I haven’t written anything for several days. Everything has been so hectic that I’ve had neither the strength nor the time. I’ll try to describe the whole situation.
It all started, I think, on July 23, when we first went to the training ground. Most of the training ground is in the open sun. I won’t describe what exercises we did there and how long it took to get there. But it wasn’t 2 or 3 kilometers, it was more. And we did all this in body armor and helmets. Then there were various exercises, including running and crawling. It all lasted quite a long time. In short, crawling on the sand in the sun, wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet, is difficult. Our clothes were soaked through, as if we had just been swimming in them. After that, we walked home for a long time. To say that we were tired and exhausted is an understatement. After that, many of us developed symptoms—a sore throat, cough, runny nose, and weakness. As I was told in the medical unit, this was because I had been exposed to intense heat.
At the same time, some people seemed to have contracted COVID-19. At first, I was scared, but then I took my temperature and it was 36.6. So I calmed down about COVID-19. But that was only the first factor.
The second factor was that, starting on July 23, air raid sirens began to sound every night. The alarms were often long, lasting several hours. Sometimes there were even two alarms per night.
All this created rather difficult and somewhat extreme conditions.
On July 24, I had an experience of “jumping over myself,” in the sense of overcoming my barriers. After July 23, it was even difficult for me to just stand on my feet. The thought that I would have to put on my armor and helmet again made me feel sick. But my brother-in-arms Julian helped me psychologically. He said the magic words, “F**k it.” And I thought, “Yeah, f**k it.” I put on my gear and went.
It was difficult at first. But in the heat of the moment, I realized that I no longer felt the weight of the body armor and helmet.
Then, when we returned, the weakness came back. So even after taking off all my gear, I could barely walk. But it was a very joyful feeling — that I had surpassed myself. It was a victory over myself.
Also, during one of the lectures on psychological preparation, I heard some important information. He said that one of the main and key points is normal sleep. That it is the best medicine and the best way to restore strength. So that day, I went to bed at 9 p.m. And it was a very wise decision. Because at around midnight, an air raid siren went off, and then another one. The night was ruined. But I had already slept from 9 p.m. to midnight. And that was enough.
The next day was supposed to be a full day of lectures. But at 8:00 a.m., we were told to get ready in full gear. At first, when I heard this, I was a little angry, of course. I had already relaxed and did not expect such a turn of events. But almost immediately, I remembered the magic word “F**k it,” and how it had helped me before. And I said the spell again. I felt much better. It was my second victory over myself.
It turned out to be a short training session, only two hours long. And then there were lectures again.
Finally, July 27 was a full lecture day. The only thing we did in practice was learn how to put on turnstiles. We had to do it in 30-40 seconds. In principle, we succeeded. Although not on the first try.
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