Groupement Commando Montagne, short G.C.M. is one special force unit of the French Military. They are the elite-unit from the "Chasseurs Alpins", who is already considered to have elite status. They are trained to conduct missions in hostile situations deep behind enemy lines, human intelligence, urban combat, and hostage rescue.

They were not known to the public until 2007 when one of its members died in combat. They used to carry the nickname: "Les Invisibles", which translates into the unseen, the Invisibles. They are considered to be the direct descendants of the unit "Eclaireur Skieur" from well-known french legend officer Tom Morel.

Established in: 2002

Motto :De Fer et d’Acier
Translation: Out of Iron and Steel

To join GCM, one comes usually from the ranks of the "Chasseurs alpins" and has at least spend basic training in the military.

French GCM Workout

Just because you finish last or do not make the time does not mean you are out of the test on the ruck run with 12KG. However, this won't impress the Staff and from that point on you will be on the chopping block. The first event will be followed by 5 different exercises where the candidates have to give their all. Those are eliminatory, you have to compete against the other competitors and have to pass a certain minimum of repetitions. Each individual will be tested individually, without the others having any idea on what the individual has accomplished. There is no break in between each event and the following events. The Squats are performed onto a medicine ball. For the pushups, the candidates will have to drop as low as their shirt touches the instructor's flat hand on the ground. Sit-ups are performed with your knees tucked under an object or an instructor will hold onto them. Arms have to be crossed in front of the chest and touch the knees. No need to go all the way down. At least 1 way up is required for the rope climb. The Obstacle Course consists of overcoming Hurdles, speed crawls underwire, and jumping and climbing events. The staff might jump and fight you and your competitor during Hand to hand combat. They want to see if you are teaming up with your competitor and fight back. The distance for the first orienteering is 12 KM.

French GCM Selection

The selection is very hard. In total, the candidates will only sleep about 2.5 hours in 5 days. Their shooting skills will be evaluated multiple times. While not having slept a lot, they still need to shoot precise and follow exact directions. They are most likely out of Selection if their shooting while lying down or sitting down is not on a high level. They spend then time in front of an interview panel who examines the candidate to see if the candidate fits the profile and if the unit fits the profile of the candidate. The staff then decides who will be allowed to continue training in the "formation initiale GCM, which translates roughly to Basic GCM Training. During Basic Training they will learn how to rappel from buildings and mountains, survival in the cold and of course in the mountains, but also maritime training. They have to stay combat-ready within every exercise. They usually receive their help from the mountaineering experts GMHM to set up basic training exercises. During "Exercice étoile verte", all their acquired knowledge will be put it one mission to showcase their combat readiness for infiltration behind enemy lines.

Attributes of a GCM Operator:

The GCM Operator has self-confidence and good self-perception. He understands his own body and is fully aware of anything that is going wrong. He is a team player, a guy that is in top physical and mental shape. The perfect operator has to be very courageous, come with a student mentality, always eager to learn something new in a unique workspace. They want soldiers who are not interested in fame, rather patriotism for their country. Another essential trait is the proven capability of being able to adapt to the unknown. They want soldiers who have a never-give-up mentality, who know what they want, and who want to repeat different events, to be even better at them. One psychologist might say they look for highly detail-oriented perfectionists. They also want guys who show initiative, whatever their rank might be, and who are also able to work on their own.