Bored French Soldiers Are Traveling to Iraq to Fight the Islamic State

Chuck, Winter, and Kopp earned their nicknames in the ranks of the French army. They kept the same nicknames when they joined the ranks of the Peshmerga in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, back in January. Today, their uniforms display both the Kurdish flag and the French flag. To protect their families, the soldiers refused to allow VICE News to use their names nor to show their faces. "France," explained Chuck, "is also a territory at war."

Colonel Mustafa heads up the Zeravani unit, which is part of the Peshmerga. He has welcomed the three soldiers with respect. The French fighters sit at his table, with the officers. Motorbikes and Humvees loaded with weapons are stationed outside the base, which is located close to the front line, near the Mosul dam. The vehicles sit there, waiting for the next alert. Between them and the Islamic State (IS) fighters is the Tigris river and a no man's land, which is constantly monitored by soldiers from Iraqi Kurdistan.

Tea is served in a room furnished with plush sofas, lacquered tables, and rugs. There are pictures on the wall, and a clock. The Peshmerga, who hare seasoned fighters, know how to make themselves at home on the front. Sitting in a chair, the colonel points to the three Frenchmen and says: "They are going to help us develop formations that we perhaps don't know. And seeing foreigners join the cause is good for troop morale, it's important."

"Our unit's mission is to provide backup to the other Peshmerga in case Daesh [the Arab acronym for Islamic State] infiltrates the no man's land," he explained. "A few weeks ago, a few jihadists took advantage of the fog to cross the Tigris, causing damage on our side, before they were neutralized."

To "test their resistance to fire," the colonel took the Frenchmen to the front for a few nights on a small reconnaissance mission, as observers. IS was also there. "The Frenchmen reacted well, they're obviously experienced," said Colonel Mustafa. "They are brave."

"We weren't scared, we even got a little bored," said Chuck. "The son of President Barzani [leader of the regional government of Kurdistan, in north Iraq] was there too, he's a good sniper."

The exercise allowed the Frenchmen to familiarize themselves with the techniques used by the Peshmerga. "There was heavy fire. Going in one direction only. They didn't leave Daesh much of a chance."

Related: The Islamic State's 'Voice of the Caliphate' Radio Broadcast Goes Silent After Airstrikes

These young French soldiers are here of their own volition. All three are members of the Lafayette Task Force, an organization of former French soldiers who have volunteered to return to the battlefield "to help the victims of terrorism." The group says it has received much of its funding via the crowd-funding platform Leetchi.

Chuck is a former paratrooper, and left the military just before becoming a lieutenant. He is the leader of the trio, and at 25, is also the eldest. And while all three have a habit of mocking and teasing each other, they immediately fall into line under the French flag.

"We have said we wouldn't participate in any attack, but if the enemy attacks, we will retaliate," he explained. They are here to transmit the "French know-how — whether for medical evacuation or close-quarter combat. But our role will be first and foremost to strengthen the military training of the Peshmerga. We will give them everything we can."

"The Peshmerga are happy to see foreigners join them in their fight," he added. "We got a warm welcome from the officers and the troops. We will now see where their strengths lie and what their weaknesses are, if they have any."

The alleged motive of French soldiers joining in the fighting against the Islamic State has been the subject of much speculation over the past few months. But on the ground, the reasons put forward by the men are fairly straightforward.

"I didn't feel very at ease in the army," said Chuck, entering the barracks. "I was bored with the paras. I need things to happen in my life, I can't just sit around doing nothing. So here I am."

Kopp, a 20-year old Navy veteran, echoed his friend's reasoning. The dog handler and general handyman has already cobbled together some furniture for the men's barracks.

"I didn't find the [military] satisfying anymore, I feel more useful here than over there. With the budget reforms, the missions are reduced, and so is life," he said.

Instead of giving in to "barracks blues," the three men decided to return to the battlefield.

"France must intervene on the ground against Daesh," said Kopp. "It's obvious given the recent attacks in Paris. As a French citizen, you have to take part in this conflict."

Chuck said he hoped to "mobilize part of French [society] to urge the government to send boots on the ground." Winter remained discreet about his personal motives.

Colonel Mustaf entered and asked the soldiers if they liked the food at the camp. The soldiers nodded. "You'll be able to say that the food is good here, that's important for the French!"

It is the first time that this base welcomes foreign fighters, aside from members of the Kurdish diaspora. Generally speaking, the Peshmerga are weary of opening up the base to foreigners, fearing spies and acts of sabotage. Other small groups of Frenchmen — less than a dozen, according to the colonel —have joined other units.

The French soldiers said the aerial strikes were helping the cause of the Peshmerga.

"The Americans make fairly… massive strikes," said Chuck, not without irony. "They're a bit supercharged. The French are more precise, the Peshmerga appreciate that."

Since the airstrikes, "IS has lost some of its power," said the colonel. "But jihadists regularly try to cross over the river."

Today, the insurgents have tanks, rocket launchers and mainly use mortars. "But they don't really know how to use it," whispered one of the French soldiers. "And tanks no longer go out because they attract bombs."

"We would like it if other European soldiers joined us," said the colonel. "It's their war, too. We are very close to the center. That is where they orchestrate the attacks that affect the rest of the world." Chuck pointed out that by help, he was mainly referring to "boots on the ground."

For now, the French soldiers are still getting their bearings, under the leadership of Kopp.

He has already assembled several pieces of furniture and his DIY skills have made the French popular on the base. He points to a concrete area next to the barracks. "There we're going to set up an outdoor gym, so that the Peshmerga can train."

"The Peshmerga aren't really used to training, to running or to strength training," explained a Kurdish officer. "But they've all been in the line of fire several times," said Kopp. "They are really experienced fighters. Here, a young guy who's 20 has already taken eight bullets, there's nothing that extraordinary about it for them. Our aim is to turn them into trained soldiers."

Kopp also wishes the Peshmerga would use dogs. "When Daesh leaves a village, they hide bombs more or less everywhere. It's better to send in a dog than a human. And since the Pesh' are trying to take back Mosul, it could prove useful. But right now they have other priorities."

Sheepdogs roam around the base, abandoned by the farmers. Up until a few months ago, the area was under IS control. Insurgents booby-trapped the villages, which then had to be destroyed. And so today, the dogs run around aimlessly.

"We could perhaps train them…" said Kopp, always looking for solutions. "We'd have to test their aggression, see if they can be recycled or not. Dogs make good crew members."

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