Editing Tailspins & Tiki Gods:The Legionnaires (section)

=The Legion Company at Port Cochere=
The company garrisoned at Ile Trouve is a special detachment of the Foreign Legion [OOC: probably on loan from the 5th Foreign Regiment, the Legion’s “Far East” contingent, based in French Indochina.] It clocks in at 282 members, in all. (It’s somewhat of an outsized company as a result). 

It is, oddly, categorized  as a “Fortress Infantry” unit (a la the troops assigned to the Maginot Line, back home) with a contingent of “C” reservists. (Meaning that they are, technically, very low-priority for equipment, but also allowing them to perform ''Gendarmerie'' functions) 

==Unit Structure==
The ''Compagnie'' ('''Company''') is commanded by Capitaine Auguste Pierre St. Michel LaValle. 

It consists of 
-A '''Command Platoon''': (Further details TBA, but it definitely includes a bicycle messenger.)

-A 5-man 60mm '''mortar squad''' ( Leader/Spotter (Sgt.), Gunner, Assistant Gunner & 2 Ammunition Bearers.) using one of these: http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandt_Mle_1935

-and 4 Infantry ''Sections'' ('''Platoons''')
(each Section consists of:

1 Command Squad ( CO (Lt or Sous-Lieutenant), NCO (Sgt, Sgt-Chef or 1re Sergent), an observer/scout and a signaler/messenger) & 3 infantry squads. 
An '''infantry squad''' is led by a Caporal-chef as a squad leader, and consists of two teams:

-- A “Shock Element” (4 riflemen and a rifle-grenadier), led by the senior Legionnaire present.(They use Lebel 8mm rifles).

--and a “Fire Element” (A Caporal, a Light Machine Gunner ( mostly using these 1931 Mitrailleuse guns (http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reibel_machine_gun ), mounted up at the fortress), a loader, and 3 ammo carriers (who also carry carbines).

This brings the official company count up to about 212 men. The remaining 70 people are largely logistical people (Quartermaster & Suppliers, Cook & staff, medical doctor/veterinarian, packmaster for the mules, etc), but also have a number of people unaccounted for on any official roster. 

-Due to the unsuitability of the Ile Trouve backcountry for motorized transport, the Legion company depends entirely on pack-mules.

==Unit Demographics==
-The Company’s senior leadership (from about the Caporal level up) is mostly French. It’s seen as a choice posting for a French Army officer. 

-About 160 of the Legionnaires present are on short-term postings. 

-84 are “Belgian” (see below). The remainder are from, literally, around the world (Including Britain, Chad, Spain, Italy, Germany, Russia, Argentina, Indochina, Canada, even the US of A.)  

-There are no female Legionnaires at this time, though women have allegedly served disguised as men. [There will be one undisguised woman Legionnaire, in WW2.]

-There are, surprisingly, a few ''Aspirants''. These are French Army cadets getting their feet wet in command roles. What they’re doing out here is quite unclear.

==Unit Activities==
Generally speaking, the Legion unit drills, trains, patrols, or performs hard labor. The Captain is well aware that no Legion unit has ever mutinied while in combat, but that it frequently happens while on garrison duty. Therefore, he does his best to keep his troops occupied, working largely on “public and military infrastructure construction”. (Roads, shoring up the fort, etc.)

In the rather unusual structure of life in Port Cochere, the Legion unit is occasionally given special dictat to locally perform the functions of the Gendarmerie (see the Police section of “The Authorities” for more). The current Mayor only occasionally pulls ''that'' lever, though.

POLICY REGARDING THE KAMEKAME: The Legion has, on occasion, performed "border marches" along the edges of the agreed-on turf of Port Cochere. This was not taken as an aggressive act by the Kamekame, who seemed to rather enjoy Legionary marching songs.

Even with the force-multiplier of the fortress, it is not publicly known what plans the Legion company have regarding the Kamekame. Naturally, they follow the lead of the Territorial Government as it carries out instructions from Paris.