GIGN selection week [Archive]

hist2004

10-27-2004, 09:09 PM

My tests of entry with the GIGN - September 2004
Before starting to tell my week of tests, I would like to thank the unit for the members of the group, the Commander G, the Mr. Second in command , the Adjudant directing W of the training course, Damien, the twins Stéphane and Mickaël (I do not know any more which made the circuit of walk commando), Fabien and all the others graded and gendarmes.

My goal by writing this article, of is demystified a little on all that is told on the tests, and to motivate the gendarmes of active who would have hesitations to pass them.

However, by respect for the work of the group, and also so that the selection keeps of its interest, I would not return in certain details. It will be the same with regard to the best drive to make to succeed. I estimate that that must fall under a personal research, which is normal when one tries to integrate a unit of elite.

Appointment is given to us to 7 p.m. at the police station GBGM of the Moncey district. 53 personnel is envisaged on the message, including 3 officer and a woman, Nathalie, GD of island of France from which I greet courage for the step.

Everyone is out of lattice. Some of the candidates know each other already to have passed the tests the previous year. One re-examines as sometimes comrades as one had not seen since the ESOG. Then arrives 3 members of the GIGN, in blue combination of urban intervention, which we follow to the lecture theater.

It acts of the Adjudant W, team leader, who will be the director for our session of training course, a chief and a gendarme. With the call, it misses 2 candidates, fixed price for wound. A gendarme who presents himself for the cell of the special means will pass the tests with us. We give the various administrative parts (order of mission, medical files...), before receiving the first councils. First of all, we are happiness for our step, because much about people speak about the tests, but little dare to pass them. Then, we are invited to exceed us with each test. The week of tests is made so that the candidates are given to 110 %, which implies times of recovery to hold rate. Thus not of rusticity in sight, but of the about normal nights. Lastly, it is well specified to us that no type of cheating will be allowed, and that the obvious offence will involve the ousting of the author.

With the exit, from this meeting, we are released until the next morning 08 hours, at the same place in sports gear for the beginning of the tests. We thus go to the 51 2nd RT, which are in the vicinity, and which will place to us during a part of the week. It acts of room with 28, with bunk beds. We benefit from this moment to do all a little more knowledge, and to exchange information in particular with those which already passed them.

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 20

The next morning, with the lecture theater, the second in command, the Captain L accomodates us, and remakes us with little thing close same topo as the day before. Then the tests start. First of all, we must write a drafting on our motivations to return to the group. Then general general knowledge tests, gendarmerie, and on the group follow, the timed whole. A card of evaluation is given to us concerning our level in sport of combat to create groups, for those which will arrive at the weekend.

Useless to want to hide our level, because that which would make it to fight with weaker than him, will be detected at the time of the tests of aggressiveness and will face then a specialist in the GIGN.

One hour has just passed, and we go to the gymnasium of the GIGN to pass the tackles.

After the heating, it left for the maximum one in tractions. The chin must exceed the bar, the legs can remain folded or tended, but no impulse must be given with, the arms must be unbolted with the descent. Nonthe respect of the one of the instructions cancels traction concerned. Follows 3 minutes of rest.

Then it is with the turn of the maximum abdos in 2 minutes. The feet wedged in the rib stall, the hands behind the head, the shoulders must touch the ground in the downward phase, and the chest touch the knees in the rising one. Hard, hard.

Still 3 minutes of recovery, then the maximum one out of pumps, feet raised on a bench. The body must remain right, the locked basin, and the chest must touch the hand posed on the ground.

Time that all the candidates pass, it is the hour of the meal.

A 14 hours, we return out of lattice rangers, with the back bag charged with 11 kilos. We make the cord timed naked foot and out of tee-shirt, departure on a foot as for the CAT, arms alone. Nathalie, the woman GD, will be eliminated on this workshop (the cord is eliminatory).

Arrived on the site of walk commando with the back bag, we begin the heating, then a score of minute after the departure is given. Never of my young career, I did not make such a hard walk (thank you Stéphane or Mickaël) so much it made uneven there, as well into negative as into positive. It is at a point where one is in extreme cases to be with four legs on a part. Moreover, it makes the nine kilometers easily. The first wounds will intervene here, that are the bulbs, diminish, or hypoglycemia.

Of return to the Pasquier barracks, we carry out the stretchings for those which one not made, and begin the following tests : shooting of ten cartridges to 15 meters with Pa MASG1, honest arm (a hand), and 10 cartouches with the famas with 100 meters. Here, account initially the number of impact then the H+L (variation enters the most distant impacts in height and width). After the shooting, the cleaning of the weapons, we leave dinner, before returning to us by bus in Mondésir where we will spend 2 days for the next tests. We on the spot meet the 14 trainees, who leave a meeting of judo. It east 23 hours 30. We take seat in the dojo for the night.

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 21

At 08 hours, we are on the track of audacity.

Here, various exercises will be connected : simple tyrolienne, edge of building, tyrolienne double vertical, gutter, scale spéléo, sprinkle, chimney.

The whole, obviously stopwatch, with an elimination on the gutter. A gendarme of the group accompanies each competitor and justifies it to leave the fingers.

The afternoon becomes more hardware for the nerves. That starts initially with a exercise of memorizing, follow-up of the famous jump of bridge. There, all is made to put the pressure (" thin, I know more which node it is necessary to make ", " the cord is worn, it is not serious, one will make with ", etc...). I am not afraid of the vacuum, but to throw itself of a bridge while being held by 2 cords of 11 mm is not something of naturalness. The technique is to fix the horizon and to throw themselves to further to keep the tended cords, because while dropping oneself, one risks a " dryness " of 10 meters. Feeling and guaranteed shiver. There will be a refusal on this test.

So early finished, and after 2 minutes of rest it left for a race orientation without compass. 7 beacons to find, for which it is necessary to use the level lines, the points characteristic of the ground. The arrival is with the Mondésir barracks, where one must restore the test of memorizing after a race from 8 to 9 kilometers. But the stopwatch is still not stopped. It is now necessary to slip into a small asperity of the building where this fact the course of audacity, while following a handrail. At sight of nose, there are approximately 200 meters of crawled in the black, while passing various obstacles like a tube 40 cm in diameter. Such an amount of worse for the claustrophobics. It is only after one final sprint to return to the starting point that the stopwatch is stopped.

The evening, it acts of a exercise of search for information, with obviously some surprises (like " large wild boar " of 102 kg). The last will finish at 04 hours of the morning. But all the trainees will have spent the night in the buses. At 06 hours 30, we leave to have the breakfast.

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 22

Beginning of the hostilities with 08 hours, it acts here of resistance to lachrymatory, accompanied by a test of memorizing. When one returns in the part, one has the impression to have cotton in the mouth. Our sight does not exceed 50 cm. However, it is necessary to admit the objects posing on a table, reading something on a wall, and memorizing the whole. A gendarme of the group provided obviously with a mask, follows to us during the operation. To leave, it is necessary to assemble a wall, to pass a small attic window which brings us to the roof. One finds the free air with pleasure, but one spits tripe and bowels. One goes down by a rail, then one restores what one saw in the part.

After a good shower, and to have threaded a lattice which feels the characteristic, we pass successively 2 tests of observation and memorizing with the regimental sergeant major, person in charge for the cell evaluation (and there too, which happiness !).

Once finished, we take the road with our cold meals towards the ground of Beaver where the frightening course arm awaits us. There still, there are tyrolienne, crossing with cords 4 bits etc... always under the encouragements of a member of the group. Frightening course, which will involve a great number of failure on certain workshops, and of abandonment due to tendinitises.

We are free for the evening, and let us benefit from it to look after all the sores to accumulate in the course of the day. Moreover it is necessary to rest, the alarm clock will be done early since the departure is to program at 05 hours the next morning.

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 23

At 05 hours 45, we are with the Olympic swimming pool of German St. First test, the jump of diving board of 10 meters. There will be there too a refusal, but also 2 wounded. Indeed, while jumping, their body rocked forwards, and their face touched the surface of water violently. With the result, 2 beautiful black eyes, and a consultation at the ophtalmo in a military hospital for one of the 2 wounded ones.

But there will be also a beautiful proof of courage : an officer will plunge since the 10 meters, and will make a dish on the back. He will be applauded its left water.

Then follow the 100 meters stopwatch, the apnea - only one small number will make the 50m, those which made a success of it were at the edge of asphyxiation - follow-up of the test of the feet and fists dependent departure plunged.

The morning not being finished, it continues with the course of the combatant.

The afternoon occurs on the lathe from the group, with the rise of the gutter, the wall of climbing, and the test of the board.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24

The morning, test of aggressiveness in boxing foot-fist by category of weight and experiment.

The afternoon is reserved for the discussions with the officers and team leaders. Only 15 personnel out of the 30 remainders will pass in the offices.

CONCLUSION

The whole of the tests is completely realizable. Only the force of character and the will push the candidates to be exceeded in spite of the sores, and the apprehensions.

Knowing that enormously time ago of recovery between each test, and that the nights are quasi complete, each competitor must be given to 110 %. It thus acts of one race to the performance, with the best stopwatch. This is why I gave to no moment a result on which to base itself.

For those which will have the privilege to be retained for the pre-training course, it is at this time that that will become more rustic, where the cell instruction will seek which is really your mental.

I thus advise with all those which wish it, to prepare and pass the tests. Because in any event even in the event of failure, they bring a strong human enrichment, and make touch finger what carried out the current members. They also make include/understand from which comes their so admirable professionalism and humility.

Regards,
Hist2004