A Frenchman, Italian, Nepalese, Moldovian and Albanian were killed in the French Alps avalanche, their diverse origins typical of the storied military branch -- historically seen as offering misfits and troublemakers a second chance in life.
Another eight soldiers were injured as the group was swept away during a training exercise near the resort of Valfrejus, some 60 kilometres (35 miles) south of Albertville, the host city of the 1992 Winter Olympics.
The men were aged between 21 and 33, and the eldest was a Madagascan who, like many in the Foreign Legion, was given French citizenship after five years.
"It was an initial training session in the mountains... we are turning them into mountain soldiers," said Colonel Ghislain Lancrenon of the mountain infantry.
It was the second mountain tragedy in France in the space of a week after two French high school pupils and a Ukrainian tourist died in an avalanche nearby on Wednesday.
"The base level of the snow is not sticking together. It's something that is neither sticking to the ground nor the snow that is falling on top of it," added Letang.
Dozens die each year in avalanches in France's popular ski resorts. At least 45 people died in snowslides during the 2014-15 winter season in France, according to ANENA, more than double the previous year.
The deadliest avalanche in France's history occurred in 1970 when 39 people were killed after an avalanche buried their chalet at the Val d'Isere ski resort.
The snowslide, which took place in the early afternoon in an area that was not part of a ski resort, engulfed a total of 13 skiers in the group, who were equipped with avalanche victim detectors.