The École Militaire Interarmes (EMIA) is a military school of the French Army, intended to provide initial training for officers recruited internally from the non-commissioned officer corps and volunteer recruits. It was founded in 1942 and based in Coëtquidan, Morbihan, Brittany.

The EMIA provides initial training for officers recruited via internal promotion rather than an external entrance competition. It allows the best enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers of the French Army to become officers through two years of training.

History The EMIA is the heir of various military branch (i.e. infantry, cavalry and artillery) schools dating from the early 19th century and intended to train army officers commissioned from the enlisted ranks (militaires du rang), from among the non-commissioned officers (sous-officiers) or from the reservists (anciens officiers de réserve).

The largest of these army branch schools was the infantry school of Saint-Maixent, which was merged with Saint-Cyr in 1942. The merged academies formed the School of Cherchell-Mediouna, created after the German occupation of the Southern Zone of France. In 1944 the Military Academy at Cherchell took the name of "Joint Military Academy." It moved to Coëtquidan, occupying the buildings of the former Academy of Saint-Cyr. These were subsequently destroyed by bombing.

The new school was reopened in 1947, taking the name of the "Joint Special Military School". Following the principles of amalgamation favoured by its founder, General de Lattre de Tassigny, the school comprised both "direct" officer-cadets entering from civilian life and chosen through external competition; and "semi-direct" officer-cadets selected from serving military personnel.

This system was retained until 1961, when the training of "direct" officers was transferred to the School of Saint-Cyr, and that of "semi-direct" officers was undertaken by the new EMIA. Regardless of the fact that they also receive an officer's commission in the Army, undergraduate students receive a three-year university degree and graduate students receive a one-year master's degree.

Beginning 1986 the then one year officer candidate course was replaced with a two-year program.

Recruitment and selection In the past, candidates were selected at the Ecole Militaire of Strasbourg. The EMS consisted of two branches: the battalion of unique contest Services (CUS) and the pre-competition pack EMIA (PPEMIA). EMS students also had the opportunity to attend a competition for engineers auxiliary armament.

Candidates competing to enter the Ecole Militaire InterArmes must:

be between 23 and 35 years old hold a baccalaureate have served in the Army for at least three years, as of January 1 of the competition year be physically fit

Having entered the competition in their unit, the officers must choose one of three courses for the examination: sciences (SI), General Studies (GS), or military science (MS). Then, candidates must first pass a series of written tests to qualify and successfully pass a series of oral and physical tests to be admitted.

Traditions EMIA students are nicknamed "dolos" after the brand of corned beef of old combat rations. During ceremonies, they wear the parade dress uniform, called "TP" and the curved cavalry saber, representing the future duty as commissioned officers upon graduation. They wear a light blue and red kepi, inherited from the Cherchell Officer Cadet Schoiol.

The songs are EMIA tradition Prayer and Sarie Marès. A popular phrase: "One day Dolo, Dolo forever!"

Classes since 1961

+One-year classes:1 1961–1962 Capitaine Bourgin2 1962–1963 Serment de Koufra3 1963–1964 Belvédère4 1964–1965 André ZirnheldSite de la promotion Zirnheld5 1965–1966 Cinquantenaire de Verdun6 1966–1967 Connétable du Guesclin7 1967–1968 Narvik8 1968–1969 Libération de Strasbourg9 1969–1970 Plateau des Glières10 1970–1971 Général Kœnig11 1971–1972 Souvenir12 1972–1973 Général MarceauSite de la promotion Général Marceau13 1973–1974 Général Brosset14 1974–1975 Capitaine Cazaux15 1975–1976 Capitaine Cardonne16 1976–1977 Capitaine de Belsunce17 1977–1978 Lieutenant Chezeau18 1978–1979 Général Laurier19 1979–1980 Lieutenant-colonel Broche20 1980–1981 Capitaine CozetteSite de la promotion Capitaine Cozette21 1981–1982 Centenaire22 1982–1983 Lieutenant Leclerc de Hauteclocque23 1983–1984 Lieutenant Borgniet24 1984–1985 Lieutenant Bernard de Lattre de Tassigny25 1985–1986 Lieutenant Lhuillier

+Two-year classes:26 1986–1988 Dalat27 1987–1989 Capitaine Legrand28 1988–1990 ValmySite de la promotion Valmy29 1989–1991 Bataillon de Corée30 1990–1992 Général Daboval31 1991–1993 Capitaine Barrès (Biographie de Claude Barrès)Site de la promotion Capitaine Barrès32 1992–1994 Combats de Tu-Le33 1993–1995 Capitaine Maine34 1994–1996 Cadets de Cherchell35 1995–1997 Lieutenant Schaffar36 1996–1998 Général Gandoët37 1997–1999 Grande Guerre38 1998–2000 Général Berge39 1999–2001 Campagne d'Italie40 2000–2002 Capitaine Coignet41 2001–2003 Capitaine Biancamaria42 2002–2004 Lieutenant de Ferrières43 2003–2005 Général de Lanlay44 2004–2006 Colonel Guéguen45 2005–2007 Colonel Delcourt46 2006–2008 Lieutenant De La Batie47 2007–2009 Général de Corps d'Armée Le Ray48 2008–2010 Capitaine FloresSite de la promotion Capitaine Flores49 2009–2011 Colonel du Puy-MontbrunSite de la promotion Colonel du Puy-Montbrun50 2010–2012 Général Bigeard51 2011–2013 Maréchal Bessières52 2012–2014 Ceux d'AfghanistanSite de la promotion Ceux d'Afghanistan

See also Camp de Coëtquidan L'Épaulette magazine École nationale des sous-officiers d'active Ecole de Guerre-Terre (EDG-T), Paris École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr (ESM), Coëtquidan, Brittany (EdG) (School of Warfare) École militaire, Paris École supérieure de guerre (1876 - 1993)

References

External links The prayer (on the website of the Maréchal Bessières promotion)