8:46
Back in the Ude, a few kilometers from Castelnodari, where the aspiring legionnaires begin their second week in this former farmhouse transformed into a military training center. Like every morning, Daniel, the 19-year-old Breton, and the 40 other volunteer recruits are gathered for the raising of the colors. In 3 weeks, if they complete this military training, they will officially become legionnaires. The selection leader, Adjutant Micolas, is reviewing his troops. At 43, he already has a long military career behind him.
This morning, he wanted to show them the reality of the fight. Bam! Hop! Head! Here! The trainees are equipped with sensor vests and on the other side of the field, the instructors equipped with laser-sighted assault rifles are lying in ambush. Daniel is preparing for combat in this military-style laser tag game. So there are three health bars, and the first health bar is for minor injuries, and after the second bar is for serious injuries. The throne is dead. For added realism, the assault rifles of the recruits are loaded with blanks. Daniel's group will have to cross the field without getting killed. For the group, we had it in place.
Sergeant Yvan participates in the assault on the students' side. He plays the section leader. Go on, shoot, shoot, shoot. The more there is, the more it pulls, pulls. Press. Get moving. Come on, end. We jumped, we jumped. Standing up, we jumped. Come on, move forward. You, dead, dead, dead, dead. The first intern is affected. For Daniel, the fight ends here too. Lie down, lie down. Dead man, move forward. PULL. Move along, you idiot. You're really leaving us alone. You are zero, but 0. While Sergeant Yvan is getting angry at
his students, the young prodigy Micolas, who was playing the enemy opposite him, is delighted not to have been hit and is proud of his tally of kills. Touch the dead button. OK. 1 2 3 The verdict is implacable. The assault led by the aspiring legionnaires was a failure. Go away, coward. Sergeant Yvan is disappointed with his troops but he finds the experience interesting. What is not? That's great for making it look nicer. This will allow us to put the guy back in the most realistic situation possible. So here
he took some shots, really not just aiming, but really aiming. He's already targeting you. So that means there's no need to lift up like that because he'll pull you straight away. So if you watch the film normally you drop down like this and then stand up so if the pull so the caps it's the adjunct Micolas who explains what you had to do when you make them move you have to run for a maximum of 3 seconds ok so that will say f that you have to do a little zigzag in the bends ok zigzag in a few months if they become legionnaires these young soldiers will be sent on operations in Mali or Iraq Daniel becomes aware of the importance of the exercise. It's definitely a training exercise. If we get shot at, it's nothing. It's because of the
beeping, it's because of the electric sound. But once we go into combat or war, if we get hit, it's either we're seriously injured, or only slightly injured, but otherwise it's death. So there's no second chance or anything. Let's go. The volunteer recruits are only at the beginning of their training. In one month, they have to retain an impressive amount of information. So this is the symbol of elite troops. It is a symbol of elite troops. It's good. The foreigners only knew a few French lessons. For them, the task is considerable. Can anyone tell me the creation dates of the foreign game? March 10, 1831 OK March 10, 1831 repou this recruit is doing well but for those who make a mistake, Adjutant Micolas
has a very particular teaching method in the field opposite the classroom the recruits must run around the flame of the Foreign Legion until the answer is correct. Daniel, as a French speaker, is responsible for the success of his group. So he does the punishments with his classmates to make them revise. Max 1831
date of creation of the foreign day by whom Louis Philippe king Louis Philippe It passes for Tenzin the Nepalet what date huh complete speak For the Russian Micha, it is the pronunciation that is not good enough. [grunt] here repeat March 10th you understand James do you understand or not? rose, after a few turns of flames, the lesson is learned. Daniel wanted to avoid running for nothing at all costs. So he too created his own teaching method. Uh, they want cigarettes because they've run out. I have some. So I tell them, "Do you have a cigarette? If you give me the right answers,
then if they want cigarettes, they get them if they give the right answers. If they don't, they don't get a cigarette." A few hours later, the adult will have the opportunity to test the effectiveness of Daniel's learning method. Tonight, he gathered the volunteer section for a skills validation test You answer in the order 1 2 3 4 you answer. What do you know? You answer. About fifteen questions on the history of the legion, weaponry and basic military concepts.
You have marked 12 answers. It sounds good phonetically, but not in Chinese, not by route. Phonetics isn't a big deal. OK. Understood? For foreigners, it's a difficult transition. The challenge is to understand the questions and answer them in a language he barely understands. OK, that's good. Ready? 40 minutes. Top. For French speakers like Daniel, there is no room for error. It's easier for us because we are French-speaking. More easily, one is obliged to have 20/ for him the Chinese things are indeed very difficult.
No, it's because he didn't know the answer. He does n't know the answer. He said he didn't understand, It's over. The volunteers must hand in their work. While the instructors correct them, the section awaits the results. Daniel is worried. He thinks he answered a question incorrectly. That's bad for a French speaker. A French speaker needs to know everything because they assimilate it more easily. If a French-language name is perfect while mine isn't. He's going to say that's not normal. Christophe, it's 10 PM. The future legionnaires have been up since 5 a.m. But there's no question of going to bed until the results are in.
Test results. OK, listen carefully. 12/20 18.5. Daniel only got 15/20. Some foreigners ended up getting better grades than him. Aden is not happy. Is this normal? There's a Nepalese guy who does things more like you. Nepalese man who came to France a week ago, he does most of what you do. Is this normal or not? Are n't you ashamed? Aren't you ashamed? Are you ashamed or not? 5.5 7.5 The Chinese student got 5.5/20; he is not the only one who did not get an average score. For the adult, Micolas, this is unacceptable. So, the section leader will move on to step number 2 of his teaching method.
OK. So, what are you going to do now? You will sit in pairs like this. Opposite, opposite, opposite, opposite, opposite, opposite. Okay, let's go H! It is midnight. Adjutant Micolas nevertheless decided to have his volunteer recruits reviewed and, for the sake of cohesion, the entire section is involved. So you all start revising together. Understood or not? But for the section leader, it is also about testing the resilience of these new recruits. OK. Everyone in prouche allou. will come. The revisions will be done with the lights off, by the light of headlamps and especially with music playing in the background.
A piece of music that the warrant officer particularly likes. A tribute to Cameron, a historic battle of the Foreign Legion. This gigantic setting. This song is going to be played on repeat all night by the adult. who actually runs like that allows you to see the leg of the work anyway I'm not obliged if you want to sleep the volunteers who feel observed will nevertheless try to resist like Daniel who is in the sights of the adjutant. Mexico but after almost 2 hours of penance, most of the future legionnaires fell asleep from this heroic fight.
Daniel also ended up cracking within the walls of the. The adjutant, for his part, is still wide awake, observing in this gigantic setting. The volunteers will remain there all night until the early morning. The earth became less salty. The future legionnaires begin their day with breakfast. The ordeal of the night has taken its toll, but Corporal James shows no mercy. You can see it on my face this morning, it's very hard. They're very present and all. [clears throat] Here we go for another normal day, we'll adapt.
Some of the volunteers take these trials philosophically. This was the case with Leonard, who put so much heart into singing the song of his native country, Senegal. New things, my things. Civilian life, military life, you see what I mean. That's all for keeping it updated from time to time. As for Daniel, like the prisoners, he makes a precise count of the days before the White Kepi march, the liberation. We know that we'll be entering the 3rd week on Monday. We're already thinking we only have a few weeks left. The future legionnaires are coming to the end of the 2nd week of training at the farm. If Daniel is holding up this morning, one of the young
recruits is missing. Ran, the Colombian, decided to leave the farm despite the comfort Daniel had tried to give him. Good luck. Isolation, separation from family, and fatigue got the better of him. This is the third recruit to drop out of training. The Foreign Legion does not hold back its recruits. To stay, you have to want it, you have to decide to. really need to have everything you need in your head, in your heart, and especially in your body. Otherwise it's pointless.
The abandonment of a comrade often causes major blows to the morale of volunteer recruits. So, they're going to cheer them up in a rather unusual way. OK. Okay, 3, 2, 1, top. Who's that? Come on, who cares. Come on, come on. The section is divided into four groups for a sporting and military challenge, Foreign Legion style. A timed obstacle course worthy of commandos. A collective challenge where the strongest wait for the weakest in their group. Everyone is in the same boat, even the instructors.
I'm getting up there. The group that achieves the best time wins the right to take a nap after the event. 858 or the one who loses will be on guard all night. A funny way to boost morale, but the young Micolas has a little idea up his sleeve. Group cohesion. That's the most important thing, the fatigue I experienced last night. So we see, therefore, is there a will and the important thing is cohesion, so it will mean the strongest will help the weakest, so they will understand if you want to win, so it should be all together. You are listening to Captain James. It's good. Corporal James is leading the last group. Daniel is part of it and he is very motivated. If we want to have a nap, we have to win.
If we don't want to be on guard tonight, we have to win too. It's going to be tough. It's going to be a big challenge. The group is off to a good start. He overcomes the obstacles without too much difficulty. But one of the volunteers is about to change everything. Go away. Come on, come on, [__] it Daniel again. Go ahead and shake hands. Shake Go over there. Okay, let's go. Daniel and his comrades will give their all to make up for lost time. for comrade. But at the finish line, the stopwatch is relentless. They are not in first place. For Daniel and his group, the experience remains unforgettable.
Don't be afraid to get dirty. We roll around the edge, we slide on the ground to go faster. Is that what you wanted to do? Ah well yes in the end we may not have enough bad nights but here we are good here we are united everyone works as a team not a single person but together it feels good down below Corporal James led his group to the end he did not win but he got closer to his men. They are our children, they are our little babies. We show them the right path to take and yeah, we get attached. We're with them 24/7. We get up with them. We sleep with them. We eat with them, we do everything with them. So if we don't get attached
, it's because we have no heart. We have a lion's box, but we still have a little heart. But between us, we're our family, and that's it. So we need to love each other. We need to love each other, and that's what's happening. We all love each other. No difference. That's what we want. For the instructors, the goal has been achieved. Beyond differences, cultures, abilities and abandonments, the group forms. The second week of farm life comes to an end. There are still weeks to go before the presentation of the White Kepi, the final stage of a grueling journey. As the legionnaires approach their goal, other young people are preparing to take their first steps in the army, but in a completely different world.
The mountain in the heart of the Alps in the Grenoble region. Four recruits have just left their families to join the ranks of the 7th Alpine Chasseur Battalion. Among them, Rey. He was a student in a vocational environmental program and decided to change his life. He has always been a very good student, but this time he is facing a different kind of challenge. In fact, I mostly hope to live up to expectations because my main concern is to succeed in doing better, in constantly improving myself, and that's something I've never really had to do, and especially never with risks involved. There are situations where my life and the lives of other people
will be at stake. Ah, that was quick. We're here. Réy and his classmates, oh man, will be divided into rooms of five people. But before going to sleep peacefully, the supervisors gather all the new recruits to announce the program. Civilian life is over; military rules now apply OK, so 545, wake-up time 65 for you. So gather everyone there tomorrow, all shaved. Just a reminder, there are five of you per room, and there are two sinks. Keep that in mind, you're not going to be able to shave all five at the same time. We're going to need to take some time. So be smart. Two people shave, two people make the beds. It's a wrap at the end, welcome breakfast. Executives, let's
introduce ourselves so you know who we are. And here it's not yeah, it's not OK, it works. All of that is over. Here, it's yes, no, I don't know. And in the end it's about rank, and if, and if you do n't know it, sir. Have a good evening. In Rey's room. There's also Theo. He left behind his girlfriend, a medical student, with whom he lived in Marseille. My girlfriend is asking how things are going, what we did today, what we're going to do tomorrow, when I'm coming home? while I left this morning. She was sad. We've been together for quite a while now and we had gotten into a good rhythm where we saw each other often, and now we'll see each other every other weekend, every third weekend, and that'll do. We weighed the pros and
cons and in the end there were more pros. Early in the morning, after a good breakfast, the serious business begins. The recruits have just received their 40 kg kit. While Théo and the others manage well, for Emy, who doesn't really know how to handle things , it's the beginning of a difficult situation. The corporal is a bit mocking. We have 50m to go. Come on guys, the recruits need to get settled quickly because afterwards they're going to the hairdresser. 6 mm on top. What this means for Théo is a shock. I don't think I've ever had my hair this short. Never. Even when I was born, I had more. When you look at the practical side.
Ah yes, that's for sure, less shampoo, no gel, a quick wipe with a towel and it's dry. Rémy also changed his hairstyle and it seems to have made him lose his head a little. I'll let you sign, sir, and take your jacket back because you have something? Yes, sorry. And your jacket too, right? With all these upheavals, Réy is completely disoriented. I have the right idea and it's going to get noticed. You could have done like your classmates and gotten dressed before going out because you don't go out completely undressed like that. And what's more, you have a mirror.
Since I now have one of the official uniforms, I need to be careful to wear it properly and in the same way as my colleagues. First column in front and it follows behind. From now on, the trainees will have to move in close formation. And it's not easy when you've never done it before. LEFT. No, no, no. So, get back there for the group. Geb to the right, right. 1 2 Ry is completely lost. He has coordination problems.
Ahead. Walk. 1 2 And it's not getting any better. 2 Look where you are. Look where you're going. Gathering in two columns in a covered column. Go! Go. We don't see. No, you're here. I think you're going to have to get used to being in front. I'll keep you in mind. to you, gathering in two columns, cover in a column. The recruits will train for a good part of the morning and the following days. A week later, the volunteer recruits changed barracks.
They left Vars to go to Gap. This is where they will learn the basics of mountain hunting. Théo feels perfectly at home. I never would have thought I'd be happy to make a bed. Finally, I'm glad I would find it fun and interesting to make a bed. You're going a little faster on it compared to the telep. So in the end what I need to know is that Réy still hasn't fallen into line and this is annoying her classmates who have to redo the exercises. So he gives him remedial lessons.
Go ahead, actually. Yeah. Come on! 1 2 If you need anything, don't hesitate to come and see us. Yeah, I need help. Explain it to me, I didn't manage it. So come on, don't hesitate. Don't go and isolate yourself, and in the end, all our disabled people are useless. Actually, I was way too tense. The corporal also told me that I was overthinking things Rémy will have to relax because soon he will have a weapon in his hands. Tonight, the instructors will officially hand over their FAMAS rifles. Returning to their FAMAS rifle is the most significant active event in the transition from civilian to military life. So we are proud, we are dignified, we are men.
Yes. Corporal. Heading towards the tree square. Received forward. The rifles had already been laid down on the left side of the ground and the section leader, Lieutenant Alan, had prepared a speech to mark the solemn aspect of this moment. Tonight, young recruits, by accepting this weapon, you accept to be the custodian of the right to kill and that of dedicating yourselves to France, even unto the supreme sacrifice of your lives. Do you agree to become a soldier of France? Rey is very impressed when he is handed his weapon. This is your FAMAS, be worthy of it. Ceci estas, be worthy of it. will forever mark Théo's mind
It's exceptional, having a ceremony like this behind me, I wasn't really expecting anything more stressed and proud to be the holder of this weapon. I'm afraid of dropping it, of not being able to hold it properly. Tho thinks his dream is coming true, but the rest of the adventure will not go exactly as he had imagined. the recruits leave with their weapons for days in the field in a majestic setting on the shores of Lake Serpenson. They will sleep under the stars and, above all, get down to business by learning combat techniques. No, I'm holding the right arm for Théo. Already won over by communal living. It's a real pleasure. I
like it. I like it. I like cabins. It reminds me of when I was little. It's still chilly, but at least the weather is nice. But blinded by his enthusiasm, Theo makes a mistake. He wasn't watching his weapon. Damn Too late, I have time to get out of here What did we say the other day? We need to keep an eye on him. Yes, that's for sure. Yeah, but look, look, he was right next to him. But yeah, but that doesn't mean anything. Trust does not preclude control. Hey, Sergeant, full of good tips, a little reflex to have and also not to have. As soon as we leave them lying around, they take them straight from us. But that's normal, we're not supposed to have it taken from us anyway The day's schedule is packed.
It's not just about camping, but about learning how to occupy the terrain when deployed on an overseas operation. Go ahead, take your positions. The 40 participants are divided into four groups. For Réy and Théo, it's camouflage workshop time. OK. Camouflage, what are we camouflaging Tear. Ah yeah, the weapon. It's a bit far, but yeah. Water, the face. OK. We're doing very well. What are you wearing? Are you dressed in pink?
No. Camouf. The mountain. OK. Dressed in camouflage, that's already a first step in camouflage. If I say "the environment," what do you think that might inspire in you? We always camouflage ourselves the same way. We camouflage ourselves according to the environment in the calon. OK. Depending on the environment. So we'll see it, me and M (technical person). Of course, if it snows, we're not going to camouflage ourselves like we did today. OK, the bottom line. In your opinion, what do we mean by background? Are we talking about the lake?
No, we're talking about close people. OK, immediate surroundings. You are looking at the area opposite, over there in La Pampa. What can you see being camouflaged There is a target. OK, at least two groups have seen it. There is a target, the hermit. Ah! So. But it's been right in front of you for a while now I was expecting something like that, but I didn't find it. Come on, get around the oil. After the theory, the practice. Using three basic colors, green, black and brown, you have to succeed in breaking up the facial features. There is a technique, will the recruits find it? Tho takes the plunge. I'm not worried, you'll be cute. I ca n't come to his guinea pig, it's Ri to exchange.
It's good. So start with the left side. And when the roles are reversed, Rémy puts a lot of heart into the work. Perhaps a little too much. I know you're not paying for it [laughs] but it still needs to last a little while Yes, if you put the whole tube in at once, it won't work. It looks to me like you're plastering your house. I'm going to use the left side to make the right side. I think so, huh. You can even use it to make a friend. I would have said right to make left but I think it gets harder though. Yeah.
Réy Théo is joking, but during the debriefing he never at any point told you to put one camera on top of the other. Réy is called in to demonstrate everything that shouldn't be done. Come here. So what did his classmate do? He spread black on it, he spread brown on it, he covered it with green, he mixed it all together. At home, I do the plastering like this. So. So you say, "That's good." THANKS. So you do black stripe, green stripe, brown stripe. Those are strips. Here we can clearly see the break in the shape of the face. However, the problem with this cable is that where does it lie?
Nothing shocks you. A glass chip on the front. Green cost? No, it's not the glass that shocks me. OK. The blow. So when I tell you to go down the neck, I mean go down the neck until it's no longer visible. And there's no point in pulling your jacket collar up that high. When you started walking for hours, you were exhausted from the heat. There, that's good. End of the day at the edge of Lake Serpenson. The recruits enjoy their first military ration and Théo is delighted. You made a barbuug, like it had flames on the sides.
Look at the flame coming out. After dinner, the section sets off for a 10km night walk. Météo, for his part, will simply guard the camp. He injured his knee in the regiment and this could jeopardize his training. I missed a step and hurt my knee a little at the time, but I thought it was nothing and I ran another 3 minutes with it, and it turned out that when I got home I was still in quite a bit of pain. The doctor said it was my kneecap that was out of place and it was rubbing against the ligaments. As soon as I put a little weight on my leg, it rubs and that's what causes me this pain. So, it's pretty frustrating. I can't run, I can't
participate in activities with others. Did you cry? [grunt] No, I didn't cry. [laughs] I can't right now, I have to take it easy. If things are n't better by next Friday, I'm going back to see the doctors. And if that's exactly it, well, I 'm suspended for the time being. well, suspended, no, the word is strong. I am on leave while I haven't done rehabilitation and physiotherapy and so on and so forth. To be honest, it would make me quite sad. I 'm glad to be where I am today. I 'm happy here. This is starting to get really interesting. We go out, we learn concrete things. It will be a bit of a shame for me to leave now, unfortunately.
Unfortunately, I have to leave him there. You drink it in one minute. Pause 2 minutes max. Tonight. So the section gets underway without the theory. Hi. Each person has their own backpack and their FAMAS rifle. The recruits have been up since 5 a.m. And apart from the dinner break, they worked non-stop all day. It is 11 p.m. Rémy and his classmates are friends on this journey. If it's okay [cough] physically it's okay apart from this No, I'm asking if yes or no.
Yes, it's fine. Ry was sure of his choice when he signed up, but he seems less and less enthusiastic. As for the type of exercise, there's not much I can think of. All you have to do is walk, put one foot in front of the other until you are told to stop and it will be over. by. After long hours of marching at night, the recruits are not allowed a lie-in. Waking up is a rough experience. Jogging, not done. Are you ready? abs [scream] and nobody has the right to complain. Come on, stop suffering. We didn't do anything These exercises upon waking are not an Odin.
3 2 1 Por parte! This is an opportunity for the supervisory team to observe the trainees, to see who is not giving their all, who is losing motivation. 7 8 9 This morning, Réy shows no sign of his doubts. He's doing his best. But back at the barracks, the young man agreed to confide in them. Upon my arrival in Vars, I had absolutely no doubt. I thought I would be able to go all the way without too many problems, overcome the difficulties, all that. And quite honestly, I wonder about the loss of morale, it's happened to me too. What am I doing here? In fact, what I try to do in those moments is to rethink what I committed to. It often cheers me up.
Rey has committed himself to serving his country. He also appreciates the discipline of military life. For now, he's hanging on. But this is not the case for some of his classmates who, after 3 weeks of training, decided to quit. They were put aside and while awaiting their departure, they are in Corvé. I have a little mission for you guys. We'll go and make the contributions with that. Capole marche. Come on, let's go downstairs. There are always people who have questions, who are not ready, who want to go back to their parents' house. It's better if they leave from the start. That way, at least, we are sure to keep the best elements and be able to continue the training without any
disruptive elements, let's say. This young recruit was, however, the top performer in sports and was among the most promising recruits. The army had placed its bets on him, but on his side, the motivation was no longer there. I idealized it a lot, I mean, it's about community life and so on. I have a feeling it wasn't meant for me. I should have thought about it a bit more, I think, continued my studies a bit before committing myself or doing something like that. As for the rest, we need to prepare for the march to the pie. The pie is the navy blue bret characteristic of the Alpine hunters. To style it, you have to
manage a margin of 20 km in the snow. A total of 900m of elevation gain, an ordeal they will remember for the rest of their lives. While some have given up, others emerge through their strength of character. Donovan is one of the youngest recruits. He is only 18 years old and is probably the most determined to make a career in the army. I've always wanted to be a soldier since I was a little boy. My grandfather, my cousin, they were all in the army. So, I always wanted to go there. I committed myself to action, to adrenaline, to pushing my limits, and everything I need is here. So nothing will stop me.
The mountain is dangerous and some of those involved have never seen snow in their lives. To succeed in this walk and climb this summit, they require special equipment: snowshoes, poles and avalanche transceivers. [clears throat] OK. This device emits a signal and makes it possible to find someone buried under an avalanche. Not you, be cute. What we often do is put him at war with us. OK. So there he is, in front of you, in a way that allows him to get out fairly quickly.
Tho, injured in the knee, watches helplessly as his comrades prepare. The doctor will give his verdict in 2 days. In the meantime, he excused him from marching. It's true that I would have liked to do it with them. Well, that's how it is, I have no choice. All my colleagues will do it for me and they'll tell me about it afterwards. Receiving this pie this morning is another step towards fulfilling Donovan's dream. He can already picture himself going on an operation. When I signed my contract, the first thing that interested me was this. He was aware that we were going to
war, that we were going on an operation, and that's really what interested me before I enlisted. Especially today, we're going to have the pie, so it's something important. That means we've already passed one camp and I fully intend to pass others to be proud of this pie. Every year, as with our valves, a few hundred people make this march. OK, so it's been a big day today. Pie walk. In total, it's about 19 km and 900 m of elevation gain. OK. Are there any questions? Any minor injuries, anything at all Guys, have a good walk. In accordance with tradition, it was the section leader, today Lieutenant Alan, who chose the route.
It's still a beautiful walk. The goal is to bring everyone to the end so that everyone can have their pie and above all they will become part of the Alpine hunters family. This march is done at a brisk pace, but there is no question of discouraging recruits or causing them to drop out. Of the 46 who started, only 36 remain. It's true that the numbers are dropping, but you have to tell yourself that those who remain are really motivated. So it's nice to see. Halfway through, a surprise awaits the recruits. Colonel James himself came to encourage them. He is the highest-ranking officer that the young people will encounter during their training. commanding officer of the 7th
Alpine Chasseurs Battalion. He distinguished himself in Afghanistan, Mali and the Central African Republic. Highly respected throughout the army, he remained close to his troops. It's what? It's a piece of st. OK. So, what do we do now? You take a temporary break at noon. Yeah. Eating a cereal bar should be enough. It's good. Early in his career, Colonel James also did this pie walk and he is very proud of it. The pie is truly the emblem of the mountain troop. It is a headdress that is not very fashionable, but which is full of symbolism for us and which has been worn since the creation of the mountain troubles in 1880. It also reminds us of the
somewhat harsh conditions faced by our ancestors. So behind it all there are messages that we can convey about rusticity and then the environment. The column is halfway there. Réy has regained his smile, even though the hardest part is yet to come. So far, things are going pretty well. The pace isn't monstrous, except that there's an uphill section coming up soon. The start is there, it's true that it's rather that which scares me now, it's this climb, we 'll see better what it will be like, the position of each trainee in the column is not the result of chance, Lieutenant Alan chose Novanes to close the march. On the previous steps, they
felt that we were a little more physically fit than the others. So, as a result, the weakest ones move to the front. Those who set the pace, those who feel good, are in the middle and those who are at the back are those who carried the extra equipment. I am part of it. As for Rei, he was placed in 3rd position in the column by the instructors to push him. After 5 hours of walking, the participants reach the summit. So, what did you guys come here for? Ah, that's good, we're there. In addition, the weather is nice. Réy is one of the first to be able to enjoy the scenery. Then one by one, all the aspiring Alpine hunters arrive on Mount Saint-Philippe, located on the heights of Gap at an altitude of 1706 m.
Young volunteers, today you have earned your pie. A symbol of mountain troops since 1891. It is part of our identity. Today, you become a mountain soldier. Be proud of it and be worthy of it. One to see, one to hear, one little one to hear. OK. Something I'd been waiting for a long time, something we'd all been waiting for a long time. So, that's nice. That's it, we're there. Now, this is where it begins. The little ones in front, the big ones in back, just like at school. A photo to immortalize this solemn moment and the right for the trainees, now integrated into the family of the Alpine hunters, to shout the rallying cry.
[scream] If Remi and Donovan complete their training, they may be able to aspire in a few years to join elite troops of the Alpine hunters, the mountain commandos. In the vicinity of Ansy, the selections for these commandos have been taking place for the past 4 days. On missions, these soldiers specialize in infiltration behind enemy lines and intelligence gathering. The candidates have barely slept for more than 72 hours. They combine night walking, boxing matches and mountain climbing.
Recruiters push them to their limits in order to keep only the best. Of the 11 hopefuls who started, six have already been eliminated. This morning, only five of them remain to continue the adventure. Get out something to write with, guys. Put down your bag. Each sheet. We're going to do a little cognitive test for this new day. While exhausted, the soldiers will have to concentrate for a psychotechnical test.
I'm going to give you a number, okay? And you'll need to remember the one I mentioned, okay? always the next one. For example, if I say 2, then I say 7, you'll have to tell me what 2 and 7 equal. Okay? That makes 9, you'll need to remember the 7. Then I'll say 3. You'll tell me what 7 and 3 make and you'll remember the 3. That's good. Go 2 6. The commandos will be required to make important decisions on missions, even when they are exhausted. So, these tests are used to assess their ability to concentrate despite extreme fatigue.
Some manage to get by. 5 Others left blanks. That's good. Normally 30 replies were written to me. These are logic or number sequence tests, that's what they are, which allow us to see if the brain is still working after a test. Among the five candidates still in Lis, a 21-year-old man, Tom. Four years ago, he brilliantly passed his scientific baccalaureate with honors. His parents imagined him becoming an engineer. It was against the lives of all that he chose to enlist in the army.
A little tired but overall satisfied. The trials are not over. Tom and his teammates face the selection committee this afternoon. These supervisors will put the candidates through the wringer and test their motivation. Regardless of previous results, everything can still change during the interview phase and we can still decide to retain or set aside a candidate. it's almost his turn. A little bit stressed because I know they're going to try to dig into the "it hurts" to see if we're lucid about what we did or if we're a little stressed. The hardest part isn't over yet. For reasons of confidentiality, so, what do you think of your
performance on these tests this year? We will not have permission to film the rest of this interview. A month later, the results finally came in. In Valbonne, in one of them, the training of future mountain communities begins. Tom has been detained, but he knows that it could all still end. This is where the real training begins. There is a bit of pressure because we are constantly being evaluated, whether it's on our attitude, we are evaluated on how confident we are with our weapon handling skills and all that. Yes, you have to show that you didn't get here by chance and that you 're ready for this. That we are where we belong. We're moving forward, we're moving forward, we're moving forward.
Like Tom, there are about fifteen candidates who were chosen during the various selection sessions. The trainers' mission is to turn these men into elite soldiers who will be sent to the front lines in the most perilous missions across the planet. Like many young people his age, Tom was affected by the terrorist attacks that struck France. At the time of the attacks, for example at the Bataclan, I was at home on my sofa watching TV, seeing that on TV and I thought to myself, my place is not on my sofa . I put myself in the place of the police officers or teams who were going to save his legs and that pushed me even more to want to progress in units that go into contact, that really defend France.
The instructors have 6 months to transform their recruits into mountain commandos. Corporal Thomas is in charge of combat shooting instruction. Our goal is really to bring them to the highest level. So they already have to exceed the minimums that we are going to impose on them, and at the highest level, since very quickly they will find themselves in a group with us going on operations. Generally, people leave training and go on operational readiness training and 4 months later are thrown into general mal. But that won't be the case for everyone. Soon, three hopefuls will be dropped from the training program.
This afternoon, the trainees are packing their bags. They will walk all night with more than 40 kg on their backs. It's going to be difficult anyway, we know that, but it should go well. The reason Tom and his comrades' bags are so heavy is that, in addition to their personal belongings, the soldiers are carrying shovels, picks, and axes. All the necessary materials to build a shelter. Mountain commandos are intelligence specialists and they must master a very particular technique: burying themselves to observe.
Among Tom's classmates is Jules. The 40 kg of his bag wouldn't do it. I'm going to have a lovely relationship there for the next 48 hours. It's going to be, we're going to support each other, well, I'm going to carry it more than anything else, but yeah, it's going to be intense between us. During the pre-selection process, Lieutenant Yvant noted the candidates. Even today he evaluates them, but above all he trains them and advises them. Do you have a down jacket? No, I think that might be okay for now. I have a 600. But it's Yeah. OK, that's good. It is 10 p.m. The infiltration mission begins.
OK. Panz, the last fingers, try to get under the point to dry. Yeah, we'll try. The aspiring commandos are dropped into the middle of the forest in the cold and total darkness with their large packs on their backs. Objective: to reach a position 10 km away on foot as discreetly as possible You go uh 150m in the direction of the path on the right. To avoid being spotted, Tom and his companions will now proceed in silence and without a light source. They are equipped with special glasses, but these have their limitations. It's an image in black and green. And the problem is that we ca n't see the relief. So, that requires some training to move around without stumbling.
Not being able to distinguish the contours when you have 40 kg on your back is taking the risk of serious injury. The commandos' progress is therefore very slow. Jules and his companions will take 8 hours to cover 10 km. We didn't have time to get bored. A little tired this morning but I'm okay. We arrived at the place we wanted. Everything is going well. I still have some resources. We all have them. Tom is not complaining either, but he is not very satisfied with his performance. Individual. I made a mistake in the description, some minor inaccuracies in the placements and all that. So I'm not very happy with my physique. Well, like everyone else,
I think my shoulders hurt. But as long as we're in pain, it means we still have the desire. Damn! So, it's 7:15 am, we've just done the infiltration. The mission hasn't started yet. We just moved. All right? So now we need to get settled in and then the mission will begin. The mission today is to observe without being seen, and in this undergrowth without leafy bushes to hide behind. The only solution is to bury oneself. You need to quickly find the installation area and dig, in fact it takes a lot of time and so you mustn't fall asleep before starting. While Tom's team cuts down trees to build the structure of the hideout, Jules and his comrades dig a hole.
It must be large enough to accommodate six trainees. During operations, commandos can remain in this type of cache for several days. But soon, the rain complicated the task for the hopefuls, much to the despair of Raphaël, the team leader. We're taking the water. That's a possibility we had raised. So. After, uh, after, we're going to dig a little deeper and then we'll see how it goes. The rain intensifies and despite the trainees' determination, Lieutenant Yvan has to revise the exercise. It was impossible to get the six men into that flooded hole as he had planned.
Ah well, the bottom of the cotch is practically a swimming pool, so it's full of water. of course, it's not usable but on the instruction, he still sees the method for the cover and that way next time, when they need to do one, they will have seen the technique. Although they will not be able to test their resistance to confinement this time, Tom, Jules and their friends will still learn all the steps of construction. You can walk that way, they will also benefit from Lieutenant Yvan's experience because the perfection of a cache lies in the small details.
Guys, try putting obstacles around the cache and on the spot to prevent someone just walking by from stepping on it and bothering you. If there are natural obstacles, well, it will go around them. Even a guy looking for mushrooms is n't going to dig them up in a pile of brush or branches lying across them. Okay, let's pack it up. I'm going to tidy up. After 24 hours of mission, falling asleep means the end of the day for the future commandos. Tom is well aware that next time it won't be a drill and he 's a little worried. It's true that you shouldn't be too closed off, it's like living sitting or squatting for several days.
Yeah. That 's it, I've never experienced anything like that. So we'll see what happens Whether it snows, rains or is windy, the aspiring commandos keep smiling and they will need a lot more courage, energy and composure to validate the upcoming modules
