The ranks within the French Foreign Legion. Ordinary soldiers ranks, non-commissioned officers ranks, commissioned officers ranks. The Foreign Legion’s ranking system is based, unsurprisingly, on the common French Army ranking system. However, there are some minor variations that make the Legion’s ranking system unique.

Before obtaining his Képi blanc (White Kepi) and the right to call himself Legionnaire, an enlisted volunteer/recruit is simply addressed as Engagé Volontaire (Enlisted Volunteer) and is authorized to wear a green beret only.

 

ORDINARY SOLDIERS (Militaires du rang, MDR):

Légionnaire de 2e classe (LEG)

 
Second Class Legionnaire (equivalent to Private)

He is addressed: “Legionnaire”

A recruit/volunteer receives that designation (in fact, it is not a rank) after he has passed the first four weeks of basic training (at La ferme, the farm) and successfully finished his Marche Képi blanc (White Kepi March).

 

Légionnaire de 1re classe (1CL)

 
First Class Legionnaire

He is addressed: “1re classe”

Légionnaire de 2e classe receives that designation (in fact, it is also not a rank officially) after at least 10 months of service.

 

Caporal or Brigadier (CPL or BRI)

 
Corporal

You have to address him: “Caporal” or “Brigadier” (in the cavalry)

In the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC), Corporal is called Brigadier (a cavalry tradition).
Legionnaire de 1re classe is promoted to that rank after successfully completing a month-long (within his original regiment) or the standard two-month-long Corporal course (Stage caporal).

 

Caporal-chef or Brigadier-chef (CCH or BCH)

 
Senior Corporal

You have to address him: “Caporal-chef” or “Brigadier-chef”

In the 1er REC, Senior Corporal is called Brigadier-chef.
Caporal/Brigadier is allowed to be promoted to that rank after at least 5 years of service, if he doesn’t prefer (or if he cannot) to continue as a sous-officier (a non-commissioned officer, NCO). Note that while the infantry uses gold stripes, the cavalry uses silver ones.

 

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS (Sous-Officiers)

Sergent or Maréchal des logis (SGT or MDL)

 
Sergeant

You have to address him: “Sergent” or “Maréchal des logis”

In the 1er REC, Sergeant is called Maréchal des logis.
Caporal/Brigadier (and even a Caporal-chef/Brigadier-chef) is promoted to that rank after successfully completing Stage sergent (Advanced Leader Course in the U.S. Army), a practical ca. 8-month-long course for future sergeants of the Legion.

 

Sergent-chef or Maréchal des logis-chef (SCH or MCH)

 
Staff Sergeant

You have to address him: “Chef”

In the 1er REC, Staff Sergeant is called Maréchal des logis-chef.
Sergent/Maréchal des logis is allowed to receive that rank after a minimum of 3 years of service as a Sergent/Maréchal des logis. Sergent-chef/Maréchal des logis-chef is allowed to command a platoon (or peloton for Cavalry). He also may serve as a platoon sergeant to assist a platoon leader. The rank of Sergent-chef first appeared in the French Army in the late 1920s.

 

Sergent-chef BM2 or Maréchal des logis-chef 1re classe (SCH or MCH)

 
2nd Level Staff Sergeant

You have to address him: “Chef”

In the 1er REC, 2nd Level Staff Sergeant is called Maréchal des logis-chef 1re classe.
Sergent-chef/Maréchal des logis-chef is promoted to that rank after successfully completing the Brevet militaire de 2e niveau (2nd Level Military Certificate, BM2). This is the latest rank within the French Army, created in late 2022. Its design copies the already canceled rank Sergent-major (see the end of the article).

 

Adjudant (ADJ)

 
Sergeant First Class (US) or Warrant Officer Class 2 (UK)

You have to address him: “Mon Adjudant” or “Mon Lieutenant”

Sergent-chef/Maréchal des logis-chef may be promoted to that rank after a minimum of 3 years of service with his rank. Adjudant is allowed to command a platoon (or peloton in the cavalry). He also may serve as the company First sergeant (the most senior NCO managing, among other things, company logistical and administrative issues). Note that while the infantry uses a silver stripe for the Adjudant rank, the cavalry uses a gold one.

 

Adjudant-chef (ADC)

 
Master Sergeant (US) or Warrant Officer Class 1 (UK)

You have to address him: “Mon Adjudant-chef” or “Mon Lieutenant”

Adjudant may obtain that rank after a minimum of 4 years of service with his rank. Adjudant-chef is allowed to command a platoon (or peloton). The rank of Adjudant-chef first appeared in the French Army shortly before WWI, in 1912.

 

Major (MAJ)

 
Command Sergeant Major (US) or Regimental Sergeant Major (UK)

You have to address him: “Major”

Adjudant-chef can obtain this most senior NCO rank in the French Army if he has refused to continue his career as an officer. Usually, he has to serve more than 25 years to be able to obtain it. He has to go through a selection process. Meritorious adjudant-chefs get it through choice, based on a minimum of three years of experience. Major is an uncommon rank within the Legion. Usually, there should be no more than one major in a regiment. It is the second latest rank within the French Army. First majors appeared in the Legion in 1978.

 

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS (Officiers)

Aspirant (ASP)

 
Officer Candidate (US) or Officer Cadet (UK)

You have to address him: “Mon Lieutenant”

Aspirant is allowed to command a platoon (or peloton). Note that the infantry uses gold stripes even for officers, while the cavalry uses the silver ones.

 

Sous-Lieutenant (SLT)

 
Second Lieutenant

You have to address him: “Mon Lieutenant”

Sous-Lieutenant is allowed to command a platoon (or peloton).

 

Lieutenant (LTN)

 
First Lieutenant (US) or Lieutenant (UK)

You have to address him: “Mon Lieutenant”

Lieutenant is allowed to command a platoon (or peloton). For lack of officers, he may be allowed to command even a company (or squadron in the cavalry).

 

Capitaine (CNE)

 
Captain

You have to address him: “Mon Capitaine”

Capitaine is allowed to command a company (or squadron). For lack of officers, he may be allowed to command a battalion (or a group of squadrons in the cavalry).

 

Commandant (CDT, CBA, or CES)

 
Major

You have to address him: “Mon Commandant”

Commandant is officially referred to as Chef de bataillon (CBA, infantry) or Chef d’escadrons (CES, cavalry). He is allowed to command a battalion (or a group of squadrons) or a two-battalion-sized demi-brigade. He may also serve as a second-in-command in a regiment.

 

Lieutenant Colonel (LCL)

 
Lieutenant Colonel

You have to address him: “Mon Colonel”

Lieutenant-Colonel is allowed to command a regiment or serve as its second-in-command.

 

Colonel (COL)

 
Colonel

You have to address him: “Mon Colonel”

Colonel commands a regiment. Earlier, he was also allowed to supervise the entire Legion.

 

Général de Brigade (GBR)

 
Brigadier General (US) or Brigadier (UK)

You have to address him: “Mon Général”

Général de Brigade is allowed to command the whole Foreign Legion.

 

Général de Division (GDI)

 
Major General

You have to address him: “Mon Général”

Général de Division is allowed to command the whole Foreign Legion.

 
 

CANCELED RANKS

Sergent-major

 
Sergeant Major (US) or Company Sergeant Major (UK)

An already obsolete French military rank, canceled in 1971. The Sergent-major served as the senior NCO within an infantry company, being a gray eminence alongside the captain. Since 1875, Sergent-majors were responsible solely for administration tasks of a company. However, a Sergent-major of the Legion was killed in action in Algeria in 1958, while serving as a Motorized Company platoon leader.

In 1928, the rank Sergent-chef was created within the French Army to replace it. Within the Foreign Legion, the Sergent-majors disappeared in the late 1960s to be replaced by Major in the 1970s. In 1978, first majors appeared in the Legion.

 
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© Images credit: ForeignLegion.Info

Information source:
French Ministry of Defence
Légion étrangère
Wikipedia.org
Special thanks to Joe van Raamt, a former cavalry legionnaire, for his help

 

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The page was updated on: December 20, 2023

 

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