4e RE: Remise de Kepi blanc at Castelnaud-la-Chapelle

In mid-October 2019, a platoon of Foreign Legion enlisted volunteers from the 4th Foreign Regiment (4e RE) finished their initial four-week instruction. After having passed a long march, they were allowed to make a military oath and be called legionnaires. The ceremony took place at the Château de Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, an old castle in southwestern France. See the video.

The platoon of the 2nd Company, 4e RE consisting of 49 volunteers spent first month of their basic training at one of the three farms used by the 4th Regiment to train newcomers. Then, they passed a long march with a full kit (30 miles / 50 km) before reaching their destination, a well-preserved state-protected medieval fortress with a museum of medieval warfare, located in the commune of Castelnaud-la-Chapelle. For many of them, that obligatory march it’s the first chance to see the French beautiful countryside.

At the castle, the platoon containing 25 nationalities (including Russian, U.S. American, Ukrainian, Brasilian, Argentinian, Venezuelan, Indian, Nepalese, Japanese, South Korean, Italian, Serbian, Senegalese and others from all over the world) made their anticipated military oath, called officially the Remise de Kepi blanc (Obtaining of White Kepi).

During this important ceremony, the volunteers put on their sacred White kepi. They are called legionnaires since then. However, another three months of basic training are still waiting for them.

Usually, such Foreign Legion military oath take place every two weeks within the 4e RE, and every six weeks within a company.

Related posts:
4e RE: September 2019 Remise de Kepi blanc in Sète
4e RE: Remise de Képis blancs at Les Baux-de-Provence
New Documentary 2019: Creation of a legionnaire – an American in the Legion
4e RE: Remise de Képis blancs in Bordeaux 2015