Quoted: Quoted: It's a way for some to get Citizenship. Citizenship in France may not seem like something you would want, but believe me there are far worse places in the world. They also offer a lifetime pension after 15 years of service, so you could join as an 18 year old and retire on a sergeant's pension (or higher) at age 33.

No a bad proposition for a lot of men who join looking to escape a sketchy past.

BTW, what pecentage of pay is the US military pension?

Quoted: BTW, the option for "I would if I could speak French" is irrelevant as almost everyone who joins can't speak it when they sign up.  You learn as you go.

For a long time and to this day, a lot of Legionaires speak German!  I watched a FFL TV special a fews years back and they were in a bar singing German marching songs.........go figure!  

Quoted: I suppose if I was an escaped convict from death row it might be appealing.

They do quite a background check.
If they find out that you are wanted, they will turn you over to the appropriate authorities.
If you have some criminal record, it will most probably work against you.

Quoted: Quoted: BTW, the option for "I would if I could speak French" is irrelevant as almost everyone who joins can't speak it when they sign up.  You learn as you go. For a long time and to this day, a lot of Legionaires speak German!  I watched a FFL TV special a fews years back and they were in a bar singing German marching songs.........go figure!

A whole bunch of German POWs after WWII were given the option of prison or the FFL.

Quoted: Quoted: It's a way for some to get Citizenship. Citizenship in France may not seem like something you would want, but believe me there are far worse places in the world. They also offer a lifetime pension after 15 years of service, so you could join as an 18 year old and retire on a sergeant's pension (or higher) at age 33.

Yeah, and your pension could be as high as 80% of your exit salary.  The problem with this, of course, is that even senior NCO salaries in the French Army are not that good. $2000 or so a month? Their salaries can be good if you're an NCO and overseas, but the base pay if you're stationed in France is really parsimonious.  When Legion anciens hear about what American counterparts with 20 years of service get, they say "Fuck, we joined the wrong army!"

The pension threshold now is 17.5 years, and you're a brave guy if you put your retirement in the hands of a European welfare state, especially if you're a foreigner and making as little income as an enlisted soldier.

Things were looking pretty grim for me last year, I thought I might give the Legion a shot, retire at age 50, live in Martinique.  I weighed it against the US military, and the anonymity, the starting over, the fact most others in the Legion are in the same desperate boat you're in, might overcome the situation of enlisting at age 32. If I  enlisted at age 32 into the US military for something like radiology tech, it'd be hard to shake the feeling I was a total fuckup and failure, and know everyone else would be thinking the exact same thing.  In the Legion, there's a sense that it'd somehow be different; that this is where a guy like me would belong.  It's hard to explain.

The FFL also blew up/sank both Rainbow Warrior I & Rainbow Warrior II.  Who says they don't do anything.
The French .Mil hate libs as much as we do.

Give up my citizenship to be Phrench? no way.

I did know w guy who was in for quite some time. He was an older gentleman. He was a young boy growing up in Algeria during WWII. He saw some interesting stuff. Anyway he joined the Legion and went to Nam. Said he was issued a Mas36 with a crappy side folding stock while other units got M1 Carbines. He said some idiot higher up decided the Mas36 was a good choice because of the side folder , being they were airborne and all. He didnt volunteer much but if he really liked you he would answer questions.

He said most if not all his officers were former German officers from WWII.

Got his ass beaten alot for punishment. Said that was a common punishment and something called the "tomb" which I cant remember exactly but he said an ass beating was preferable to the "tomb"
 
They had a  guy who joined just to kill a German officer. Turns out the officer was connected to a camp that was responsible for the guys parents deaths. He said after the investigation, they arrested the soldier, locked him up for 1 hour and then let him go and discharged him.

Most of his stories were about funny things that happened while he was in. The guy was a real character and he had perhaps the coolest life of anyone I have known or ever will know.

Quoted: Yeah, and your pension could be as high as 80% of your exit salary.  The problem with this, of course, is that even senior NCO salaries in the French Army are not that good. $2000 or so a month? Their salaries can be good if you're an NCO and overseas, but the base pay if you're stationed in France is really parsimonious.  When Legion anciens hear about what American counterparts with 20 years of service get, they say "Fuck, we joined the wrong army!" The pension threshold now is 17.5 years, and you're a brave guy if you put your retirement in the hands of a European welfare state, especially if you're a foreigner and making as little income as an enlisted soldier. Things were looking pretty grim for me last year, I thought I might give the Legion a shot, retire at age 50, live in Martinique.  I weighed it against the US military, and the anonymity, the starting over, the fact most others in the Legion are in the same desperate boat you're in, might overcome the situation of enlisting at age 32. If I  enlisted at age 32 into the US military for something like radiology tech, it'd be hard to shake the feeling I was a total fuckup and failure, and know everyone else would be thinking the exact same thing.  In the Legion, there's a sense that it'd somehow be different; that this is where a guy like me would belong.  It's hard to explain.

Yeah but it's a hard life. You have to give up your fmily, friends, the Legion becomes your family and friends. The legion works best for those who have alreadly had a hard life, and those who do not expect luxury and monetary rewards for their work.

As far as feeling like a failure, as long as you give it your best at no matter what you do, you will never be a failure. No one would think that. Do what you heart tells you to do. Too many people do what they think others want them to do. Screw that, it's your life. You only get to do it once.