Foreigners in European military forces.

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wittmanace

Active Member
as for the gurkhas, there has been some debate in th uk as to whether they actually get their deserved respect and rights, as a quick search through bbc news, for example, will show you:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/southeast/series7/gurkhas.shtml

note this story as to their right to stay after service:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6925399.stm

for pnsions and pay, read this story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6906360.stm

they have served in afghanistan, their most recent active deployment.

it seems their rights are increasing, and rightly so. they have a proud and long tradition in the armed forces of the united kingdom, and these former soldiers should be treated as such, though they havent always been.
 
W

Waylander

Defense Professional
Verified Defense Pro
As for the legion.
They are not only just in combat they are also the ones normally send first into the dirt.
They are highly professional and as well equipped as the rest of the french forces.
They are one main part of the french quick reaction forces and are the main force for oversea deployments in the former and current colonies.

They have a proud history with lots of sacrifices for France.
 
R

riksavage

Banned Member
Aside form the Ghurkha’s, approximately 10% of the UK land forces and Royal Marines are recruited from Commonwealth Countries, including: Fiji, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, West Indies and the Caribbean. Most Regiment websites (Marines and Para’s for example) have sections explaining the overseas recruitment process.

With regard to the Ghurkha’s, pay and conditions were set following as a result of a binding agreement between India and Britain following Independence. This has now been changed and Ghurkha soldiers now receive the same rights, pay and conditions as a UK recruited soldier.

There was even talk in the UK recently of setting up a Sikh Regiment. Both the army (General staff to private soldier level) and Sikh community supported the idea, however the racial equality brigade shot the idea down in flames!!!!! A tragedy since the Sikh’s, like the Ghurkha’s have a strong military history and track record whilst serving with the British Army.
 
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riksavage

Banned Member
Aside form the Ghurkha’s, approximately 10% of the UK land forces and Royal Marines are recruited from Commonwealth Countries, including: Fiji, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, West Indies and the Caribbean. Most Regiment websites (Marines and Para’s for example) have sections explaining the overseas recruitment process.

With regard to the Ghurkha’s, pay and conditions were set as a result of a binding agreement between India and Britain following Independence. This has now been changed and Ghurkha soldiers now receive the same rights, pay and conditions as a UK recruited soldier.

There was even talk in the UK recently of setting up a Sikh Regiment. Both the army (General staff to private soldier level) and Sikh community supported the idea, however the racial equality brigade shot the idea down in flames!!!!! A tragedy since the Sikh’s, like the Ghurkha’s have a strong military history and track record whilst serving with the British Army.
 
S

swerve

Super Moderator
Spanish Legion - formerly Spanish Foreign Legion. Was closed to foreigners for a while from the late 1980s, but was re-opened to them (but only native Spanish speakers, so mainly S. & Central Americans) several years ago.
 
F

funtz

New Member
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7
thank you for replying,

what are the recent operations Gurkhas and the Spanish Legion have been invoved in,

genrally gurkhas are exceptional infantrymen and in recent times have had a good record serving in different special forces in India and Nepal. What role do they serve in the British army.

How much awareness is there among the ordinary people of the nations these brave men(french legion, spanish legion, brigade of Gurkhas) serve for (about them and the history involved).
 
G

Gladius

New Member
Swerve said:
Spanish Legion - formerly Spanish Foreign Legion. Was closed to foreigners for a while from the late 1980s, but was re-opened to them (but only native Spanish speakers, so mainly S. & Central Americans) several years ago.
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Not only "La Legión".

Some more units of the Spanish Army are open (the limit is the 9% of the total Army troops) to foreign citizens from ex-colonies of Spain: Bolivia, Costa Rica, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuator, Ecuatorial Guinea, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay & Venezuela.

The units with foreign presence in the Spanish Army are:

· The Spanish Legion: "La Legión"
· The Airborne Brigade "Almogávares" VI
· The two Groups of "Regulares" (52nd Melilla & 54th Ceuta)

funtz said:
thank you for replying,

what are the recent operations Gurkhas and the Spanish Legion have been invoved in,

...

How much awareness is there among the ordinary people of the nations these brave men(french legion, spanish legion, brigade of Gurkhas) serve for (about them and the history involved).
Click to expand...
All of them are regularly deployed on every international mission with Spanish presence (Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania, Congo, Pakistan, Irak, Afghanistan, Libano...)

IIRC, at this moment the Airborne Brigade (BRIPAC) have assigned the Spanish deployment in Afghanistan (ASPFOR XVII) with forces from other units to support them.

Also, some Spanish Army casualties taken during Afghanistan or Lebanon operations born in different countries, like the three spanish soldiers (born in Colombia), killed on Lebanon last June.

In the Spanish Case, "La Legión" is probably the most popular unit of the Army. Mostly by her traditions and quirks.

But remember, Spain not have any "foreign only" units. All units with foreign presence are mixed units with a clear Spanish born majority.
 
W

Waylander

Defense Professional
Verified Defense Pro
I think the French see their Legion as what it is. Highly professional and liked but in the end it's better they die than regular french troops.

In the end this is what a foreign legion is for.

BTW, as a EU citizen you can also enter the armed forces of Belgium and Luxembourg.
In Belgium you have to pass the normal tests as well as a language test and in Luxembourg you have to live for some years in Luxembourg (As well as passing the tests).
 
R

regstrup

Member
Lately a number of swedes has joined the danish army, as the pay is better than in Sweden and there is a greater chance of actually seing combat.
 
E

eckherl

The Bunker Group
Verified Defense Pro
I wonder how hard would it be for me being a U.S citizen to join a European military, including Russia or Ukraine.
 
W

wittmanace

Active Member
it should perhaps also be noted that the legion (french foreign legion) is not exclusively foreign...the officers are regular french army officers, though the ncos are legion (exclusively i think? as in they are promoted up from within the legion, not transferred i as ncos,15 years for sgt iirc, for example).

the uk takes commonwealth citizens, though not into foreign units except the gurkhas that i know of. i imagine the us is not that hard, in terms of citizenship, to get into, since service can get you a greencard, if i understand correctly? i remember there was a story sometime ago of the us considering a big recruitment drive in nigeria...think it was bbc or sky online...
 
S

swerve

Super Moderator
wittmanace said:
it should perhaps also be noted that the legion (french foreign legion) is not exclusively foreign...the officers are regular french army officers, though the ncos are legion (exclusively i think? as in they are promoted up from within the legion, not transferred i as ncos,15 years for sgt iirc, for example).

the uk takes commonwealth citizens, though not into foreign units except the gurkhas that i know of. i imagine the us is not that hard, in terms of citizenship, to get into, since service can get you a greencard, if i understand correctly? i remember there was a story sometime ago of the us considering a big recruitment drive in nigeria...think it was bbc or sky online...
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Legion officers are regular French army officers, but it has always been possible to be promoted from the ranks of La Légion to become an officer. IIRC, you need to be a French citizen to be an officer, but the rules in the 1970s (I've not checked recently), & for a long time before, were that if you re-enlisted after your first stint, & didn't get thrown out in disgrace, you had the right to French citizenship. I was at uni with a Scotsman who'd been medically retired part way through his second enlistment, due to a smashed knee while fighting in Tchad. Permanent limp. La Légion was paying his way through a British university, & he proudly showed anyone who was interested his French passport. Note that they'd have paid his university tuition & maintenance even if he hadn't claimed citizenship. According to La Légions reckoning, he was one of theirs, citizenship or not. 8 years in, caporal, given them a knee. Theirs for life. And man, was he theirs! A lost soul. La Légion was his father, his mother, his brothers . . . . His kepi was kept carefully wrapped, immaculate . . .

Just looked. It seems current rules are that you can apply for citizenship after 3 years service, or earlier under the “Français par le sang versé” (”French by spilled blood”) rule. So me old Scots drinking pal (& could he drink!) qualified at least twice over. Time in service and spilt his blood for France.
 
R

rattmuff

Lurk-loader?
eckherl said:
I wonder how hard would it be for me being a U.S citizen to join a European military, including Russia or Ukraine.
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As for the Swedish Armed Forces:
1. Learn swedish.
2. Give up the US citizenship and "become a swede".

It's hard alright. ;)
 
R

regstrup

Member
rattmuff said:
As for the Swedish Armed Forces:
1. Learn swedish.
2. Give up the US citizenship and "become a swede".

It's hard alright. ;)
Click to expand...
Then it is easier for an american to get in the danish defence......well, sort of:

1. Learn danish (which is hard enough) ;)

Some years ago, a few british fighterpilots were hired by the Danish Airforce to fly F-16:
 
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