The Foreign Legion Recruiting Group (french: Groupement de recrutement de la Légion étrangère, GRLE) is an administrative unit of the
Foreign Legion responsible for recruiting volunteers from around the globe. The unit reports to the
Foreign Legion Command
The Foreign Legion Command (french: Commandement de la Légion Étrangère, (COMLE)) (official) is the Command of the Foreign Legion in the French Army.
The Legion is led by a French general, a Legion officer (french: Officier de Légion) who ...
(''COMLE''). The COMLE sets the annual recruitment objectives based on inputs from the
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...
staff, l'Etat-Major de l'Armée de Terre (EMAT), and the initial projections of the Foreign Legion Human Resources Division (DRHLE).
The GRLE was created July 10, 2007 at
Fort de Nogent, near Paris. The new unit assumed all recruiting responsibilities which had previously been assigned to the
1st Foreign Regiment's Recruitment Division.
Mission
In order to supply the Foreign Legion with the required volunteers, the Recruiting Group promotes volunteer service by targeting the
world
In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...
public. This work informs potential candidates and leads to a pre-selection process followed by a contract of engagement at Aubagne.
While the mission of the Foreign Legion Recruiting Group is primarily focused on recruiting; the GRLE also carried out other functions, including training and supporting missions of the
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...
both in France and abroad.
Organization
The GRLE headquarters is located at
Fort de Nogent, at Fontenay-sous-bois. The regimental commander supervises the Transit Company of the Foreign Legion (C.T.L.E) and the Recruiting Company of the Foreign Legion (C.R.L.E), with principal mission of:
* The support of the Foreign Legion on the R.T.I.D.F (Land Region Ile de France).
* The quest of engaging volunteers to serve in the Foreign Legion.
Transit Company of the Foreign Legion
The Transit Company of the Foreign Legion (CTLE), reassumed part responsibility for the missions of the C.T.L.E of the
1st Foreign Regiment dissolved on July 10 and is responsible for:
* Prospective candidate search.
* Recruitment of volunteers.
* Representation of the Foreign Legion on the ensemble territory with 10 information posts (P.I.L.E).
* The transit of Foreign Legion personnel and families between metropole and outre-mer (''overseas'') or Parisian regions.
Foreign Legion Information Posts
The mission of the Foreign Legion Information Posts (PILE) 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 ...
(3 posts),
Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...
,
Nantes,
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 ...
-
Fort Neuf de Vincennes, Paris, Paris,
Strasbourg,
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
,
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...
,
Marseilles,
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
,
Perpignan,
Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Pa ...
, consist of maintaining a quality recruitment that minimizes the circle of francophones while simultaneously maintaining diversity by the multiple presence of various origins.
The PILE, unlike the recruiting posts of the remainder of the
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...
, uses civilian services and military resources to launch activities that would attract potential candidates through expositions, mobile information trucks and other mobile information posts. The Foreign Legion only recruits in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. The Foreign Legion will not obtain permanent visas for prospective recruits to travel to France, nor finance any voyage to France.
Recruiting Company of the Foreign Legion (C.R.L.E)
The C.R.L.E, The Recruiting Company of the Foreign Legion, is responsible for:
* The escort of hospitalized and isolated legionnaires in region of Ile de France.
* The evaluation of potential candidates at engagement in the 2 centers of preslection at Fort de Nogent and Aubagne.
* The conditioning placing of potential candidates at engagement towards the center of selection and incorporation.
Center of Selection Incorporation
The C.S.I, the Center of Selection Incorporation is an integral part of the C.R.L.E and is implanted in Quartier (garrison) Vienot at Aubagne. The Center Selection is responsible for:
* The coordination and direction of the selection candidate process.
* The management of potential candidates course towards medical screenings.
* The enlisting of candidates during the selection process.
* The return of candidates not selected to civilian life.
Traditions
Insignia
Insigne-GRLE.jpg, Regimental Insignia of the Foreign Legion Recruiting Group, G.R.L.E
Image:GRLE-béret.png, Beret insignia of the Foreign Legion Recruiting Group, G.R.L.E
Fanion Colors
At origin,
Fanion
A fanion is a small flag used by the French military; the equivalent of an American guidon or British company colour. The name derives from the Italian word gonfanone, or gonfanon. They were often attached to a small staff which was placed in th ...
s served marking the assemblies of armies, a point of rally to and alignment manoeuver of military units. The notion of fanion-emblem surfaced in the campaigns of Africa and were generalized following
World War I
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 reglementation in concern for use were not established until 1976. Only the fanions of unit forming regimental corps, such as the Foreign Legion Recruiting Group (G.R.L.E) has right to honorary ceremonies.
For the G.R.L.E, the
Division General of the Foreign Legion has authorized that the guard of the G.R.L.E
Fanion
A fanion is a small flag used by the French military; the equivalent of an American guidon or British company colour. The name derives from the Italian word gonfanone, or gonfanon. They were often attached to a small staff which was placed in th ...
be constituted of, as per reglementation, 1
Sous-officiers (fanion bearer), and 2
Legionnaires, all three armed with MAS- 49-56.
Regimental Song
Conquérir des volontaires (''Conquering Volunteers to Form Legionnaires'') is the Regimental song and mission of the Foreign Legion Recruiting Group:
Conquérir des volontaires, pour en faire des légionnaires
Du Groupement de Recrutement, c'est la mission
Conquérir des volontaires pour en faire des légionnaires
Nos Régiments frères attendent, notre moisson.
Du pays des corons
A celui des santons
Du pays bigouden
Aux méandres du Rhin
Par delà les frontières de l'hexagone
Les recruteurs vont et informent
Pour que flotte à tous les vents, les couleurs du fanion
Que résonne notre devise « Honneur et Fidélité
''Honneur et Fidélité'' ("Honour and Fidelity") is the motto of the Foreign Legion in the French Armed Forces. It has been inscribed on Legion flags instead of the ''Honneur et Patrie'' (Honour and Fatherland) inscribed on flags of the regular ...
», Gloire à la Légion.
De tous les continents
Viennent vivre autrement
La Légion tend la main
Espoir d'un lendemain
Du G.R.L.E., ils sont le vivier
Les volontaires du monde entier
Pour que flotte à tous les vents, les couleurs du fanion
Que résonne notre devise « Honneur et Fidélité
''Honneur et Fidélité'' ("Honour and Fidelity") is the motto of the Foreign Legion in the French Armed Forces. It has been inscribed on Legion flags instead of the ''Honneur et Patrie'' (Honour and Fatherland) inscribed on flags of the regular ...
», Gloire à la Légion.
Quitte ton ordinaire,
Pour une vie d'Légionnaire
Rejoints les plus vaillants
Les rangs des képis blancs
L'esprit de Camerone te guidera
L'exemple des anciens tu suivras
Pour que flotte à tous les vents, les couleurs du fanion
Que résonne notre devise « Honneur et Fidélité
''Honneur et Fidélité'' ("Honour and Fidelity") is the motto of the Foreign Legion in the French Armed Forces. It has been inscribed on Legion flags instead of the ''Honneur et Patrie'' (Honour and Fatherland) inscribed on flags of the regular ...
», Gloire à la Légion.
Decorations
Honors
Battle Honors
*
Camerone 1863
Regimental Commander
* 2008 - 2010 :
Lieutenant-coloneL
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...
Norbert Simonet
* 2010 - 2012 : Lieutenant-colonel Stéphane Bourban
* 2012 - 2014 : Lieutenant-colonel Thierry Morvan
* 2014 - 2016 : Lieutenant-colonel François-Xavier Petiteau
* 2016 - 20** : Lieutenant-colonel Yann Doutey
See also
*
Major (France)
*
French Foreign Legion Music Band (MLE)
The Music of the Foreign Legion (french: Musique de la Légion étrangère, MLE), formerly known as the Principal Music of the Foreign Legion (french: Musique principale de la Légion étrangère) is a Military band of the French Foreign Legion.
...
*
List of French Foreign Legion units
This article lists the principal units of the Foreign Legion in the French Army created since 1831. Legion units are only cited once, based on their respective dates of creation. A dissolved Legion unit which is recreated under the same designati ...
Notes
References
Official website
GRLE
{{French Foreign Legion navbox
Units of the French Foreign Legion
Military units and formations established in 2007