L'École des officiers de la gendarmerie nationale (EOGN, literally the "National Gendarmerie Officers' Academy"), the French Gendarmerie nationale Officers School, was created in 1901 and based in the Schomberg barracks in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. It provides a military education in order to train and teach military officers who enter the officer corps.

History

In 1918, following the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the school moved to

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

and diversified by including in its ranks officers from other armies. It was not until 1937 that the school was given a flag. This emblem was officially handed over to the chef de corps, Colonel Picot, 14 July 1937, on the

Champs-Élysées The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (, ; ) is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, long and wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc de Triomphe is l ...

by the President

Albert Lebrun Albert François Lebrun (; 29 August 1871 – 6 March 1950) was a French politician, President of France from 1932 to 1940. He was the last president of the Third Republic. He was a member of the centre-right Democratic Republican Alliance (A ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, the school moved to Pau then back to Paris before finding its current home in the Augereau barracks in

Melun Melun () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region, north-central France. It is located on the southeastern outskirts of Paris, about from the centre of the capital. Melun is the prefecture of the Seine-et-Ma ...

on 1 October 1945. The year 2002 is particularly important for the history of the school. Indeed, from this date, recruitment is carried out directly by competitive examination for academics holding a master's degree. On 1 September 2008, it became the sole crucible for the continuous training of Gendarmerie officers, both in the operational and support fields. A research centre was also created on 1 September 2008.

Application

Cadets are recruited through a national annual competitive exam, after previous graduate education. French students take exams on general knowledge, aptitude and intelligence; sit for an interview and pass a test of physical ability. In addition, a number of foreign students are admitted annually.

Training

Gendarmerie Officers are intended to command security professionals within the operational units of the gendarmerie. Their training lasts 2 years (1 year for captains and students who have already graduated from other military academies), and is structured around 4 semesters : * 1st semester : military and tactical training with a view to acquiring the basics of command and developing the physical and moral qualities of future officers; * 2nd semester : vocational training (technical and tactical) adapted to the gendarmerie's framework of action and environment within society ; * 3rd semester : Professional training aimed at acquiring the tools and knowledge necessary for the implementation of gendarmerie resources by the future officer recognized as an expert in public security by the administrative, judicial, political and socio-economic authorities; at the same time, the officer can follow a university course leading to a master's degree; * 4th semester : specialization of training and preparation for the first commission as a leader in one of the four dominant job areas: ** Public security, ** Riot control, ** Judiciary - Intelligence, ** Road traffic safety.

External links

Official Site
Military academies of France Military police academies {{France-mil-stub