Les Soldats de Novembre : de l’entraînement à l’opération Barkhane

Les Soldats de Novembre : de l’entraînement à l’opération Barkhane

France is at war. The acts committed Friday evening in Paris and near the Stade de France are acts of war. We are in a war against jihadist terrorism which threatens the whole world. The French people are an ardent people, valiant, brave, who does not give up and who stands up

Every time one of his children is on the ground. Last night I gave the order to 10 French fighter bombers to drop their bombs on the Daesh stronghold in Raqqa. The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will pair on Thursday to get to the Eastern Mediterranean

And there will be in this action no respite and no truce. Terrorism will not destroy the Republic, because it is the Republic which will destroy it. Long live the Republic and long live France! Hello everyone. We’re going to go to the FOB for four days FOB defense combat,

And this fight will consist of us adapting what is going to happen in Mali. I’m counting on you to be involved, because we don’t have many opportunities to work together. Enjoy this four-day sequence to get you going, in all humility and keep smiling all the way.

This is how you will be a beautiful unit and that we will gain in cohesion, in tactical cohesion and between us. Following the attacks, thousands of young people joined the army out of a sense of duty, a taste for action or a thirst for adventure,

They are committed, knowing that sooner or later they would sent on external operations. It is certain that the attacks, it obviously weighed in my choice to commit, because I didn’t come from a military environment. I had no military in the family. There is no one there,

There is a platoon there and another one over there. I know that I have a big responsibility, since we are leaving at 24 and that I cannot conceive not to return to 24. These are young people who are between one and a half and two years of service. For them as for me,

This will be the first experience external operations. We’re going hunting there. In six months, some will be in the heart of the Sahara. They will join Operation Barkhane, which spans five African countries. Already trained in the basics of soldiering, they will prepare for a week, what awaits them in Africa,

Exercises all imagined from real experiences experienced by returning units of this external operation. Lolo, can you send one of my patrol bring back GMLR and OB, please? These are personal perspectives that must be taken from the positions. He’s the youngest of my patrol leaders.

He arrives at the same time than me in the squadron. OPEX will also do him good. This will make him win confident in himself, because I think that it’s missing a little bit, and that will give it legitimacy, because as long as you have not made an OPEX,

Somewhere there is this thing from the first time, the first departure, and once you have passed this milestone, it’s not just ticking a cross, it’s that you gain experience and you learn about yourself too. We have staff on foot. There are shepherds who take photos of the FOB.

When they are in Mali, the men of the Charlie platoon will have to stand guard in the advanced post they will occupy. To do this, they must be able to react in any situation, any behavior suspect around their base and know how to make the right decisions. He’s behind the brush over there.

Can you move the MAG 58 or not? Yes, I always had this idea of ​​commitment, I always wanted to serve a little. That’s why I did a master’s degree in relation to solidarity, international cooperation and solidarity. I wanted to do a job where I served to something bigger than me,

Whether in NGOs or in the army, we serve interests who are greater than us, but we know that by acting like that, it can only serve the community. You have a deadline for triggering QAPS because the person is turning back? As long as there is no hostility apparent towards us,

The rules of engagement are clear, we can’t shoot him. We set up, we report and wait for instructions, then it doesn’t come. The reason why we did not have the order to shoot and why I didn’t have instructions at this moment, it’s because there was a big mess inside.

In operation, anything can happen, especially when handling ammunition and explosives. The purpose of this simulated accident is to test the reaction of staff. No, not with me! My eye. I lost my eye. We have to evacuate it there. How are you ? See, is it a splinter? There you go, OK.

Is it okay or not? Not moving. I’ll blindfold you. Afterwards, I’ll give you morphine. It’s not a question of meaning, I do not know how to explain it, personally, my vision of things, it is a duty for every man. Defend your country, your homeland, your family, especially with what’s happening right now.

For me, it’s a duty. Can you walk? Get up and walk. – OK. Are you taking him to the infirmary? Now it works. Lean on me. I did my BEP in cooking for two years and my professional BAC for three years. Afterwards, I worked for a year in the kitchen

And I got up, I looked at myself in the mirror, unkempt, unshaven, I didn’t like it. I had a click and the same evening, I left for CIRFA to get involved and four months later, I started my classes and it was gone. Come on, face me, you gather together.

I’ll give you a reminder. When you arrive at an area, where there was an accident, the first to arrive, he explores the site and does not rush on the first injured. He makes sure to see everyone. In addition, it is useful,

Because we are going to provide care to those who need it most. He is already going to sort things out. Then you have to find a radio and report back. If there is no radio, you send a second person to report. We gather the injured and they are extracted to the medical station.

OK ? Basically, I take stock of what there is, I realize. Afterwards, I start to take care of the wounded, to regroup them. OK ? Go to the building. The Charlie platoon is a PRI, a reconnaissance platoon and investigation. Always ahead, its mission is to enlighten, recognize and above all inform.

A PRI is like a hunting dog. It searches, it illuminates, it recognizes and it sometimes works. Sometimes it feels so good that it is taken to task or it jumps on an IED. You see at the bottom of the grove, there is a small white dot. It’s a man in a djellaba,

He has no weapons. He is the only man in the village. As soon as you finish your cigarette, I can go. I was in the air conditioning. Afterwards, I stopped to be an animator and when I finished my hosting contract, directly, I got involved.

The army wasn’t for everyone, we couldn’t go there directly. Only some could do it. I didn’t know it was open. I thought it was necessary pass diplomas, et cetera, that it was rather selective, which we had rather selected and that it wouldn’t happen, but in fact, yes. We learn to be independent,

We have responsibilities and we don’t judge. We don’t judge at all, we will be judged in relation to our work. Here, we are together all the time, we struggle together and everything. When I had difficulties, it was by doing unwanted things. We do them together and we manage to laugh despite everything,

It goes better. Before, in the neighborhood, if I do one thing, which I don’t like, I go home or I don’t. There, we have no choice. Once you do it, you’re happy. More and more places. The peloton is young, for some, it is a first mission, knowing that Mali is a difficult theater,

That living conditions are rustic. We don’t know what’s going on there. there is a concern. Fortunately, because if everyone would go laughing, It’s summer camp. There is apprehension and from me too, because it’s my first time. I have a lot of responsibilities, you always have to question yourself.

I’m working on it and I have doubts, I am a bit stressed, but it will do it. The one who denies having apprehension still going for his premiere, he’s a liar, I think. I apprehend rather healthily, because it is the consecration of everything what we also train for.

What we want, it is to leave to find out if we are going to be able to do the work, because you never know. You can train for 10 years, but without leaving, we don’t know if we will do the TAF. Behind us. They begin to understand where we are heading.

OPEX, for them, was something… especially the youngest, a bit in a fog. It was a bit legendary, go back to OPEX and everything. Now it starts to make sense. because they understand than what we did here, That’s really what we’re going to do there. Chief for the guard, a FRAG helmet?

It’s the end of the day. As they will do in Mali, the men have arranged their vehicles in a manner to form a temporary base for the night. Guard tours are organized before passing to the next exercise day. From 3:30 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. – There, it’s not and a half, it’s just…

Three to four. – Not me, then? What do you do from four to five o’clock? Are you only stopping by at five o’clock? – Yes. I left school when I was young. Chaotic school career, I was hanging out, pretending to go to school because my parents thought so.

I got up in the morning, I took my bag. I was going to play football all day. One-hour slots? I came to find bases here, principles that I did not have. My father also instilled in us solidarity between brothers, never leave anyone behind. I came back to get this from the army.

I found it and I like it. What I like most about the army, it’s the group spirit, never leave a comrade behind. Where is François? Normally you have two. In the neighborhoods, they have a spirit of cohesion, of camaraderie, of solidarity. Being out of school, disadvantaged, cataloged by city centers.

With my friends, we were going downtown or in the next town for a party. The police stopped us and told us to stay at home because it’s not made for us. However, the men in the neighborhood, in the army, make the best soldiers, because, from a very young age,

They have this spirit of camaraderie, cohesion, sharing, to surpass oneself, to even sacrifice oneself. Six o’clock the men received mission to recognize a route. I have my head patrol which begins its progression. The terrain is difficult because we have a lead which descends between the woods,

On the right, a fairly dense wood, impossible to infiltrate and to the left, a slope which means that we are channeled on the track. I let my head patrol slip away and it does not detect IOD. The lead vehicle jumps onto one. Did it explode in front? Ten…

Ten, my lead vehicle jumped on an IED, I have two injured people inside. When there is an IED, we assume that it is necessarily valued because if I’m the enemy, that I have limited means, when I land an IED, when I put in place an obstacle, I value it.

I do not sacrifice means which are also precious, just to blow up a vehicle. You’re setting everyone back. Afterwards, we do the V-check to go get them. OK, to push back the Malians, we move the whole device back at least 300 meters for a security permit, we will move forward in V-check.

We all go backwards. They hit my vehicle, but seeing that afterwards, he had placed it in a good place, My entire spine was blocked. Thus, they valued what we would do in their place. Face 11 a.m. Seen. Are you able to maneuver a patrol to direct you towards the place where were fired?

Elioth, the seventh, you put it in the dangerous direction there. Doesn’t it pull there anymore? There, because we are going to do 40 meters from… I am disembarking my group 13 who will comb the northern zone where the enemy is. You should be able to deal with the threat

This way, come here, come here, come there. We recover what they have on them, we search them. Afterwards, we report back. Do you have the kits? We are alone. Are there only three deaths there? – Yes. With the mother, do we take stock of what is there?

For me, there is only LI, LI, RPG? – LI, LI, LI, RPG. Three LIs and an RPG? I’ll end up on the other side of the area. Thirty here 10. Now we’ve raked the woods north of the track where I was. No more enemy infantrymen alive detected. We have three deaths

With LI and RPG. Ten, I confirm, three enemy deaths. Material report to come. The enemy neutralized, engineering deminers enter the scene to secure the track. Like the Charlie platoons who reacted realistically to the ambush, engineering deminers will practice as if they were in real condition. Half an hour later, progression can resume.

I had gone up there, too. People, when they arrive in the army, have a way of being different, because we are all dressed the same and does the same things. Their social difference and all, we lose interest in it. I’m not going to ask a friend: “Which house do you live in?”

Being still with them, I don’t know if they have a house or apartment. However, we get along very well, we don’t ask ourselves these questions. When we arrive here, It all becomes insignificant. There are people I see more than my own family or my wife. We created links.

In the end, I didn’t think trust a man that much. We have very few civilian friends, but in the army, trust reigns. I know that the person behind me, This is the one that will save my life. This is generally the case. The person behind is here to save us.

We must trust him, whatever happens, whatever happens. If you have a vehicle that wants to force, Are you having trouble stopping it? – I have a MAG 58 above. The second summons is the opening of fire in high slack water, if he accelerates without being in intensive care

Back at base, the guard resumes, the rhythm is deliberately intense. Rest phases often alternate with different exercises. Here men get a glimpse of what awaits them in Mali, except that there, it will take four months. We spend a lot of time together, I don’t count my hours for them. Necessarily,

We are enormously attached to them. However, our particularity, it’s the fight. In combat, impossible to have any division. It is necessary to motivate and engage to be able to accomplish the missions. To accept the fact that by accomplishing these missions, we can come to the point of giving our lives.

During their rest after a long night on duty, the platoon is on alert. An enemy has just been spotted near the camp. The door ladder is here with me. Day and night guard, reconnaissance, ambushes and attacks on their base. The men are there to prepare for the worst situations

That they could meet in Mali. What’s the matter ? An enemy is neutralized, another runs towards the entrance to Mangai. Priority number 1 is the security of the site, because on site, no withdrawal is possible. We are attacked within the home itself. So, the priority is the defense of the hold.

Alas, only non-defenders take care of the injured. Once the situation has calmed down, defenders can help the injured. The priority is the fight and not to take care of his friend on the ground. Obviously, it’s complicated, because on the ground, they are men with whom we spend our days.

Whom we have known for several months, several years. There is an emotional bond that It’s hard to ignore a downed friend, because that’s what’s happening. I said we had to wait at the entrance. Otherwise, everything becomes chaotic Who is it ? No, no, there is an order of priority to evacuate.

It’ll be fine, don’t worry. To me ! Priority in the north, go. To me ! It’s going to be okay, it’s going to be okay. On how much? Come down. Him first. – But there are some who… We’re going to put the burn on. – Who’s the burn? My mother is afraid,

She doesn’t know what it is. For her, it’s in the distant future as it gets closer and closer. She doesn’t realize. It will be the first time too. I’m the only child missing during the week. It’s a new experience. The family is worried, because she doesn’t see our training.

She doesn’t know our missions nor what we do on the ground. For them, it’s like in the movies. We will arrive, everything will be fine for two days, and the third day is war, everyone will die. She doesn’t know the IED, as soon as she hears the word “bomb”, “OK, it’s a bomb,”

She doesn’t know it’s the IED. that we are trained to detect them or not to pass over it. We use particular paths, she ignores him. Are you going to the PMA? They need men to register arrivals. You’re going to be a secretary. The PMA is the sanitary tent.

You see, there are always the BCs, there are three of them waiting. I’m a little scared. We try not to show it too much, but… I’m afraid because we have a lot young people with us. Many take the job seriously, others less so. Therefore, I’m a little afraid, some neglect custody.

As a result, you can be attacked. Some think to their girlfriend in France, others… to their mothers, because they are young. A new one has just arrived It will be a little fragile. So we, the brigadiers, let’s try to be a little behind to shape a mind

So that he can think of something else. We’re not going there for one or two weeks, but for four months. Those who are not physically ready, we need to have as little as possible. Otherwise they will be a burden for the peloton.

They will not be suitable to maintain their employment in the long term. They are burdens. It’s part of my efforts since the start, to make sure they are ready physically, not just technically or morally. Eight, nine and ten. …two, three, four, nine, ten. One two three, four… My mother is obviously worried,

Four months outside without network. Not being able to inform the family, it worries him. My father will never admit it, but he worries, My sister and my mother are worried, but it’s my job. I did not sign to stay in France, I expected to leave one day,

Take your water bottle too, you should have brought him back here. You have to drink it, right? Yes, boss, from experience. You have 10 seconds, 10, nine, two, A. Always that the pairs, regroup. I come from a small town of 6,000 inhabitants. I lived near Nantes, it’s a big city.

Once in the army, that changed. I saw Guyanese, Guadeloupeans, Parisians, Marseillais, Bretons, Normans, Southerners. It’s nice, there’s lots of culture. It opens your eyes to your own country. It allows you to know your country better, before, I only knew Nantes.

People spoke to me about Paris, Marseille it was the end of the world, borderline. It brings the communities together, I think. For example, there may be someone who is very well off. He comes to the army with someone which is much more modest.

They are about the same level, compared to civilians, which is good. It’s only in the army, there is no longer any difference. One month before departure, the Charlie platoon going to practice shooting one last time, assault rifle, grenade, machine guns, they will use all their weapons There, you’re going straight, you’re going straight.

Charlie 7, target destroyed. Charlie 6, target destroyed, 20 ammo left. Charlie, 22 targets destroyed, 10 ammo left. Charlie, stop there, security. OK, can you get up, lieutenant? OK, if I may, my lieutenant, the shooting, good, good shoulder. The move, perhaps a little slow, but you’re in charge.

On the other hand, avoid talking when you shoot, leave the combat phase and you will talk later. Maybe you can leave the handset to the pilot when you are stationary. You fight, he answers the radio. Yes, I had trouble being everywhere. Yes that’s it. – THANKS You never feel 100%, I think.

There are factors that make that we leave more or less with confidence. We are never 100% ready. We would have always loved be able to train more, be able to do other camps, more sorting of know-how to be more operational. This is the goal of our training: be more operational. OK, contact!

Ready, yes, I feel ready in everything we could learn and seek to perfect during these months operational preparation, but we would always like be even more ready, more operational. It engages quite quickly. As soon as the objectives are raised, it starts to go, it pulls, it falls.

I saw targets fall short or long distance. The pilot and the gunner communicate, I could hear the pilot, it’s good. The captain and the pilot must speak to each other. We divide the sectors, and as soon as it gets up, we talk. Do not speak when it’s not necessary on the radio.

You fight. So we don’t talk on the radio, we destroy, we shoot and when it calms down, I take the receiver. I forgot to tell you, you made me ammunition reports. That’s fine, but don’t do it all the time. Do it on Lima two, three

In the 3rd combat phase, we’re talking about ammunition. They say I don’t have any left than 50%, more than 20%, so that the platoon leader can distribute the objectives, and we ensure the remaining ammunition until the end of the fight, okay? We will see ? – Will we know the results?

Yes, you will see the shooters, the crews. By signing, they say to themselves: “Maybe yes,” “I will be hurt or that I will die in combat, but that remains… I think they think about it, but that, out of modesty, It’s a subject that we don’t discuss, I think that’s mostly it.

In any case, at home, It’s a subject that we don’t discuss, surely wrongly, because we have to make it understood to families, but it’s a subject that we have difficulty developing and that, however, I will have to address with them before we leave. OK, you listen to me carefully.

Here we are on GM zero two. You are going to fire a grenade. You never did, because there are only two firing points of this type in France. Go to the instructor, he will give you a grenade. You have three cells. We will point out the cell for you.

You put yourself on the edge, you unpin, you throw, you go behind the wall, you lower your head, because there is the corridor wall, okay? When it explodes, shards return. It explodes, you have your pin, we leave the corridor, we go around here, you place the pin in the box

And finish, OK? – What is the difference ? We will go in order of com, 11, 12, 13. The com shooters can already prepare. Until then, they had launched grenades in an open environment. Here they will discover the blast effect of an offensive grenade in a confined environment.

Objective: know how to protect yourself at best possible projections if they were to use this technique in Mali to enter a building. Put your hands like this. Every man for himself, but protect yourself. To unpin, I insert the ring finger, I make a quarter turn, I pull.

There was someone, cell two. – Yes, cell two. Stop moving, lower your head. It’s okay to do it once to see what it would do. Imagine that you have to go back and send the steak. It’s General Lecointre, in Sarajevo, on the Vrbanja bridge, who came home to free the French hostages.

He came home with the grenade. In the stress of combat, he snuck in, He gusted, but he took the blame, you imagine ? Already, on the side, things are shaking. – It shakes, yes. The mist dissipates on this character. – Didn’t you see the photo? The shooting is over, it’s time to breathe,

To reconnect with social networks without which they will have to live in Mali. There they will have to endure prolonged promiscuity, the heat, the tension. To best live this mission, they will have to stay united, like during all their training. At first, I was apprehensive, because we don’t know what to expect,

But we sign, we take the train towards an unknown city. Afterwards, we get on a bus with strangers, you are almost lost. Afterwards, very quickly, it happens, it is done on the first pitch, This is who we will be in battle with. When you spend two hours with someone it’s cold, it’s raining,

That there is nothing to watch out for, we have nothing to do but talk, so that we discover people. In the end, camaraderie quickly arrived, there were no problems. My nursery school, my primary school, my middle school, my high school were all in my neighborhood,

So much so that I wasn’t really moving beyond, since my house was there and my school was there every time. I saw all the time the same people, There wasn’t too much diversity, not a lot. There, there are people from everywhere, we understand each other without speaking. We live together, in harmony.

You could say it’s a family, we sleep together, we eat together, we shower together, we endure together, we love it together too. The end of training is approaching, after weeks of preparation, tactical or shooting exercises, They are almost ready. To perfect their training, they will learn a technique: urban combat.

There is the infantry section who will give you a little demonstration very simple urban combat on: “I am progressing down a street, I make openings,” “I walk into a room.” The goal is for you to see how we work in the Infantry and let you know, as it is not our core business

To engage in dismounted combat, that you have the ability to approach a building correctly, a small village, a compound so as not to make mistakes. Corner opening: I will search the most inside, I make an arc of a circle around the door to see as far as possible.

I’ll see if it’s clear inside. One, OK, set, I’ll cover your right. – Two, okay. Three OK, clear room. Clear room, OK, you come out, – One, I’m going out. Two, I’m going out. Three, I’m going out. On the field, it’s a pleasure, because we are with them every day.

We can get to the bottom of things, work on our core business. This is where we thrive the most, let us discover them one by one and spend time with them. It’s really good. When you are a platoon leader, humans are the key to everything. This is what guarantees success or failure.

This is what I get paid for, to know my men, to succeed in taking them where they need to be and to accomplish the necessary missions. He opens with circles, with his feet placed at least shoulder width apart. He finishes the opening. The last impulse to see at the back of the room.

You have to analyze it carefully. The movement of the foot is done so that the barrel is always on the same axis. Are there any questions ? Otherwise, I invite you to start by… – Do we do it by patrol and in pairs? – Yes that’s it.

You come in, the others are ready. You decide to send the starting signal, not the One. If he decides to send the starting signal, he takes the first step, one step ahead of two and two on you. The impetus comes from behind. One loan, two loans and we’re done, okay?

If he leaves first, he comes back alone. A balance of power between one and one, it is direct failure. Shall we do it again? In civilian life, we talk to each other out of interest. If you can bring me this, you’re going to be my friend.

If you can’t give me anything, it does not interest me. Here you can bring everything or nothing. We are like the five fingers of a hand, we are united. On their last day of practice before leaving for Mali, the men of the Charlie platoon are preparing for a collective test: the obstacle course.

When we got there, a section of the infantry was there. She had broken all records of the obstacle course. We, as good soldiers, there is a record to be made in time. We said to ourselves: “We’re going to make a typical team.” All the men in the ranks can do it without worry.

Yes, lieutenant. The group that had just left, he finished two or three minutes before we start. We expand and we rotate the pool, like that. We warmed up quickly and we left. Everything is going well, we are moving forward. We overcome obstacles without problem.

We were going to have a very good time and I think we would have beaten them. Come on stand up ! Stand on this side. Once arrived at the pieces of wood, I go, I go. The lieutenant falls in front of me. He’s got nothing, it’s okay. He comes back, he starts again.

I go behind the lieutenant. I lose my balance and I slip on my ankle. I fall a meter, it doesn’t forgive. I told myself it was over. It’s over with three weeks off one month before departure. The people say : “We don’t know what’s wrong with him.”

“If it’s a fracture or a sprain, It will take time.” As we leave in a month, they say to themselves that we could change shooters. It’s impossible. I’m going to put a little splint on you. Come on, it’s a good team. Pay attention. At what obstacle did he fall? – It’s the beam.

He was told: “Sit down, but not like that.” He fell and there’s the sprain. – Here we go. The attacks make them aware that by committing, they contribute to change things on their scale. Obviously, it has an influence on their wish to get involved. This is not true for everyone.

Some are not indifferent, but don’t commit to that. However, there is a part who certainly comes for that. In fact, she was affected by the attacks. She wants to change things and oppose that. I’ll start crying and everything. You are well recognized at the state level?

Appreciated by the population? – It’s that or I don’t know. Operation Sentinel currently brought us closer to the population. You feel useful, because you can intervene if something happens. – Where are you going again? – Either in Niger or in Mali. – You don’t know yet? – No, it changes every day.

We are going to do area control. We will monitor axes, tracks, places. Like the police here, we make rounds, but for different corners. – You’re going somewhere else. – We’re going to another country. They are young, but we all are in the end. We all are.

For most of them, in my patrol, for all, It’s going to be their first Opex, this will be their first Opex. – What was his name? – Are you leaving peacefully? No, we are not going to Mali peacefully. We do not leave peacefully in Mali, we leave…

– We are not going to Club Med. – No. We always fear, especially the first. However, it is a healthy apprehension. – For four years, you don’t come home? – No, coming home is not a good sign. That’s it, that’s the news. We really have to continue to manage, Like nothing ever happened.

When you have news, It’s nice. In the name of the law, we declare Liana and Jordan, united by marriage. Even if we come from a city, even if you are Black or Arab, we still love France. We defend our interests, our values, because when we go to countries,

Sometimes we don’t even have a quarter of what we have in France. We have free schools 20 meters from our house. We have social security. We eat and drink our fill. We lack nothing in France, you can’t hate a country like that.

The country gives everything to succeed, then you know what you do with it. I think young people who come to us, including me, they need benchmarks and values no longer existing in today’s society. I think it’s also linked to that. The desire to commit and serve,

It is a desire to reconnect with deep values that we no longer find in society. At the beginning, we commit ourselves to our country. In fact, in Opex, we serve the person next to us. It’s for him that we hold on and we do what needs to be done.

I will do it for all 23 men who will be with me every day. Following the attacks, thousands of young people decided to join the army. Out of a sense of duty, taste for adventure or need for action, they committed knowing that they would, one day or another, sent on external operations.

Since 2013, it has been in the Sahel and the Sahara that French soldiers are sent to combat terrorist groups. When they land in Niger, two groups are very active. GSIM, Support Group for Islam and to the Muslims, linked to Al-Qaeda, and led by Iyad Ag Ghali,

And the EIGS, Islamic State in the Great Sahara, a group affiliated with Daesh and led by Abu Walid al-Sahraoui For the majority of men from the Charly platoon, this projection on a theater of war is a first. After joining the French army a year ago for the youngest, they will discover a reality

That they had until now only imagined. A little bit too long. I don’t really like flying, so it’s very long. This is the first time I’ve done shifts with as many vehicles. We took the Airbus from Roissy, we landed in Niamey, we recovered another American plane to go to Gao,

We got something from the UN to go to Kidal. I have never done so many trips. At first, we don’t realize that we’re going to be gone for four months. Even then, I don’t realize that it will last four months. The usual departure by plane It wasn’t the first time, it was.

When we took the helicopter, the real heat has arrived. It was a bit stifling. We said to ourselves that we would have fresh air when we went out. When they opened the door, the hot air has returned. We said to ourselves that four months like that, it was incredible. Impressive, the logistics.

In order of vehicles that we used, it really made the switch, for me, between the civilian world and the mission. It’s very specialized to transport people and materials to one of the corners the most isolated on the planet. Obviously, that completely changes look at the journey. In itself, the transport was well managed.

There wasn’t much waiting time. given the number of different transports. The guys knew it would be hot, so they weren’t surprised. While most men are experiencing their first external operation, for the oldest, it’s a rediscovery. I’ve been here before, a year and a half ago. There was nothing, there was really nothing,

Barely a toilet and we slept outside in the mosquito net. No tent, no air conditioning, nothing. We spent a month here and it was rustic, it was really hard. There, there are tents, there is air conditioning, you couldn’t ask for anything better.

Located at the gates of the city of Kidal, this recent MINUSMA base, the United Nations Mission for the Stabilization of Mali, suffered numerous attacks Regularly, it is targeted by mortar shell fire or homemade rockets called CHICOM. French artillerymen respond to attacks targeting areas where these enemy shots are coming from.

Without a vehicle, without collective weapons and without ammunition, the men of the Charly platoon will collect all their equipment with the men they report to. A key stage where all instructions are transmitted to newly landed units. They have a big smile when we arrive. They are happy to leave.

I imagine that will be it when we leave. I asked how it went, if there had been any problems, if the vehicle had any problems, because as I am a pilot, if I don’t ask and there is a problem afterwards, it will be my fault and not his.

He told me that here, vehicle maintenance is limited. They are seen at the start of each shift by the mechanics, afterwards, during the mandate, to see mechanics, it’s quite a long time. It’s more interesting here, you do a lot more small missions.

In terms of vehicles and equipment and the environment where we live, it was certain that it would not be new. There, we came across a new generation where the guys performed. Within one hour, we have time to perceive everything. Afterwards, on our side set in motion, it takes a lot more time.

You just look at the big points. – We don’t have power steering. – It’s normal ! I was a pilot in the Central African Republic. So much the better. I expected worse. I expected worse, because we know that we are in a theater which consumes men a lot, but also the materials.

The desert, the sand, it reduces the lifespan of the machines. The left front float has picked up. He was already like that. Are you doing the levels at the same time? Anyway, there it is dry. It must be checked. Eventually, pleasantly surprised, or I was lucky on my machines.

We see that the guys are doing well. We tinker with storage on the flanks of the LAVs, to put water, food. It’s a bit up brick and brock, but it holds and the vehicles are moving. I make strips of 200.

On the other hand, I would do five of 200 and one of 100, like that I would have one of 100 ready. We put them on the ground, there will be a stripe on it. A hundred isn’t bad. For the moment, we’re taking our marks, let’s say.

We are not necessarily all as we are in France, because everyone is a little disoriented. Time to take hold, after that it will be better. On the left, it’s not clipped. For my part, I experience this enough… easily on one side and on the other no.

On the yes side, it’s because, upon returning to the army when I moved in Marseille, Calais, Rouen, I discovered that I liked to move. I like discover new things. – To find out where I lived. – Have you never left your home? No, before, as the Parisians say… CHICOM alert!

When enemy fire is spotted and the alarm sounds, twenty seconds ago before a rocket hits the camp. First, we turn on the radio, teletransmissions and we communicate with each other. The platoon leader takes stock on who is present in the vehicles, he makes the call and then we wait. Eleven, four staff.

Eleven, give identity of the fourth. Eleven. Twelve. Where are the guys from 13? – From 13? – Yes. I have a clear situation where are all my staff from. Then we realize, after two minutes, that one is missing. He wasn’t woken up. He had his headphones on, and he was not awakened.

It’s a fail. It’s educational too. This allows us to remember that one, avoid sleeping with your headphones on and that, above all, two the last one to leave the room, we look behind us, if we don’t leave anyone. They must understand from the outset

That it is no longer an exercise and that it is concrete. The platoon we relieved told us: end of September, 13 rockets fell here. It’s very clear. We knew it could happen, we know it’s concrete. In these cases, we don’t have time to ask questions.

The alarm rings, you grab your gun, your helmet, and you run to your vehicle. You have 20 seconds to be in your vehicle. After the rest, you think about it once in the vehicle. End of alert. Faulty air conditioning whose tear was released, is originally of this uproar.

Under tension, men react at the slightest suspicious noise. A bowl for the lieutenant and one for the leader. For the moment apprehension I do not have any, because I don’t have time at all to sit down and think. We are in the preparation of equipment, perceptions, installation.

Guys, we have to eat, It is good for the healt. I think it’s mainly the fact of being posed which allows you to ask questions, to think a little, etc. There, concretely, for the moment, we didn’t have time. They are busy And it’s a good thing.

The relay periods are periods of high activity. It’s very good because it’s justified by carrying out the mission, so we must take quickly take the materials into account. In addition, it prevents them from thinking too much, to ask questions who would not have much interest and would only dampen their morale.

Every patrol, every day, is a different chore. Afterwards, each in turn, we make the food, etc. It has to be pleasant to come and live here. If working here is already a chore, and living there is a chore, It’s going to be a long four months. The routine begins to settle in.

We are good. Every day, we improve camp life, the atmosphere in which we live, we collect chairs, tables, tablecloths, anti-heat nets, improvements for the camp, for the barbecue, everything you can in comfort. When we arrived, there was already a replacement who had improved, let’s say, the living space. Gradually as, we manage.

After the food, It’s better than I imagined. People are cooking, every day is different, those who cook are different and we eat together. It’s an important moment of sharing. Every day we have hours to get the food. We place a small cart in front of the cash register, over there,

And they give us what is there. Olive oil and sauce. What did you take? – Soya sauce. – Wait, what did you take? Soya sauce. Soya sauce. But. Flour, OK. I will take sauces, please. – What’s the meal today? – Kebab, rosti potatoes. Alright. There are 99 of us so don’t hesitate.

In a young platoon like ours, it also teaches life in a community. Casually, it’s really community life pushed to its extreme. It’s something that young people were rarely confronted until then. It is a very good thing. OPEX is a good thing for them in terms of experience.

I know it will change the peloton and that he will gain maturity by the end of OPEX. The particularity of the Kidal camp, it’s being in a MINUSMA camp. In the end, we have a small camp, in the MINUSMA camp. The particularity is the childcare service quite small in the camp.

There is one guy per station, there are four positions in total and there is an element at the filter station for the entrance to the camp in the MINUSMA camp. They are MINUSMA. If MINUSMA is on alert, we will necessarily be on alert.

If they have a CHICOM alert, there’s a good chance we have one. It’s even 100% safe. The landscapes are a bit lunar, anyway. It’s sand everywhere, a few isolated trees, a little dried out. Then, like the camp is relatively isolated, Kidal is not right next door,

We do a little alone in the world in the middle of the desert. It’s okay that we’re a big camp and MINUSMA around is active with the heliport, et cetera, but otherwise it’s isolated. The guard is long, not like in France. We know well that in France,

The danger is permanent, but it is not the same danger. The guard in Kidal, the danger can be maximum because if the staff falls asleep, if we are attacked, it’s more serious than in France. This is a camp, we are all restricted in a fairly limited area.

All it takes is a missile to hit it and it does a lot more damage, both personal and material. The guard is not like in France, you always have to be on the alert. I feel them better than at the beginning. At first,

I wasn’t confident to leave with them, barely a year ago. Now I feel more reassured. I feel more concerned in their work. It’s reassuring. I feel safe with them now. The explosion is close and violent, undoubtedly a CHICOM, these homemade rockets used by terrorist groups. In the distance, automatic weapons fire resound

While the men of the Charly platoon take refuge in their armored vehicles. Staff count that you have on board, name the names. In class, I take stock guard staff and those who must go up. I’ll let you know when it’s done. It’s scary.

Again, it didn’t fall on us, imagine when it’s next to you. It’s CHICOM, there. That’s CHICOM shots, that. They attack us on Friday the 13th. We have the info, it’s an IED which would have slammed towards “Uranus”. between two MINUSMA posts, followed by an ICT. It’s an IED that would have slammed. Whore.

A priori, it is an IED which would have slammed. What is that ? You saw like me, it slammed in front of us? Correct. Whore. Here, base green, illuminating shell fire from our position, speak. This very close detonation is a shot from French artillerymen. 800 meters from the camp,

A MINUSMA outpost suffers an attack and one of the vehicles sent as reinforcements stepped on a mine. To support the soldiers caught under enemy fire, French artillerymen fire illuminating shells. Made visible as in broad daylight, the attackers pick up. In Afghanistan, there is a guy who died in the toilet.

It was typed by a CHICOM when he was in the toilet. It’s damn ugly. You can come out of the shelters and return to your tents. Come on, you go, you do your PAM check. Look on the road there, if no one has lost anything. End of alert.

Also near the camp, It’s obviously the guys who are angry. or they wouldn’t come to 800 meters. We were coming back from the barracks and we heard boom. We arrived at the same time, 30 seconds we were there. Thirty seconds and we heard boom. It was violent. I’m going to shit.

We need to change our underwear! We feel quite helpless on alerts like this, CHICOM shot starts. In fact, we are on alert in the camp, we know there is a danger but not which one. There can be plenty of scenarios. The most likely being indirect fire from CHICOM missiles.

It’s quite oppressive to have all the time… What bothers me is feeling powerless in the face of that, at my level. It’s frustrating, because we would like put it on their face too. Young people are starting to realize that we are in Mali, with CHICOM alerts which begin to come together.

They start to get into the swing of things and realize that here, we’re not on vacation. Rock, rock, rock, here Charly unit, speak. Rock, rock, rock, here Charly unit, speak. The one who says not to be afraid is a liar. We’re all afraid, that’s normal.

But what it takes, it’s not being paralyzed by fear. What matters is the training, the restitution of reflex actors that they work hard to teach us since we joined the army. It’s the end of the succession. The men of the Charly platoon received their equipment.

Now they are operational to carry out their mission off base. Silence ! The 19, seated. Quiet, guys, orders from the platoon leader. We have the infantrymen who left just before 7 a.m. and until 9:30 a.m. They are doing a demotorized patrol south of Kidal.

By the time they are demotorized, we are in QRF 15 minutes. During the day there is no reason to take more than 15 minutes. If the QRF is triggered, is that we are needed, that guys are in trouble. The one who thinks he can go do your sport

Or go call mom to the wifi zone, he forgets it right away. When we are in QRF, people may need us. We get out as quickly as possible. No matter how long, as long as it’s less than 15 minutes. In the desert, climatic conditions are still quite extreme. Necessarily,

There are materials which are not planned to be submissive for so long to these climatic conditions. We have to maintain the equipment. If we don’t take care equipment, our materials, we will pay for it one day or another and we are all aware of it.

All the guys are there, no one in the shower? For now, I tell myself that we haven’t started yet. It’s just installation. I want to see how I’m going to experience it. Is, really, in my head I’m going to squeeze where am I going find it simple? Am I going to break down?

I don’t know, I’m waiting to see my limits. We will see what it gives. We’re starting to see who’s who. Fatigue begins to set in, the patrols continue with custody and mission preparations. We begin to really know who is who. Right now, everyone in the game, no problem with that.

The infantry patrol on mission announcement to be followed by several suspicious vehicles. The Charly peloton prepares to help them. Do we validate the departure? You always have to be ready. The key word here is anyway, it’s adaptability. You have to be adaptable. We often have missions on which we work for several hours,

We prepare the equipment, and then, at the last moment, we will be told: no, you guys are not going out. you should not take it to heart, otherwise, it’s complicated to manage. You have to say to yourself: someone tells me something, I do it,

If we leave, so much the better, if not, too bad. We prepare all the time, and we wait. For now, we ask him to try to properly identify your enemy in Kidal. The problem is that motorcycles change, as if it were marked by different… with different staff who follow him well.

Necessarily, It started to build pressure. We wonder if we trigger a QRF while there are five vehicles, the question still arises at the CO level. You have the situation, we wait in a position to be ready. Set up radio monitoring. What do we do, 10 or 15 minutes? – Fifteen. – Fifteen.

Finally, the intervention will not take place. During one hour, the men of the Charly platoon are waiting ready to jump into their vehicles. All these changes are due to choices on the part of the leaders. Choices that are often in reaction to events that we cannot control,

Which take into consideration many more things than what we master in the field. Somehow, we are used to it and trained to respond to that. Although it is certain that it can become heavy with force. The real risk of this kind of thing, to be in the reaction each time

And never being able to anticipate, while we try, we run the risk of being frustrated. We can’t afford it, because if I’m frustrated, I can’t make sense for my guys, and it’s not possible. Afterwards, in civilian life, when people ask what you do, you say that, you are no longer credible.

I wash my clothes. It’s a lifestyle choice. The mission canceled, the men maintain their equipment, do laundry and rest before preparing for the next day. I move on to the presentation of tomorrow’s mission. My PRI in mind recognizes to the area delivery deposit which is located here.

I’ll take you there, I secure the VNPGNI zone. Then delivery, and we come back and I’ll bring you back here. Often, in the Kidal camp, where we are, we cannot be supplied normally by road or whatever. Often, deliveries are made by air. The platoon’s mission is to secure the drop zone

So that logistics can work in complete certainty. Embark. The day dawns when men of the Charly platoon leave their base. The drop zone to reach is a three-hour drive. Our platoon is mainly a PRI, so above all in recognition. We will recognize the axis, to know if he is not trapped.

We have procedures. When we often travel on the road, we are bound to encounter vehicles who arrive on the sides from behind, from the front. No one enters the convoy. It could be a ram vehicle, a suicide bomber, as they say. There are also situations who are at risk,

Which put us at risk. In those moments, you have to know how to take the time to put in place procedures which help to avoid incidents. If the guy gets farted right in the middle of the convoy, we lose a vehicle stupidly. My responsibility when I’m in the lead, like any patrol leader,

It is to make the convoy evolve as safely as possible. There, when we leave for the drop, we didn’t really take the trails, we created a trace so that the vehicles follow us. It also allows us, in mind, to evolve much more calmly by not borrowing existing traces.

Since the first risk of mining or improvised explosive devices, it’s on already existing tracks. When we arrive at the area, we make security to prevent anyone to return to the drop zone and so that the stakeholders who come to collect the equipment can intervene precisely in complete safety.

When it’s like this, we set up on the drop zone. We meet deadlines, it’s not fast either. There is a part where we check if the position is not trapped. We never know, the enemy can trap our positions. We set up, we form a security cordon,

And there, no civilians or vehicles do not fit into the device, because we can’t know their intentions. We don’t know if anyone is coming to see out of curiosity, or if it’s an attack with a vehicle bomb who comes and blows up the LOG. That’s why that our cords are airtight

And like that, we are sure and certain that everything will go well for logistics and so that they can do this as soon as possible. The plane is flying very low. It’s a big carrier, who carries a lot of equipment. They open the ramp, there are guys who swing pallets with parachutes

And we all take shelter because there, in this case, It’s a bit of a sensitive cargo. Three pallets came out. We get dropped packages by air. It could be food, water, ammunition, it depends. It’s to the millimeter, to the nearest second, I feel.

You throw away the package a second too late, you find it 200 meters further. The guys are strong. End of the drop, we collect the package, the designated persons to recover, recover. We rub our hands. If the guys are good, they gave us cupcakes, small drinks in the package,

Otherwise, we recover the wooden boards to make seats, furniture. We get everything back. Either way, we win. We heard on the radio network that it was going to take longer, because one of the vehicles supposed to transport the equipment failed. Of fuel. What is there, it is that vehicles in France,

We know we can call a tow truck, who has what it takes, all the pieces, that we can bring him back to the regiment without worry. There will always be someone to come pick us up and spare parts. The thing is, the LAVs here mechanics don’t change a piece that is not HS.

If we are in the middle of the desert, if the pieces drop in the desert, we have it in the ass. He doesn’t fit, don’t you have a hammer? They tried to restart it, it did not work, and they had a vehicle to tow it. Except that while trying to tow it,

He got stuck in the sand too because we are in the middle of the desert. Let’s meet with a transport vehicle on the pile and a big transporter, the same, stuck in the sand. Obviously, it takes time. The sun is high in the sky, we are in the middle of the desert,

It’s starting to hit hard and the vehicles must be removed from the sand. The guys were busy to get vehicles out of the sand, while the area was still being secured, with the bulletproof vest, helmet, weaponry, etc. Of course, it’s hot.

It is the most common in the desert, getting stuck in the sand. Afterwards, we have people who know how to do it, so they give their orders. The master corporal gave us his orders, he tried all the methods. It didn’t work, he tried everything and in the end he found the good solution.

You have to take a little on yourself and try to laugh, to pass the time, otherwise, if we repeat to ourselves that it’s hot, that there is sand, that we are tired, there are still 120 days left. We’re going to freak out. In fact, we have a bubble.

The bubble is the atmosphere bubble and we work on the atmosphere bubble pretty much everywhere and after all everything goes well. The little spark. When you arrive at an unknown place, you don’t follow the tracks. If a vehicle from us passes, you follow the footsteps,

Because we do not multiply the chances to type an IED. Our mission to us, recognize a route able to transmit important information in Kidal and the outskirts. The enemy can consist of in isolated cases or small teams. The H1 is an attack, partly indirect, in Kidal, that would surprise me.

H2 is IED attack, mines. There will be a moment in the mission likely to have an IED threat. Our mission, the challenge, is to have recognized the key points of Kidal, for 10:30 a.m. For this mission patrol in Kidal, which consisted of recognizing characteristic points of Kidal,

We had prepared the mission well, as we will do every time. We worked on what we call non-compliant cases, reactions to have in certain situations. We said: there will only be a small hot area. There shouldn’t be any worries, we will go through and come out quietly.

Arriving at the theater, we are entitled to the Kidal tour. This is what had to happen, take a little tour of Kidal, see the characteristic places, large public squares, discover a little of the city, etc. We see very few people, some children, nothing special at that moment,

Apart from the fact that the city seemed deserted. There aren’t many people. We bring in the element of genius to ensure that passage is safe, that we can borrow it. A removal of doubt must be put in place because the lead patrol thinks he sees electric cables under the sand and finally,

From that moment, there are quite a few people and people start to observe us. Quickly afterwards, when we begin the progression to Kidal, we meet a small group of around twenty demonstrators. At that moment I only think to quickly pass my column

And I considered that it would stop once we passed this place. We saw that they wanted stand in front of us. This is where the first stone is gone. The problem is that as we progress, we are followed by motorbikes who throw stones. We’re tense. They are already stonewalling us.

We pass, they give the middle finger. You wave, you say hello, they give a middle finger. We don’t know if we’re disturbing them, or if we arrange them. The early protesters are surely manipulated, or at least influenced. After the staff on motorcycles and in the pickup, I think they are people more identified,

Who are active. Activists who have very specific demands and a willingness to firmly oppose to the Barkhane force. Barkhane is annoying by being here, because it hinders traffic on this point, which is a crossroads, and a very interesting point for traffic management. 15, can the convoy accelerate?

The windshield is in process to give way to the rear. 15, received, forward! On the way out of town, my assistant always has motorcycles sticking to him. I give the order to my patrol head to carry out warning shots and the motorcycles do not pursue. That ends the chase.

I was there, I took care of the living area, and they arrived two hours early. I said to myself : what has happened ? I went out, I saw the state exploded windows of LAVs. I said to myself: oh yeah! They were welcomed as they should be, it puts you in the bath.

They hit the level. Windshield there, windshield there, windshield in front, plus the one at the back. I no longer have a mirror. They blew it. There were no injuries or anything, but just for the first outing, It’s true that it’s a little surprising. It puts you in the match straight away.

I expected it to continue as much, because, ultimately, It goes on like that very often. I’m not surprised at all, I knew we were going to catch fire. There are no surprises from this point of view. I know that, anyway, the rhythm is likely to remain the same during the four months.

I know I’ll come back, that we will all come back very tired of this OPEX, I am convinced of it. Last year, we returned in a village where things were tense. It was tense but there… Non. I think it will be four tense months.

Last year, there were 10 days out of the four months. There it will be four months. Four months, It’s going to be tense. In the north of Mali, the men of the Charlie platoon discover for many their first external operation. They arrived at this base almost a month ago.

Between the guard of the camp, the patrols or protection supply convoys, they have very little time for themselves and especially for their family. For the moment, I haven’t called my mother yet, just the girlfriend. Women are missing. Necessarily, I mince my words with her.

I say it’s going well, that there was no problem. It’s quiet, the material is fine. everything is going well. Like that, she is reassured. May she be reassured and don’t ask any questions. If she asks too many questions, she starts to stress,

Knowing that I can’t talk to him nor call him every evening. Eat well, is there enough to eat for everyone ? It’s a bit psychotic among families, they don’t really know. You don’t have to tell them everything. They will see him, but you don’t have to tell them everything,

Because it gets worrying very quickly. Especially among mothers, Worry can go very quickly. You have to weigh what I’m told. We’re getting there little by little. We have just arrived, we can’t say everything right away. It’s more than 3000 kilometers away from their house

That the soldiers of the Charlie platoon will celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Day. Before that, they are going to go on operation and leave this base where they have been living for a month. Their mission: recognize an area where the Malian state no longer present since 2013, a controlled area by armed groups.

It’s a theater of war here. We knew we weren’t going to come only to tan. We prepared seriously. Arriving here, we are comfortable. As they say, hard training, easy war. We have a mission to fulfill over four days, with goals to be completed over four days.

For this, we will unfold the first day, and we will brief on the following days in the evening for the next day. Some prevention messages? If there were to be an IED incident on board a vehicle, use smoke bombs which are inside the vehicles. Green smoke bombs, no injuries or really minor injuries.

Red smoke bombs, there is someone injured we’ll say, a little serious. No smoke, the worst situation, there is no one left ready to crack a smoke bomb. The big risk is FDI. The recourse patrol, we are here to find leads, to pass convoys. This is the big risk. Reconnaissance is IEDs.

Afterwards, things can get bad on the face. Those are the big risks. Guys, first exit. Welcome to Mali! The riding mission aimed to gather intelligence on an area where the force could lack of information, first on the practicability of the axes, Next, and much more important, which group held the area,

Because we know that following recent agreements between armed groups, the zones of influence have evolved. The area for riding changed order. It’s no longer the same group armed who commands it. Our mission was to verify that there had been a change, to perceive, to feel, and to bring up the situation on site.

There are still houses, and we’re going to go to the cistern, go around, and we’ll see. The cistern, if we pass it, we do not care. Since 2013, this desert immensity is in the hands of several armed groups: Islamist groups that the Barkhane force is fighting, Tuareg independence militias

Who are in struggle against the capital Bamako, and Tuareg armed groups who support Bamako and fight against the separatists and the Islamists. A real headache for the Charlie platoon who must recognize quickly each of these groups, especially when they take the head of the convoy.

When we open the way for the entire convoy, It’s a pretty exhilarating feeling. Already, we are in front of everyone, we are the ones who set the pace, who are looking for the best route for the entire convoy. It’s both exhilarating and a little anxiety-provoking, of course, because everyone is counting on us,

You must not get frosty. We have to be very attentive and very vigilant, because we are the first exposed. If something happens, it’s for our apple. After the summary vehicle inspection, a staff from Kidal, who lives in the area currently for his small livestock,

So I told him to stay away from the convoy. Everyone is focused on their task, a little in his bubble. The first two or three kilometers, we hope there is nothing on the road, without being psycho, but I hope it won’t be for me. We are focused on the road, the environment,

What is around, people, vehicles. In France, we are relaxed because we know that in the regiment, we are not risking our lives. We are not in the operational. On site, what we realize, it’s that the actors take over. For me, that’s professionalism. Some men are pros and well trained.

They do what they have to do, they know that. The environment is very difficult. It wears out the material in a way much faster that this would be the case in France. Necessarily, as soon as we move, emergency equipment is required to tow, to tow and also to carry out on-site repairs.

When we leave like that, it involves a logistical part. That’s just the basics, the prerequisite in which we can’t go on a mission. We easily accept to take risks when we know that on the mechanical level and on the medical level, we will be supported quickly if the need arises.

That’s what I wanted. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have signed. This is what we are looking for: surpass yourself, test your limits, see how far we can go in fatigue, in rusticity. We are in an environment very hostile, in the middle of the desert. I wasn’t looking to be a sentinel. That’s for sure.

Being here and doing what we do, everything we trained for, It makes sense once here. Before, we didn’t really realize, but once we are there, it makes sense. At the head of the convoy, the Charlie platoon must make contact with the population, a not easy mission

In an area deserted by civilians in 2013, and where the rare inhabitants still present do not speak French. [Audio in Malian]. Yes. [Audio in Malian]. We realized when we arrived that there was very little of sedentary populations. There is an insecurity felt by people which is experienced, which exists, which is real.

This is why we rarely find of sedentary population. People come get water at the level of the wells, and they leave at the end of the day in the bush, where they are safe, because it’s isolated. It’s in the middle of the bush, in the heart of this area held by militias,

That the Charlie platoon spend your first night under the stars. At these times, we take the opportunity to disconnect. We remove everything that is mesh. We try to wear shorts as much as possible, let your feet breathe, because locked up 24 hours in the rangers, It’s not good. To eat a little better,

We are going to take paws, mix them with our rations. We’re going to have fun, basically. These rare moments are important, since we’re blowing a little. We just have to take care, to get back into shape. Reconditioning of equipment and staff, because the materials take it, but men too.

You have to learn to be tough in the mission, to take care of yourself, eat well, sleep well, take care of yourself. It’s having little rituals which allow us to stay in the mission and above all over time. After two days of progress, the Charlie platoon arrives near the village of Takenout,

A place run by a Tuareg armed group, the GATIA. This is the Touareg Self-Defense Group of Imghad and Allies, Born in 2014, to ensure the defense of this area, this group which has the support from the capital Bamako fight against Islamist groups and the independent Tuareg tribes North, gathered within the CMA,

The coordination Azawad Movements. A month ago, the men of GATIA suffered a violent attack from the CMA and suffered heavy losses. To take stock of the situation, the Charlie platoon must come into contact with a GATIA manager. Honestly, arrived here, as we also had a departure a little on the wheel hats,

We have a bit of a knife between our teeth that we say to ourselves that these are all my enemies. This is not the case at all. You have to be very lucid, very pragmatic. I’m coming full of bullets with my two vehicles on the height of the crest line,

And we are not serene, because we see Pickups on the hill, with armed men. Are they hostile or not ? The sun stood up in the back, so we couldn’t see their flag. We did not see which militia they belonged. Eventually, these men are indeed from GATIA. As you approach the area,

The soldiers of the Charlie platoon discover the remains of a violent fight. We realize where we are when we see the surrounding decor, all these cartridge cases. We’re not that surprised. It just reminds, once again, if it was necessary, that we are not in the land of Care Bears.

We are in a war zone. For me, it’s the first contact with the local population and especially with an armed group. I’m coming, I’m a little tense. A little bit. I don’t know how to approach the people in front of me, because I don’t know their culture,

I don’t know which are their habits. Quickly, I am made to understand that you need to relax, that you have to take the time to talk with people, to be open to them. Then, perhaps, if I can gain their trust at least a little bit, I will have information which may be interesting.

Colonel, how many of you are in the GATIA area? Here we have 500 in the GATIA area. He says that for the moment, here, at Takenout, there are 500 of us, but there are others who are in the Ménaka area and everywhere to the South.

We take the time to talk, to get to know each other, to drink tea. We are arriving little by little to obtain interesting information, and even to meet the chef of the group on site. I hadn’t realized the importance that he could have had before speaking to her.

Then I realized that in the last chords between his group and another major group from the area, He represented his group and had affixed his signature on the treaty that was adopted. He was someone, I think, important. They have a problem with the people of the CMA of Kidal,

It is a problem which is not resolved until now. A few weeks ago, a month ago, there was a clash here, was it with the CMA? The CMA attacked our elements here. There was a clash here. [Audio in local language]. The war was fought here, here and here.

He says the CMA attacked one of our positions here, and we retreated here. Takenout is one of our great bases, of the region, it has since been given, this is why we do not accept that the CMA stays here. The good thing is, it’s that I understand better the situation on site.

I understand much better what could be influence games and all the consequences that this may be behind. It improves our understanding of the situation. In addition to the struggle waged facing armed terrorist groups, the Charlie platoon discovers the reality of a conflict more complex than it seems. Is there no water here?

With the war, old rivalries have resurfaced and are now settled between Tuareg tribes with a Kalashnikov. We tend to believe that people wish us harm, but this is not the case. The majority of people are kind. They are always ready to help us. You have to know how to sort things out.

I really enjoyed meeting them, because we realize that they are people who joined forces to protect their lands, their families and their livestock. They want to live in peace with their traditions, their culture, and let them be left in peace.

At first, you don’t really know, whether he is with you or against you. We learn, we exchange cultures a little, even if we don’t do much, but in the look, in the way of speaking, I learn from them, they learn from us. It’s nice, because there is a mixture of customs.

These people, ultimately, they look like us, because they are committed. They carry weapons, because they want to defend their family, their land, and they are deeply attached to it. I think there is a little the same notion of commitment among us, among our young people.

I think there really is somewhere in the commitment of a young person, in his choice to bear arms, there is always this attachment in defense of something. It can be a country, a region, an ethnicity, but there is the will to defend something, and we find ourselves a little in them.

Above all, it’s so much easier that we are generally the same age. Not necessarily the same aspirations, but we carry arms almost for the same reasons. This is the end of the overlapped operation. The day begins when the Charlie platoon returns to their base in Kidal.

Their mission: open the way for the rest of the convoy. For our mission of the day, we barely go two or three kilometers. The very tall grass, it was still dark, visibility was really not good. The patrol in front of me had taken a little lead.

As the grass was tall, we really couldn’t see anything. We weren’t going fast. We couldn’t see too well. We were on a field with tall grass. There was a hole, and we couldn’t see. When we are in front, we are focused,

He must not have seen the ditch which was hidden by the tall grass. There is a hole over there. We can’t see from here, but there is a hollow of 1.20 meters. He rolled, he fell in, he passed to the other side.

In terms of sensitivity, Is it the same thing on the other side? Didn’t we fall asleep? OK that works. Grab my fingers. These two hands. You will be as strong as possible. Loud, loud, loud, loud. Go ahead, impeccable, let’s relax. Surprised by a ditch,

The three men did not have time to protect themselves. The pilot with the cut forehead complains of severe pain in the neck, the captain is out of breath, sore ribs, cut tongue. The third man is slightly shocked. I imagined the worst, wondering what happened. It happened quickly, too, in armored vehicles.

Did you see your head screwed up? and hurt you. Don’t you have neck pain? I can move, I am not hurt. I hurt here and there, because it clicked, I guess. When there is an accident like that, we establish a security perimeter around the area. Just after or simultaneously,

We take the connection with injured personnel. The severity of the injuries is assessed. Then, depending on we request a medical evacuation or not. It’s done, it’s checked, no worries. It’s just that I’m going to report to the C.O of the assessment which is made Afterwards, the question is: since I evacuate one,

Do we evacuate the three or just one and keep the others? Medically, they do not need… I think we go with all three, because the… There is a medical evacuation for all three people so that they pass other examinations.

It’s not so much the severity of the injuries that what could have been hidden, who justified that they be medically evacuated. The men in the tiger say to themselves who are these badgers down there. While the three wounded are taken away to a transport helicopter, a combat helicopter, tiger, secures the area.

In 20 minutes, after a tactical flight at low altitude, they will be taken care of at the Gao base military hospital. We know they are doing well. We are happy, but it would have been serious. I think it would have been hard for us. It’s like our brothers.

It’s like your brother has an accident, it’s serious, you are in pain too. Camaraderie and cohesion are forged in the hardest. As they say, cohesion, it’s not in a beer. It’s in the hardest times that we see who to count on, that we can really bring people together.

This is not to do a space mountain ride, they are afraid to get in, we force them to do it. They do everything, and they are happy. There, it’s really in trouble, in sweat, in dust, in blood we form bonds. It’s in this that we form bonds, for me.

The incident took place at 5:30 a.m. It is nine o’clock. Do you see the time it takes? Three hours and a half to evacuate three injured people. It was hard. If we look for the positive, at least we drained a complete Évasan chain, with evacuation by helicopter. At least, it was a mandrill,

Hoping there is no next time so everyone knows what pass there must be and what should he offer? and what report he has to do to make it speed up. There we are going to ride for about forty miles, hoping it runs well.

If things go well, around three o’clock, we should have arrived. There are levels of wakefulness who are graduated. We are not everything time on maximum alert. We are in a state of alert constant, of course, but as it is not at its maximum, we manage to live with it.

Of course, it takes time to adapt, but the training also aims to that our staff are used to this and that they can bear it. On the other hand, it is certain that on return, it will take time to adapt more or less long depending on the person,

To return to a more normal life, consistent with the life we ​​have in the Metropolis. After several weeks spent in Kidal, in the north of Mali, the Charlie platoon preparing for a long operation who will lead them to the border east of the country, in the Ménaka region.

This is where four soldiers American special forces and several Nigerien soldiers lost their lives for two months earlier in an ambush. The ambush had been carried out by the EIGS, the Islamic State in the Great Sahara, i.e. Daesh. A highly trained armed terrorist group,

That the soldiers of the Barkhane force will try to flush out. On your mind, the Charlie platoon must recognize areas of progress and check the information sent by his leader, starting with the areas weapons caches or enemy ammunition. I receive the order to go search a weapons cache. We begin the progression,

And I begin reconnaissance of the area with the EOD team and one of my patrols. We arrive at the scene. All patrols put themselves under surveillance and cover us. One pair on the left, one pair on the right. 30 or 40 meters apart, they’re going to struggle.

The excitement was there, without a cache of weapons, we change. If we can no longer find a place, we don’t have all day, here we go. Perhaps, we can make things interesting. It’s satisfying to find things, weapons, for having done that. We found weapons, that’s good.

Our genius passes his frying pan, it beeps. I said to myself that there is something, but it was a scrap bar or something like that. The place was a weird one, but it was a long hole. I think it went very deep in the ground.

In the end, we found nothing, there was no metal detecting. They found nothing. Damage ! In the end, they find stones, dust, mice, but no weapons. Nothing at all, nothing. I don’t find it frustrating, because from from the moment there is a suspicion, someone has to go remove whatever doubt there is.

Doubt removed, let’s accept that there may be nothing. It was until the end… The natural cavities were there, information were not completely wrong. Someone had to look into it. When it’s like this, we do not have a choice, you have to be passionate.

Because if you say that there is a cache of weapons, we will search and find. Here goes the medals, the decorations and you find nothing, you lose your morale just for that, you have nothing to do with us. The asymmetrical enemy is well aware

That the way to escape, it is to deprofile oneself, to break into the population, and he does it very well. We are obliged to lead systematic checks. Twelve Alpha, you go behind me, then we press forward of the track, facing control. It happens that there are summons which are made.

First audio, then visual. If the vehicles do not respond summons by fire, once it stops, we control loading, personnel, where they go, what they do, the phone. When we come across civilian vehicles, we carry out more checks or less pushed. We quickly look what is the loading,

The person’s attitude and demeanor, and we exchange a few words. If nothing seems suspicious, we let her go. Never, that gives us a blank check, and that authorizes us to do whatever we want. The enemy is never far away, He is always there where we are not.

Like us, we move, he moves too. He knows it, I don’t know how. I’m not with them, but they know it directly. As soon as we move, roads, there are not 1000 of them, when we take a road, it inevitably leads to a place. They leave the area.

They always go further east or further north. They shift. They are talked about, because afterwards, we know that they were there. They are talked about. They are moving, we never see them, we never meet them. It’s as if we were doing a huge sweep, but nothing in our path,

Because they go backwards every time we move forward. We can’t find them, they are the ones who find us. I don’t know how to find them. It’s intelligence on the right, on the left. These are hours and weeks of fieldwork to find a handful of men. It’s frustrating.

The peloton is not at all in the role of hunter. It is not necessarily very nice to say, but we are in the role of the prey, because the enemy knows his terrain well. and who sees us coming from very far away. He thinks like us. Before engaging in combat with us,

If he does, he will choose favorable ground and he will necessarily have the ascendancy, at least initially. We must accept the fact that we are not in the role of the hunter, but rather prey. You must always be ready to react to an ambush, to an IED attack.

This is the most likely threat and there is very little chance that it won’t happen, the fact that we find ourselves facing an enemy lined up, facing us. It’s good if he doesn’t surprise us. Cigar? – No. Map. – Map ? Map. – [Audio in local language]. There you have it, a map.

You understand a little. People are scared, They don’t even want to talk to you. You arrive, but they don’t talk to you. At the beginning, absolutely, they do the type that they don’t speak French. [Audio in local language]. Wait, calm down! [Audio in local language]. Calm down, calm down! [Audio in local language].

The population is scared, because our enemies are spreading the message that we want to harm people, that we are here to kill civilians, and sows insecurity and disorder in the area. Above, you lived in Tin-Hama. Yes, on Asongo, commune of Tin-Hama! Here, it’s just common.

It’s risky for the locals to speak to the force. because we are not always in the field. Therefore, it is possible that men came in the village before us. They say that if you talk to Barkhane, we put you in misery. Demonstrations of force, there are plenty of ways to do it,

Cut off a limb, take families hostage, pillage a village. I will give a card phone for us. No. – You do not want ? Demonstrations of force, it is said that they had the right to do so. In a camp, I met a man who shook my hand with his left hand.

I thought I wasn’t welcome. He no longer had a right hand, I knew it was for other reasons. Like this, you keep, you show the children that you shouldn’t touch all that. You teach children which should not be touched. OK ? – OK. I leave this, you give to everyone.

If they see this, they don’t touch it, and they call. If you saw this… You must call. – All right. Terrorized by men of the Islamic State in the Great Sahara, the inhabitants of this isolated region know that speaking to the Barkhane force puts their lives in danger.

All that can leave the Charlie platoon are these leaflets inviting the villagers to call them in case of discovery ammunition or explosive devices. Now installed at the heart of the population, The Terrorists remain more elusive than ever. Very frustrating, because we are told that they are nearby that soon we will catch them,

That it will come to fruition, that we are not here for nothing. We know that we are not here for nothing. Gradually, every day, it’s heavy. It is true that when you’re on a mission like that, it’s the routine that sets in, and that’s what’s not good. It is from the moment

Where you get your little habits on the ground like that, these habits kill, By saying that every day, it’s the same thing, you are less vigilant. You don’t look at things like that. this is often where the accident happens or problems arise. We watch over the grain, to make sure that doesn’t happen.

The Charlie platoon arrives in the last village to control, a few steps from the border between Mali and Niger. After weeks, to explore this region, alone, they are, this time, accompanied by two informants. Are the motorbikes right next door? – It’s here. Members of a village militia self-defense,

They tried to defend themselves against Islamic State terrorists in the great Sahara. Now drunk with revenge, they decided to help the Barkhane force to gather intelligence. Their objective : help the platoon Charlie to obtain sufficient information to free their village which is just 30 kilometers from here. These people are collaborators.

What we could call, in everyday language, indicators. In exchanges, a neighboring village 40 km away will be mentioned. A village from which come our two collaborators. We clearly understand that we will have a convergence of interests. By that I mean that we want to find GATs, and that they have revenge to take.

Clearly, they lost feathers. They lost loved ones and they want their revenge. One of the two collaborators has a lot of information to give us on the village in question. This information are particularly interesting, because we have the identities of the village chief, of his son

Who turns out to be the GAT leader on site. The leader of the armed terrorist group who controls the village. We also have the name of the GAT chief for the entire area. Knowing that we are not far from the enemy, the Charlie platoon continues their investigation further. During a conversation with villagers,

A man particularly attracts their attention. If you found them… – [Audio in local language]. We find a house around which men are seated. We are heading towards them, they are privileged interlocutors. Women not being able to talk to us without the presence of men on site.

From the start, I noticed that we have three privileged interlocutors, male children or adolescents are with them. On the other hand, while children participate in the discussion or in any case, listen, we have an older man ripe which remains behind. From the start, it appeals to me,

Because, if children are in the circle of discussion, there is no reason let a man stay behind. This clearly confirms that he has something to reproach himself for. We dig, we want to know what he’s doing. The family around is a family of shepherds, but he runs a business.

When I was told that, I ask him to take me and show me around his business He takes us to his business, we see that for such a small village, he has a relatively large stock. It has already happened that we buy from him a lot of packages at once?

[Audio in local language]. In his stock, we clearly have elements which indicate that it is able to provide GAT, because he has cereals in large quantities. It also has plenty of inner tubes and pumps to inflate motorcycles. We know very well that these elements, the locals don’t need it in such large quantities.

He really has what it takes to provide a large stock. [Audio in local language]. They found an incredible package in a man, That rings a bell. Either it’s a big trader that he is talkative and that we like him. Well, he has veins. That does not mean that he’s a big bad guy

Who’s going to kill people and everything, but it’s still weird. A long discussion begins, The merchant is monitored. We see that already, he is very reluctant. In addition, he finds himself that he has 180,000 CFA francs on him, which is huge for the area.

We continue the control, and it’s there that we learn a lot of things, that this trader, he sells to everyone, and that in the region where we act, there is definitely a presence of GAT. Two days later, there is action which had a concrete result.

This will be able to bring an action of force which we will not lead personally, which will have a certain result, and relatively satisfactory on the ground, because it made it possible to neutralize three people and enemies who we are sure were enemies. The village has existed for 20 years.

After this search of the village, we let the merchant leave, having nothing against him, if these are just suspicions. Two days later, following the information obtained during this mission, special forces soldiers, supported by air means, intervened in this village fallen into hands of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. During this assault,

In addition to three important members of the terrorist group who are neutralized, French soldiers took prisoners, and forced the rest to flee temporarily of this Mali-Niger border area. For several weeks, the peloton Charlie knew he was running behind this group, a priori elusive, linked to Daesh.

What he didn’t know, it is that at the same moment, the two main terrorist leaders of the Sahel and the Sahara were trying to make a connection between their two groups. Iyad Ag Ghaly, leader of the Islam support group and Muslims linked to Al-Qaeda, Abu Walid Al-Sahraoui,

Leader of the Islamic State in the Great Sahara, were in the area to meet. A meeting damaged by this operation carried out by soldiers of the Barkhane force. It’s satisfaction, we served a purpose. In itself, my platoon, it’s quite a recognition and investigation. We taught, we did our TAF. Finally, everything we did,

It was useful. Even us, on our side we saw nothing, we did nothing. Behind, they could not do what they wanted, but our objectives were achieved. We were there to catch up with the terrorists, to make them go back, and make them leave. We learn that it really happened.

It’s good, because it allowed us to end on a positive note, to tell ourselves that what we did, it’s useful, it’s useful. We liberated populations who were subject to Sharia law, pressure from Islamists and radicalize those who made their lives hell. We feel useful. We tell ourselves that we have done things.

You say that all your moments frustration, doubt, all things like that go away. You were happy. Your mission takes on meaning. You say I’m here to bring peace. After that, you go back home, you’ve grown. You take on the big problems like small problems. You put things into perspective a lot.

Me, I feel good, since I know now that the French soldiers do not disturb the order, and we’re not there to destroy the country, but we are here to stabilize it. It feels good, because before, we hear that the French soldiers do this and that.

Now here I am, I am a French soldier, I live the life of a French soldier, I realize that’s not it. It’s nice to know that too. We are quite lucid about recognition people for our work, or non-recognition. What matters, is that we always commit at the beginning for great causes.

Ultimately, these causes, when you are engaged for a long time, they are partially erased to reveal causes present in daily life, much stronger. In summary, when we are in operation, we don’t work that much anymore for France or for the idea of ​​homeland, but good for those who we are with every day,

Long before, whether for France or something else.

Qui sont les jeunes qui rejoignent les rangs de l’armée française depuis les attentats ? Quelles sont les motivations des soldats d’aujourd’hui et de leur encadrement à l’heure où l’armée française est engagée sur de nombreux théâtres d’opérations ? Et comment ces jeunes recrues s’apprêtent-elles à vivre leur première opération extérieure ?

00:00 Derniers entraînements
Dans ce premier épisode, nous découvrons les soldats d’un peloton de reconnaissance au cours de leurs derniers entrainements en France. Nous les suivrons ainsi à Canjuers où ils ont reçu une instruction spécifique à leur future mission et où ils ont pu travailler avec les différentes unités qu’ils retrouveront sur l’opération Barkhane. Et nous verrons également leurs derniers exercices de tir avant le départ et constaterons que pour un chef de peloton, la bonne préparation physique, technique et psychologique des hommes est un soucis permanent.

49:39 Arrivée au Mali
Dans ce second épisode, nous allons vivre avec les cavaliers du peloton Charly la découverte d’un terrain que beaucoup ne connaissent pas, l’Afrique et sa dure réalité. A partir de Gao, nous suivrons leur premier pas au cœur d’une base opérationnelle puis leur long périple vers le Nord. Et c’est à mesure que le peloton progressera vers Kidal que nous découvrirons comment chacun vit ce début
d’opération et nous découvrirons, à leur côté, la réalité d’un conflit plus complexe qu’il n’y paraît.

01:31:15 Opération Barkhane
Dans ce troisième et dernier épisode, nous allons suivre les derniers pas du peloton Charly dans l’opération Barkhane. Nous allons découvrir comment toutes les appréhensions qu’ils avaient avant leur départ ont disparu, ou non. Nous verrons aussi comment ils se sont finalement adaptés à des conditions de vie très rustiques et comment ils voient leur mission avant de retrouver enfin la France.

Réalisateur : Emmanuel Reau