4 ms·

Why do I have to join the French Foreign Legion under an assumed name?

34 points by camtarn 8y ago

osau 8y ago
When you ask a legionnaire why they joined the legion they will simply reply “to forget”. When asked what they want to forget they will reply “I don’t know I have forgotten”.
ohaideredevs 8y ago
My understanding is that joining under an assumed name is an option, not a requirement.
- paulsutter 8y ago
  > all Legionnaires must give up their civil identity upon enlisting. With their old identities set aside, recruits join the legion under a declared identity -- a new name that they use during their first year of service. At the end of the first year, a Legionnaire may reclaim his old name through a process known as "military regularization of the situation," in which fresh identity papers are obtained from the person's home country. Alternatively, a Legionnaire can choose to spend his entire five-year career under his declared identity.
Semaphor 8y ago
So, that article seems to be partly made up. FAQ from the Foreign Legion recruiting website [0]: > Is it mandatory to serve under declared identity ? > NO Even wikipedia [1] has > As of 20 September 2010, new recruits may enlist under their real identities or under declared identities. The site also explains how French nationals can join while the article says > this military force only recruits foreigners So instead of upvoting, please just flag this shit. edit: oh and since 2000 women can join the foreign legion. edit2: In case this article is just really, really old (according to wikipedia howstuffworks launched in 1998) and was written before 2000 (improbable as it has a picture from 2007), that just shows how useless articles without dates are. [0]: https://en.legion-recrute.com/mdl/info_seul.php?id=42&block=26&titre=Is-it-mandatory-to-serve-under-declared-identity https://en.legion-recrute.com/mdl/info_seul.php?id=42&block=... [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Foreign_Legion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Foreign_Legion
- snailmailman 8y ago
  The article was published in 2008. There is a citation button below the article, and the date is hidden there. (Although, I think it really should be made more prominent, instead of tucked away) Perhaps this post should have been tagged (2008)
lykr0n 8y ago
The concept is fascinating. A way to wash away a past life and start over.

34 points by camtarn 8y ago

osau 8y ago

When you ask a legionnaire why they joined the legion they will simply reply “to forget”. When asked what they want to forget they will reply “I don’t know I have forgotten”.

ohaideredevs 8y ago

My understanding is that joining under an assumed name is an option, not a requirement.

paulsutter 8y ago
> all Legionnaires must give up their civil identity upon enlisting. With their old identities set aside, recruits join the legion under a declared identity -- a new name that they use during their first year of service. At the end of the first year, a Legionnaire may reclaim his old name through a process known as "military regularization of the situation," in which fresh identity papers are obtained from the person's home country. Alternatively, a Legionnaire can choose to spend his entire five-year career under his declared identity.

Semaphor 8y ago

So, that article seems to be partly made up. FAQ from the Foreign Legion recruiting website [0]: > Is it mandatory to serve under declared identity ? > NO Even wikipedia [1] has > As of 20 September 2010, new recruits may enlist under their real identities or under declared identities. The site also explains how French nationals can join while the article says > this military force only recruits foreigners So instead of upvoting, please just flag this shit. edit: oh and since 2000 women can join the foreign legion. edit2: In case this article is just really, really old (according to wikipedia howstuffworks launched in 1998) and was written before 2000 (improbable as it has a picture from 2007), that just shows how useless articles without dates are. [0]: https://en.legion-recrute.com/mdl/info_seul.php?id=42&block=26&titre=Is-it-mandatory-to-serve-under-declared-identity https://en.legion-recrute.com/mdl/info_seul.php?id=42&block=... [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Foreign_Legion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Foreign_Legion

snailmailman 8y ago
The article was published in 2008. There is a citation button below the article, and the date is hidden there. (Although, I think it really should be made more prominent, instead of tucked away) Perhaps this post should have been tagged (2008)

lykr0n 8y ago

The concept is fascinating. A way to wash away a past life and start over.