foreign legion
Outsiders under arms
A foreign legion is a military unit composed primarily of foreign volunteers serving a nation not their own.
The most famous is France's Légion étrangère, established in 1831, which historically offered enlistees a new identity and asked few questions about their past.
The term sometimes applies loosely to any multinational fighting force: mercenaries forming a foreign legion for the rebel cause.
- recruitNew member sought
- volunteerUnpaid willing participant
- FranceWestern European republic
- enlistmentVoluntary entry into service
- joining upFormally becoming part of
no questions asked · new identity · fresh start · irregular warfare · military · war · combat operations · mercenary · deserters · stateless persons · lost cause · desert warfare · volunteer forces · soldier of fortune · expeditionary forces · light infantry · overseas deployment · deployment
- combatantssoldier, warrior, fighter, swordsman, spearman
- military branchesArmy, army, navy, Air Force, air force
- auxiliary forcesauxiliaries, support units, colonial troops, native troops, mercenaries
- hired fightersmercenary, soldier of fortune, gun for hire, hired gun, sellsword
- armyinfantry, cavalry, soldiers, artillery, officers
- defensedefense, defending, protecting, protection, security
foreign legionhome guard
Local civilian defense volunteers
national guard · citizen militia · citizen army · native troops · regular army
foreign legionconscript army
Troops raised by compulsion
national service · compulsory military service · selective service · home defense
foreign, foreigner, foreigners, foreignness, legion, legions, legionary, legionaries, legionnaire