Alex Rowe (soldier)
Chief Adjutant (French:Adjudant-Chef) Alex Rowe (born 11 November 1966 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is a British member of the French Foreign Legion, one of the most decorated members of the Legion and the first British legionnaire to be invested into the Légion d'honneur, France's highest order of merit. Born and raised in England, he was unable to join the British Army at age 17 on medical grounds, and instead elected to join the Foreign Legion at age 20. After 23 years service, Rowe reached the second highest level of rank among the corps of non-commissioned officers in the French Army, and had been awarded five citations for acts of bravery in operational theatres around the world, culminating in 2009 with the Légion d'honneur for a second tour of Afghanistan. Early life Alex Rowe and his twin brother, Mark, were born in Newcastle upon Tyne on 11 November 1966. He was raised in Gloucestershire, living in Stonehouse near Stroud, attending Maidenhill School in Stonehouse. As a teenager he joined the Stroud Army Cadets, and held a long-standing ambition to join the armed forces. Aged 17, Alex applied with his brother Mark to join the British Army. Mark was successful but Alex,