At 47, Cédric, a former soldier, shared his experience of sanctions in the army and puts some clocks on time on this subject which fuels rumors and fantasies in the minds of the French.
For years, Cédric has lived to the rhythm of secret missions, extreme training and an iron discipline. Former combat swimmer, he has long evolved in the shadows, at the heart of the action. But one day, everything changed, forcing him to change his life and to convert. He gave us his story of his years within the Grande Muette. The opportunity to evoke with him a very tough myth in the imagination of the French concerning the army: that of the sanctions.
Before talking about sanctions in the army, Cédric wishes to bring an important nuance. These are not punishment in the strict sense, but of sanctions. And often, they don’t come across a single head. “”Often the sanctions are collective“, He said. The goal is to forge solidarity and team spirit. An individual error can have heavy consequences on a mission, and the whole group pays for the price.”A person who makes a mistake punishes the whole group“, He explained. A system that may seem hard, but it prompts everyone to watch over others, to strengthen this vital vigilance in operations.
And that those who imagine themselves of humiliation scenes at the Full Metal Jacket Reassure themselves: it is not the kind of house. “”The punishments, as you say, are never humiliations. It is rather to go outside, while you are in winter country … Everyone is going to get wet, while it is 3 degrees. It will be to make pumps or run around a building by carrying a little heavy loads“, He read.
“”What is important is the strength of the collective. Everyone must check everyone’s work. We must be vigilant to anyone in the group so that the group is not punished“, he wants to specify. But despite sweat, fatigue and polar temperatures, Cédric confessed with a touch of nostalgia”that with hindsight, it’s always funny“. Not sure, however, that all of his ex-camarades have exactly the same memory but to everyone their experience.
