Cadences and marching steps French Foreign Legion

the french foreign legion has own military band.

also notable marching pace of foreign legion. in comparison 116-step-per-minute pace of other french units, foreign legion has 88-step-per-minute marching speed. referred legionnaires crawl . can seen @ ceremonial parades , public displays attended foreign legion, particularly while parading in paris on 14 july (bastille day military parade). because of impressively slow pace, foreign legion last unit marching in parade. foreign legion accompanied own band, traditionally plays march of 1 of regiments comprising foreign legion, except of unit on parade. regimental song of each unit , le boudin sung legionnaires standing @ attention. also, because foreign legion must stay together, not break formation 2 when approaching presidential grandstand, other french military units do, in order preserve unity of legion.

because of slower pace, foreign legion last unit marching in parade (parade in rome, june 2007).

contrary popular belief, adoption of foreign legion s slow marching speed not due need preserve energy , fluids during long marches under hot algerian sun. exact origins unclear, official explanation although pace regulation not seem have been instituted before 1945, hails slow marching pace of ancien régime, , reintroduction return traditional roots . in fact, march step of foreign legion s ancestor units – régiments Étrangers or foreign regiments of ancien régime french army, grande armée s foreign units, , pre-1831 foreign regiments.