Once again, now from the lips of the president, we learned about the impending cancellation of the draft. Not tomorrow, not even the day after tomorrow, but the call will be canceled. Russia will completely switch to a contract army. On October 24, Vladimir Putin spoke about this unequivocally. Is it correct? Will the cancellation of the call to preserve the country's defense capability and reduce the burden on the financial system? Or was the statement made to please a certain part of the "electorate" within the framework of the upcoming presidential elections in Russia?
The question of a professional army is rather complicated for our country. How many arguments for and against we have already heard. And, most importantly, almost no one listens to the direct participants in the events, the acting officers and generals of the Russian army. Beautiful words about civil society and democracy have become the stumbling block against which logic breaks.
How do the supporters of the professional army argue their position today? Alas, there is nothing new in this position. Remember, in the 90s, among young people, the most widespread opinion was: "Two years thrown out of life." And the recruits were hiding in all ways from the military enlistment offices. Police raided and ambushed future defenders of the country. And upon returning home, they were looked upon as idiots. I could not "cut it", which means that either a moron or a beggar did not pay off …
Today, at the highest level, they say that the best personnel must be protected for the development of the economy. There is nothing for graduates in the army to do. For this there is a "people". Let's increase the pay for the contractors, and the "people" will go to serve out of local hopelessness. Some Vasya Pupkin from a Siberian or Far Eastern village, where he earns 20 thousand a month as heroism, with a salary of 30-40 thousand, will run at a gallop to the unit. He will also beg to be taken. Be on your knees.
It is clear that you can't buy Muscovites or Petersburgers for that kind of money. But there is also the "level of education"! It is there that the most necessary personnel for the development of the economy and something else are concentrated there. Let them develop! And God offended the health of these same Muscovites. Every third "living corpse", according to Moscow medicine. And eagles live on the periphery! Feed a little, and that's it. Ready Guardsman.
Yeltsin began the "Contract Army Case". From whose submission, I will not wang. I think most readers have their own opinion on this issue. What for? Officially: to transform the Armed Forces into modern, well-trained military units. In reality: to destroy the mobilization resource preparation system worked out in the USSR.
The first president even named the deadline for the destruction of our army. By 2000. Thank you, ugh, of course, the 1998 default. There was not enough money for this murder. But the thoughts remained … And the plans remained … And no one canceled the first actions. Remember 1993? When was the service life shortened for the first time under the new law? Up to 18 months in the Army and 24 months in the Navy.
So what is next? 2008 year! A soldier's dream. A year of service and you're superman. And those who want to get out of provincial poverty - on a contract. With all the ministers. And under Ivanov, and under Serdyukov, and under Shoigu. Today there are about 30% of professionals in the army. About 300-350 thousand people. And in the future, the Ministry of Defense plans to bring this figure to 50%. And the rest?
President Putin is well aware that the existing system of training the army reserve is not working. What is a year of service for a modern soldier? This is, excuse the harshness, an excursion to the army for a junior high school student. 12 months consists of: a month of KMB, three months of a training unit, 8 months of real service in units.
What, today conscripts come to the service more prepared than in Soviet times? Do they have a higher level of education? Are they well trained in CWP educational institutions? Are they all the time athletes? Do they have military specialties, like chauffeurs or paratroopers? And we turn this contingent into a soldier in 8 months of service?
I always find it funny when I hear an argument from supporters of the professional army that the Ministry of Defense itself refuses some part of the conscripts and advocates for contract soldiers. What should Shoigu do? In the current situation, anyone, let alone a minister, a unit commander, would have refused. Fight the annuals? Please dismiss.
In Soviet times, when the level of training of conscripts was much higher, a specialist or junior commander was trained for six months in a training unit. And a simple soldier really became a soldier in a year. A year of intense training and education! Now the place of such a soldier must be taken by a professional.
Many, especially from the category of lovers of all kinds of wikipedia, talk about the experience of Western countries in creating professional armies. The Americans over there have such an army and are not particularly worried about their own defenses. The Europeans followed the same path. And, too, everything seems to be fine with them. Everyone does their own thing. Someone is serving. Someone is working.
Just what happens in the event of a real conflict? In the same Europe? How many professionals will remain in the army in a week? Month? They will be the first to go into battle. They will be the first to take the blow of the entire might of the enemy. Or have we forgotten the lessons of the Second World War? Who started the war and who ended it. Not from politicians, from soldiers and officers. Those who served in the army at that time started. But the storerooms were running out! Moreover, look at the loss by year of birth. The war ended not just by storekeepers, but by those over 30. Twenty and a little older were knocked out almost all at the beginning of the war.
Americans? What tasks is the American army aimed at? Why do the Americans need such a powerful fleet and huge aircraft carriers? Why so many bases abroad? The US Army is not designed to defend its own country. This is a huge expeditionary force. The Americans are firmly convinced that they will be able to prevent the enemy from entering their own territory. Islander Syndrome.
And the expeditionary force is needed from professionals. Our Armed Forces in Syria are not staffed with "conscripts" either.
I understand people who are for the professional army. Those whose living standards are high enough do not want to "waste" time. Those who are timid are afraid of the hardships of the army. Those who want to find a job more profitable want to quickly "gain experience." But I also understand that something needs to be changed in the system of training a soldier.
The restoration of initial military training in educational institutions and DOSAAF is a necessary step, but only a step. An increase in the soldier's service life is brewing. This is also an indisputable fact. Periodic fees of "partisans" for retraining must be returned to the system. Perhaps, given the next "demographic pit", it is necessary to abolish deferrals from service, even for students. This practice was in the mid-80s.
But, on the other hand, if President Putin mentions the issue of a contract, professional army, it means that this is the strategy for the development of the army that our leadership chooses. There is no smoke without fire. And the timing of the complete transfer of the army to professional rails is not named only because the economic possibility of such an action is not yet clear. As soon as the situation with the economy stabilizes, these terms will be announced.
But how will we look in the event of another conflict? The hope for a peaceful resolution of existing international disputes is the lot of civilians. The army is always pessimistic in this matter. The service is like that. Will we be able, while maintaining the existing situation, to successfully repel the attack and start a retaliatory offensive by gathering reserves? Will we be able to maintain a professional army to guard dangerous areas in our territories? Questions, questions, questions …
