United Galaxies Council.	UGC L'egion 'Etrang'ere.				United Galaxies Council.
The United Galaxies Council's L'egion 'Etrang'ere (French, "Foreign Legion," lit "legion foreign") is an armed service of the United Galaxies Council nominally under the Army first established 30 April 1831 in France, Terra, that was unique because it was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces of the era. Over their long history, the L'egion 'Etrang'ere served France well and faithfully with but one mutiny, over the surrender of their own headquarters. After the SDF-003's permanent return from the Pioneer Mission (the close of the Fourth Robotech and Unification Wars), the disjointed but largely intact remnants of the L'egion 'Etrang'ere were collected up and placed under the Robotech Expeditionary Forces control (having been left to their own devices for decades). The Invid had largely ignored Australia, and a large part of the Armies Of The Southern Cross and Global Militry Police had rallied in Africa, but the only regions where the former Terran defenses significantly held were where the L'egion 'Etrang'ere had been positioned; Such bases held the full four DECADES needed for the REF to return and secure a proper beachhead on Terra. Out of respect for their fidelity, their courage, and to put it mildly, their suffering, the REF offered the L'egion a place at their table- A place which was accepted quickly. Their ranks were then absorbed into the REF, but they were to keep their own equipment and uniforms- Separate yet equal. Over the next 5 years, the L'egion 'Etrang'ere requested permission to recruit "non-Humans" to their ranks; As T'sentraedi had long been allowed to join, the REF was very hard pressed to say no. As the Human population of the L'egion 'Etrang'ere dwindled down, the alien population rose, until by 2105 the last Human retired, and the L'egion 'Etrang'ere was fully non-Terran in nature. L'egion 'Etrang'ere Le L'egion 'Etrang'ere Grenade Emblem And Colors. Active: 10 March 1831 – present. Country: UGC (originally France). Branch: Nominally Army, but more often deploy with the Marine. Type: Foreign legion. Role: Elite Light Infantry. Size: c. 7,700 men in eleven regiments and one sub-unit. Garrison/HQ: Sidi Bel Abb'es, Algeria. Nickname: Le L'egion. Motto: "Legio Patria Nostra" (The Legion is our Fatherland) "Honneur Et Fid'elit'e" (Honor and Fidelity) "Marche Ou Cr'eve" (March or die, unofficial). March: Le Boudin. Anniversary: Camerone Day (30 April). Engagements (post REF absorption): Too many to list. Commander: G'en'eral de Brigade. Insignia: Identification Symbol: La Grenade L'egion ("The Legion Grenade"). Abbreviation: LE. The "modern" L'egion 'Etrang'ere recruits exclusively from non-UGC worlds- UGC citizens are not allowed to join. However, the l'egion does now accept females. The original L'egion 'Etrang'ere guaranteed recruits anonymity, and to this end were enlisted under a nom de guerre, literally, "war name" (the tradition of anonymat). For several reasons, the L'egion 'Etrang'ere abandoned this practice, and the UGC could not fully resurrect it, but they could refuse to publish recruit names, so as to prevent reprisals against them or their families (if any). Unique amongst the UGC's official branches of service, the L'egion 'Etrang'ere's ONLY language is French, a tradition harkening back to the formation of the original legion on Terra, rather than T'sentraedi, as is spoken by the rest of the UGC militry. La L'egion is also to ONLY UGC affiliates permitted to speak French, and is otherwise effectively a dead language. The ancient L'egion 'Etrang'ere was known as a unit whose training focuses not only on traditional military skills but also on its strong esprit de corps from a training regime which was often described as not only physically challenging, but also psychologically stressful to the point of torturous. This vicious regimen was need to bond men from different countries and cultures into a team. The modern L'egion 'Etrang'ere like its predecessor is primarily used to protect and expand the UGC, protecting colonies from invasion and secure beachheads for larger UGC landing. Always, the L'egion 'Etrang'ere is considered disposable, and is only sent in when the cost of invasion appear to be too high to justify UGC citizens to be deployed; Recruits are in fact told they are enlisting to mere cannon fodder, though this is not true. Special Battalions are used for such missions, L'egion 'Etrang'ere is used for missions where victory can be achieved- Though potentially at high cost. (It is noteworthy, however, that Regiments worth of Special Battalions 'may' be deployed with L'egion 'Etrang'ere Battalions, with the L'egion 'Etrang'ere Battalion having authority over the ad hoc regiment despite the fact that a 'battalion' would normally answer to a regiment, creating the rather unorthodox situation of what 'would' have been a General, answering to a Colonel, were in not simply Special Battalion CO's lined up, with all of them knowing who's senior amongst themselves- As long as the L'egion Colonel agrees.) The L'egion 'Etrang'ere has fought in every single one of the Plenipotentiary Council's wars since the merger; In defense of Vielint, the L'egion 'Etrang'ere troopers were the last to remain on world, and very few survived- But hundreds of millions of civilians did, escaping the Magog invasion. In the subsequent Magog-UGC War, over 1,000 legions of L'egion 'Etrang'ere (bolstered where possible by Special Battalions) fought the Magog to presumed extinction (at least, that was the goal). The L'egion 'Etrang'ere serves a significant defense function, but also a peacekeeping function as the arms of the UGC when conflict has broken out. The intrinsic neutrality of foreign-borne fighters means they are less likely to take sides, and more likely to hate both equally. The have also overseen defense operations for other evacuations. Beyond its reputation as an elite unit often engaged in serious fighting, the recruitment practices of the French L'egion 'Etrang'ere have also led to a somewhat romanticized view of it being a place for disgraced or "wronged" men looking to leave behind their old lives and start new ones. This view of the legion is common in literature, and has been used for dramatic effect in many films, not the least of which are several adaptations of the novel Beau Geste which was updated in the form of the film Brotherhood. A soldier who becomes injured in the L'egion 'Etrang'ere can immediately apply for UGC citizenship under a provision known as "Galactique par le sang vers'e" ("Galactic by spilled blood"), or after 8 years of service; After 4 years the L'egionnaire receives a UGC Provisional Birth Certificate and can claim UGC citizenship, but in 4 years it becomes permanent. Most L'egionnaire's stay with the L'egion until retirement or transfer to another service, more than one using L'egion service to open the door to regular UGC service. Post-Merger History In keeping with the tradition of the French L'egion 'Etrang'ere, one of the first assignments of the Plenipotentiary Council's L'egion 'Etrang'ere was to support the Unificationinst around the Local Group, including clandestine deployments to Karbara in the event the d'etente failed. Since then they've been used extensively to shore up various parties the UGC has wished to support, but either can't officially or has been deemed "difficult in other ways." The L'egion fills this role quite well. Ownership Ownership of the L'egion is by the L'egionnaires themselves; Each L'egionnaire has a vote on the G'en'eral de Brigade, L'egion 'Etrang'ere, which is the only thing they ever vote on. The appointment of the G'en'eral de Brigade is for life, subject to the approval of the UGC. The Council can remove the G'en'eral de Brigade for incompetence, insubordination, disloyalty, or any of the other "usual" misconducts for which they may remove a flag officer; The Chairman may relieve them of their duties and name an interim G'en'eral pending a council vote (which has happened only once, and led to Courts-Martial by the L'egion itself, resulting in a sentence of Life Without Possibility Of Parole Nor Reprieve but dodged a Death Sentence by ONE vote), but can not actually "remove" the G'en'eral. The L'egionnaires MUST obey the G'en'eral de Brigade once elected. L'egionnaires can not remove the G'en'eral; Only the Council and the G'en'eral de Brigade themselves can do that (the former by vote of dismissal which has only happened twice, the later by resignation, which is most common, typically after 5-8 years). The L'egionnaires own the L'egion, but since the UGC is their only client they MUST be responsive to their clients wishes; Without the Council's patronage, they'd die of as an organization AND as individuals, and they are well aware of this. That is why the Council has the authority to remove the G'en'eral de Brigade but not actually to authority to install the G'en'eral de Brigade, only the L'egionnaires themselves may do that. Being a militry organization, chain of command must be obeyed, and it is- To the letter. Membership Historically, the L'egion 'Etrang'ere has been portrayed as "a haven for cut-throats, crooks and sundry fugitives from justice," "an ideal repository for the scum of the earth" and also having many men escaping failed romances, since it asked few questions of its new recruits. However, in the 1970's and '80's (still under Terran French ownership) the L'egion 'Etrang'ere worked very hard to improve this reputation. The take over by the REF did a little damage to this process, as few questions can be asked of an empire with which the UGC is usually at war, but at least attempts ARE made to determine if candidates ("Engag'e Volontaire") are known fugitives, and if so for what. The L'egion 'Etrang'ere is no longer open to UGC citizens, but is open to females, two changes made under UGC ownership. There is also no longer a cap on rank, regardless of birth or other considerations. All L'egion 'Etrang'ere officers are former Engag'e Volontaire, having completed at least two full enlistments and requested to be sent to Officer candidate School. Originally the French L'egion 'Etrang'ere did not accept women in its ranks (with one very noteworthy exception). Legally, the French L'egion 'Etrang'ere had changed the policy but in reality this never occurred; The UGC removed any trace of gender restrictions from the L'egion 'Etrang'ere's charter, but females still make up only about 1% of the L'egion 'Etrang'ere's total numbers, although in far more combat roles than any other service save the Patrol, which is many times larger, and at a significantly higher percentage, as the L'egion 'Etrang'ere has most of it's support staff in the regular army. The original L'egion 'Etrang'ere accepted so called "honorary members" and while these members remain on the UGC's L'egion 'Etrang'ere's rolls, the legion no longer bestows this honor. The L'egion 'Etrang'ere is also a kind of "bellwether" of immigration to the UGC; Whatever species or nationality seems to be highest in recruitment, over the next ten to fifteen years will generally be the greatest number or immigrants to the UGC. It can often indicate which nation will apply to join next as well, though this trend has taken a bit of turn in the last hundred years as several hundred nations applied to the UGC virtually simultaneously, and even the L'egion 'Etrang'ere didn't show the trend very well, as applicants from those nations were relatively small in numbers because of the large number of nations applying. Currently, the K'Hardishuns are the largest single collective, even while the UGC is fighting the K'Hardishiun Empire over former Federation worlds (and ISO the Clingohn Alliance). K'Hardishuns are not allowed to serve anywhere in that sector, which has been said to mostly be a relief to them- An interesting statement, as they are asking for combat duty (especially in the most outlier areas, making such assignments that much more hazardous). "It's not cowardice. It's a lack of suicidal tendencies. If we were to serve on the K'Hardishiun lines, we would be in for a full-fledged fight- If they capture us, we will be tortured to death. And K'Hardishiuns know a great deal about how to make THAT sort of death last a very very long time indeed." - A K'Hardishiun . Assignments in other sectors is common (in fact, it's THE rule, less occasional recruitment commands by long-serving members), but the K'Hardisiuns are far more frank about it. Rank Structure
Soldats Du Rang (Ordinary Legionnaires) All volunteers in the French Foreign Legion begin their careers as basic L'egionnaire's with one in four eventually becoming a sous-officier (non-commissioned officer). On joining, a new recruit receives a monthly salary of 1,200credit in addition to food and lodgings. He is also given his own new rifle, which according to the lore of the Legion must never be left on a battlefield. Promotion is concurrent with the ranks in the UGC Army.
Foreign Legion rank	Equivalent Rank	Period Of Service Service		Insignia
Engag'e Volontaire	Recruit	15 weeks basic training.		None
Legionnaire 2e Classe	Private/2nd Class Legionnaire	On completion of training and Marche K'epi Blanc (March Of The White Kepi).
Legionnaire 1e Classe	Lance Corporal/1st Class Legionnaire	After 10 months of service.
Caporal	Corporal	Possible after 1-year of service, known as the Fonctionnaire Caporal (or Caporal "Fut Fut") course. Recruits selected for this course need to show good leadership skills during basic training.
Caporal Chef	Senior Corporal	After 6 years of service.
Non-Commissioned Officers (non commissioned officers)
Sergent	Sergeant	After 3 years of service as Caporal
Sergent Chef	Staff Sergeant (literally, "Senior Sergeant")	After 3 years as Sergent and between 7 to 14 years of service.
Adjudant	Sergeant First Class	After 3 years as Sergent Chef.
Adjudant Chef	Master Sergeant	After 4 years as Adjudant and at least 14 years service.
Major	Sergeant Major	Appointment by either: (i) passing an examination or (ii) promotion after a minimum of 14 years service (without an examination).
Officers Commissioned (Commissioned Officers) Most officers under the French L'egion 'Etrang'ere were seconded from the French Army (though roughly 10% are former non-commissioned officers promoted from the ranks). This is not the case under the UGC; 100% of the L'egion 'Etrang'ere's officers are in fact former enlisted (as is the case of the regular UGC militry), promoted to Sergent Chef, and eligible to apply to the L'egion 'Etrang'eres' Corps Des Candidats Des Officiers ("officers candidate corps," or officer candidate school). The only requirements here is to pass a fairly stringent academic test and speak T'sentraedi, as French is NOT spoken outside the L'egion 'Etrang'ere (in fact, it's otherwise banned under UGC law). The ability to speak English is considered a plus, since it is a working language of the REF, but if the cadidadte doesn't speak it they will by Mise En Service ("Commissioning," graduation from L'egion 'Etrang'eres Corps Des Candidats Des Officiers).
L'egion 'Etrang'ere Rank	Equivalent Rank	Command Responsibility		Insignia
Aspirant Quatri'eme Troisi'eme Seconde Premi'ere	Cadet First Second Third Fourth (respective)	Lesser Grade Aspirants.
Sous-Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant	Junior Section Leader
Lieutenant	First Lieutenant	A Section
Capitaine	Captain (Lieutenant Spacy/SPAES)	A Company.
Commandant	Major	A Battalion.
Lieutenant-Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Junior R'egiment or Demi-Brigade.
Colonel	Colonel	A R'egiment or Demi-Brigade.
G'en'eral de Brigade	Brigadier General	Entire L'egion 'Etrang'ere
Regardless the Paygrades, Services, time in grade, qualifications, awards, or any other factor, the G'en'eral de Brigade is STILL subordinate to a Lt Colonel/Commander or above, and always to a Task Force or Strike Force Commander. On the other hand, regardless of current, former, or future rank, skills, or any factor whatsoever, even a lowly Engag'e Volontaire outranks any Special Battalion trooper other than the Battalion's Commanding Officer, typically a Major (but who will STILL outrank the G'en'eral de Brigade while in theater). Remember, the Special Battalion Major is a UGC Citizen, his/her men are NOT, but the L'egionnaires are not convicts serving a sentence, either. It IS kind of a weird system; The Special Battalions are sent to support the L'egionnaires, not the other way around. Traditions Of The Legion As the L'egion 'Etrang'ere is composed of soldiers of different nationalities and backgrounds, it needed to develop an intense Esprit de Corps, which is carried out by the development of camaraderie, specific traditions, the high sense of loyalty of its legionnaires, the quality of their training and the pride of being a soldier of an 'elite unit. Code of Honor Every trainee must know by heart the "Legionnaire's Code of Honor." They spend many hours learning it, reciting it, and then getting the vocal synchronization together: Art. 1- L'egionnaire, tu es un volontaire, servant la Galactique (France) avec honneur et fid'elit'e. Art. 1- Legionnaire: You are a volunteer serving France with honor and fidelity. Art. 2- Chaque L'egionnaire est ton fr'ere d'armes, quelle que soit sa nationalit'e, sa race ou sa religion. Tu lui manifestes toujours la solidarit'e 'etroite qui doit unir les membres d'une même famille. Art. 2- Each legionnaire is your brother in arms, whatever his nationality, race, or religion. You regard him with the same close solidarity that links members of the same family. Art. 3- Respectueux des traditions, attach'e à tes chefs, la discipline et la camaraderie sont ta force, le courage et la loyaut'e tes vertus. Art. 3- Respect for traditions, devotion to your leaders, discipline, and comradeship are your strengths; Courage and loyalty (are) your virtues. Art. 4- Fier de ton 'etat de L'egionnaire, tu le montres dans ta tenue toujours 'el'egante, ton comportement toujours digne mais modeste, ton casernement toujours net. Art. 4- Proud of your status as (a) Legionnaire, you display this in your always impeccable uniform, your always dignified but modest behavior, and your clean living quarters. Art. 5- Soldat d''elite, tu t'entraînes avec rigueur, tu entretiens ton arme comme ton bien le plus pr'ecieux, tu as le souci constant de ta forme physique. Art. 5- An elite soldier, you train rigorously, maintain your weapon as your most precious possession, and take constant care of your physical form. Art. 6- La mission est sacr'ee, tu l'ex'ecutes jusqu'au bout et si besoin, en op'erations, au p'eril de ta vie. Art. 6- The mission is sacred: You carry it out until the end and, if necessary in the field, at the risk of your life. Art. 7- Au combat, tu agis sans passion et sans haine, tu respectes les ennemis vaincus, tu n'abandonnes jamais ni tes morts, ni tes bless'es, ni tes armes. Art. 7- In combat, you act without passion and without hate, you respect defeated enemies, and you never abandon your dead, your wounded, or your weapons. Due to the REF's quasi-annexation of Le L'egion, the word "France" is now "Galactic" ("Galactique"). However, no L'egionnaire has ever been disciplined for say "France" rather than "Galactique" (even though most can't even identify Terra on a star chart, and many wouldn't know which galaxy Terra or France is). It's just a traditions and customs thing. The L'egion 'Etrang'ere Grenade Flag Le L'egion 'Etrang'ere Grenade Emblem And Colors. Unlike any other French unit, the motto of the Foreign Legion's regimental flags is not the Clariont Battle Flag, and in fact they are forbidden to fly it (except at join bases, on the main base; on their own compound they are still forbidden to fly the battle flag), but rather their own flag, the L'egion 'Etrang'ere Grenade Flag. They are still required to fly the Clariont Flag. Mottoes "Honneur et Fid'elit'e "Honneur et Fid'elit'e" (Honor and Fidelity). Legio Patria Nostra "Legio Patria Nostra" ("The Legion is our Fatherland") is a slogan and motto of the L'egion 'Etrang'ere mostly used for recruitment purposes; Within the L'egion 'Etrang'ere, it's also a rebuke used when one has said something not properly loyal either to the legion or, more commonly, its allies (mostly the UGC). To help buoy this, the Council granted "the legion" a hard-scrabble world, RTF-44371, as its own quasi-fiefdom. RTF-44371, named "Montaña" (Spanish for "mountain"), is a mountainous (hence the name) desert world that would have made excellent training facility were it not intended as L'egionnaire's retirement planet; Families, widows, and underaged children of L'egionnaires who die in service to the UGC may stay, all others living there have to be vouched for by the L'egion 'Etrang'ere (which is pretty rare, but not unheard of). Most of the facilities are underground, though widows allowing natural light are very common in the places where they can be accommodated, and almost all common and berthing spaces do. Those that do not are by choice, not necessity. Marche Ou Cr'eve "Marche Ou Cr'eve", quite literally "march or die," is still a motto/slogan of the L'egion 'Etrang'ere; The Marche K'epi Blanc, a 4 day forced march with full kit, it the final test of a L'egionnaire's training. At the completion of which they are authorized to wear their k'epi blanc, or white k'epi blanc (black for officers) for the first time. Every month after that they must complete a 1-day forced march. But make no mistake- The worst 'recorded' to date was a two YEAR forced march by 43E REP (43RD R'egiment 'Etranger De Parachutistes, or 43RD Paratrooper Regiment) on Wayside when their transport, the Lemesque, was destroyed in orbit before word was sent that their HORIZONT-Class shuttles had left the flight bay. Their 2-year march allowed them to take the T'sentraedi Militia State (ZMS) depot at Northpoint, from which they transmitted a message announcing they had done so and destroyed another (infantry) base and requesting resupply- This being the first that either the REF or apparently the ZMS knew of their presence on planet. (Over the next 8 month, the L'egionnaires would fight a "running fire fight" with ZMS infantry that so distracted and confounded them that the REF was easily able to return with a full Corps of regular Marine, thus winning back a "lost" world- but at a cost of 75% of the L'egionnaire KIA.) Pioneers And Sapeur Of The L'egion 'Etrang'ere Pioneers The Pionniers (pioneers) are the combat engineers of the L'egion 'Etrang'ere. The Sapeur (sapper) traditionally sport large beards, wear leather aprons and gloves and hold axes. The sapeur were very common in the French Army and in other European armies during the Napoleonic Era but progressively disappeared in the 19ᵗʰ century, except in the French Foreign Legion, and as such remain in the L'egion 'Etrang'ere. Every infantry regiment included a small detachment of pionniers. In addition to undertaking road building and entrenchment work, such units were tasked with using their axes and shovels to clear obstacles under enemy fire opening the way for the rest of the infantry. The danger of such missions was recognized by allowing certain privileges, such as being authorized to wear beards. The current pionnier platoon of the L'egion 'Etrang'ere is provided by the Legion depot and headquarters regiment for public ceremonies. The unit has reintroduced the symbols of the Napoleonic sapeurs; The beard, the axe, the leather apron, the crossed-axes insignia and the leather gloves. When parades of the L'egion 'Etrang'ere are opened A L'egion 'Etrang'ere Sapeur. by this unit, it is to commemorate the traditional role of the sapeurs "opening the way" for the troops. Sapeur The sapeur are the soldier who clear minefields, set demolitions, blast through defenses, clear forests for road and airfield construction, and other duties that include breaking things. They are also trained to serve as infantry personnel in defensive and offensive operations. A sapeur's duties are devoted to tasks involving facilitating movement, defense and survival of allied forces and impeding those of enemies. The phrase "sapper" come from the French "saper," to dig or to trench. Currently it is not in general use through the UGC. The main differences between the Pionniers and the Sapeurs is the Pionniers mostly build things- Sapeurs mostly blow them up, tear them down, cut them apart, or otherwise break them. That's not to say they don't play related roles; Building a road through a heavily forested wood requires the skills of both to survey the terrain and determine the best routes; The skills of the sapeurs to fell the trees; The Pionniers to build the actual road itself. Whenever practical, Pionniers and Sapeurs work together on the same projects, with ordinary L'egionnaires doing the "grunt work" while the sapeurs and pionniers doing the more sophisticated detail work and supervision. This is not to say that sapeurs are more nor less skilled than pionniers. The skill sets are very different, but very similar, and "most" pionniers can work with most sapeurs under most circumstances. Marching Step Also notable is the marching pace of the L'egion 'Etrang'ere. In comparison to the 116-step-per-minute pace of other units, the L'egion 'Etrang'ere has an 88-step-per-minute marching speed. It is also referred to by L'egionnaires as "the crawl." This can be seen at ceremonial parades and public displays attended by the L'egion 'Etrang'ere. Because of the impressively slow pace, the L'egion 'Etrang'ere is always the last unit marching in any parade, accompanied by its own band, which traditionally plays the march of any one of the regiments comprising the L'egion 'Etrang'ere, except that of the unit actually on parade. The regimental song of each unit and "Le Boudin" is sung by L'egionnaires standing at attention. Also, because the L'egion 'Etrang'ere must always stay together, it does not break formation into two when approaching the grandstands, as other units do- "Always stay together." "Le Boudin" "Le Boudin" is the L'egion 'Etrang'ere's marching song.
Chorus `Tiens, voilà du boudin, voilà du boudin, voilà du boudin Pour les Alsaciens, les Suisses et les Lorrains, Pour les Belges y'en a plus (bis) Ce sont des tireurs au cul Pour les Belges y'en a plus (bis) Ce sont des tireurs au cul. Bridge I Nous sommes des d'egourdis, nous sommes des lascars, Des types pas ordinaires, Nous avons souvent notre cafard, Nous sommes des L'egionnaires. 1 Au Tonkin, la L'egion immortelle A Tuyen-Quang illustra notre Drapeau. H'eros de Camerone et fr'eres mod'eles Dormez en paix dans vos tombeaux. Bridge II Nos anciens ont su mourir Pour la Gloire de la L'egion, Nous saurons bien tous p'erir Suivant la tradition. 2 Au cours de nos campagnes lointaines, Affrontant la fi'evre et le feu, Nous oublions avec nos peines La mort qui nous oublie si peu Nous, la L'egion.			Chorus Here you are, some blood pudding, some blood pudding, some blood pudding for the Alsatians, Swiss and Lorrainers For the Belgians, there's none left (twice) They're lazy shirkers For the Belgians, there's none left (twice) They're lazy shirkers Bridge 1 We're always at ease, we're rough and tough, No ordinary guys We've often got our black moods, For we are Legionnaires 1 In Tonkin, the Legion immortal At Tuyen Quang, our flag we honored Heroes of Camerone and model brothers, Sleep at peace in your tombs Bridge 2 Our ancestors died, For the Legion's glory We will soon all perish According to tradition 2 During our far-off campaigns, Facing fever and fire By our sorrows we forget Death, who so little forgets us, For we are the Legion
Deployment Originally the L'egion 'Etrang'ere was not stationed in mainland France except in wartime. Until 1962, their headquarters was located in Sidi Bel Abb'es, Algeria, and has been returned there with the entry of Algeria to the Terran Trade Authority. Today Camp Travers, which is the official name of the L'egion 'Etrang'ere's administrative complex of 22 building ranging from 2 decks to 5 centered around the massive 875 by 875 foot, 20 deck Garder Tavers, is the global headquarters of the L'egion. There is currently no training base on Terra, as there are no Terrans to fill it. (Of course, there are no Terrans working at Camp Tavers, either, as UGC citizens are forbidden to join the L'egion 'Etrang'ere.) Basic Training Basic training is conducted in the 4TH R'egiment 'Etrang'ere (Foreign Regiment) with a duration of 15 weeks:
Initial training of 4 weeks- Initiation to military lifestyle, outdoor and field activities, learning L'egion 'Etrang'ere traditions, and learning the French language (if necessary). Marche K'epi Blanc- A 100- mile forced march in full kit taking 3 days to complete. Technical and practical training (alternating with barracks and field training)- 3 weeks. Mountain training- 1-week.			Technical and practical training (alternating barracks and field training)- 2 weeks. Examinations and obtaining of the elementary technical certificate (CTE)- 1-week. March ending basic training- 1-week. Light vehicle/trucks school- 1-week. Return to Training Barracks before reporting to the assigned regiment- 1-week.
L'egion 'Etrang'ere Uniforms. L'egion 'Etrang'ere Enlisted Summer Trops. L'egion 'Etrang'ere Enlisted Winter Trops. L'egion 'Etrang'ere Enlisted Alpha. L'egion 'Etrang'ere Combat Uniform. L'egion 'Etrang'ere Garrison Uniform. L'egion 'Etrang'ere Officer Summer Trops. The recruit is trained on whatever planet s/he enlists at or at the nearest UGC planet that has a L'egion 'Etrang'ere garrison, then is usually sent to the furthest possible system- The L'egion 'Etrang'ere does not want their personnel facing others "of their own kind" as this may cause hesitation or, more often, an over willingness to fire when they shouldn't. Uniforms And Equipment Of The L'egion 'Etrang'ere Uniforms The UGC made a rather cynical decision not to change the L'egion 'Etrang'ere uniform from that worn during the merger; As such, it very much resembles the uniform of French line infantry until the collapse of the United World Government during the opening phase of the Third Robotech War. For enlisted personnel, a white shirt (short sleeve in summer, long sleeve with green tie for winter) is shouldered by green epaulettes with red bullion. Grey pants and black boots cover the legs and feet, and a white kepi (the k'epi blanc) earned by completion of the Marche k'epi blanc (March of the White Kepi) cover ardorns the head; Rank insignia are affixed to both the epaulettes and the sleeves of the shirt. Over this is a leather belt of black with a second, clasping, belt of white. For dress uniform, the Class Alpha adds a grey dress coat with rank insignia on the collar; The epaulettes are worn on the coat, rather than the shirt in this case. A Regimental Patch is worn on the left shoulder only. For officers, the uniform is the same but for two distinctions; The top of the bullion epaulettes are gold, the cover is black and has their rank insignia. The battle uniform is a simple one-piece coverall that literally is worn over their battle armor. In the event that L'egion 'Etrang'ere are issued power armor, it is the standard Mi'cronne ("Grenadier") Power Armor MkII with PASS-451 Wyvern Assault Hovercycle. The units are painted in the same color scheme as the combat uniforms. Equipment For many reason, the L'egion 'Etrang'ere is NOT issued the same equipment as the REF Army. Officially, it's a security matter but unofficially it's a logistical issue- Not every species is familiar with the level of technology that the UGC is at, and as such they needed a system that was so idiot proofed that it could not fail to work. The current guns were stylistically modeled after historic L'egion 'Etrang'ere weapons, the MAT-49 and the Chauchat, but functionally are rail launchers, albeit it micro rail launchers. Unofficially, the L'egion 'Etrang'ere's equipment is actually GREATER than the REF's standard systems; If a L'egion 'Etrang'ere garrison were to mutiny, without air support (which the L'egion 'Etrang'ere does NOT have unto itself) the REF would not be able to suppress it except by interdiction. As the L'egion 'Etrang'ere has no ships of their own, to advance the mutiny they'd have to take over one- An event which has not yet happened. The L'egion 'Etrang'ere does not at this time have a company/battalion-level support weapon (such as a mortar). However, REF analysts believe within the next 5 to 10 years, this will have to change, especially as periphery worlds agitate for independence and possibly form the much-rumored Commonwealth Of Independent States, and as anti-UGC factions begin to grow in sophistication; A few regiments are already deploying models for testing and evaluation. The L'egion 'Etrang'ere needs the ability to go anywhere and do anything, and that is why two very basic firearms were chosen, with the main weapon being designed by and for the L'egion by a L'egionnaire. More importantly, though, they are often left to their own devices, sometimes for years at a time, and therefore tools, hammers, axes, picks, etc, are FAR more important than guns. This go anywhere, do anything mentality is why the UGC now controls Ventix- A company of L'egion 'Etrang'ere held their position on Rountop for three years, without resupply, building for themselves what amounted to a little village, and thus, having landed and raised the Clariont (and not the Grenade Flag) during the local binaries flux period made it rightfully UGC territory. With this claim of first settlement, the Vorlon were unable to settle the world. And they did this with only hand tools- No powered tools of any kind could be included in the inventory. The L'egion 'Etrang'ere has no ships of their own, not even shuttles. The closest thing they do have is the L-500 Alsatian, which not accidentally has the ability to be used as a dropship as well as an MBT, AIFV, and SPG. This has saved the UGC billions on procurement, reduced wastage (since the L'egionnaire don't have to abandon, secure, or destroy a dropship afterwards), and given the L'egionnaires themselves a feeling of safety, since they are riding into battle already IN their tanks. (This is mostly a false sense of security, but it's still safer than a HORIZONT'S drop pods, and a little more comfortable too).
Infantry Pistol		Infantry Rifle:		Infantry Armor:
The MAT-4 is the L'egion 'Etrang'ere's standard sidearm. The frame was drawn from the ancient French L'egion 'Etrang'ere's MAT-49, but the functionality is hyper velocity plasma.		The L'egion 'Etrang'ere's standard infantry rifle is the RL-2 Assault Support Rifle. This firearm was actually designed by and for L'egion 'Etrang'ere troops. The weapon has two modes of feed, by detachable box magazine OR by belt feed, making it both a squad support weapon and an assault rifle. To convert from assault to support mode, remove the back barrel retention pin, swing the breach up, slide the barrel out, slide the support barrel in, and close. In assault mode it's fully ambidextrous, in support mode it favors right-handers.		La L'egion's standard body armor is the Mod'ele D'Armure Corporelle IV. Its adoption was highly controversial, as it was based on a German design intended for use by drug-enhanced warriors, making the symbolism "distressing." However, the underlying drug harness is NOT used.
Armored Vehicle:				Company/Battalion Support Weapon
The L'egion 'Etrang'ere's main armored vehicle is the highly unique L-500 Alsatian; A combination of a Self-Propelled Artillery/Tank Killer, Main Battle Tank, AND Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle, it also has a kit allowing it to be dropped from space, making it a re-entry vehicle (though they can not return to space on their own- it's a one-way trip). La L'egion is also the largest single user of the Tonnerre Roulant (Rolling Thunder) TEL System, having 1 million in inventory (this places them ahead of the next two users, the Terran Defense Forces and Robotech Expeditionary Forces, combined). However, the Tonnerre Roulant is restricted in its abilities compared to the L-500, and as such is used by follow-up forces after a beachhead is secured- Making it rarely forward-deployed.				La L'egion is currently in the process of establishing their criterion for a support-level weapon. At the moment, they use whatever weapons are lent to them by their various contractees, usually manned by members of those forces. In the cases where they are acting on behalf of the UGC directly, they commonly use L-02a Micro- and L-08 Rail Mini-Missile Rail Launchers. They also have a large fleet (963) of FT-17's, which they field in front line positions as infantry support vehicles ("rolling pillboxes").
		L-500 Alsatian
United Galaxies Council.	UGC L'egion 'Etrang'ere.				United Galaxies Council.
General Information Name: L'egion 'Etrang'ere Colors: Red And Green Symbol/Crest/Banner: Golden Grenade Owner: United Galaxies Council Commanding Officer: Brigadier General Executive Officer: Colonel Tactics: To strike hard and from somewhere unexpected. Size and Orientation: Large Mercenary Army (500) Features:
A: Sponsorship:		B: Outfits:		C: Equipment:
Government (self owned), but responsible to the UGC.		Specialty Clothing (20).		Electronic Supplies and Good Gear (5); Medical Clinic (20).
D: Vehicles:		E: Weapons:		F: Communications:
Company Fleet of Vehicles (10).		Advanced Weaponry (20).		Deluxe Communications Network (25).
G: Internal Security:		H: Permanent Bases:		I: Intelligence Resources:
Paranoid (40).		Company City (60).		Scout Detachment (5) Special Military Operatives (10) Psionic and Magic Operatives (20).
J: Special Budget:		K: General Alignment		L: Criminal Activity:
Small Potatoes (15).		Unprincipled and Scrupulous (6).		Expert Assassin (15) Special Forces (20) Safecracker/Locksmith (25).
M: Reputation/Credentials:		N: Salary:		Personnel:
Famous/Infamous (50).		Good Salary (10)		Administrative Control: Chairman, United Galaxies Council/Joint Hall Defense Committees; Secretary of War; United Galaxies Council Chairman and Joint Chiefs Of Staff.	Command Officers: Army Chief Of The Staff; G'en'eral de Brigade, L'egion 'Etrang'ere; Colonel, L'egion 'Etrang'ere; Commandant; Above this level, rarely will L'egion 'Etrang'eres deploy.
Weapons, Equipment, and Resources:
Standard Issue Weapons And Equipment:		Battalion Support Weapon:	Armored Vehicle:	Air Support:	Transport Ship:
Pistol/Sidearm: The MAT-4. Assault Rifle AND Squad Support Weapon: The The RL-2 Assault Support Rifle. Armor: Mod'ele D'Armure Corporelle IV.		Battalion Support Weapon: None at this time.	Armored Vehicle: The L-500 Alsatian.	Air Support: As provided by the UGC.	Transport Ship: As provided by the UGC.