Job description: how to become a volunteer assistant gendarme (GAV)?

In this article, you will discover all the facets of the voluntary assistant gendarme profession, also called GAV: uniform, missions, selection criteria, training, career prospects, and salary.

Summary:

• The GAV APJA and GAV EP
• Uniform and equipment
• Missions
• Selection
• Training
• Career prospects
• Salary

There are two Voluntary Assistant Gendarme (GAV) contracts. The most common is the GAV Assistant Judicial Police Officer (APJA), who participates in all field operations, and the GAV Special Employment (EP) who provides essential support to operational units. The GAV EP is a specialist recruited for a very specific job (cook, accountant, body shop worker, musician, etc.). In this job description, we will only address the specifics of the assistant judicial police voluntary assistant gendarme.

The voluntary assistant gendarme has the same uniform and similar equipment to career gendarmes. For regular service, GAVs wear the blue uniform. They also have a ceremonial uniform and a field uniform consisting of khaki fatigues and boots. On vetsecurite.com, find a wide selection of gendarmerie clothing, tactical shoes, materials, equipment, bags, accessories as well as a range specially designed for female gendarmes.

The role of a GAV Assistant Judicial Police Officer (APJA) is to assist gendarmerie non-commissioned officers in their daily missions. These may differ according to their assignment unit. Indeed, GAVs are found in many gendarmerie specialties such as the Republican Guard, departmental gendarmerie, mobile gendarmerie, maritime gendarmerie, air gendarmerie, overseas territories, PSIG, etc. Thus, the voluntary assistant gendarme can have a wide spectrum of responsibilities: conducting judicial investigations, participating in rescue missions, maintaining public order, preventing delinquency, protecting property and people, welcoming the public, etc.

To apply for a voluntary assistant gendarme position, the candidate must be at least 17 years old and at most 26 years old when submitting their application. For the GAV APJA, no diploma is required unlike the GAV EP which requires a BAC or CAP level.

Other access conditions must be taken into account:

• Being of French nationality;

• Having completed the JAPD, JDC or mandatory National Service;

• Being physically fit.

After providing a complete file and meeting the aforementioned conditions, the GAV candidate is summoned to the nearest recruitment center for a computer test session. After 24 hours of waiting, they receive, if successful in the tests, a summons for an evaluation interview with the recruitment officer. They will also have to write a motivation letter on site. If they pass all these selection tests, the candidate will only have to wait for their integration into gendarmerie school.

The initial training of voluntary assistant gendarmes lasts 13 weeks within a Gendarmerie school:

• Montluçon (Allier);

• Chaumont (Haute-Marne);

• Chateaulin (Finistère);

• Tulle (Corrèze);

• Fontainebleau (Seine-et-Marne);

• Rochefort (Charente-Maritime);

• Dijon (Côte-d'Or).

After thirteen weeks of intensive training (physical training, judicial police, road traffic, professional intervention techniques, firearms handling, ...), the new gendarmes are assigned to their first post according to the needs of the gendarmerie and their school results. They are then supervised by a mentor during the first 12 weeks.

The GAV APJA can access the internal non-commissioned officer competition (SOG) without a diploma after one year of service. They can also opt for the Technical and Administrative Support Corps (CSTAGN) selection. To succeed in the Gendarmerie non-commissioned officer competition, the voluntary assistant gendarme can benefit from training as well as physical preparation.

The GAV APJA Gendarme can, like career gendarmes, advance in rank. Voluntary Assistant Gendarmes serve a 2-year contract that can be extended for another 3 years, or possibly a sixth year. If they do not pass the career competition or do not wish to, they then leave the institution. In this case, the Gendarmerie offers a civilian reintegration assistance program and career transition help. The end of the GAV contract also opens rights to unemployment benefits.

Former voluntary assistant gendarmes can also choose to join the National Gendarmerie reserve. Discover our blog article on this subject: Everything you need to know to become a National Gendarmerie reservist!

The GAV is paid during training with approximately €850 net per month including accommodation. Upon graduation from school, the GAV receives, in addition to their official housing, a salary of approximately €1150. This remuneration includes a food allowance. The voluntary assistant gendarme also benefits from a 75% reduction on SNCF fares.