Soldier or psychologist, what's best: 4 by thadeusz

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10. Further Legion instruction

After this new drawback, I had a very short leave (2 hours) to town and the possibility to call my girlfriend from a cybercafé. Luckily, she accepted to answer the phone and she more or less consoled me for my new loss of freedom. She promised to meet me in France as soon as possible for me, considering my present disciplinary and military situation.

I had thus to stay with a training section in order to reacquire all the concepts needed "in order to maintain and reacquire all cohesion principles specific to the Legion". I assumed it would last 2 or 3 more weeks before I could be fully operational and perhaps start, as a Legionnaire and as promised, my 5th year in psychology.

In fact I had to stay with my initial group for three more months, doing the same exercises as my comrades … exercises I had already done a long time before. I also had the obligation to take the final tests.

In order to avoid complex remarks, I told my comrades that in fact I had failed the tests with my 1st section and that I had to repeat the whole instruction. I was no longer considered as an ex-intellectual: I hid my past.

The only problem was that I was again deprived of free communications with the outside world, and especially with my girlfriend.

Strangely enough, despite the negative remarks made by my Captain, I started feeling good as a legionnaire with the discipline imposed by the legion. In any case, I was convinced that it would not last very long: it thus seemed like a good method.

Finally, the instruction period came to an end. The second time it occurred to me ! All my final tests were good. I was considered as one of the best legionnaires, but I was not selected as fut fut (which would have been comfortable) nor as potential candidate Corporal. The Captain told me that this had been done on purpose to "tame me".

I was sent to the 13 DBLE as a simple legionnaire, without recuperation of my former rank. After my arrival in this regiment, I was thus sent like all fresh legionnaires, to the Instruction Platoon (FTS), which was led by Lieutenant Myer.

There I had to keep my hair very short. I first went to the regimental barber, but it was expensive and I decided to try to find a cheaper solution.

After 8 more weeks of grueling instruction in my new regiment without communications with the outside world, I graduated from the additional basic training for the second time. I had now served on this new contract for 6 painful months.

That was when I received my new regiment fourragère, and I must admit that I was proud of this tiny achievement. Proud and happy: I felt again then that I was fully a legionnaire. I started feeling well in the legion despite the loss of my freedom, the loss of my hopes to become a full psychologist and the loss of my best beloved.

I also moved from my receiving room full with 20 new legionnaires to a more comfortable one with only 6 new legionnaires. Two were French, one was German, one was Russian and one was American. I occupied the 6th bed and cupboard !

My American colleague, named in the Legion "Peter Brook", was younger than I and also the son of a Californian barber. He suggested that we buy a solid hair trimmer which we would both use. He would show me how to use it and he would shave my head regularly. I would do the same for him. The first time he shaved my head he left me with a completely bald head. I told him that I didn't really like that, especially since I was no longer as he was. He then invented a nice haircut, acceptable for the Legion: reduced to zero in the back and on the sides, but leaving a sort of small patch of hair on the top of the head, just underneath the White Képi or our green beret. I learned quickly to do it for him and the result was not too bad. He did the same for me.

The Colonel reminded all of us of the traditions of "my" regiment. Finally, I started to feel well in MY regiment.

Shortly after I graduated from this Instruction Platoon, I was ordered to appear in front of our Colonel. This man seemed to be very intelligent and very wise. He had my file open in front of him. He mentioned that for me, this was a "back to the Legion" contract and that I had now spent more than 4 months of this contract for a plain re-tuning. According to my new Colonel, that was too much. The Colonel suggested energetically that I should sign an additional contract (one more). He simply said:
"If you don't do what I suggest, it will be interpreted as a dislike for the legion and you will thus not have the promised benefits."
I was now completely indoctrinated and I signed without any hesitation, obediently, like a good legionnaire that I was now, an additional contract of 3 years.

When I left the Colonel’s office, I realized that I just committed to spend 9 more years and 1 month in the legion. I concluded that I would never become a psychologist and that the Legion will be my only career.

I did not like that, but after all whatever since it seems that it is my destiny to be and remain a legionnaire. Probably until I die ! In any case, I remain under the hard conditions of a first contract until July 15 2019. Then I will have to accomplish my one year additional contract until July 15 2019 or later. Then my additional 5 years contract followed by my new 3 years contract. Well, I might be wrong in my computations, but anyway it will be a very long time before I am a plain civilian again. If ever !!!

I will probably never be a psychologist: my credits for my 5th year will probably be moot when I can start these courses, I can as well forget them. My only hope was finally that I could become a good Legionnaire, not punished too often but promoted from time to time.

Well, all that is nothing after all. I had a "friendship drink" with my roommates and immediately after that I had 8 days leave ! My first real leave since I rejoined the Legion. I had to be back the next Sunday before 16:00 hours.

I went to Paris (which was far from my regiment and expensive, but as a soldier I paid only 25% of the ticket). The contact with my Belgian girlfriend was reestablished and she joined me in Paris: she would have liked to meet me in Brussels, but I did not want to take the risk of going out of France. I did not want to risk the slightest punishment, and as a Legionnaire I was not allowed to leave the country without a special authorization. Moreover, I had to remain permanently in my legionnaire uniform, and thus be very identifiable as such by any agent of the authority. In any case I assumed that I had to behave like a "young legionnaire" since I was considered a new boy ! I wanted to behave as an obedient and proud Legionnaire since I had no other possibility anymore.

In any case I was now a real Legionnaire, obedient and proud of my uniform.

I went back in due time to my regiment, which was a one day train far from Paris ! At the entrance, the controlling Sergeant told me that my haircut was no longer acceptable and that if I wanted to avoid a serious punishment, I had to have a serious haircut given by the regimental barber. That meant back to a completely zero cut, a glorious baldy to be kept for two weeks at least. His comment was:
"A leave to meet your girlfriend is not an authorization to look shaggy."

I thus started serving as a simple legionnaire, with all the training, the chores, the boredom associated with that status. But also with the simple disciplined life and the tremendous brotherhood among legionnaires.

Finally, it was fun after all to be again, about 8 years later, as a "young Legionnaire". There were numerous chores, the exercises were rough and painful at times. The Master Corporal was severe and even fussy: the least mistake, even a minimal one, was energetically punished. I nevertheless had a great advantage: ironing a shirt while respecting the required folds up to the millimeter was something I remembered well, even if I had not done it during the University years. During these years, I was wearing non ironed shirts, but I remembered how to do it "the Legion way" and I also remembered that if I had not done it that way, during my prior Legion stint, I would have been severely punished.

I also took great care, and without pain, to have a cupboard perfectly in order according to Legion rules, to have my rangers perfectly polished, and to have my bed well made according to the rules. I succeeded in doing everything according to the rules. After my trip to Paris, I was punished only once: I got a half hour croatian bridge because I had left a beer can in our room !

For those who ignore what it is, making a "croatian bridge" is simply making a bridge with your body using your (shaved) head as one pillar and your feet (placed a certain distance from one another) as only other pillars. The body had to form a nice arch and your hands had to be kept in your back while you were singing a Legion song imposed by the Corporal or by another chief.

After my trip to Paris, I even started to like our common room. Now that I think about this, I am astonished. Before that, and since the Borstal, I really liked my private life and my room "for me alone". I now like to hear my comrades breathe and I start thinking that I am never alone, I am with my brothers !

Finally Christmas came, with its crèche and the special meal legionnaires get during a feast on Christmas eve. All legionnaires receive a present from the hands of the Colonel

I received a swiss knife and a small flat parcel containing … my first stripe, the stripe making me a Legionnaire 1st Cl. I was not Corporal yet, but I was very happy.

to be continued

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