A conscript soldier is what every guy between the ages of 18 and 27 must become, in accordance with Russian law. In our country, military service is compulsory. Before joining any troops, a young man must know what exactly awaits him.

general information

Everyone knows that the draft takes place twice a year and lasts quite a long time. Spring - from April to July. Autumn - from October to December. Military service is 365 days from the date of conscription. As soon as the soldier left the assembly point and went to the training unit, the countdown to demobilization began.

For some time (2 months - maximum), the soldier/sailor undergoes mandatory military training. And then takes the oath. After this, the young man is given the right to take up combat duty and perform guard duty. The private is also provided with a weapon. Among the minuses, it is worth noting that after taking the oath, the young man has the right to be subject to disciplinary action (of course, if he is guilty).

Another conscript soldier can be sent to perform tasks in a conflict zone. But only with his personal consent and in the event that he has already served 6 months.

Salary

Each conscript soldier receives a certain amount monthly on a bank card issued to him at the beginning of his service. It’s hard to call it a salary. Since the allowance of a conscript soldier is 2,000 rubles. And this is three times less than the minimum wage. However, a soldier lives and eats at the expense of the state for 365 days - this fact must also be taken into account.

The law says what surcharges mean. They are awarded based on the conditions of service, the soldier’s qualifications, the implementation of certain tasks, as well as for activities related to classified information.

In accordance with Order of the Ministry of Defense No. 633 (dated 09/01/14), Russian soldiers are paid an amount that includes all the notorious allowances (2,000 rubles). But when the service ends (that is, demobilization), they are credited with 2 times more funds on the card. And for orphans this amount is equal to 5 salaries.

Form

Military service involves wearing the same clothes throughout the year. established by relevant regulations. Soldiers are issued two sets - everyday (VKPO) and dress.

VKPO is an all-season field uniform set, as this abbreviation stands for. The characteristic color (for all troops) is olive. But the soldier’s dress uniform differs.

For those serving in the Aerospace Forces, it is blue. Navy soldiers have black. Conscripts who ended up in the internal forces of the Russian Federation have a dark blue, one might say, almost black, like the police. In addition to color, the uniforms of various troops are distinguished by lapels on shoulder straps, chest stripes, and chevrons.

It is the soldier's responsibility to take care of his uniform. He must always be neatly dressed in statutory clothing. The soldier is also obliged to repair and clean it in a timely manner (daily). Every newly recruited soldier must remember that he is the face of the Russian army. And you must look in accordance with your status.

At the end of the service, the uniform remains with the soldier - it is his property. He returns home in it. True, many people buy specifically considering being transferred to the reserves is such a significant event that they need to dress in a special way. But the cost of it lies on the shoulders of the person who has served. And the price is rather high - 7-10 thousand rubles.

What else can you expect from the army?

Finally, a few words about what a conscript soldier will have to endure in a year. It won't be easy for him - he will have to get used to a new regime and a different diet, endure a complete lack of silence, calm and solitude. The soldier will have to learn the basics of his specialty (what it will be depends on the troops) and subsequently pass exams. Everyone is also required to improve their physical fitness. You can’t avoid outfits, which for many people are especially difficult because they imply the absence of any comfort. At first it will be difficult to stand on the stand for several hours in a row, but then you get used to it. Everyone will also have to learn the titles and surnames of all senior officials.

However, it is gratifying that for exemplary behavior and performance of his duties, a private can be awarded the rank of corporal or even junior sergeant. Those who serve in the Navy are given the rank of Chief Seaman.

Hazing, disgusting food, poor living conditions - this is what, according to the ideas of the current conscript, who has read the Internet, awaits him in the army. I will tell you in this post what you really need to prepare for.

- Upon arrival at the unit, I will be greeted by old-timers, and hazing will begin?

Even if you wanted to, you will no longer be able to encounter hazing, since with the transition to twelve-month service in 2008, “grandfathers” disappeared as a class. “Grandfathers,” out of habit, are now called senior soldiers, who in the old hierarchy were considered “elephants.” The current “grandfathers” rarely call themselves that anymore and do not have any significant concessions with newly arrived conscripts.

- Did the army really stop beating and torturing young soldiers with the transition to a year of service?

Yes, there is no longer mass bullying, but, as in any closed community, there are people who want to dominate others, including by using physical force.

- What to do, really endure beatings from an aggressive colleague?

If in the 90s and in the first half of the 2000s one had to do this, silently enduring bullying or trying to fight back, then over the past two or three years significant changes have occurred in the army. Now the young soldier has a lot of ways to protect himself:

In many military units, immediately upon arrival, newly arrived recruits are given sheets of paper with the telephone numbers of the military unit commander, his assistant for educational work with personnel, and the prosecutor’s office. Also in barracks and dormitories, on information stands you can often find the telephone numbers of the regional committee of soldiers’ mothers, the garrison military court, the FSB department, and the unit’s psychologist. I recommend immediately adding them to your cell phone contacts and sending them to your parents.

Now unit commanders and prosecutors have strict instructions to suppress any hazing, so your call reporting any problems with colleagues will be considered without fail.

- Are soldiers really allowed to use a mobile phone?

Yes, in almost all units, except for high-security units, conscripts are allowed to use cell phones. In some places, soldiers can have them in their hands all the time, in others they are issued only on weekends, and the rest of the time, cell phones are stored in the unit commander’s safe.

The general rule is not to abuse the use of a mobile phone, remember that during classes, in the ranks, it is better for it to be in your pocket. Often, a unit is deprived of the right to freely have telephones in their hands only because, for example, instead of studying the structure of the R-168 radio station, an officer finds some soldiers actively chatting on Odnoklassniki with their civilian friends.

- What should I do if they threaten me with beating, try to take away my money, phone?

In this case, a fairly effective way is your direct statement to the offender that, in case of trouble on his part, you will not hesitate to contact the prosecutor’s office. In my company in 2009, one of the soldiers with such a statement sharply confronted one aggressive colleague who was trying to force him to do something instead of himself, threatening him with violence. The “aggressor” immediately cooled down and after that, until the end of the service, he communicated quite warily with the would-be “victim.”

If the offender, despite your words, continues to threaten, then immediately contact the prosecutor's office. After the first call of the “aggressor” to the investigator, his offensive ardor towards you will completely dry up.

- What should I do if I was beaten?

First, you must immediately inform your platoon/company commander about what happened. Secondly, immediately contact the prosecutor’s office in your unit. Your application to any the case will be taken into account and a criminal case will be opened. Before the prosecutor's office, you can go to the medical company and have the beatings removed there. Remember that no one will punish you for these steps.

It can't be that simple! I heard that commanders are trying to hush up cases of hazing and not make them public!

Yes, there are the following problems. Platoon, company, and battalion commanders are required to immediately report all cases of hazing, but at the same time these officers are subjected to all sorts of penalties for such incidents. Those. the same company commander is in the position of “and he wants it, and he’s pricking” - on the one hand, he needs to inform the command that you have been beaten, on the other hand, he knows that he will receive a reprimand for this, will lose a rather large cash bonus, and his promotion may slow down. This practice is vicious, but in many units the high command still uses it.

- What pitfalls await me in this case?

So, you come to the company commander and say that Private Ivanov beat you up. Further events may develop according to the above scenario: a statement to the prosecutor’s office, the beatings being removed, or they may not. The company commander, fearing the consequences for himself, will say something like: “I’ll deal with Ivanov myself, while you lie down in the barracks and don’t shine your black eye on the formations. Don’t go to any prosecutor’s office.” Of course, you can understand the officer, but, nevertheless, you have only one path - the prosecutor's office. Remember that they will not be able to punish you for such a step.

- The prosecutor's office, the prosecutor's office... But this is snitching?!..

At this point, decide for yourself whether you live according to the concepts of being in a zone or whether you want to serve normally so that they don’t bother you. If previously such actions caused condemnation from colleagues (which was actively encouraged by older employees), now such self-defense is not considered something shameful. For example, during my service from 2008 to 2010. Two soldiers from the company filed complaints with the prosecutor's office, and no one created an atmosphere of alienation around them because of this.

- I’m still afraid to contact the prosecutor’s office and commanders...

If you are afraid to contact in person or there is no way to do this, then use the phone. It’s easier to do this psychologically; you don’t even have to call, but just send an SMS. They will come out to you and help you.

If you absolutely cannot persuade yourself to turn to command, then a unit psychologist can help you. This is a civilian specialist (usually a woman) whom you will meet during your first days in the army. Upon arrival at the unit, all young soldiers are required to go through a psychologist who tests them. Be sure that your conversation with a psychologist about being offended in some way will definitely have positive consequences for you. This specialist is not subordinate to the command of the unit, but has direct access to it. Even if you yourself refuse to write a statement against the offender, the issue will be resolved with him in a different way, for example, by transferring him to another unit.

- Maybe I should call my parents so that they can solve my problems with the command of the unit?

If you have really serious problems that for some reason are beyond your control, then communication between your parents and the unit’s command often allows you to solve them. But! To begin, give your parents the phone number of the company or battalion commander so that they can first talk to your immediate superiors. If these officers do not help, then contact the brigade command above. I have witnessed more than once when someone’s mother calls the brigade commander or his deputy and asks if her son’s cold has gone away. Naturally, a colonel with four thousand people under his command cannot know such trifles. That is why problems must be discussed, first of all, with junior commanders.

- I heard that the food in the army is very bad, the same barley can be given for months...

Yes, just a few years ago the army had serious problems with the quality and quantity of food. Now there is a widespread transfer of catering services to civil organizations, the so-called. outsourcing, it is planned that in 2012 all military units will switch to it. The norms for general rations have changed, and most importantly, control over the provision of food has been tightened. In the meantime, we have some inconsistency: in some parts the food resembles homemade food, in others it is simpler and less tasty from the same products.

- My friend was recently drafted into the army, and he says that he doesn’t eat enough. So there is still not enough food, not enough?

No, the issue here is the following phenomenon. In civilian life, you eat unbalancedly, not according to a schedule, but as needed. In the army, meals are strictly time-bound, the emphasis is not on variety, but on calorie content, plus a daily routine, regular physical activity and constant exposure to fresh air. All this causes the young soldier to have an increased appetite and a feeling of hunger. In fact, quite a few guys notice that they have gained weight after just a few months. After about six months, the body adjusts to a new diet and the feeling of “hunger” goes away.

- What are the living conditions in the current army?

Now soldiers live either in barracks or in dormitories. The barracks have a shared sleeping area with single or bunk beds, a shared washbasin and a bathroom. In dormitories built under the federal target program between 2005 and 2009, soldiers live in separate cubicles of 3-8 people in a room with separate showers, bathrooms, drying rooms, and washing machines. Where the command allows, you can have televisions, electric kettles, etc. in the cockpits.

- What is provided in the army for recreation, entertainment, and sports?

There is a sports corner everywhere in each unit. Somewhere it was made with your own hands, somewhere it was purchased centrally, and accordingly, the equipment can be different: from a pair of weights and a barbell to full-fledged exercise equipment, punching bags and horizontal bars. Each company has a TV that you can watch in your free time. Large LCD panels are often purchased for dormitories. Again, in dormitories, the standard equipment of the floors often includes tennis and billiard tables. Depending on the distance of the military unit from populated areas, there are also such events as visits to museums, theaters, cinemas, and the arrival of singing and dancing groups. Some people are lucky and during their service they get to see plenty of the sights of Moscow, while others, being on a military base abroad, can only count on rare visits from local amateur groups.

My older brother, who served ten years ago, says that in the army all he did was do chores, and he saw a machine gun only at the oath...

Yes, a similar problem existed in the cash-strapped 90s and early 2000s, but now a lot has changed. The army is required to do one thing - combat training. Enormous funds are allocated for this, so there are no problems with shooting or lack of fuel. They shoot and drive a lot and often. Again, it is necessary to take into account that a soldier of auxiliary troops (for example, communications) does not need to shoot as much as a machine gunner from a reconnaissance unit, so there will always be those dissatisfied that they were not allowed to “shoot.” In one of the units, a soldier once complained to me that he rarely shoots, although according to his own words, shooting was scheduled once a week, regular field trips, etc. The guy mentioned that they shoot a lot at the range every day, and he would like for this to always happen. However, besides shooting, there are also a lot of other activities that also need to be given time.

Household work is gradually being transferred to civil organizations; for example, in many parts of the country there is simply no staff for the canteen, because The food supply process has been completely outsourced. But it is still up to the soldiers to maintain cleanliness and order in the territory and in the barracks. There are also innovations here, when a civil organization is engaged in cleaning, but so far such actions are carried out at the experimental level.

During my last contract and now, communicating with soldiers from various units during numerous trips, I have never encountered cases of soldiers being “rented” for any work outside the military unit in favor of private owners, which flourished wildly back in early 2000 -X. I myself was “rented” several times in 1999 during my military service, so I’m very glad that this shame is over.

- What about layoffs?

Dismissals are freely permitted if relatives come to visit you. Depending on the location of the unit, the period of stay can be from several hours to a couple of days. In order for you to resign yourself, you need the following:
- The military unit must be located on the territory of the Russian Federation and in a quiet region. Abroad, naturally, a conscript cannot just wander around like that, but in Ingushetia, for example, this is simply life-threatening due to the difficult situation with terrorism in the republic.
- The military unit must be located in a populated area, since there is no point in letting you out into the open field.
- You should not have any penalties in your service.

- What is the salary of a conscript soldier?

At the moment, the monetary allowance (this is what salary is called in military language) of a conscript in the vast majority of military units ranges from 400 to 800 rubles, in some places with special conditions of service (North and South Ossetia, Karachay-Cherkessia) - from 2100 to 2800 rubles. There are rumors that in the future the salary of a conscript will be 5-6 thousand rubles, but so far there is no clear information.

What about the provision of various household items such as soap, toilet paper, shoe polish, cigarettes?

This is a real sore spot and provision may vary from part to part. If there are no problems with soap and shoe polish, then for example, with toilet paper or collar pads there may be an ambush, you will have to buy it yourself.

Cigarettes are a separate issue. In some units they are still issued, in some there is a ban on smoking, and soldiers can only buy cigarettes outside the military unit or receive them in a parcel from home.

- What should I do if I get sick?

First of all, immediately report to your platoon leader that you have health problems. Next, either with your sergeant, or with the unit on duty, or with the battalion paramedic, you will be sent to the medical company of the unit. There they will either hospitalize you if everything is serious, or they will prescribe you to take medications and release you from work and activities for three days, or they will find out that you are quite healthy. I really don’t recommend being sick in silence, as some soldiers do, because... In this case, the requirements for you do not decrease, but it is much more difficult to fulfill them. Be sure to insist on visiting doctors if you feel unwell.

- Are vacations provided for conscripts?

Due to the transition to a year of service, annual leave for conscripts has been cancelled. You can go on vacation only for family reasons, such as serious illness of close relatives, their death, etc.

The answer to the question of what they do in the army is obvious: of course, they serve. But this capacious concept includes many nuances, varieties and variations. First of all, it depends on the type of troops you are in, and on the microclimate in the team, the formation of which depends on senior conscripts and officers. And mastering a combat specialty, which, in essence, is the main goal of your stay in the army, is far from the most difficult. So, in the army you have to solve several problems:

• military training and military service;
• building relationships in a team;
• performing self-service work.

Let's look at these tasks in more detail, in the order they appear.

Carrying out self-service work

This work begins even before arriving at the unit. At the recruiting station, where you will wait for the officer who will take you to your duty station, you will need to eat and clean up the room or street. It is clear that if there are several hundred young healthy guys, the command of the point will not bother with hiring workers for this. Be prepared to sweep the floor or sidewalk and wash dishes on the first day you leave the house. There is nothing complicated about it.

In part, this will be supplemented by daily outfits for the canteen and for the company. The volume and range of work there will be greater. For example, if a unit is stationed in ancient barracks, where ancient parquet floors have been preserved, then it is likely that you will have to master the secrets of manual sanding and the use of floor mastic. Which, however, is also not difficult if the degree of your crookedness does not exceed the average.

While working in a canteen job, you will have to master some kitchen equipment: for example, an industrial potato peeler and a dishwasher, which is used for washing large quantities of dishes. As for the rest, everything is also extremely simple: place cauldrons of food on the tables, bring the necessary products by order of the messenger on duty, prepare food for the guard, and so on. The main thing here is not to count crows, but to move, because when a thousand people sit down to eat at the same time, there is no time for thinking.

It’s good if you have basic skills with a needle and thread before being drafted into the army. For example, sew on a button, sew up a torn pocket, or perform similar minor sewing work. A separate issue is the daily sewing of the collar. This will become your routine from the first day after receiving the uniform. At first it will not be so easy to do, but after about a week the necessary skills will appear.

Building relationships in a team

In a healthy climate, you will have few problems in terms of: natural adjustment to local traditions without any hazing (or with a minimum of it) - that’s all. But such conditions do not exist everywhere. Therefore, upon arrival at the unit, you first need to look around, get to know your fellow conscripts and old-timers better. Learn to react intelligently to jokes (sometimes rude ones, since everyone has their own ideas about the limits of decency), not to talk too much, and be calm about shouting, because that’s how commands are given.

It's good if you have good physical fitness. If you can do 15 pull-ups on the bar and 50 push-ups, then you will have virtually no problems. If you were involved in boxing or some kind of martial arts before being drafted into the army, then that’s absolutely fine. Alas, sometimes it is the ability to competently punch someone in the jaw that can solve many problems. And the ability to run well over long distances will be useful to you without a doubt.

When building relationships with officers, remember that you and they have slightly different tasks. This was expressed in a rude officer’s saying: “Wherever you kiss a soldier, his ass is everywhere.” The implication is that no matter how well you treat a conscript soldier, he will still set you up if he needs it in order to mitigate the “hardships and deprivations of military service.” After all, at the end of your service, you will not meet with your commanders, and what do you care about each other’s opinions after your transfer to the reserve. This rule does not always apply, but very often.

Military training and combat service

In essence, a one-month course for a young soldier is quite enough for an ordinary soldier to learn the basics of service. The exceptions are junior command personnel, who must complete sergeant training, and qualified specialists, who must also undergo appropriate training. Comprehending a specific military profession at a training center takes place over three or six months, depending on the complexity of the course. Completing the training course often presents challenges that are significantly greater than those experienced by soldiers in a regular unit. But upon completion, the specialist, as a rule, receives some privileges, including relaxations in observing the daily routine for performing his official duties, and this is quite a significant advantage.

Combat service (that is, service with weapons in hand) is mainly the prerogative of border and internal troops, where fighters practically do nothing else. However, even in ordinary units there is such a thing as internal or garrison guards. The service is carried out in accordance with the military regulations, and assignment to guard duty in most cases is infrequent - 1-3 times a quarter. The exception is commandant platoons and companies, which go on guard duty as internal troops - “every other day - on the belt.”

There is combat service in other branches of the military, but there, as a rule, conscripts perform auxiliary tasks. These are missile forces, air defense troops, aviation and some others. There, the main burden is borne by professional military officers and warrant officers, since service in these troops requires thorough technical knowledge, which is difficult to achieve during training in soldier training. And conscripts serve mainly as drivers of cars or tractors, signalmen, in security and in similar units.

As for hazing, the situation now is fundamentally different from what it was twenty or ten years ago. Now there is much more order, the food is better, and even the service life has decreased from two years to a year. Service in the navy, especially on ships and submarines, has its own specifics and is somewhat different from service in other branches of the military. The exception is the coastal units of the Navy (technical and transport companies and battalions), where everything is almost the same as their land counterparts.

The answer to this question, of course, is: they serve in the army. However, such a question includes many variations, nuances and varieties. First of all, this directly depends on the type of troops in which the young man ended up, and then on the general situation and the prevailing atmosphere in the team, where the formation depends entirely on officers and senior conscripts. When talking about mastering a combat specialty as the main goal of a young man’s stay in the army, this is far from the most difficult and problematic thing in this matter.

While serving in the army, a young man solves the following problems:

1. Responsible training in the military profession and combat service.
2. The right process for building relationships in the environment.
3. High-quality performance of work related to self-service.

The listed tasks will be discussed in more detail below in the article in the order in which they appear.

Self-service work

Work of this nature begins long before arrival at the unit. So, a soldier waits for an officer at a recruiting station so that he can take him to his place of duty. A young man may be tasked with sweeping the floor and washing the dishes on the first day after he is outside his hometown.

Later, in the unit, the soldier is additionally provided with daily assignments to the company and the canteen, where the volume of work and its range will be much wider. While in canteen duty, the young fighter masters kitchen equipment (potato peeler, industrial-style dishwasher).

The main thing here is to move, because when, for example, one thousand people come at the same time for a meal, there is no time to think.

It’s not bad if a young man, even before the army, is familiar with the simplest skills of using a thread and a needle:

• sew up a pocket that has come off yourself;
• sew a button;
• perform other minor sewing work.

The daily process of sewing on the collar deserves special attention. This activity becomes routine work from the very first day after receiving the uniform. At first, sewing will be difficult, but after a week the required skills will appear.

How to build relationships in a team

If the unit in which the young man arrived has a wonderful climate in the team, then he needs to go through the natural process of grinding in according to local traditions without any “hazing”. However, such conditions can often only be dreamed of.

Otherwise, upon arrival at the unit, you should look around, get to know your fellow conscripts and old-timers. It will be useful to learn to react adequately to jokes, which can sometimes be quite rude (each person has his own concepts of decency and humor), not to talk too much, and to behave calmly when shouting, since all commands are given in this form.

It is desirable that the guy has good physical fitness. For example, if he can do 15 pull-ups on the bar and 50 push-ups, then he shouldn’t have any problems in this regard. If before conscription a young man attended training in boxing or any martial arts, then this is absolutely wonderful.

When building relationships with officers, you need to remember that a soldier and an officer have slightly different tasks.

Training in the military profession and military service

Speaking in general terms, a one-month course for a young soldier is enough for an ordinary soldier to be able to comprehend the basics of service. The exception here is junior command personnel, who should complete sergeant training, as well as qualified specialists. The latter must undergo appropriate training.

If a soldier needs to learn a specific military profession, this can be done at a training center for three or six months (the duration depends on the complexity of a particular course). It is known that completing the training course is accompanied by certain difficulties, which are much higher than those that soldiers in regular units go through. However, upon completion, the specialist often receives a number of privileges, for example, in the form of relaxation in observing the established daily routine in order to fulfill his official duties.

Combat is considered to be service carried out with weapons in hand. It is the prerogative of the internal and border troops, in which the fighters do almost nothing else. In turn, ordinary units have two types of guards:

• internal;
• garrison.

The service is conducted on the basis of military regulations, and appointments to guard duty occur infrequently (from one to three times per quarter). As an exception, commandant platoons and companies take guard duty as internal troops.

Combat service is also available in other types of troops, but there conscripts often perform certain auxiliary tasks. These include:

• aviation;
• missile forces;
• air defense troops and others.

A significant burden there usually falls on professional military personnel (officers, warrant officers), because serving in these troops implies the presence of thorough technical knowledge, which is quite difficult to obtain during training in soldier training. Conscripts, as a rule, are sent as drivers of tractors, cars, as well as signalmen, security guards and other units of this type.