Editing French Foreign Legion (section)

==Ranks==
{{Main|Foreign Legion Command|Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers)|Honneur et Fidélité}}

All volunteers in the Foreign Legion begin their careers as basic legionnaires with one in four eventually becoming a ''sous-officier'' ([[non-commissioned officer]]).<ref name="legion-recrute1">{{cite web|title=Contracts & career within the legion {{!}} Légion étrangère|url=https://www.legion-recrute.com/en/contracts-career-within-legion|access-date=2022-01-12|website=www.legion-recrute.com|language=en}}</ref> On joining, a new recruit receives a monthly salary of €1,572 in addition to food and lodgings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.legion-recrute.com/en/salaires.php?SM=0|title=Examples}}</ref> He is also given his own new rifle, which according to the lore of the ''Legion'' must never be left on a battlefield.<ref name="Tweedie"/> Promotion is concurrent with the [[ranks in the French Army]].

[[File:Foreign Legion bugler Bastille Day 2008.jpg|thumb|right|A ''Caporal-chef'', with 3 [[Chevron (insignia)|chevrons]] of seniority, bugling during the [[Bastille Day Military Parade]].<ref name="auto6">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1CmPajXOSA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/x1CmPajXOSA| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|title=Légion Etrangère – Le salut au Caïd|last=AuPasCamarade|date=8 October 2012|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>]]

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width: 825px; height: 500px;"
|-
!Foreign Legion rank
!Equivalent rank
![[Ranks and insignia of NATO armies enlisted|NATO Code]]
!Period of service
!Insignia<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 14, 2025 |title=French Foreign Legion Rank Slip-ons |url=https://tricoloresurplus.com/html/french_foreign_legion_rank_slip-ons.html }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=December 20, 2023 |title=French Foreign Legion Ranks |url=https://foreignlegion.info/ranks/ }}</ref>
|-
|align=center|''Engagé Volontaire''
|align=center|Recruit
| –
|align=center|15 weeks basic training.
|align=center| None
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Legionnaire 2e Classe]]''
|align=center|Private / 2nd Class Legionnaire
|OR-1
|align=center|Promoted after completion of training and ''Marche képi blanc'' (White Kepi march).
|align=center| [[File:FFL L2C.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Legionnaire 1e Classe]]''
|align=center|Private / 1st Class Legionnaire
|OR-2
|align=center|Promoted after ten months of service.
|align=center|[[File:FFL L1C.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Caporal]]''
|align=center|Corporal
|OR-3
|align=center|Promotion possible after one year of service and completion of the ''Fonctionnaire Caporal'' (or Caporal "Fut Fut") course. Recruits selected for this course need to show good leadership skills during basic training.
|align=center|[[File:FFL CPL.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Caporal-Chef]]''
|align=center|Senior Corporal
|OR-4
|align=center|Promotion after six years of service.
|align=center|[[File:FFL CPL CHEF.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|colspan=5|Table note: Command insignia in the Foreign Legion use gold lace or braid indicating [[Ranks in the French Army#Foot arms and horse arms|infantry troops]] in the [[Ranks in the French Army|French Army]]. The ''Légion étrangère'' service color is green (for the now-defunct colonial ''[[Army of Africa (France)|Armée d'Afrique]]'') instead of red (regular infantry).
|}

===Non-commissioned and warrant officers===
{{Main|Foreign Legion Command|Foreign Legion Pioneers (Pionniers)|Honneur et Fidélité}}

[[File:SCH manchegauche.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.4|A dress uniform insignia for a ''Sous-officier'']]

A ''dress uniform''<nowiki/>'s insignia is composed of three components; rank emblem, regimental patch, and seniority chevrons. In the one pictured, the three upward pointing gold chevrons indicate a ''Sergent-chef''. The diamond-shaped regimental patch (''Écusson'') is formed of three green diamond shapes surrounding a grenade emblem, with the three diamonds indicating a Colonial unit, in comparison to one diamond for a unit of Regulars, or two diamonds for a Reserves unit. The Légion [[Grenade (insignia)|grenade]] emblem has seven flames rather than the usual five, and the two downward pointing [[#Chevrons d'ancienneté (chevrons of seniority)|seniority chevrons]] indicate at least 10 years of service. Some ''Caporal''s-''Chef'' may have as many as six seniority chevrons for 30 or more years of service. This style of insignia is worn only on the left sleeve of the dress uniform, while a similar-sized insignia without the regimental diamond and seniority chevrons is worn on the right sleeve. An exception exists for the right sleeve insignia for the Pioneer units, which incorporates a gold or green Pioneer emblem, depending on rank, but not the seniority chevrons, which are worn on the left sleeve insignia below the regimental diamond as previously described.

''Sous-officiers'' (NCOs) including [[warrant officer]]s account for 25% of the current Foreign Legion's total manpower.
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width: 850px; height: 350px;"
|-
!Foreign Legion rank
!Equivalent rank
![[Ranks and insignia of NATO armies enlisted|NATO Code]]
!Period of service
!Insignia
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Sergent]]''
|align=center|Sergeant
|OR-5
|align=center|Promotion after three years of service as ''Caporal''.
|align=center|[[File:FFL SGT.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Sergent-Chef]]''
|align=center|Senior Sergeant
|OR-6
|align=center|Promotion after three years as ''Sergent'' and from seven to fourteen years of service.
|align=center|[[File:FFL SGT CH.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Adjudant]]''
|align=center|[[Warrant Officer]]
|OR-8
|align=center|Promotion after three years as ''Sergent-Chef''.
|align=center|[[File:FFL ADJ.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Adjudant-Chef]]''{{efn|group=table|No further promotions are given to non-French Legionnaires on attaining the rank of ''Adjudant-Chef'', unless they become [[Naturalization|naturalized]] citizens of France. In 2016, of those [[Foreign Legion Command|Foreign Legion Officers]] serving at [[Foreign Legion Command|Foreign Titles]] ({{langx|fr|Officiers servant à titre étranger}}), 10% were [[Mustang (military officer)|seconded officers]] from the ranks.<ref name="officier"/>}}
|align=center|[[Chief Warrant Officer]]
|OR-9
|align=center|Promotion after four years as ''Adjudant'' and at least fourteen years of service.
|align=center|[[File:FFL ADJ CH.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Major]]''{{efn|group=table|Since 1 January 2009, the French military rank of ''[[Ranks in the French Army#Sous-officiers – Sub-officers|major]]'' has been included under the heading of ''sous-officiers''. Previously, ''[[Major (France)|Major]]'' had been an independent rank positioned between NCOs and commissioned officers. It is an executive position within a regiment or demi-brigade having responsibility for administrative and disciplinary issues}}
|align=center|[[Major (France)|Major]]<ref>French rank [[Ranks in the French Army|Sergent-Major]] (similar to [[sergeant major]]), existed until 1971 and could come close to but is not like the French rank of [[Major (France)|major]]. The last Sergent-Major retired in 1985</ref> 
|OR-9
|align=center|Promotion after either passing an examination or without an examination after a minimum of fourteen years service.
|align=center|[[File:FFL MAJ.png|frameless|125x125px]]

|-
|colspan=5|
{{notelist|group=table}}
|}

===Commissioned officers===
{{Main|Foreign Legion Command}}
Most officers are regulars of the French Army though roughly 10% are former non-commissioned officers promoted from the ranks.<ref name="legion-recrute1"/>
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width: 875px; height: 500px;"
|-
!Foreign Legion rank
!Equivalent rank
![[Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers|NATO Code]]
!Command responsibility
!Insignia
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Aspirant]]''
|align=center|[[Officer Designate]]
|OF-D
|align=center|Officer Designate. Technically it is not a commissioned rank but it is still treated in all respects as one. Aspirants are either officers in training or volunteers serving as temporary officers. S/He may afterwards apply to obtain permanent commissioned status as a Sous-lieutenant.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://foreignlegion.info/ranks/ | title=Ranks &#124; French Foreign Legion Information }}</ref>
|align=center|[[File:Army-FRA-OF-01c.svg|50px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Sous-Lieutenant]]''
|align=center|[[Second lieutenant]]
|OF-1
|align=center|Junior section leader
|align=center|[[File:French Foreign Legion Sub Lieutenant.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Lieutenant]]''
|align=center|[[First lieutenant]]
|OF-1
|align=center|[[Platoon]] commander
|align=center|[[File:French Foreign Legion Lieutenant.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Capitaine]]''
|align=center|[[Captain (OF-2)|Captain]]
|OF-2
|align=center|[[company (military unit)|Company]] commander
|align=center|[[File:French Foreign Legion Captain.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Commandant]]''
|align=center|[[Major (rank)|Major]]
|OF-3
|align=center|[[Battalion]] commander
|align=center|[[File:French Foreign Legion Commandant.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Lieutenant-Colonel]]''
|align=center|[[Lieutenant colonel]]
|OF-4
|align=center|Junior commander of a ''régiment'' or ''demi-brigade''
|align=center|[[File:French Foreign Legion Lieutenant Colonel.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Colonel]]''
|align=center|[[Colonel]]
|OF-5
|align=center| ''[[regiment|Régiment]]'' or ''[[demi-brigade]]'' commander
|align=center|[[File:French Foreign Legion Colonel.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|''[[Ranks in the French Army|Général de brigade]]''
|align=center|[[Brigadier general]]
|OF-6
|align=center|Commander of a [[brigade]] composed of ''régiment''s or ''demi-brigade''s.
|align=center|[[File:French Foreign Legion Brigade General.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|align=center|[[Ranks in the French Army#Généraux - general officers|''Général de division'']]
|align=center|[[Divisional general#France|Divisional general]]
|OF-7
|align=center| Entire [[Division (military)|division]] or Army Corps of the French Foreign Legion<br />(''[[Foreign Legion Command|Commandement de la Légion étrangère]]'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legion-etrangere.com/mdl/info_seul.php?id=187&idA=150&block=17&idA_SM=0&titre=presentation-du-comle|title= Official Website of the Commandement de la Légion Etrangère|publisher=legion-etrangere.com|access-date=14 January 2016}}</ref>
|align=center|[[File:French Foreign Legion Divisional General.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|}

===Seniority chevrons===
The Foreign Legion uses gold coloured [[Chevron (insignia)|chevrons]] (''chevrons d'ancienneté'') pointed downward to indicate seniority. Worn by ordinary legionnaires and non-commissioned officers beneath the rank insignia and regimental emblem only on the left sleeve of the dress uniform,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://traditions.legion-etrangere.cc/les-chevrons-d-anciennete/|title=Chevrons d'ancienneté|publisher=legion-etrangere.cc|access-date=15 July 2011}}</ref> each chevron denotes five years of service in the Legion. Seniority chevrons are not worn by commissioned officers.

===Honorary ranks===
Honorary ranks have been awarded by the French Army to individuals credited with exceptional acts of courage since 1796. In the Foreign Legion, General [[Paul-Frédéric Rollet]] introduced the practice of awarding honorary Legion ranks to distinguished individuals, both civilian and military, in the early 20th century.

Recipients of these honorary appointments had participated with units of the Legion on active service in an exemplary manner, or had rendered exceptional service to the Legion in non-combat situations.<ref name=LE>[http://www.legion-etrangere.com/mdl/info_seul.php?id=399&block=17&titre=l-honorariat-a-la-legion-etrangere Official Website of the General Command COMLE], Section L’honorariat à la Légion Etrangère (Honorary rank induction in the Foreign Legion)</ref> More than 1,200 individuals have been granted honorary ranks in the Legion ''pour services éminent''. The majority of these awards have been made to military personnel in wartime, earning titles such as ''Legionnaire d'Honneur'' or ''Sergent-Chef de Légion d'honneur'', while other recipients have included nurses, journalists, painters, and ministers who have rendered meritorious service to the Foreign Legion.<ref name=LE/>