DÉFENSE ZONE
Who hasn’t heard of Major Gérald? This legionnaire, with an impressive career and sporting record, racks up millions of views on social media. A fine communications operation for an institution that already attracts thousands of candidates every year who hope one day to wear the famous white kepi.
A life of combat and sport
Having enlisted in the French Foreign Legion in 1990, Gérald was immersed in sport from an early age. His father was a military pentathlete, “one of the best on the assault course at the time, around the 1960s and 70s”. At the age of six he took up judo, then tried his hand at many sports when he joined a military secondary school, without however having the opportunity to specialise in any of them...
Once he had enlisted, sport was naturally part of his military life. He took up boxing in the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment (2e REP), sporadically because of an already demanding daily routine. At the Joint Services Sports School in Fontainebleau, his abilities as a fighter were noticed, and when he arrived in Aubagne...
Outreach and recruitment
The results speak for themselves: the Legion’s YouTube account went from 20,000 subscribers to more than 178,000 in a few months, and the effects are being felt on recruitment in Aubagne. “Some recruits enlisted thanks to these videos, Major Gérald points out. Last year, there was a period when eight candidates out of ten said they had heard of the Legion through my videos!” This kind of feedback is very satisfying for the instructor, who adds: “People recognise me now. They’re friendly, sometimes admiring, they want a selfie and they thank me for the videos. What pleases me is that it gives a very positive image of the French Foreign Legion, because people don’t come to see me, they come to see the legionnaire.”
The Legion does not just publish videos with its star; it also appears on influencers’ and even media channels. The major has already appeared on the channels of Greg MMA, Karaté Bushido and Hit the road. The adventure with the latter channel began with a meeting with Clément, a freerider in a former France TV programme, “Riding Zone”, during which the two athletes, each in their own field, competed against each other on an assault course in 2017. In September 2001, the NCO wrote a book: “La préparation physique et mentale de la Légion étrangère” (Physical and mental preparation in the French Foreign Legion), to share his training secrets based on physical preparation in the French Foreign Legion.
You can read the rest in issue 5 of Défense Zone by following this link
Listen to our podcast with Major Gérald by following this link
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