The Cirfa (Information and Recruitment Center of the Armed Forces) of the armies is present on April 24 and 25 in Dijon, with a prominent display: among others, an Alpha Jet is stationed in downtown Dijon. This is part of a communication and information operation about the four arms, which also takes place in the gardens of the department.
A hundred exhibitors are present in Dijon on April 24 and 25 in the gardens of the department and Place de la République. The “military event” aims to explain the daily life and demystify the military profession.
Adjudant-chef Alain Duvaquier, head of the Information and Recruitment Center for the Armed Forces (Cirfa) in Dijon, explains that demonstrations will take place at Place de la République, with the gardens of the department focusing more on recruitment.
The military emphasizes that “bringing in resources is also to inspire vocations.” The four army branches (Air Force, Navy, Army, and National Gendarmerie) are present at Place de la République, along with the Foreign Legion, the Second Regiment of Dragons, and firefighters from Sdis 21.
Adjudant-chef Duvaquier points out that “the current context is complicated. The landscape has been unstable for a while, we need young people to both feed the pool of active staff and to replace departing military personnel.” With training ranging from 8 months to 2 years on average to become operational, “the army provides continuous training, depending on specialties and qualifications.”
In the army, the possibility of a career is an argument for recruitment, as highlighted by the military from the information center: “A young person who joins the army will progress. They will advance in rank, take on responsibilities, and their salary will increase. So today, we offer salaries that are quite attractive.”
For this event, the army displays various resources at Place de la République including a 20-ton versatile logistics carrier for the army, flight simulators, a Centaure intervention vehicle from the gendarmerie, and an Alpine. The army, which previously only deployed at the department’s gardens, now showcases its presence in a visible way to reach the general public.
Interview conducted by Rodolphe Augier
