Overall, I have a good impression of the training. Better than I expected. I was very pleased and happy to see how our army is trying to get rid of all the crap that the Soviet Union left us as a legacy.
Of course, there is a big difference between the past and the present. Now there is a war going on. In the past, people were forced into the army and they were miserable and depressed. No one understood why it was necessary. Neither the cadets nor the instructors. So the instructors tried to just keep the cadets busy with something. Maybe that’s why people went crazy.
Now the situation is completely different. Every cadet knows exactly why he is here. Everyone has one clear goal. And this goal makes everyone equal. Moreover, the instructors and commanders are people who themselves were on the front lines, who were at ground zero. Therefore, what they teach is real. It is practical, it is essential. There was no trace of various formalities and rituals.
You may be surprised, but we never marched in formation here, we never saluted. We addressed the commanders and instructors simply as “sir” or “friend.” Everything superfluous was removed. What remained was what contributed to the achievement of our common goal—to survive and win.
It was like clean, fresh air bursting into a musty train station toilet.
I sincerely hope that even after victory, we will be able to maintain this spirit, this culture. To do this, we must always have a clear goal, a clear understanding of why we are doing this, why it is necessary.
Even after victory, Russia will most likely not disappear. And it will be a matter of time before it attacks again. Therefore, we will simply need to be constantly prepared. Improve our skills. Do as they do in Israel, so that every person has the necessary basic knowledge. So that every man and woman undergoes this month-long BGMT.
There is an interesting fact. There is one instructor who has never been to the front. But he has already risen to the rank of major. No one likes him. Neither the cadets nor the other instructors. He often starts yelling at the cadets and insulting them. These are remnants of the old system.
I also want to share about the overall workload. To be honest, if you are an office worker like me, i.e., you lead a sedentary lifestyle and don’t exercise regularly, then it will be difficult for you. It’s hard, but not deadly 🙂
As I described in my previous posts, there were times when I reached the point where I simply had no strength left. You can barely stand on your feet, and you still have to do certain exercises in armor and a helmet.
After you start exercising, you get a rush of adrenaline and it becomes easier. But after that, you feel even weaker.
Sleep has become a strategically important resource. Do you want to have strength? In the evening, put everything aside — chores, chatting with friends, social media, etc. — and just go to bed. Preferably at 9 p.m. Then you will have strength the next day.
You also need to eat properly. They give you food three times a day—eat three times a day. Don’t turn up your nose.
I also felt that there are two types of fatigue. Local fatigue is when you are tired today. This fatigue goes away when you just sleep well. General fatigue is when even after a good night’s sleep, the fatigue remains. But after a couple of days, it goes away.
That is, there were difficult periods. It was physically difficult. I had to push myself. But. But I see that I have changed. To a certain extent, I have become a different person. I understand that it sounds implausible. How can you change in a month? But such intense saturation, a change in atmosphere, in the team, understanding where you are going. All this leads to certain internal changes.
Finding the right moment, I approached the commander of our platoon. I asked him for general advice for the future. I said that I had the impression that people sometimes treated me as if I were inadequate. I asked how to fix this. Mr. Alexander said that he hadn’t noticed anything like that. He said that everyone can “blunt” at certain times. He advised me to just be myself and not try to put on a mask.
I remembered the frequent advice of my friends and loved ones. They said, “Serhiy, you take everything too personally.” “Maybe that’s exactly the case,” I thought.
By the way, about masks. I remembered the words of our company commander. He said that out there on the front line, you’re in the hot seat. In other words, after a couple of days, it becomes clear what kind of person you are. Therefore, he advised us not to try to act like Rambo. He said to be ourselves.
In conclusion, I am sincerely grateful to all those who made an effort to conduct this training for us. I am especially grateful to our instructors.
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