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 on the French Army ranking system. However, there are some distinctions that make the Legion’s ranking system unique.

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

 

ORDINARY SOLDIERS (Militaires du rang, MDR):

Legionnaire de 2e classe

Second Class Legionnaire (equivalent to Private)

He is addressed: “Legionnaire”

Recruit/Volunteer receives that designation (it is not a rank officially) after the first four weeks of the basic training (at La ferme, the farm), if he has also finished his Marche Képi blanc (White Kepi March) successfully.

 

Legionnaire de 1re classe

First Class Legionnaire

He is addressed: “1re classe”

Legionnaire de 2e classe receives that rank after a minimum of 10 months of his service.

 

Caporal (Brigadier)

Corporal

You have to address him: “Caporal”

In the 1st Foreign Cavalry Regiment (1er REC), Corporal is called Brigadier (a Cavalry tradition).
Legionnaire de 1re classe receives that rank at the end of his successfully finished Stage Caporal (Corporal’s course), a practical month- or two-month-long course for future Corporals.

 

Caporal-chef (Brigadier-chef)

Senior Corporal

You have to address him: “Caporal-chef”

In 1er REC, Senior Corporal is called Brigadier-chef (a Cavalry tradition).
Caporal/Brigadier is allowed to receive that rank after a minimum of 5 years of service, if he do not want (or is not allowed) to continue as a Sous-Officier (a Non-Commissioned Officer, NCO). Note that while infantry uses a gold stripe, cavalry uses a silver one.

 

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS (Sous-Officiers)

Sergent (Maréchal des logis)

Sergeant

You have to address him: “Sergent” (or “Maréchal des logis” for Cavalry)

In 1er REC, Sergeant is called Maréchal des logis (a Cavalry tradition).
Caporal/Brigadier (even a Caporal-chef/Brigadier-chef) receives that rank at the end of his successfully finished Stage Sergent (Advanced Leader Course in US Army), a practical ca. 8-month-long course for future Legion’s Sergeants.

 

Sergent-chef (Maréchal des logis-chef)

Staff Sergeant

You have to address him: “Chef”

In 1er REC, Staff Sergeant is called Maréchal des logis-chef (a Cavalry tradition).
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 able to command a platoon (or peloton for Cavalry). The rank of Sergent-chef first appeared in the French Army in the late 1920s.

 

Adjudant

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

You have to address him: “Mon Adjudant” (or “Mon Lieutenant” for Cavalry)

Sergent-chef/Maréchal des logis-chef is allowed to obtain that rank after a minimum of 3 years of service as a Sergent-chef/Maréchal des logis-chef. Adjudant is able to command a platoon (or peloton for Cavalry). Note that while infantry uses a silver stripe for the Adjudant rank, cavalry uses a gold one.

 

Adjudant-chef

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

You have to address him: “Mon Adjudant-chef” (or “Mon Lieutenant” for Cavalry)

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

 

Major

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

You have to address him: “Major”

Adjudant-chef can obtain this most senior NCO rank 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 pass an audition/examination successfully or, if he has been serving for a sufficient time, he can submit an application for. Major is an uncommon rank within the Legion. Usually, there should be no more than one Major in a regiment. It is the latest rank within the French Army. First majors appeared in the Legion in 1978.

 

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS (Officiers)

Aspirant

Officer Candidate (US) or Officer Cadet (UK)

You have to address him: “Mon Lieutenant”

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

 

Sous-Lieutenant

Second Lieutenant

You have to address him: “Mon Lieutenant”

Sous-Lieutenant is able to command a platoon (or peloton for Cavalry).

 

Lieutenant

First Lieutenant (US) or Lieutenant (UK)

You have to address him: “Mon Lieutenant”

Lieutenant is able to command a platoon (or peloton for Cavalry). For lack of officers, he could be allowed to command a company (or squadron for Cavalry).

 

Capitaine

Captain

You have to address him: “Mon Capitaine”

Capitaine is able to command a company (or squadron for Cavalry). For lack of officers, he could be allowed to command a battalion (or a group of squadrons for Cavalry).

 

Commandant

Major

You have to address him: “Mon Commandant”

Commandant is officially referred to as Chef de bataillon (or Chef d’escadrons for Cavalry). He is able to command a battalion (or a group of squadrons for Cavalry) or a demi-brigade. He might act as a deputy for a regiment commander (Lieutenant-Colonel or Colonel).

 

Lieutenant-Colonel

Lieutenant Colonel

You have to address him: “Mon Colonel”

Lieutenant-Colonel is able to command a regiment.

 

Colonel

Colonel

You have to address him: “Mon Colonel”

Colonel is able to command a regiment.

 

Général de Brigade

Brigadier General (US) or Brigadier (UK)

You have to address him: “Mon Général”

Général de Brigade is able to be the commander of the whole French Foreign Legion.

 

Général de Division

Major General

You have to address him: “Mon Général”

Général de Division is able to be the commander of the whole French 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: September 18, 2023

 

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