I want to note right away that these are not RECOMMENDATIONS, as it SHOULD be, but REFLECTIONS on the topic … I will express controversial thoughts (including for myself), and I will be grateful for the comments, especially balanced and not overwhelmed with emotions!
So, about the "bullying" in the army. Probably, we must first define what EXACTLY is hidden behind this term: "hazing"? The politically correct name "hazing", in my opinion, only confuses the question! My opinion is this: if (God forbid!) The army tries to act STRICTLY according to the letter of the regulations, it will be not only demoralized, as it is now, but TOTALLY paralyzed: any relationship between soldiers and between soldiers and officers will become simply impossible! Imagine for a moment that EVERYONE and ALWAYS in the army are suitable for each other in a marching step! They salute each other, address only by rank …
No, who argues when it comes to OFFICE matters, it happens, it should be, but not in constant and everyday life! So only robots are able to communicate with each other! We, in the years 75-77, punished the "Statutes" of the STITCHES. EVERYONE APPROACHED TO them STRICTLY BY THE REGULATIONS, and from THEM all the sergeants demanded the same. It acted more brutally than physical reprisals - there were reports of transfers to other units, there were even attempts at suicide, although there was no bullying: just LITERAL OBSERVANCE OF THE CHARTER! but this is one side of the coin! I want to talk a little about something else: about whether an army is possible in PRINCIPLE without some form of hazing, and what kind of hazing is good for the army, and what kind of hazing is unacceptable harm and must be steadily eradicated. Let's try to figure it out!
In my opinion, it is completely irrelevant for this question whether the army is recruited on a professional basis, on a conscription basis, or on a mixed basis, when both contract soldiers and citizens conscripted for a certain period are serving. One way or another, people who are absolutely morally not ready for the most important things come to the service, which is the meaning of the existence of any army … If we discard all the beautiful words and look at the very essence, then the task of the army is … what? Defense of the fatherland? - Right! But what is it? - warfare! War, that is! And in peacetime the ARMY MUST be ready for war! And in war, they kill … And they kill first of all sordat (and officers, of course, too). If anyone says that the defense of the fatherland is not connected with the KILLING of enemies, then I will not believe him! There have not been bloodless wars yet! So, people come to the army for whom killing a person is absolutely inadmissible! It contradicts the internal attitudes of a normal person! Moreover, murder is not in a state of Affect, not after an insult, not in the struggle for one's life - no! often this is a murder on the orders of someone who has not done anything wrong to you personally! And is it so important how the murder is carried out, whether by pressing the trigger of a machine gun, throwing a grenade, or pressing the "start" button on the remote control - all the same, the result of the military use of the army is murder, call it even a repulse to an aggressor, even a defense of sacred borders, even a defense "Democracy" - blood is blood! I’m not going to sound out, and pretend that everything is one, no! But one way or another, the soldier must be mentally ready to KILL! And the task of psychological training at the initial stage of the service MUST solve this problem! Otherwise, the price of such an Army is worthless, it is only suitable for parades …
But the raw materials, so to speak, for future soldiers, are absolutely not ready to kill! How can this be achieved? Since the days of the most ancient armies in the world, since the times of Ancient Egypt and China, Assyria and Babylon, the recipe has been simple: Pressure vat! Constant psychological pressure from the very first day of service! Young people were pressed both in the Macedonian phalanxes, and in the Roman cohorts and in the Slavic army - always! In most modern armies in the world, this pressure is placed on junior NCOs and corporals. For the first time, they constantly put pressure on the young replenishment, breaking the stereotypes that have become established with civilian life! Yes, they arouse the hatred of subordinates, and when he is ready to KILL his sergeant, the job is done! The civilian was left in the past, the soldier was born! As a rule, at this moment the attitude towards the young changes dramatically, they BECAME OWN in the army! and there is no need to drive them SO further!
But in the Soviet, and later in the Russian army, unfortunately, the importance of the sergeant corps was sharply diminished! (Was diminished). It's one thing when 18-19-year-old boys are chased by a 25-28-year-old sergeant, it's another thing when the sergeant is six months older, or even the same age! This is how hazing appeared in the SA … As usual, especially when the selection bar for the troops fell below the plinth, and people with already distorted psyche began to get into the army, this hazing began to take perverted, terrible forms, stopped working on EDUCATION of stamina and endurance, became just a terry mockery of some over others! Moreover, what is typical, where the service was characterized by an increased risk, high physical, moral and intellectual stress, hazing did not take on goblin, ugly forms! This was the case (at least in the mid-70s of the last century) in the Airborne Forces, in the Fleets, in the Strategic Missile Forces, in the technical troops, where either physical readiness of the highest level or good knowledge of a military specialty was required. In the same place where the psychological, intellectual and physical loads were lower (Authors, service workers, Stroybat, etc.), there hazing took terrible, ugly forms, not educating, but crippling soldiers! I'll tell you about what I know personally. The grandfathers in the unit, after training, threw us in the tail and in the mane, but! There has never been an attempt to make it work for you ("slavery"), any hemming of collars, hair-cutting and ironing of a uniform, and the like! If there were attempts, they, as a rule, were harshly reproached either by the senior soldiers themselves or by the officers! But to press on you during physical training, yes, it was in the order of things! After shooting, everyone also cleaned the weapon himself! But they could hit the gape of the spirit, so that the raven would not catch it with its beak! And they explained at the same time: "boy, the enemy will not warn you!" True, when one spirit in response put his grandfather, which was called, "From the heart!" And another such moment! A sense of pride was constantly cultivated in us: we are a landing party! Others will not stand what we are! It was possible to submit a report and you were transferred to serve in other troops … All this led to the fact that there was no obvious antagonism between the calls! Both young and old-timers understood when it was possible (and necessary) to drive the young, and when it was necessary to help. After all, tomorrow you may find yourself behind enemy lines, and the one you are chasing today will have a machine gun! To the credit of the officers, they regularly conveyed this idea to every senior citizen. I will not be cunning that we had fraternity and goodwill of the air, but I don’t remember any special atrocities.
It is quite another matter when the crazed "Grandfathers", considering themselves the navel of the earth, begin to mock the young … Here, perhaps, only one thing can be said. The commanders who allowed such a development of events should be mercilessly judged under the article "undermining the defense capability of the armed forces", because it cannot be anything else. The pressure, even harsh, almost cruel, but thought out and calculated, has nothing to do with the mores of the "black zone"! The task of "bullying" is to make recruits soldiers, not cripples, physical and moral. And it depends on the Officers exactly what forms the notorious hazing took in his unit or unit!
I would be grateful for the comments and thoughts expressed in the discussion!
