About a year and a half ago, I made the decision to serve in the army. At that time, I was almost 26 years old, I had a higher education diploma with the qualification "engineer of information systems and technologies", postgraduate studies without defending a thesis, as well as experience in entrepreneurial activity in the field of IT and work in the Russian education system. There was no official reason for a postponement from military service, and I was faced with a choice that many young people of military age face - to "wait out" a year and a half, in fact, hiding from the military registration and enlistment office, or to honestly fulfill my duty to the Motherland. Of course, I chose the latter. He decided on a specific direction quickly enough: the recently created special units in the armed forces - scientific companies - were actively discussed on the network. Since I had significant research experience, I applied and received confirmation almost immediately. From that moment my army history began.
Immediately, I note that the army turned out to be completely different from what I imagined. She turned out to be much better. The problem is that the army service in general, and in scientific companies in particular, is shrouded in a dense veil of various myths and stereotypes, which are quite difficult for a person who has not gone through this school to understand.
Scientific companies today are on the information agenda of regional and federal media - interest in them from potential candidates does not subside. Basically, this text was written for them. I hope it will help you make an informed and the only correct decision. For this, first of all, I will try to dispel the most widespread myths about military service in scientific companies, relying solely on my own experience. But first, you need to understand the general stereotypes about military service.
About "army mythology"
In 2000, Roman Kachanov's comedy "DMB" was released on the screens of the country. The film instantly became a "national hit", and the script by Ivan Okhlobystin, which filigreely absorbed the best of army folklore, was immediately taken apart for quotes. One of my favorites:
- And then I will not take the oath!
- Eh, my friend, you are young … You do not choose the oath, but the oath chooses you!
Watching the ups and downs of the fate of the heroes of the film, who were still chosen by the oath, is fascinating and sometimes very funny. But exactly what - to observe. To become such a "hero" in real life, none of those who watched a movie, frankly did not want to.
For my generation, born in the late eighties, ideas about military service were formed in a fragmentary and extremely chaotic unfortunately, it had a corresponding effect on the general state of the armed forces. The picture of conscript service consisted of scraps of Soviet anecdotes in the style of "digging from the fence to lunchtime", and a large number of folk stories retold "from mouth to mouth": from completely idiotic, like painting garrison grass and building general's dachas, to frankly frightening - about hazing relationships that caused terrible tragedies. Generously flavored with the same type of newspaper headlines about the army incidents of the early 2000s, this picture looked both stupid and scary. The army seemed to be a place where absolutely no normal person could be. Parents did everything possible and impossible so that their sons would never in their lives encounter the military reality, so it is not surprising that over time a widespread opinion was formed in society: “either the poor or the fools go to serve in the army”.
The vector of public consciousness began to change several years ago - the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have significantly changed, leaving in the past most of the systemic problems. Nevertheless, the fight against ingrained stereotypes regarding military service continues, and scientific companies in this fight are the most powerful "weapon" for shaping a positive image of the Russian army, striking destructive "army mythology" just as the "Caliber" missile system destroys terrorist bases in Syria.
Myth 1. "Scientific companies do not need an army"
Nevertheless, "scientific companies" are not a PR-project, as some mass media often try to present it. Scientific companies, first of all, are one of the effective personnel mechanisms that significantly contribute to the modernization of the Russian army.
As you know, one of the key vectors of the army reforms set by the country's leadership is the improvement of the military-industrial complex - the corresponding federal target program, designed for the period until 2020, was adopted simultaneously with the Russian state program for the development of weapons for 2011-2020.
The basis for the development of the military-industrial complex, which allows maintaining the growth of key performance indicators, is systematic work with personnel. The key task in this aspect is to attract qualified engineers in production areas closely related to the military-industrial complex.
Taking into account the peculiarities of modern armed conflicts, one of which is the widespread use of information technologies, as well as taking into account the state military doctrines of developed countries, first of all, the member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, based on the concept of network-centric wars, it can be concluded that the key role Automated control systems, various types of reconnaissance and high-precision weapons will play in the effectiveness of the use of armed forces and ensuring the defense capability of both an individual state and military-political blocs as a whole.
In this regard, the issues of personnel support for advanced research projects in the development of high-tech offensive and defensive weapons, as well as the formation of a systematic approach to the creation of conceptually new "think tanks" in the structure of the Russian army, which would solve two problems, become relevant:
1. Conducting topical military scientific research in the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
2. Attracting competent personnel to the structures of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the military-industrial complex, engaged in promising military developments.
One of the approaches that makes it possible to significantly approach the solution of these problems is the mechanism for creating fundamentally new structural units - scientific companies - on the basis of research organizations and higher military educational institutions of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The idea of their creation was expressed by the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, General of the Army S. K. Shoigu at a meeting with representatives of the Russian scientific community at the Moscow State Technical University. Bauman in the spring of 2013.
The new divisions were assigned the following tasks: participation in research work, solving applied problems in the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defense, training scientific personnel for the military-scientific and military-industrial complexes of the Russian Federation.
The unit in which I served in the military was a scientific company of the Russian Air Force, stationed at the Air Force Academy. Professor N. E. Zhukovsky and Yu. A. Gagarin, was created one of the first. The main task of the operators of the research company of the VUNC Air Force "VVA" (this is the official name of the military personnel in this unit) was the implementation of applied scientific research in priority and promising areas of development and use of the Air Force of the Russian Federation.
As can be seen from the peculiarities of the current conjuncture, the tasks solved by the scientific companies are extremely urgent and fully correspond to the global challenges facing the armed forces today. Thanks to these units, competent and qualified graduates of civilian universities can use their scientific potential in solving specific engineering problems to improve the defense capability of our state.
Myth number 2. "Only" golden youth "serve in scientific companies"
If “golden youth” is understood as young people, “whose life and future, in the main, were arranged by their influential and high-ranking parents,” then this thesis, of course, is completely untrue. At the same time, the military personnel of scientific companies have one feature - they are all talented graduates of the best universities in the country. With me in the same conscription served natives of MAI, MIPT, MEPhI, MSTU im. Bauman and other serious technical universities - very talented and highly qualified engineers.
It is really difficult to get to serve in a research company, but only due to the high requirements for candidates (the following are the requirements for candidates for military service by conscription in the research company of the VUNC Air Force "VVA"):
1. Male citizens of the Russian Federation, aged 19-27, who have not done military service.
2. Category of fitness for health reasons - not lower than B-4 (communication parts, radio technical parts).
3. Candidates for the categories of citizens specified in paragraphs 4-5 of clause 5 of article 34 of the 1998 Federal Law No. 53-FZ "On conscription and military service" are not considered.
4. The presence of high motivation of the candidate to do military service on conscription in a scientific company.
5. Correspondence of the candidate's profile and specialization to the scientific directions of the VUNC VVS "VVA" (mathematicians, physicists, programmers, electrical engineers, etc.).
6. Propensity for scientific activity and the presence of a certain scientific background (participation in competitions, Olympiads, availability of scientific publications and works).
7. The average score of the HPE diploma is not less than 4, 5.
The process of filing an application for selection to a scientific company of the Russian Air Force is described in detail on the website:
Myth 3. "Conscription service and scientific research are incompatible"
As already noted, scientific companies are quite unusual military units. Based on the specifics of the scientific tasks facing the operators, they are provided with the maximum "army comfort".
Firstly, the operators do not live in barracks, but in a rather comfortable hostel. Each room, designed for four military personnel, has an LCD TV, two computer labs, two lounges (with drinking water, tea / coffee and fresh newspapers), a library, a sports corner with exercise equipment and showers are available for the needs of operators. The whole area is kept in perfect condition.
Secondly, in order to increase the efficiency of the operators of the scientific company in the framework of the research work carried out, each serviceman is assigned a scientific supervisor from among the scientific and pedagogical staff of the VUSC Air Force "VVA", who has a scientific degree, academic title and practical experience in performing scientific research …With each of the operators, an individual plan of scientific work for the year is drawn up, which reflects both the main areas of activity and key performance indicators, which are expressed in the number (and quality) of published scientific works, reports at scientific and practical conferences, certificates of registration of software, patents etc. Everything is extremely measurable and transparent.
Thirdly, the daily routine of the operator of a scientific company allows him to fully realize his scientific potential during a year of service. In my opinion, discipline has an extremely positive impact on the effectiveness of research activities. From Monday to Thursday, the daily routine in the unit is as follows: in the morning - getting up, exercising, breakfast, morning examination and departure to the supervisors; at lunchtime - eating and resting, after - continuing work with scientific advisers; in the evening - individual or collective sports, dinner, rest (we usually watched a movie, read, continued to study in our scientific fields in computer classes), after 21:00 - an evening walk, check and hang up. On Friday - the day of studying general military disciplines, on Saturday - a park-economic day and the opportunity to go on leave in accordance with the schedule, on Sunday - a day off and, again, the opportunity to go on leave.
As practice shows, such military time management has an extremely productive effect on self-organization and planning of scientific activities.
Myth number 4. "It is impossible to achieve any significant results in science in a year"
The approach to using the research potential of the military personnel of scientific companies is built in such a way that each newly arrived operator continues the research begun by his predecessor. The emphasis on continuity allows not to “reinvent the wheel”, but to focus on solving specific research problems under the auspices of the scientific advisor. Operators also carry out their research work within the framework of research and development of various categories, actively participate in conferences and scientific and technical competitions.
Among the areas of scientific research in which the operators of the scientific company of the Russian Air Force work, the most relevant are:
• Mathematical and computer modeling of meteorological objects for solving applied problems of meteorological support of flights
• Research of methods and means of protecting information and information resources from unauthorized access and destructive information impact
• Development of software-modeling complexes of power plants of combat aircraft and study of the dynamics of aircraft movement
• Development of software for determining the statistics of the distribution of interference levels at the input of the electronic equipment in the dynamics of the conflict with ground-based electronic warfare systems
• Experimental and computational studies of processing multichannel multifrequency information in digital radar systems
• Object-oriented modeling of aerometric systems of maneuverable aircraft and the process of evolution of hazardous meteorological conditions based on radar data
• Development of software and methodological support for studies of radiophysical characteristics of radio-absorbing materials and coatings
• Development of simulation models for ground flight support
• Development of software systems for the study of aircraft weapons and methods for determining the parameters of negative electromagnetic effects
Since the creation of the scientific company of the Russian Air Force, its operators have published more than 200 articles in scientific journals and collections of scientific and practical conferences, more than 15 applications for the grant of patents for inventions have been filed, more than 35 software products and 45 rationalization proposals have been registered.
Operators of the scientific company of the Russian Air Force became winners and prize-winners of various scientific and technical competitions, including the All-Russian Exhibition of Scientific and Technical Creativity of Youth "NTTM", Moscow International Salon of Inventions and Innovative Technologies "Archimedes", International Exhibitions of State Security Means "Interpolitex", International military-technical forum "Army of Russia".
Personally, during my service, I published 5 scientific articles (including in the publications of the Higher Attestation Commission), made reports at 7 scientific events and registered a software product, which I presented to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation V. V. Putin and the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation D. A. Medvedev at the exhibition of achievements of scientific companies within the framework of the International military-technical forum "Army of Russia 2015".
Myth number 5. "Hazing and inadequate commanders"
The notorious army "bullying", as well as low-skilled officers are a thing of the past. Almost all the officers with whom I had a chance to communicate during my service were actively involved in sports and led a healthy lifestyle (with a total dislike of bad habits), which set an example for many conscripts.
The command staff of the scientific company of the Russian Air Force was selected taking into account the specifics of the tasks facing the unit - all officers were research workers of the Air Force Academy, had experience of participating in scientific conferences and olympiads, among them were prize-winners of scientific research competitions and laureates of awards from the Government of the Russian Federation. Naturally, there could be no question of any assault or disrespectful attitude on the part of the officers to the conscripts. All communication was structured in an emphatically professional and respectful manner.
As for the relations between colleagues, the unit has a mentoring system - starting with the "course of a young soldier", senior conscripts help "junior" comrades in everything: they teach how to properly serve in a daily outfit, hem a collar, perform drill exercises and etc. In scientific terms, a similar supervision is carried out. Six months later, the junior conscription becomes the senior, and he himself helps the newly arrived children to delve into all the details of military service. The concept of "bullying" in the scientific company is completely absent. No incidents happened between my colleagues during my service - smart people will always find a way out of any conflict situation.
Myth number 6. "The scientific companies are recruiting" botanists ""
With the light hand of the media, this statement has become extremely popular today. In fact, of course, this is not the case. Many of the guys who served with me in the scientific company had sports categories, some were candidates for master of sports, including martial arts. Almost all during the service, one way or another, begin to accustom themselves to intense sports and significantly tighten their physical shape. Daily jogging, exercising and going to the gym all contribute to this.
Among other things, the servicemen of the scientific company, like other soldiers of the Russian army, serve in daily outfits, go to shootings, and learn the necessary materials for military training. Service in a scientific company is not an alternative, but the most that neither is military service.
As for the recruitment directions, not only programmers served in our divisions. The scientific company of the Russian Air Force includes three platoons:
1. Platoon for modeling hydrometeorological processes and phenomena, separation of high and medium pressure air.
2. A platoon for the development and improvement of aircraft designs, aircraft engines, flight-navigation and radar systems.
3. Information technology platoon, forecasting the development of software and hardware; electronic warfare against enemy means and assessing the reduction in visibility and protection information in the ACS.
As can be seen from the specifics of platoons, engineers of a wide range of fields can realize their scientific potential in the field of military service.
Myth number 7. "Service in the army is a 'loss of a year of life'"
Service in the army is different, with different tasks and opportunities that it provides to conscripts. In this regard, scientific companies are a unique personnel mechanism, thanks to which talented graduates of civilian universities can conclude a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense in order to continue scientific research after being conscripted to serve as an officer. Starting from the second year, students can design their professional trajectory, taking into account their further service in the Russian army: choose the appropriate directions for their coursework and diploma theses, and upon graduation from the university, go to serve in a research company, in order to become an officer of the armed strength and continue his scientific career in the development of the military-industrial complex. Taking into account the level of salaries of officers, as well as the conditions that are provided to servicemen, this direction today seems to be extremely promising.
On average, about 30% of each draft continues to serve on a contract basis. The guys are assigned to various departments dealing with applied scientific research according to their profile. My fellow contractors are very happy and do not regret their choice.
Going back a year and a half ago, if they asked me if I would have made this choice again, knowing what the Russian army is, then I would have answered “yes” without hesitation. For me, this was an extremely important experience, both for a young scientist and for a defender of the Fatherland, and I can definitely recommend to everyone who, for one reason or another, hesitates in making a decision about military service, to make this choice in favor of the army. Over the course of a year, you will receive a lot of opportunities for self-realization, and most importantly, you will be able to make a real contribution to ensuring the defense capability of our state.
