DÉFENSE ZONE
Training at the heart of Gendarmerie careers
25 schools, 12,000 recruits a year, 25,000 gendarmes in continuing training: how the CEGN structures every career in the Gendarmerie. An extract from Défense Zone magazine #22.
Joining the French Navy: seagoing trades, life on board, real conditions
From seaman to officer, from the aircraft carrier to the submarine: the ways to enlist in the French Navy in 2026, the trades that are recruiting — and what life at sea really involves.
Reservists in employment: days of leave, employer obligations, tax — what the law really says
10 guaranteed days of leave a year, protection against dismissal, tax-free allowances: the rights of employed reservists in 2026 — and the areas of friction with employers that the law does not res...
Operational reserve 2026: pay, conditions (and is a target of 80,000 reservists achievable?)
Between €41 and €160 net per day, tax-free: what a reservist really earns in 2026, the conditions for enlisting, and the obstacles France will have to overcome to reach 80,000 reservists by 2030.
Officer pay in 2026: from lieutenant to general, the real pay scales
From €2,700 net for a lieutenant to more than €9,000 for a general officer: the real pay of officers in 2026, the new pay scale for senior military leadership, and what these figures say about the ...
NCO or officer: which path to choose according to your qualifications and profile?
Baccalauréat in hand: become an NCO straight away, or study first and become an officer? The two paths compared without spin: selectivity, pay, real career ceilings and internal bridges.