Brevet ski militaire...Brrrr!!!

Happy early April Fool's Day!

Hard to believe it's almost been exactly a year since I left my cushy (hah!) job at Desert Thunder and started on a path that's led me to where I am right now. I start my BSM (Brévet Ski Militaire) qualification soon, and right after that I start my CP04 (Combat Engineering) qualifications, and right after that I undergo another week of MINEX (things that go BOOM!) certification. In all, about 2 months of probably pretty intensive training both physically and mentally. I don't know how often or how much I'll be able to get online, or even have QL (Quartiér Libére – permission to leave the base), so I apologize in advance if you email and I don't answer right away.

The last couple of weeks have been really good for the morale. I have improved my fitness quite a bit here, as we run quite a bit, along with plenty of other physical exercises. I'm not the fastest, fittest, or strongest, but I am pretty well balanced. I am aiming to finish in the top 10 in my training section, maybe even the top 5 depending on the skiing goes, and thus enhancing my chances later on being selected for "stagés", or specialist courses. There are some pretty amazing athletes here; we have a sargent who can climb the 6 meter rope upside down, in addition to descending upside down. There's a caporal-chef with 16 years of service...I always listen carefully and try to remember everything he says; as they say, he's been "around the block" quite a few times.

I will definitely have pictures after. In the mean time, I hope everyone back in Arizona and Texas is enjoying the great spring (read: WARM) weather.

Training has begun...plus some photos

The training has started...this week we were introduced to some of the other "tools" we will be utilizing. The ANF1 7.62mm machine gun, the M2 12.7mm machine gun, PA MAC 50 9mm pistol, and the LRAC 89mm anti-tank rocket launcher. Plus, since we're in the business of blowing things up, an introductory course on explosives; plastique (it's like Play-Doh!), TNT, detonators, detonation cord, etc.. AND also an introductory course on vehicles that the regiment uses, from the VAB (4-wheeled lightly armored transport) to P4 (French Jeep...pronounced Pee-Kart. It took a little while for the internal laughter to die down). Plenty more to follow, PLUS the CCL company song "Contre Les Viets" AND the 2eme REG song "Rien N'Empeche". Rien = nothing, empeche = impedes; I'll le y'all figure out the meaning. I do have to admit that marching while singing is pretty cool, when done well. The Legion marches and sings at a very slow cadence compared with other armies (88 steps/min vs. 120 or more) traditionally, to show respect and solemnity for our departed comrades. Not quite like the singing you see in "Full Metal Jacket".

Update on the address, apparently this is the correct FRENCH way of writing it:

Legionnaire Chin Yi
CCL, Section Instruction
2eme Regiment Etranger de Genie
Quartier Marechal Koenig
84390 Saint-Christol
France

Never mind the silly accents on some of the letters. Since I'm on a French keyboard, it's actually pretty easy. But I still don't bother. Legion Française...it's definitely NOT normal Française. A lot of people have replied expressing their surprise that I've picked up French so quickly. Let me explain a bit better...I can communicate well enough in the Foreign Legion. The French spoken here is an evolution (or de-evolution) of civilian French, and spoken by foreigners, therefore when I go outside (like last weekend in Marseille), I frequently could not understand as much as I do with legionnaires. Plus there's a specific accent and speech pattern unique to Marseille. The additional motivation of doing less push-up's or squats or marché canard is quite strong; call it a survival instinct if you will.

I forgot to mention last time...I got my military driving permit, along with a civilian endorsement; which means I can drive in all of France! I took a driving test in Castelnaudary my 2^nd to last week there, and although I had some problem with roundabouts/traffic circles the 1^st time on the test circuit, I passed. Not quite sure on why exactly I have a licence, since I'm not allowed to own a car until after 5 years of service, and I don't want to be the chauffeur for an officer. Now if only the Legion lets me take the motorcycle test or course...

Some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

My kepi blanc, with my epaulettes de tradition, ceinturon bleu, cravate vert, and the 2 good luck charms my cousin Elaine sent me. Legion colors are green and red...the colors of Christmas. The epaulettes de tradition and ceinturon bleu are used on our guard dress uniforms. The kepi blanc is sacred to the legionnaire...NEVER touch the white part, and NEVER touch a legionnaire's kepi without asking for permission first.

Me in front of my home for the next 3 months. Yup, the words are in French. This partly explains why I picked up French quickly.

Some photos of photos from my kepi blanc "ceremony", when I officially became a legionnaire.

Finally an update!

Finally got the time to update the blog a bit. Here's the email I sent out recently to friends and family, will try to add pics soon.
***

Bonjour from 925m above sea-level, at the base for the 2e Regiment Etranger de Genie (the 2nd Foreign Engineering Regiment). Slight change in my snail mail address from my previous email, it's actually:

Legionnaire Chin Yi

2e REG - CCL, Section D'Instruction

Caserne Marechal Koenig

St. Christol, France

84390

Some info on what's happening in my life...I'm scheduled to be in the instruction section until early/mid June, a bit longer than normal because some of the training staff and legionnaires will be doing vigipirate/anti-terrorism patrols at a major city in France for 3 weeks, and also because the combat company I will be assigned to is currently overseas on a mission, and won't be back until then. I'm scheduled for military skiing and alpinism qualifications and CP04 (combat engineering) qualification. It's going to be a full schedule of classes, in addition to all the physical activity the 2REG likes to do. I have been told because of my swimming ability, I may have the chance to be trained additionally as a combat swimmer/diver, although that probably won't happen for at least 1-2 years, after I get some operational experience. Don't know about that in any certainty, as the specialty path I've asked for from the beginning is training as a medic. Medics trained for combat are always needed, and as Legion engineers are practically always on a mission somewhere, it may give me more opportunity for missions overseas.

I'm doing well...and my French has improved quite a bit. I'm currently at French level 3, where level 5 is the max (native French speaker). I think I started at level -1. At least I haven't gotten in too much trouble in the last month due to my misunderstanding my orders in French...which is always good. I'm hoping to be at level 4 by the end of my first year in October. Punishment in the Legion ranges from physical activity (push-up's, pull-up's, etc.), extra corvée (chores), to jail for serious offences. And while technically getting punched/kicked is no longer allowed, let's just say that when someone shows up with a black eye or bruises, the reason is usually that they fell down the stairs or ran into the door.

As the 2REG trains pretty hard during the week, at 6pm the workday ends, and even a lower-level legionnaire such as myself can usually do whatever we want, even go to bed early. The work week ends at 3pm on Friday, and as long as we're back on base for roll-call at 5:50am on Monday, we have the weekend free. I spent most of this weekend in Marseille, in a part next to the Mediterranean Sea called Malmosque just 2-3km from Vieux Port, in a hotel operated by the Foreign Legion for legionnaires, with a comrade from basic training. The crazy thing is that when we got up on Saturday, there was an additionally legionnaire in the room (there are 3 beds) who came in the middle of the night, and his French had an American accent. And sure enough, he's American, been in the Legion for about 2.5 years...and he graduated from Arizona State University! It's truly a small world. Currently I'm sitting at a net cafe in Avignon, killing time until the regiment bus comes here to take us back to St. Christol. It's been a good weekend, I had to opportunity to buy a laptop computer, digital camera, cell phone (although international phone calls are quite expensive, so I will continue to call using public phones and phone cards), and some necessities. But the main thing was the semblance of normality...interacting with civilians, eating at restaurants, etc..Don't know where I'll go next weekend yet, maybe Lyon or Paris...really no idea right now. Pictures and more stories coming soon I hope...the next 3 months promises to be quite busy, but I'll try to get online as much as I can.

Hope everyone had as good of a weekend as I did.

Take care,

Dave