A historic joint military parade of Spanish and French legionaries in Ronda

España y Francia tienen en común el hecho de poseer dos de las tres fuerzas regulares militares del mundo que reciben el nombre de Legión.

The X Flag of the Spanish Legion in an Alpha exercise in an abandoned town in Granada
Two rehearsals of the Spanish Legion for Holy Week that are not usually seen in the media

Since Roman times until the 20th century, this name has been used by many military units, but today only the armies of Spain, France and Ukraine designate a regular force with it (in the Ukrainian case, the name has been assigned to the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine, created in 2022 and made up of volunteer soldiers of foreign origin who have enlisted in the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Army). Of the three mentioned, the oldest is the French Foreign Legion, founded in 1831.

The Spanish Legion was founded in 1920 following the model of its French counterpart, that is, as a force specifically aimed at recruiting volunteers of foreign origin, although also open to the recruitment of volunteers of Spanish origin. For years now, Spanish and French legionaries have had strong ties of brotherhood, and today these ties have culminated in a historic military parade at the Spanish Legion base in Ronda (Málaga), home of the Legion's 4th Tercio "Alejandro Farnesio".

As Manolo Guerrero explained on CharryTV Ronda, this event was very special because for the first time the French Foreign Legion has celebrated the delivery of its "képi blanc" to its new recruits in a ceremony outside French territory. The "képi blanc" (white kepi) is how French legionnaires call the cylindrical cap that identifies them, and which is the equivalent of the chapiri of the Spanish Legion. This ceremony was attended by 56 officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the 4th Regiment of the French Foreign Legion, based in Castelnaudary. CharryTV Ronda has published the video of this event on its YouTube channel:

In the video we can see a unique feature of the French legionaries: they march at 88 steps per minute, slower than the rest of the units of the French Armée de Terre, which march at 120 steps per minute (the same speed as the Spanish military units). It is a unique pace that is very different from that of the Spanish Legion, which marches at 160 steps per minute. The French legionaries march at a speed very similar to that of the Spanish Regular Forces, whose specific pace is 90 steps per minute.

At point 3:38 of the video we can hear the French legionnaires reciting their Code of Honor, similar to the Legionary Creed of their Spanish comrades:

Article 1 - As a legionnaire, you are a volunteer, serving France with honour and loyalty.

Article 2 - Each legionnaire is your brother in arms, regardless of his nationality, race, religion. You always show him the close solidarity that must unite members of the same family.

Article 3 - Respectful of traditions, attached to your leaders, discipline and camaraderie are your strength, courage and loyalty are your virtues.

Article 4 - Proud of your legionnaire status, you show it with your always elegant attire, your always dignified but modest behaviour, your barracks always clear.

Article 5 - An elite soldier, you train rigorously, you keep your weapon as your most precious asset, you are constantly concerned about your physical form.

Article 6 - The mission is sacred, you carry it out to the end, at all costs.

Article 7 - In battle, you act without passion and without hatred, you respect defeated enemies, you never abandon your dead, your wounded, or your weapons.

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Images: CharryTV Ronda.