1er Régiment de Parachutistes d'Infanterie de Marine, (1er RPIMA), is one of the special forces of the French army. They are known to specialize in counter-terrorism. Even though they are part of the army, they are trained in various situations. They are specialists in amphibious infiltrations, as well as air insertions. They also carry the name of their British Counterpartner S.A.S., which stands in the version of 1er RPIMA for Stick Action Spéciale.

Motto: "Qui Ose Gagne"
Translation: Who Dares Win

Established in: "1940"

To join, one can either first become a soldier in the french army, or join from the streets. If he joins from the french army, he must first spend 3 years at least in the army and be recommended for Selection for 1er RPIMA. The other way is to come from the streets and going through several extra courses, before making it to pre-selection. Most candidates will not make it into this special force unit. One cannot be older than 29 years of age.

French 1er RPIMA Workout

Besides the physical fitness test listed here, candidates will also have to prove over and over again, that there are team players and able to integrate a team. They will undergo various mental and medical evaluations throughout pre-selection, which then turns into PMPFS (Préparation Militaire Parachutiste Force Spéciale). The candidates are here evaluated during various obstacle courses, physical training, shooting proficiency, ruck runs, exposure to cold. They also face a lot of rock climbing through this stage. This helps the staff to see which recruits have a real chance to make it through Selection, and which do not. This test listed here is a modified version incorporating various aspects of pre-selection training.

Selection French 1er RPIMA

During Selection Candidates will be miserable, sleep-deprived, food-deprived, and cold. The Selection phase is to ensure that only the tough and able team candidates are remaining in the course. They will be exposed to -15 degrees, and up to + 50 degrees celsius during various states of Selection and Training. In Level 1 Commando Training, which lasts 4 weeks, they will go through intense physical training, while being sleep and food-deprived. They will have to climb a lot, carry ammunition canes, go through hand to hand combat, shooting training and tests, ruck marches and survival training. Furthermore, candidates will also learn the art of rappelling.

Attributes of a 1er RPIMA Operator:

"On ne recherche pas de moutons, on recherche des leaders, des leaders qui pousse jusqu'au bout. On recherche des gens qui restent lucides jusqu'au bout, malgré la difficulté, malgré l'épreuve qu'on est en train de passer.."

We are not for looking for sheep, we are looking for leaders, leaders who are willing to push beyond their limits. We are looking for people who remain mentally clear until the end, whatever the difficulty, whatever challenge they are about to surpass. Furthermore, candidates who want to join 1er RPIMA should be team players, who can easily adapt to any situation. Those who are mentally strong, love France and feel the strong urge to defend and serve their country. Candidates who make it through Selection come with a balanced psychological profile, intelligent as well as innovative, and are outstanding physical athletes. 1er RPIMA soldiers are ready to sacrifice their own lives, so that their comrades may live, without hesitation.