PATRICK


THANKS FOR YOUR ANSWER, ANYWAY SAF/DINOPS ARE IN BOTH GENIE REGIMENTS?


PETER

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Replying to:

These are the answers to your queqtions about the DINOPS Qualification Requirement, that i have found.






You must become a SAF member before moving onto DINOPS. It is invitation only, and must be approved by company and section command. If you're any good,SAF will hear and find you. You must also be a corporal in the Legion (2-3 years experience after Castel). Needless to say, only those in combat companies need be


interested, although SAF actually hides within the HQ company of the REG (CCS).


You and the other hopefuls will spend some time with the SAF; SAF is a tight family, even tighter than the Legion combat companies, so personal chemistry is a must.


Among various "tests" will be the following:




-50 meter pool swim in 45 seconds or less. -25 meter swim underwater minimum (50 is preferred). -500 meter swim in 15 minutes or less. -800 meter fin-swim in 14 minutes or less. -Climb a 6-7(?) meter rope twice, no touching the ground or using


legs. -100 meter sprint with a heavy sandbag. Just like at


Aubagne/Castel. -1500 meter commando run with pack in 8 min or less, with the standard 8km TAP to follow immediately after in 40 min. or less (same pack).




Making minimum times is not enough, as there are are others competing with you to get in. You may make all the min. requirements, but be rejected. There are no set slots to fill, the seniors can pick all, or none. The physical tests are a bastard, done in the infamous Legion way! If you are accepted to this point, 4-5 months of probation will be filled with various stages, including jump school. Some guys aren't smart enough to absorb all the technical information, or find out they can't


jump from an airplane (very intimidating for the first-timer, esp in free fall).




This was as of June 1995, but I doubt it has gotten any easier. LOTS of Legionnaires who talk about CRAP/DINOPS going to Aubagne, but those who survive Castel may have come to the decision that the REI/REG/REP is quite cool after all. So the probability of going SAF is next to zero, especially those who frequent this board. If you can use the Internet, you already place in the top 2%intellectually of all Legionnaires, and intellectuals usually can't hack the harder stuff.


My observations after 5 in the Legion, all in the REG. Incidentally, the REG must be the most highly deployed Legion regiment of the last 10 years. Iraq, Saudi and Kuwait during the Gulf War; Somalia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Cambodia and Afghanistan. Yes, the REG is there, but in small numbers.

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Replying to:

THANKS FOR YOUR INFO, ANYWAY A QUESTION THE TESTS TO BE ARE ALL TIME OR ONCE A YEAR? AND DINOPS ARE IN 1/2 REG?


B REGARDS


PETER

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Replying to:

If you want to join the DINOPS you must at least one year of service, having the grade of caporal or willing to start with the caporals course. Eache time that there is place available there are tests, they take about a week.During this week, they will give you a specialised training with a group of men. The regular French army decides wich tests have to be made, but if you really want to be a DINOPS in the Legion, you have to pass these tests easylie, you'll have to run in diving gear for about 5 miles, you have to past the tests in the water (sea and swimmingpool), etc. ...., If you pass these tests with succes they will send you to the SAF (Section D'aide Franchissement), where you will have a training for about 4 months (don't forget you still aren't a DINOPS !!!!!!!), and after this training tehy send you again to another trainingcenter IO (Intervention Offensive), wher you have a specialised training in combat under water, sabotage, etc. ....; when you've finished with succes al these traings and tests you can considder yourself as a DINOPS. Best off luck!!

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Replying to:

HI, I WANT TO KNOW INFO ABOUT DINOPS FOR EXAMPLE HOW JOIN, 1/2 REG? ( OR BOTH), TOP AGE, TRAINING ETC...


THANKS IN ADVANCE


LPN

what is the age requirements for DINOPS or any other special ops type groups in the legion?