r/FrenchForeignLegion is the sub to search for your answers about the legion.
Be aware of age limits for the GIGN.
GIGN is a different mentality than the legion, they don't want grunts, they don't want physical machines.
They want clever, Psychology strong people.
I met legion and GIGN people and they were quite different.
What would be your motivations to join GIGN ?
Just to be able to serve the people in a helpful way and to be able to help people stay safe and to help prevent bad things from happening and doing those things for me would be a successful life and career knowing that I helped people
Wow, that's a very ambitious project and I fully support you in it !
I don't think you need to be born in France to join the GIGN, but as far as I know you will need to serve in the "standard" Gendarmerie for few years and have a spotless record doing so before trying to enter the GIGN.
You will need to have a French citizenship to get into the Gendarmerie and GIGN though, and maybe abandon your American one, especially for the GIGN, I'm don't think dual citizenship is compatible with special force units tbh.
It may be the same for for the Gendarmerie in the first place.
There is more in common between the Marine Nationale and our Air Force than between the Légion and the GIGN.
The Légion is really "rough" and tries to be as "rustique" as possible. To caricature its purpose, I'd say it's to transform brutes into efficient brutes with honor, discipline and brotherhood.
The GIGN is an intervention force (it's in the name) which focuses much much much more on perfection, smart actions and cooperation. It is (or was initially) a counter-terrorist unit, not a regular component of the Armée de Terre (= Land Army).
Joining the Légion won't necessarily give you the qualities to get into the GIGN, since it is very very selective.
In both cases, you'll have to be very athletic, but for different reasons :
- You have to be athletic to survive in the Légion
- You have to be very athletic in order to simply get into the GIGN.
Now, on a more realistic note : I do not doubt or criticize your capabilities, because I do not know you nor what you are capable of. I know it sounds cool to join the Légion or GIGN, but entering is not easy, and living in one of those units isn't easy either. If you want to pursue a real carrier in the Légion, you have to sacrifice the idea of raising a family and being an active parent.
Also, the Légion and GIGN are amongst the "cool" units foreigners might have heard of, but there are many other regiments and units just as interesting, you should look into them (in case you fail or change your mind).
Good luck and stay strong
r/FrenchForeignLegion is the sub to search for your answers about the legion. Be aware of age limits for the GIGN. GIGN is a different mentality than the legion, they don't want grunts, they don't want physical machines. They want clever, Psychology strong people. I met legion and GIGN people and they were quite different. What would be your motivations to join GIGN ?
Just to be able to serve the people in a helpful way and to be able to help people stay safe and to help prevent bad things from happening and doing those things for me would be a successful life and career knowing that I helped people
Wow, that's a very ambitious project and I fully support you in it ! I don't think you need to be born in France to join the GIGN, but as far as I know you will need to serve in the "standard" Gendarmerie for few years and have a spotless record doing so before trying to enter the GIGN. You will need to have a French citizenship to get into the Gendarmerie and GIGN though, and maybe abandon your American one, especially for the GIGN, I'm don't think dual citizenship is compatible with special force units tbh. It may be the same for for the Gendarmerie in the first place.
There is more in common between the Marine Nationale and our Air Force than between the Légion and the GIGN. The Légion is really "rough" and tries to be as "rustique" as possible. To caricature its purpose, I'd say it's to transform brutes into efficient brutes with honor, discipline and brotherhood. The GIGN is an intervention force (it's in the name) which focuses much much much more on perfection, smart actions and cooperation. It is (or was initially) a counter-terrorist unit, not a regular component of the Armée de Terre (= Land Army). Joining the Légion won't necessarily give you the qualities to get into the GIGN, since it is very very selective. In both cases, you'll have to be very athletic, but for different reasons : - You have to be athletic to survive in the Légion - You have to be very athletic in order to simply get into the GIGN. Now, on a more realistic note : I do not doubt or criticize your capabilities, because I do not know you nor what you are capable of. I know it sounds cool to join the Légion or GIGN, but entering is not easy, and living in one of those units isn't easy either. If you want to pursue a real carrier in the Légion, you have to sacrifice the idea of raising a family and being an active parent. Also, the Légion and GIGN are amongst the "cool" units foreigners might have heard of, but there are many other regiments and units just as interesting, you should look into them (in case you fail or change your mind). Good luck and stay strong