OpenTube

The French Foreign Legion Vs. Illegal Gold Mining Gangs

Joe Cowen

1,367,601 views

Embedded with the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment (3eme REI) of the French Foreign Legion, Joe takes you on an action packed adventure into the heart of the Amazon rainforest to follow three missions:

TITAN: Protecting the European Space Agency during rocket and satellite launches
HARPIE: Tracking down illegal gold miners deep in the Amazon rainforest
CEFE: The French Foreign Legion's Jungle Warfare Training Centre - where jungle warriors are formed

Producer / Director: Joe Cowen
Assistant Producer: Amy Chapman
Camera Assistant: Shyam Jones
Edit: Joe Cowen
Production Manager: Georgia Finch

With thanks to la Légion Étrangère, 3ème REI, ESA

Space Centre footage courtesy of ESA

Produced by BFBS Creative

20 Comments

@cow_1 Creator 1 month ago Pinned

New video just landed! This time i'm on a Polish warship in the Baltic Sea. Check it out and let me know where I should head next

@Rogermacanally 9 months ago

That polish Irish accent with a twang of French was incredible

@Baked_Ziti 7 months ago

"I failed 3 obstacles instructor..."
Which ones?
looks around dejectedly
no no no, you made 3 attempts. you succeeded on your 3rd. that means you did not fail.

bro THATS how you talk someone up. that's some real inspiring shit right there.

@dunneemofozilla5718 9 months ago

Fun fact: Legio Patria Nostra started being the Legion's motto soon after French King Louis ordered its creation. He was reviewing the newly assembled troops, asking them their nationality. Various men cited their country of origin until one man replied, Legionnaire, mon roi. The king, mightily impressed by this, made it the Legion's motto there and then

@JP-ou3oo 9 months ago

Bro was carrying a whole fridge on his back 😅

@PaulsensGarage 10 months ago

17:45 I am blown away by the Instructors in this course. They gave him an opportunity to complete the challenge then he got caught, upon restarting after already being completely gassed they not only provided him with the leadership he needed in that moment but, you can see that they truly want him to complete the task and they know that he is more than capable of doing it.

Most branches of service would have berated you and made you feel like straight trash the first time you failed the evolution and they definetly would not have been cheering your success the second time round.

This is just one of the many reasons The French Foreign Legion is a force above many others.

Great Job Joe.

@franktower9006 7 months ago

As a former NCO I really appreciate the leading style demonstrated here. Even though the instructors are going really hard with the troops there's constant affirmation instead of humiliation and intimidation.

@gsbeak 10 months ago

Well done ! Contrary to a lot of documentaries about the legion, you film the men with great respect and not as weirdos.

Concerning the illegal gold miners, the worse is that they poison the soil and water with mercury

@ijhijh 10 months ago

850 followers? 45K views? this channel deserves way better results. Great video.
In France, la légion étrangère is viewed by everyone with IMMENSE respect.

@zidneycs-go9706 9 months ago

Congrats for the video ! My dad is a legionnaire and was injured in Somalia in 1992 but I’m proud to see that the legion forged is mental and made him become the man the father and the adult he is

@Bigsomali 8 months ago

9:50 he’s the most dangerous predator and then starts to pet him and play with it’s claws 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@chriso1776 9 months ago

sometimes the algo blesses you with some legendary content when you're sitting down for your meal at the computer

@josephturner7569 6 months ago

From Mali where it never rains to Guyana where it never stops.
Vive La Legion.

@FmattB222 6 months ago

@17:48 pretty sick, "i failed 3 times" no you tried 3 times and succceeded on the third, you did not fail. love that

@walex5462 10 months ago

Have had the pleasure to serve with these guys actually in the film. You did a fair doc and no BS. Thank.you

@philiplhamsuren258 10 months ago

Battle with garimperos and bio pirates is never-ending reality in Amazonia....
At some point, the jungle will be destroyed. I've been watching it for more than a decade now in the field, here in the Brazilian Amazon. Good film. Bravo. It shows well from the inside what it's like to be with the legionnaires in a camp deep in the forest. I still carry that feeling with me 20 years later, outside the ranks of the legion.

@jayalister8166 10 months ago

'March or Die' is the real motto of the Legion.

@vectordnb 7 months ago

03:00 The Legion are so hardcore they replace their car airbags with big metal plates.

@cigscwb 3 months ago

"SELVA" is the motto of Brazil's jungle infantry troops, where the Legion has trained and continues to train its men constantly. Brazil has one of the best jungle warfare schools in the world and is home to most of the Amazon rainforest. If interested, look for videos from CIGS (Jungle Warfare Training Center) of the Brazilian Army. That's why it's spoken in Portuguese: SELVA!!

@Cuhless 10 months ago

Only 62k views at the time I'm typing this. What an absolute gem it was for this to show up in my feed. Amazing work and looking forward to what you have in store for future uploads.