Amandine joined the French Army's Ad Hoc Regiment of Chad* as a mechanic when she was 19. That was two years ago. It was a period when many youngsters chose to join the armed forces or the police in the wake of a series of terrorist attacks in France. But “my choice was not inspired by these attacks,” she explains. It was simply that she has a vocational certificate in automobile mechanics and a vocational bacalaureate and thought the army might be the best place to exercise her talents as a mechanic.

“My uncle used to renovate his own cars as a hobby and as a youngster I used to love helping him,” she says, adding that it is the logic behind fixing things that she enjoys. “In order to mend something that doesn't work you have to understand the chain of events and see that it's because this thing over here is broken that that thing over there doesn't work. And I love working out that chain of logic,” she enthuses.

Knowing “that the physical requirements to get into the army are tough, I spent six months preparing,” she tells me over Skype. Her sports' club coach established an 'army requirements' work-out programme for her, concentrating on bodybuilding for strength and running for endurance. “It helped me enormously,” she said. “Of course the men and women do the same sports but we have different performance requirements. Whereas the men might have to do 50 push-ups in a given timeframe, we only had to do 45,” she says casually!

She was one of two girls amongst 40 youngsters who'd voluntarily enlisted at the same time as her. By the end of the three month initial training period that number had melted to 17. But the two girls were still there, although the other one left shortly afterwards. “Many of those who left did so in the first three weeks, once they'd understood that this was no holiday camp!” Amandine laughs. “It is a real shock to start off with. I wondered where on earth I was and it took me three weeks to realise that I was no longer a civilian. They really make you look deep within yourself for the reasons which pushed you to enlist,” and clearly more than half didn't manage. “One of the great things,” she grins, “is that you don't have to waste time in the mornings thinking about what to wear. It's always the same thing!”

And in case you're wondering, her radical haircut has nothing to do with the military. “I've had it like this since 2014 [when she was 15]. I just got fed up with having to bother with it. My family was a little surprised,” she smiles broadly, “but they've got used to it now and it's certainly practical!”

Those who survive the three month initial training period then normally move onto a three month technical training scheme. But because Amandine already had a vocational certificate in mechanics she was excused attendance and instead spent that time being trained by her superiors on trucks and light vehicles. She later spent two months as part of the Sentinelle anti-terrorist operation but did not patrol the streets. “I stayed in my role as a mechanic and so looked after the vehicles,” she explains. But she will be going on her first operation abroad in early 2021 and is clearly very excited about that.

Life in the army is all that Amandine thought it might be. So she's decided that she's going to make a career of it and not leave after her initial five year contract is up. “I'm going to try and pass the competitive entrance exam to get into the non-commissioned officers’ school at Saint Maixent,” she says. She shouldn't have any trouble because when she initially contacted Army recruitment she was told she was eligible for this course. “But I didn't want to at the time and I absolutely don't regret that decision. Rather than learning everything in eight months I have learned over time and I've gained a lot of experience and I think these things will be important when I'm in a position to command,” this determined young woman says calmly.

She's delighted by the idea that she may one day command one of her younger brothers. “Nobody in my family was military but my experience has inspired at least one of my siblings and he may be joining the army in two or three years,” she smiles. 

She's also determined to keep a balance between her professional life and her personal one. “That's key,” she says.

And what about the keys to her own success and hints to help other young women who may want to join the ground ranks of the army? “Do sports, live a healthy lifestyle, and be prepared to work hard because work is the key to success.”

*Régiment de marche du Tchad. A 'régiment de marche' in French military terms is a regiment built of units that originally belonged to other regiments. This mechanised unit, formed in July 1943, is part of the Troupes de Marine, the corps of the French Army specialised in overseas deployments.