowat what time we're gonna hang up. come on, clean up zone! scratch the tubes! the mortars were pulled out a little,heavy weapons were fired.
now helicopters arrive. "the helicopters are the tigers?"- yes. "has done you goodto shoot at the enemy? they shoot us,we shoot them, that's all. an order arrives: you have to fall back. "here, the binoculars of our house."- nickel. you see the crest line? from there,someone shot them. you make the coverfrom there, for us, in case.
"has roll. come on, do not forget! let's move ! welcome to afghanistan. the legionnaires are on the lookout often they get attacked on the way back. the insurgent strategy is as old as the world: it is at the time of the fall ambushes are effective. the insurgents attack once again, 1 km from cop rocco.
slavo supported the heavy machine gun of his vehicle. there were two of them in total. more to the right! in the rocks! warning ! the helicopter goes by! the arrival of the dreaded helicopters tigers always has an immediate effect. the taliban rebels become invisible. there, there's a staff behind.
there's a head out. watch out for it. the enculã©s may bepass through behind. you think it's over? it's not sure. il est possible qu'on reãoive encoreles tirs du nord. "did you do what?"do you have adrenaline rushes? of course it rises, adrenaline.for everyone. as ãa ricochet to the side of the ears,the adrenaline rises.
are you afraid of dying? no, i believe in god,i'm not afraid of dying. in a few weeks, this will be the relieve for sergeant slavo. he and his men will remain seven months in afghanistan, the average duration the stay of french soldiers. its regiment will be replaced by the 2nd rep, another elite regiment of the region. prepare for the dust! here, there is pudding
here's some pudding voluntary commitments have left the farm to select noil at the castelnaudary barracks. within a few hours, will return to the snow. they are two weeks away of the end of their training, the two most challenging weeks. but tonight, the captain will hand out the gifts. this is the family meeting. this is their first christmas present:with us is a kepi,
because soon they will receivetheir white kepi, evidently. and it is a lamp:we must always know where we are going, now that we are in the region. kurva, you're taller than me! well, vafaina, merry christmas. vafaina and lim are always part of the family. wake up, the boys.it's not over ! snow is not the end of the world!
section, rest! on the farm, things are going badly for two of the men. second section, guard you!rest! take care of yourself ! hey ! guys ! you will stopto break our feet with your relational stories,both, the two world champions. boxers, come here! you're not even fucking being dressed!
the two offenders: lim and a new zealander. here we have what?two world champions. there, two assholes, who did not understandthat if they tap on the mouth, they do not hit the enemy. voil ‡. so, that, i want to see more at the section lim, tell me the code of honor. the legionnaire,
you are a volunteer serving francewith honor and faithfulness. each member is your brother in arms. stop! say again ! each memberis your brother in arms. you understood ? yes, my lieutenant. say again ! everyone understood ? now, we'll attach themboth of them as two brothers.
"will last the time it takes,until you understand. species of creatures! go see the chief,he'll take care of you. go and see the chef right away! you're dying there. hop! take that. you will learn to love yourself. "will be more constructivethan to puncture one's mouth. including ? - and you ?- yes, my lieutenant.
coward! there was an altercation between the twothis morning. the reason i do not know,it does not interest me. what interests me,is that they understood well we all go in the same direction. if for them it is not clear,after punishment, it will become so. and here it is, go,rhythm, rhythm! i have to take care of everybody.they will not stand to dry. the two, you give thema special mission
and you put a corporal with it. you replace saliban. mission for you:monitor the two attached binomes. they take off the stairs.you stay with them! â¿the legion, there is no fight. he is a friend. included, gringo? why do you stop? who said to stop? forward! one knee!he's cold there.
"is not that a bit of a bully?"- not at all. a bullying ...we did not put a bullet on them, they were not dressedin maiden dress. just that they understandthat we all go in the same direction. even if we have differences,we put the dishes in the big and the mission is fulfilled. nor can weget along with everyone, but there are waysto solve the problems. it is well known that the legionnaireis a little brawler,
it is his state of mind, but must not go wrong. virtually 48 hours they are outside, in snow and blizzard. fatigue helping, the first defects appear. why are you crying ? what is happening ? "has it hurt?" explain to me !what is happening ?
it's not frozen. come on, romanuc. he can walk! stop crying! he ate this morning?who is the corporal of the day? what is the corporal of the day? a beautiful snow storm: impossible to evacuate romanuc to the hospital. chief sergeant cho is not a nurse,
but it is used to look after the sick. yeah, it's good, calm down! it's not a problem.calm down ! it's okay, it's okay. open your eyes ! here, open your eyes, look at me! it is not serious. doctorwill give you medicines, and then, you're gonna dothe white kepi walk.
yes, white kã©pi then. pls, unconscious. turone, pls, unconscious. a pls, the lateral safety position: is the posture they make to someone in bad shape. another man goes wrong. and it's always cho who will act as a nurse. so, are you comfortable? - hey?- yes sir.
open your eyes. no, the eyes, there.do not close your eyes, okay? remains like ãa.are you cold? cold? did you eat this morning? - can you walk?- no. do you feel your legs? - wrong.- wrong ? okay. gently, there. if you see comradeswhich are not going well,
you say: master corporal, corporal,comrade, like this, like that. ok ? do not let the comrades.afterwards, it's too late. including ? - do you understand that?- yes, master corporal. it is over, the civil minds,we made a stroke of adjustment, and forward, dai dai,it's like ãa, guys. ok ? life is not easy. you have chosen a very fine craft,but very difficult too. we have to keep going, guys.you will not regret it. anyway, in life, must have no regrets.
must never regret anything. must live at 200 an hour,to 200%. both encyclopaedias have very little time to recover before the white kepi walk. if they do not succeed, they will never be legionnaires. you tell me when it's good. he can not eat on his own,therefore must be helped. i am pleased to do so. as if it was my duty to do so.
"has, on the other hand, it hurts to the hands,but he still eats so much. the snow keeps falling. in the early morning, the thick layer prohibits any automobile travel. yet, a physician from the region, joined by phone, recommended bringing the wounded. "has progressed well. continue. now there are three wounded. the last one slipped into this staircase.
romanuc and his two comrades are evacuated to the hospital. five days later, the great moment has arrived: the white kepi walk. not too fit,but i will get there. you have to clench your teeth, move forward. until the end. i remember youthe importance of walking. who does not get to the enddoes not have its white kã©ppi. in the groups,there are some that are more or less in shape,
they must be helped. i count on youso that it goes well and that everyone comes to the end. for now, they are all that voluntary commitments. if they manage to cover 60 km with their 20 kg bag on the back, they will get their white kepi. they will be legionnaires. from the first kilometer, vafaina is suffering. he is sick. lets' go.
* come on, we go ahead,to the top. come on, put on your bag. can you walk or not? without your bag. no, corporal. can not you breathe?calm down. the nose is clogged? the nose, ãa a little, corporal.
but the weight ... share his bag.he comes behind me. me, i advance as for everyone,you understood ? you're with your weapon.we advance, comrade. give him his gun, come on! take your gun. nobody's gonna wear you, vafaina,you understood ? - yes, sergeant.- no one's going to carry you. if you can not carry your bag,your weapon, you have nothing to do here.
yes, sergeant. we're not gonna wear you. do not think we're gonna wear youfor 60 km. if you want a kepi,you will walk 60 km. nobody's gonna wear you. if you are not able to carry your bagnor your weapon, you will see! that's good, comrade.arrest of psychoter. lift the head, you have balls,you're a man, you walk! solidarity, cohesion,
in turn, the others take charge of the 20 kg of vafaina bag. lift the head, we go.forward, we must move forward. course not, comrade! walk! otherwise in a few minutes,we'll have to carry your bag too. change, the bag. forward. - can you walk like ãa 60 km?- yes, sergeant. can you or can not you walk? want to walk like ãa 60 km?
i'll try, sergeant. put yourself in column! forward! come on, comrade, we're going. a little less sick, vafaina wanted to take her bag again. right, right! breathe, breathe! ... listen, you got here,it's good. breathe!
it has already happened so far,it is very good. we'll do what we canto take him to the end. help him to put his famas. and vafaina, in front! put your beast on the head. move forward. give him a hand.change the bag. its good ? no, sergeant. wake up, look at me.what do you feel?
where is the problem? right here. i see it all like that. craft. come on, we're embarking. recover the bags, we go.we'll take him on board. is it over with him? he will embark and join usat the refueling point we'll see how it happens. he is not in a position to walk.
mounted. beware of your famas. put it in front of you. symbol of the soldier of elite, white kepi binds you to the familyof the great foreign legion, who lost 36,000 of his mensince its creation in 1831. the white kepi represents your oath to serve with honor and faithfulness and always respect the code of the legionnaire.
committed to the 2nd sectionof lieutenant lescop, comb your white suits! legio patria nostra. legionnaire, you are a volunteer serving francewith honor and faithfulness. each memberis your brother in arms, whatever his nationality,his race, his religion. you always show himthe close solidarity which must unitethe members of the same family.
respecting traditions,attached to thy chiefs, discipline and camaraderieare your strength, courage and loyalty to your virtues. proud of your state of the legionnaire, you watchesin your always elegant demeanor, your behavior always worthybut modest, your barracks always clean. soldier of elite,you train with rigor, you maintain your weaponas your most precious good,
you have the constant concernof your physical form. the mission is sacred,you execute it to the end and, if necessary, in operation, at the peak of your life. in combat,you act without passion and hatred, you respect the defeated enemies, you stay at the foreign legion,in your family, your company. i told you what to noel? we all belong to the same family.
we all belong to the same family.so you stay in your family. white kã©pi is a passage.you will have it in ten days, when you have succeededall that you were asked to do. - you understood well ?"yes, captain." questions ? yes. in ten days, i walk againand i shall have my white kepi? in ten days you'll be walkingand thou shalt have thy white chippy. okay ? the legionnaires we filmed in afghanistan have all returned to france in january.
none missed the call. of the 50 volunteers that we have followed during the training period, 38 have integrated their regiment; the other 12 became civilian again. romanuc found the use of his hands. and finally, vafaina succeeded his white kepi walk. as for lim, it was excluded for its impulsive behavior.
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