The Engineering Troops belong to the special formations of the RF Armed Forces. This unit is tasked with conducting engineering reconnaissance of the territory occupied by the enemy and constructing buildings where military personnel and equipment can be located.
As part of the general forces, the Engineering Troops are engaged in the construction of bridges to overcome water barriers, construct barriers, carry out mining and demining. The tasks of the unit are multifaceted, we will discuss this in detail below.
This unit is one of the most popular formations in the Russian Armed Forces. Serving here requires special training and the ability to use engineering equipment.
History of formation
The ancestors of IV were the ancient Greeks and Romans. In their army there were special digging detachments, whose tasks included the construction of a defensive fence along the border line and the construction of parking lots for the location of the main forces. The most famous engineering achievement of antiquity is the bridge through which the Persian army, led by the ruler Xerxes, crossed the sea.
In Ancient Rus', the construction of defensive structures was carried out by city workers and bridge workers. Peter I paid special attention to the formation of the military forces. The first teachings took place under him (1698-1699). The moment of formation of the unit is considered to be the creation of an educational institution in Moscow - the School of Pushkar Order (1701, January 21). The royal decree creates a new type of wax, immediately dividing it into two types - engineering and sapper.
Before the start of the war with Napoleonic France, which began in 1812, about ten mining and pioneer units of engineering troops were formed in Russia. In addition, support for combat ground operations was provided by artillery pontoon teams. Another 14 companies were stationed in fortified fortresses. However, they were staffed only by conductors and officers. The need for manpower was compensated by infantrymen and volunteers from among the local population.
One sapper and two pioneer regiments from the existing battalion composition of the IV took part in foreign campaigns against France. If we talk about exact numbers, then at the time of World War II there were about 45 regular combat engineering units in the Russian army. Sapper and mining army detachments were engaged in the construction of long-term defensive fortifications, which were used to protect fortresses, as well as in offensive operations. While the pioneer companies actively carried out work to improve travel routes, bridge crossings and field fortifications. Pontoon teams were engaged in constructing floating bridges across rivers.
During the Crimean War, which took place in 1853-56, in which the army of the Russian Empire was forced to confront a coalition of European states, two cavalry pioneer divisions were involved, performing important tasks in constructing defensive “heights,” as well as 9 battalions of sappers. It should be noted that at that time the IW separated from the artillery and became an independent branch of the military. And although the successes of the Russian army in this battle were very doubtful, military engineers proved themselves to be courageous, persistent and brave fighters. Actually, other military units also showed their best side, but the defeat itself was more of a political nature and was due to “mistakes” in strategic calculations made by the army command.
In the Russian-Turkish War, which broke out in 1877-1878. units of the engineering troops achieved unprecedented results - the number of regular units exceeded 20,000 military personnel. At the same time, new vacancies were opened in the specialties of aeronautics and pigeon communications. By the end of the 19th century, engineering troops provided technical support for almost all offensive operations of Russian infantry, cavalry detachments and artillery regiments. In addition, soldiers took an active part in the construction of fortresses, and also performed important engineering tasks in the arrangement of travel routes and the laying of new radiotelegraph lines.
In the Soviet army, the primary purpose of the IW was technical support for offensive and defensive infantry combat operations. In the conditions of a tough war, the forces of ordinary soldiers and officers competently planned and successfully implemented all the necessary conditions for the rapid advancement of the main offensive units of the Soviet army.
IW special forces carried out tasks to camouflage military installations, construct defensive fortifications, including anti-tank ditches, and other command orders. In many ways, it was thanks to the timely and coordinated actions of military engineers that the German occupiers faced insurmountable obstacles on the way to Soviet fortified areas of strategic importance.
During the Second World War, battalions and detachments of the USSR IV gained enormous experience and prospects for subsequent development. Technical capabilities improved, and the range of military tasks constantly expanded. At the same time, the role of IW soldiers increased. Almost from the first days of the invasion of the fascist invaders into the territory of the USSR, they actively participated in the preparation and conduct of defensive battles - they dug trenches, cleared roads, created defensive fortifications and erected water crossings using pontoons. Together with other army units, military engineers steadfastly held back the powerful onslaught of German forces.
On the Northern and Western fronts, special forces of the IW acted as mobile mobile barrage units. They covered the retreat of the main forces of the Soviet army, destroying river crossings, mining fields and creating insurmountable zones of artificial obstacles, which forced the Germans to slow down. And on the Kola Peninsula, the soldiers of the engineering troops, together with the surviving motorized riflemen, without tanks and artillery, were able to actually completely block the advance of the Germans in this direction.
When organizing the defense of the Russian capital, by decision of the highest ranks of the Supreme Command of the Army, 10 mobile mobile units were urgently formed, which carried out combat missions right in front of the fascists, mining the passage of tanks and destroying road communications. Thanks to the work carried out, during the attack on Moscow in one of the areas, German units lost about 200 units of heavy armored vehicles and about 140 units of trucks with weapons and ammunition. For this valiant feat, the soldiers were presented with high state awards. True, many of them received medals and orders posthumously.
In 1942–43, when Soviet troops launched a counteroffensive, military engineers of the Red Army had to hastily restore previously destroyed bridges and build new river crossings. In addition, the tasks of clearing mines from the territories that the Germans “marked” before retreating fell on their shoulders. In winter, it was also necessary to lay column tracks in meter-long snowdrifts. However, this task was successfully solved in a short time. Whereas many retreating German units were simply captured in the snow, not having special equipment to clear the territories, and became easy money for Soviet soldiers. With the start of a full-scale winter counteroffensive in 1942, teams of reconnaissance and demolition officers were deployed every day to the enemy rear.
Assault engineering units often had to perform army-wide military missions. For example, during a fierce battle in the Lithuanian city of Vilna, soldiers of the fourth sapper brigade of the IV were personally able to neutralize and destroy about 2 thousand Germans, take about 3 thousand soldiers prisoner and free more than 2.5 thousand Soviet prisoners of war and ordinary citizens who were in a local concentration camp. As a result of the Second World War, about 800 soldiers of the IW units became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and about 300 people were solemnly awarded the Order of Glory.
The profession of a military engineer is quite multifaceted and universal - adapted to any needs. Experienced IW specialists in Russia are equally in demand both in wartime and peacetime. After the end of World War II, military personnel from engineering units were involved in the Afghan War, and also took direct part in peacekeeping missions in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Today, Russian engineering troops are conducting active military activities to clear mines in Syria.
They accomplished many feats during periods of “calm.” The brave soldiers of the IW provided enormous assistance in eliminating the consequences of the large-scale man-made disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which occurred in 1986.
In peacetime, special units of the engineering troops of the Russian Armed Forces, together with the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other federal departments, carry out measures to evacuate the population from dangerous areas, as well as eliminate the negative consequences of emergencies, both man-made and natural.
Among the primary tasks of the IW are the construction and subsequent operation of bridges and pontoon crossings on the country’s waterways, extinguishing forest fires, disposal of nuclear waste, and eliminating life-threatening consequences of the collapse of emergency industrial facilities. This is only a small part of all the secondary tasks that Russian engineering troops regularly have to perform.
5:03 / 02.23.18 Contract service. Corps of Engineers
Photo: Denis Mokrushin
Conversation with a soldier of the Engineering Troops.
— Why did you choose military service?
— Previously, I worked in one of the law enforcement agencies, so going to work as a manager or a salesperson of something was not very interesting to me.
— Is it prestigious to be a soldier?
- My friends say yes. Like a military man sounds pretty cool at this point.
- Why is this cool for them?
— Apparently because it’s all being promoted in the media. Military personnel receive apartments, their salaries are huge and in general everything is very cool.
- What do you think?
— From my point of view, there is nothing supernatural, everything is normal. Maybe this, of course, is because I'm already used to it. At the same time, during my service, many interesting moments occurred that in ordinary life I had never seen anywhere. And he didn’t live them.
— How did your relatives react to your decision to become a military man?
— My wife even reacted positively. She herself said: “It’s better to go to the army than you will suffer there as a manager somewhere. There may be less money there, but it’s to your liking.”
— Why did you decide to take up a contract as a sapper?
— I had such experience before, I was engaged in demining in one of the hot spots. I liked it, so when I went to the military registration and enlistment office, I asked where there were engineering units nearby. Before this they asked me:
— You probably want to join the special forces, the Airborne Forces?
- No, no, God forbid! I'd like to go somewhere calmer.
— Is sapper “calmer”?!
- There is no need to run somewhere there. You slowly poke around... A fast sapper is a dead sapper. There's no need to rush.
— Are you satisfied with the amount of your salary?
— For Moscow this is not enough. I get 32-34 thousand with an additional charge for mine clearance. Now the payments on it will end and I will receive several thousand less. There will be maybe “thirty”. For Moscow and the Moscow region this is not enough. Fortunately, business trips to hot spots help out: if they didn’t exist, it would, of course, be a disaster.
— How much would be normal? It is clear that there are no limits to dreams and desires, but if you think about it sensibly?
— 45 thousand, in principle, would be tolerable. I won’t say it’s gorgeous, but it’s quite tolerable.
— Do you have a clear understanding of what you are entitled to at the current moment: an allowance for class, so many rubles, an allowance for physical fitness, so many rubles, an allowance for long service, such and such? Or are these ideas approximate?
— We know for class, for physical fitness, there are tables where you can calculate it and look at it. And there is, for example, such an allowance as “risk to life” [for performing tasks directly related to the risk to life and health – approx.]
. With her and with some others, many misunderstandings arise that we cannot answer in part. The command replies: “We fought for these bonuses, but for some reason they are not given.” The same paratrooper makes four parachute jumps and receives a bonus for jumping, while the sapper tinkers with explosive objects, but gets nothing in return. It's an unclear situation.
— Do they issue payslips that reflect accruals?
- They give it out. But to do this, you need to approach the unit commander so that he gives permission. Within three days after your salary, go to the accounting department at a certain time and you can, in principle, get it.
— That is, they are not issued automatically and you need personal permission from the unit commander?
- Yes. In most cases, you can go to the accounting department and they will meet you and give you advice. But sometimes they demand that there be permission from the unit commander, they say, there is a ban. There were such cases.
— Why such difficulties?
— Until the beginning of 2022, we belonged to the ERC, and now we have switched to a different legal status. Because of this, there were some problems with the payment of salaries: they had to come to some accounts, then leave. Don't worry, the money is in the accounts. We didn't worry about the money being in our accounts. We were worried that the money was not in our accounts [laughs]
.
Apparently, these were some problems of this very transition period.
— How do you feel about increasing salaries for military personnel by four percent starting in January of this year?
- No way. Four percent – what is this?! A child's tear?!
- Some people say it's quite decent.
- Four percent is not decent. In my opinion, this is not at all decent. Four percent of 100 thousand is decent, but four percent of [ours]
15-20 thousand...
— Do you receive a bonus on the order “ten-ten”? What was the range of amounts you had during your service?
— For the first time, six thousand in less than a year. Then there were business trips to hot spots and they paid 40 thousand.
— Is everyone paid the same bonus?
- Differently. For example, I didn’t have more than everyone else, but I had one of the highest payments. For others, for example, it is several times less.
— What causes the dispersion in the payment of bonuses?
— The main thing is that there are no hiccups, not a single reprimand. To collect all business trips.
Many of my colleagues did not receive bonuses at all. I won’t say for everyone why this is so, but some of them did not pass the physical examination, some for a reprimand. For what and why this or that serviceman did not receive a bonus, we were not given anything specific.
— When paying bonuses, should there be equalization, or should those who perform tasks better receive more?
— I think that leveling is not needed at all. It’s just necessary to explain why one person, who was in the same place as me, who doesn’t have any problems, like me, gets either more or less.
— Did the command ask about this? After all, the distribution depends on them: who will receive more, who will receive less.
- Nobody tells us this.
— Have you attended “survival courses” for contract soldiers? Tell us what you had to do.
— In less than a month of this course, I lost 7 kilograms. In the morning we had physical exercise from the moment we got up. After breakfast we went into the fields: digging, throwing grenades, an obstacle course, tactical training. All this continued until lunch. Then we had physical therapy again. There was physical therapy three times a day. Basically, it's running for several kilometers. And training in the fields. Periodically, this was diluted with the same drill. All this happened almost every day for a month.
I would like equipment to be involved in such classes as well. Otherwise, throwing grenades should be at armored vehicles, but they are not.
— Was the lesson plan the same for everyone, regardless of specialty and place of service?
- Yes, all together. The lesson plan was posted, we knew in advance what would happen on a given day. Everything was done precisely.
— Were there any offers to “help” with passing physical fitness standards for money?
- No, that didn’t happen. There were several people who could not pass the standards and were simply expelled.
— Was it useful for you to take the “survival course”?
- In general, yes. But most of us have already been through something like this at one time or another. We just spent time, lost weight, cheered up. And so we didn’t learn anything new.
— Let's return to the current place of duty. As you know, military personnel should have classes every weekday: from morning to evening. Are they carried out?
- In reality there is nothing like this. Classes were held with us once several years ago. They lasted for one month. After which we were given certificates indicating that we had completed so many hours of training. That's all. I often go on business trips to hot spots, and between them we just go into uniform and clean up the area. Sometimes we do drill.
And before taking physical examination, for example, they start saying: “You must do this, you must do that!” So allow time for this!
— Were those only classes serious?
- More theory. There was practically no practice. As practice, there was one lesson when we were sat down and allowed to listen to the sound of a metal detector detecting a metal-containing object.
- Once?!
- Once.
- You are sappers, the work is dangerous...
“As our unit commander says: “You’ll learn everything there!”
— Also, no classes before business trips?
- No. The last time, for example, they just suddenly said: “We’re leaving tomorrow!” We conducted a drill inspection and checked our things. Car, plane and off we went.
— What do you do in the unit when there are no business trips?
- Mainly cleaning the area. Dig, place, go to the outfit. All. No matter how much we asked, we didn’t demand that we be given time for physical exercise at least after lunch, at least two hours - to no avail. No, only cleaning, only work. Classes are only on paper.
— Do only contract soldiers serve in your unit?
— There are also conscripts. But they are also busy only with cleaning.
— Are classes on social and state training conducted?
“These are the only classes we have.” They read out some orders or incidents. They talk about what happened in the world. Basically, everyone sits and doesn't listen to any of this.
— They don’t say anything about the fifth column in the country? Maybe something like: “Comrade military personnel, be prepared to fight it.”
- No. They spoke about politics only before the State Duma elections. They hinted that everyone should vote so that it wouldn’t be like in Ukraine. We joked: “What is this: are you conducting propaganda?” In response: “No, no! You yourself must decide who to vote for! But you still think about...”
— Do you even write notes?
- They wrote. We don't write anymore. All the notes that we wrote were taken from us, classified and not given to us.
- Even so?!
- Like this is secret information on explosives, means of blasting. It seems to me that in the end they are simply shown to the commissions: “But we have notes!”
We have beautiful, formalized notes, everything there is clearly written and illustrated. How many detonators can one demolition machine lift at the same time... How many explosives do you need to lay down to lift a FAB-500 aerial bomb... We bought colored pencils to mark everything in different colors. We printed out these notes: we even paid money for it. Five hundred or three hundred rubles, I don’t remember.
- Strange. These notes would obviously be useful to you on business trips.
— They asked such questions. What's the point?! Everything remained locked in safes.
— Do you think that you have mastered your specialty well?
— If it weren’t for business trips to hot spots, but just sitting in a unit, then it would be a complete zero. And so... I probably know something with a satisfactory plus plus.
— Have you tried to acquire some useful knowledge for yourself that could be useful in your specialty?
— I’ve pumped up a lot of books on GPs and engineering ammunition. Throughout. There were also printouts, but usually when you go somewhere, you leave them there.
— Is there an incentive to improve in the service, to acquire new knowledge on one’s own, or will all this not be useful for further service?
— There is not always time to do this in a unit. From morning until evening you are at work, then until you get home... It’s already eight in the evening, half past nine. There is no strength left for anything anymore. But you still read something.
Colleagues, for the most part, do not study anything themselves. There are several people who are interested and can search for something on the topic.
— Is initiative punishable in the army? Is it worth showing it or will you show it and then do everything yourself?
“It often happens that you suggest to the company commander: “Let’s do it like this!” The fact is that our contract soldiers often go on business trips, and our officers are constantly changing. Most come for the first time and do not know the local situation. Fortunately, there are some officers who say: “Guys, I’m not an expert on local color. If anything, tell me.” And you calmly tell him how to do it right, where it’s better not to meddle. There are officers who believe that you are nobody and it is better for you not to even appear. This happened on my last business trip: I proposed something, but it was immediately rejected. I said that it wouldn’t work out that way, but they shut me up. I spat on it and decided to do it the right way. And you are there as you wish.
Anything can happen. Mostly they listen.
— Is there a lot of army idiocy like “we roll square, we carry round”?
- So many. In my opinion, nothing has changed. Same mistakes all the time. And no one ever learns from them. Take the first business trip and the last: initially everything is the same.
— The most senseless action you had to perform in the army?
— It was in one hot spot. We were told to dig a hole and install a barrier. There we shoveled out the earth with shovels and hands, tried hard, and then we saw that the locals were pulling the fence. The excavator digs, they put up poles, pull the net. And all this is three meters away from us. Question: why do we put up a barrier if there is a fence with a gate? We went to report to the camp commandant. He: “Who told you to install this very barrier?” We: “Our commander.” The commandant said that there was no need for a barrier there, because there was a gate. I didn't know what to say to this. People drank sedatives so as not to be nervous. Then we also filled these holes.
— Are work time regulations observed?
— Basically, complied with. Now it’s generally become strict: “That’s it, 18-00 – let them go! God forbid they get sick or catch a cold in the cold!” But before they could have been detained. Because there is some kind of meeting going on or something else. We sit and wait for our commander to come out. Let's line up, he says to us: “Goodbye!” And go home.
— That is, they justified the violation of the rules by the meeting?
- Yes.
— Are you called to perform official duties on Sunday?
- This has never happened to me. The only time, probably, was when the commander needed to pick up something in another locality. I did it. He paid for my gas and allowed me not to go to work the next day.
If the assignment falls on Sunday, then Wednesday will be a day off.
— Have you ever demanded that contract soldiers attend morning exercises and evening verification?
— We don’t have evening verification, because everyone leaves at 18 o’clock. When we lived in the unit, there were morning exercises. At six, half past seven I get up and everyone goes to exercise. It didn’t matter who you were: a contract soldier or a conscript. But it quickly died down. I think they were simply trying to get us out of the unit’s territory. So that no one lives there.
— Do you eat in the unit or do you take food from home? If you are in the army, how do you evaluate the quality of food?
— We eat in the unit, the quality is very good and there is something to compare with; we have traveled a lot, including in Russia.
— How are things going with office housing in your unit?
— You must submit the appropriate documents in order to be recognized as needy. In principle, housing is provided. But of such quality that I, for example, wrote a refusal. I had already received papers before that I was provided with housing in a hostel. I took them and went to look. Well... Shared toilet with a bowl Genoa... I can’t live like that with my family. On business trips you go to these stinking aftershocks, but here you are at home. I want warmth, comfort, to take off my shoes, to walk barefoot.
— Do they regularly pay compensation for renting housing?
— One of the contract soldiers asked the unit commander: “I can’t bring my child and wife to this dorm. Because the conditions there are unsuitable. I would like to take money." The commander said: “We need to take a break. Think about it, decide, then we’ll see.” We do not pay any compensation for renting housing. And earlier they directly said that they would not pay.
- What motivates this?
— They say that you are provided with official housing. Live in it. If this doesn't suit you, then that's your problem.
— Were you interested in military mortgages?
- Due to her age, she is no longer interesting to me. Some of her colleagues were thinking about taking her. Those who are not going to leave. Basically, everyone is going to leave. 80 percent say that the contract will not be renewed.
- What does this have to do with?
- With general army idiocy and attitude towards military personnel. There is no preparation, no time for physical training, no one wants to be in the unit, because they are eternal workers.
— Does the money issue affect it?
— If it weren’t for business trips, where they pay normal money, then I would have an influence. After all, a private earns 18 thousand from the start, and with 2-3 years of service - 21-22 thousand. That kind of money means nothing at all.
— Let's talk about issuing uniforms. Tell us how you received VKPO?
“When I arrived, they gave me everything right away.” The set was complete, but there was no jacket... mmm... fleece. Everything is new.
- So I understand that the wearing period is already expired or has expired?
— Some items are already out. For example, a summer suit. But I haven’t changed it yet, because I was always on business trips. We still have to catch the main thing, but we don’t have time. I spat on it, washed the suit, and it’s lying there. Waiting for spring.
— But in principle, there are no problems with obtaining VKPO?
- No. There were hemorrhoids with ankle boots: in 2015 there was one model, and they all burst. They tell me: “Buy!” I said I won't buy it. I put on my sandals and came to the unit. When asked what was wrong, he replied that the black ones were torn. Go, they say, get it. “They don’t give it like that!” Then we had to go to the Army exhibition, and everything was quickly found. All military personnel received new boots. Well, imagine, people are walking there, and military personnel whose textiles are frayed at the seams, whose soles have burst. Everyone received everything at once.
I am no longer at that age to succumb to provocations. I will wear what they gave me. If you don't like it, change it. I won't buy it myself.
— Is the wearing period of VKPO too high or real?
- The wearing period is not too high, it’s time for a change, go and change it. But the uniform that I received at the beginning is better in quality than the one that was issued at the end of 2016. Mine still has at least some appearance, but for those who received it later, it faded after washing.
This is another reason why I’m in no hurry to change my uniform. Why should it also become faded?
— Have you ever experienced the issue of a used form?
- Yes. Once, on a business trip, they gave me “sand” of the second category (used clothing that had not expired)
: cap, jacket, trousers, shorts, boots. Only the socks and T-shirt were new. And the officers were given everything new.
— Our army does not issue demi-season boots. Summer ones have to be worn before switching to winter uniforms. So?
— We wear summer boots all year round. In winter, your feet sweat. I received them, wore them once - very hot. And practically no one received them from us.
- They don’t give them away?
- No, no one just takes them. What's the point of wearing them? It's hot in them.
— That is, the command does not insist on wearing them when switching to winter uniforms?
— Nobody insists on boots.
— Did you receive special covers for summer boots?
- No. None of us received them or even saw them live. I just heard that there are such people.
— Is it possible to use non-statutory shoes?
- Can. But if an inspection comes or a drill inspection is carried out, then only the statutory ones.
— Should the non-statutory one be similar in appearance to the statutory one?
- Doesn't matter.
— Do they give out substitutes for work?
- No, we get everything ourselves.
— Do you give out sleeve insignia, stripes, buttonholes or do you buy them yourself?
- They gave it away. But they issued those that had already been canceled at that time. They asked me: “Should I extradite? They are no longer relevant.” I answer: “Give it out anyway.”
— Do you go with the issued ones or did you buy a new one at your own expense?
- Bought.
— How many times have the appearance of stripes and signs changed recently?
— Three times in the last two and a bit years.
— What do you wear to your unit: office uniform or field uniform?
- Mainly in the field. We only wear office clothes as part of an outfit.
— How is the use of personal mobile phones by contract workers regulated?
- No way. If you want, use it. We were told three years ago that this should not happen. There are certain regulations, something is prohibited. But no one insisted on it, everyone uses it.
— Have you been told anything about the rules for using accounts on social networks?
— Use it, for God’s sake, but don’t post photos related to your trips.
— How do you feel about the fact that they plan to prohibit military personnel from reporting any information related to their service on the Internet?
— For me it won’t be particularly stressful, it won’t cause any difficulties. During my service in law enforcement agencies, I got used to such requirements. They will ban and ban, and okay.
- Situation. For example, they give you low-quality shoes and refuse to replace them. But you won’t be able to attract public attention to this: the information concerns the service.
- But this is already true... We need to think about this. This is very bad, let's put it this way.
— What restrictions were there on using phones on business trips? Laptops?
- Only an ordinary “tapik” (“tapik” is a simple telephone, similar to the TA-57 field telephone)
, without a camera and Internet access. No laptops, smartphones, smart watches or fitness bracelets.
- And in practice?
- No comments. After all, a phone is needed not only for calls and the Internet, it also has other entertainment. Well, what would life be like without music, games, videos? Without this, you can hang yourself, there is no leisure.
— Political officials didn’t organize leisure rooms there? Was there even TV?
— There was TV, but what was the point? There are almost no normal films on TV. And most often it was on the Rossiya 24 channel. Televisions now, by the way, are on flash drives, but flash drives on which you could bring movies with you are prohibited. What if you sneak in secret information?
— Did only contract soldiers go on business trips?
- Yes.
— How, by the way, are your relationships with conscripts? Is there something called “hazing” against them?
- There is no such thing at all. You just go and check whether they completed the task there or not. If they removed it, fine, if not, tell them to redo it. To spread rot, to mock, to constantly poke him: “You are a moron!” - there is no such thing at all. Definitely not on my part, and I haven't seen anyone else doing it.
— Are there manifestations of “hazing” between conscripts from different conscriptions?
- No. There may be some quarrels between each other, but there will be no spread of rot.
— What age are your contract workers?
- From early twenties to early forties.
— Is there a division based on length of service among contract soldiers? Or by age? Like: “Well, this one has only been in service for three months, so he’ll be going on duty and doing some dirty work.”
- No, there is no such thing. There is such a concept: “counter-spirit”. This is the contract worker who just signed the contract. There is no such thing as for them to be loaded with something. We treat it normally.
— If a contract soldier holds the position of a private, but at the same time he has a rank. For example, Sgt. Is he allowed to wear insignia or is it prohibited?
- Can.
— Is the squad leader, platoon commander, just another contract soldier with badges and a command bag, or a real commander?
— In the unit, he’s just a contract soldier who doesn’t do anything special. Well, only if they appoint someone as a senior person to a job, so that if anything is asked of him. And in a combat situation, this is the commander. He has a division for which he is responsible. Occasionally acts as a senior officer when the team leader is performing a mission elsewhere.
—Have you ever encountered a situation where a squad commander imposed a disciplinary sanction on a subordinate?
- I had to. According to the documents, it was not carried out, however. For arguing in a combat situation, a person was assigned a duty out of turn. There was a report to the group commander that such and such a serviceman was not following the order, the commander approved it. There were no hard feelings. Everyone understood what was going on, no question.
- But in the disciplinary charter there is no such type of punishment as being ordered out of turn.
“Everyone understands that it is better to stand up for your duty than to be reprimanded and lose your bonus as a result.”
This incident with the outfit was the only one I saw during my entire service. But there because in general there was already such intensity... Usually everything is simpler: they tapped on the cabbage soup, and the person understands everything. But this is mainly done in a combat situation, when there is no time to persuade for a long time. I gave it a couple of times and everything is clear, everyone smiles.
— The platoon commander is a lieutenant. Just recently out of college, still very young. How do people almost twice his age build relationships with him?
- Fine. You address him by his first name or patronymic. If the conversation takes place in the presence of senior officers, or there are people from another unit present, then by rank or first name and patronymic. We respect the chain of command.
— Is the command language obscene?
- No, mostly normal. Everyone understands that their job must be done. It happens, of course, that fatigue accumulates, everything gets forgotten, and whining begins: “I’m fucked, then I’m fucked...” You say: “It’s good already there!” The f*** are you different?!” In principle, they calm down on this.
— How often does a battalion or unit commander openly swear at his subordinates during a formation?
“Fortunately, we don’t have a situation where someone is publicly “put down.”
— What punishments does the command impose on contract soldiers for flying? Buy a gas mower, a reprimand, a guardhouse, or maybe just a slap in the face?
- They scold more. If there is any specific mistake, then there will be a reprimand. Once a man was sent to prison for failure to report for duty. He was gone for over a week. There was a trial, everything was official. The man simply quit and decided that if this was the case, then he could give up on work and not go out.
— Don’t they offer to buy something for the needs of the unit during the flight?
- No. Everyone understands that the salary is minimal and no one will agree to such garbage. It wasn't even close.
— Is the physical training test fair or can we agree on adding the required number of points?
— About 95% actually pass. I was missing a few points to a certain level, but no one began to attribute them. But there are also strange things: in the spring of last year I passed at one level, but for some reason they put me at a lower level. I realized this when I started getting less. I contacted headquarters and they explained to me that this is your level. “How so?! I passed on another!” Well, they say, something like this, this is what you have on your papers. It was too late to figure it out, I gave up on them.
— This is minus how many thousand rubles a month?
— About two and a half thousand.
— Have you ever encountered extortions? “Send it in for repairs, hand it in for restoration of the material base.”
— Contract soldiers and conscripts don’t have this. The officers have it. They chip in for the same hardware, buy the same drills, hinges at their own expense, and make something. They chip in for repairs. But if the officer says: “Here’s the money for you: go and buy this and that,” there’s no question. I'll go buy it and help you screw it on. But we never contributed our money.
Although a new joke has appeared: since we have nothing to learn, we need to remove the snow. That means we need snow shovels. They told me to buy them or make them from scrap materials.
Nevertheless, many say that our service is in trouble: the “Solnyshko” kindergarten.
— If you need time off in the middle of the week for a really important reason, will the commander provide it for that, or will you have to pay him?
— If you need a day off, there’s no question: you come up and explain the situation. They will let you go. You just write down a report that will be kept in the company office just in case something happens to you.
— Let’s assume that you were given shoes that fell apart after a month, and they refuse to change them. Or they still ask you to chip in to repair the barracks. Will you go to the prosecutor's office with a complaint about this?
- I think yes.
- Aren't you afraid of being fired?
— My length of service is not that great. What should I be afraid of, what should I lose? They will be fired and fired. I'm not afraid of changing places. Maybe the officer, who has five years left until retirement, has given up on everything and is just dragging on, gritting his teeth. And the double bass, in principle, doesn’t care about all this. 99% for intimidation, for dismissal, I think it doesn’t matter.
— Why didn’t you complain that classes weren’t being held?
“I didn’t really want to complain.” There was sometimes a desire to just give up on everything: “I won’t work! I am a sapper. I didn't get a job as a curb installer. I will not do it!" We had such a moment with one serviceman. They forced him to do something, maybe lay these same curbs. He said he wouldn't do it. They tell him: “Write a letter of resignation!” He wrote two copies of the dismissal report and two statements to the prosecutor's office. He put them on the commander's table. That one: “What is this?!” “I wrote a statement that you are forcing me to work outside of my specialty. That you are forcing me to quit because I don’t want to work outside my specialty.” The reports were torn up, the command said: “That’s it. Go! He was no longer forced to work or dig anything.
— Was all the work only in part? Outside of it, for example, did you have to work in the personal interests of the commanders?
- Only in part.
— The answer has already been partially given, but still. Is there confidence in the prosecutor's office, the FSB? There is an opinion that they are all smeared with the same world.
“If something happens, I’ll go.” There is trust. This is their bread, and they are interested in people coming to them.
“There is also an opinion that military personnel defending their rights in the same prosecutor’s office is all whining.
- Of course you need to defend your rights. There are certain points about which you shouldn’t go whining somewhere. Which can be resolved face to face. If someone is trying to bully you, and you tell them everything you want: “Any questions?!” Let's go out and talk! No questions?! Well, fuck off!”
There are issues that you cannot resolve on your own: financial, challenging an unfair reprimand, illegal pressure to dismiss. Then only through the prosecutor's office.
— After any emergency situations, were they prohibited from using personal transport or traveling on it only at a certain speed?
- No, there are no prohibitions.
— How do you feel about former Defense Minister Serdyukov?
- Contradictory personality. He started the reform, which has now been completed, maybe adjusted somehow. There were a lot of mistakes. In general, I rate it more negatively than positively. But I don't know him as a person. At that time I was not connected with the army in any way. Basically, a negative attitude comes from the words of other people.
Although I have a friend - a reserve officer, a very competent person - he explained to me that there were a lot of positive moments and undertakings.
— Attitude towards Shoigu?
- Positive. Again, I don’t know him as a person, I only know him through the media. I don’t know its shortcomings, or any huge advantages, because I don’t follow it.
— Name the main points that you don’t like about the army.
— I don’t like workers. While serving in another law enforcement agency, I never participated in any digging or carrying anything. I carried out the immediate tasks of my service, did my job. This is service.
It was a huge stress for me when on my first day in the army they told me: “You have to do this!” And so you walk around for half a day looking for a tool, looking for nails. Then they give you an ax and tell you to hit something with it. “So that’s what you need a hammer for!” "No! Here’s an ax for that!” We roll a square one, we carry a round one: you spend half a day looking for it, assembling a tool in order to do something in five minutes.
— On what day after signing the contract did you first want to say: “Screw this army”?
“It’s not like I wanted to say: “Fuck her!” But I returned home with bitter bewilderment: “What is going on?!” I joined the army to serve. And I do some digging and dragging. PCB [park and housekeeping day – a day of the week allocated for establishing order in assigned territories and facilities, cleaning premises, etc. - note]
from morning until evening.
If business trips to hot spots had not begun, I think all this would have ended very quickly. I would quit or transfer to another unit.
— Do you plan to serve for a long time? Will you sign another contract?
- I'm planning to leave. I think 70-80 percent that you need to look for something else. Most likely connected with security forces.
— Is there a lot of turnover among contract workers?
- Currently no. Mostly, alcoholics and parasites leave. But the vast majority of my colleagues do not want to renew their contract: some want to transfer to other units, others want to go to study.
— Name the main points that you like about the army.
— Business trips to hot spots. There you can earn good money and, upon arrival home, patch up all the holes that have arisen in the family budget.
Compared to my previous place of work in the security forces, I note that in the army they don’t try to slander you or put you in jail. They are not declared guilty if you did your job properly. In the army this is easier.
I do not regret that I went to serve in this particular unit. The experience is enormous.
— Would you recommend the contract service to friends?
— They sometimes ask me. I say: “Go. Going to war is a tremendous experience.” Yes, many say that there is a lot of idiocy, that commanders are stupid and do not know basic things about combat missions. They line up a column in an open field, we stand for a long time, they might cover us. Yes, that happened too. But mostly it's a great experience.
— Would you like your child to serve in the army?
— On a contract basis - yes, on an urgent basis - no. It’s better not to serve in such an urgent army as I see. Our conscripts do purely work. He won’t learn anything, so there’s no point in taking revenge on the parade ground for two thousand a month. It would be better if he became a janitor and would earn more.
Source : website
twower.livejournal.com , Denis Mokrushin’s blog “Notes of a Russian Soldier” 12
Tags: army, everyday life, war, money, engineering, contract soldiers, training, sappers, communications, conscripts
Main goals
Engineer troops are special troops designed to perform the most complex tasks of engineering support for combined arms operations (combat operations), requiring special training of personnel and the use of engineering weapons, as well as to inflict losses on the enemy through the use of engineer ammunition.
Organizationally, engineering troops consist of formations, units and subunits for various purposes: engineering and reconnaissance, engineering and sapper, barriers, obstacles, assault, road engineering, pontoon-bridge (pontoon), ferry landing, engineering and camouflage, engineering and technical, field water supply and others.
When preparing and conducting combined arms operations (combat operations), engineering troops perform the following main tasks:
- engineering reconnaissance of the enemy, terrain and objects;
- construction (arrangement) of fortifications (trenches, trenches and communication passages, shelters, dugouts, shelters, etc.) and arrangement of field structures for the deployment of troops (residential, economic, medical);
- installation of engineering barriers, including the installation of minefields, blasting operations, installation of non-explosive barriers (anti-tank ditches, scarps, counter-scarps, gouges, etc.);
- demining of terrain and objects;
- preparation and maintenance of troop movement routes;
- equipment and maintenance of crossings on water barriers, including the construction of bridges;
- extraction and purification of water in the field and others.
In addition, they participate in countering enemy reconnaissance and weapon guidance systems (camouflage), simulating troops and objects, providing disinformation and demonstrative actions to deceive the enemy, as well as in eliminating the consequences of the enemy’s use of weapons of mass destruction.
In peacetime, engineering troops perform a number of important socially significant tasks: clear the area of explosive objects, participate in the elimination of the consequences of man-made accidents and disasters, natural disasters, prevent the destruction of bridges and hydraulic structures during ice drifts, etc.
Further development of engineering troops is carried out by equipping them with qualitatively new, highly effective, universal means of engineering weapons, built on the basis of unified elements, blocks and modules, while simultaneously reducing the range of samples of the same type for their purpose.
Equipment of the Russian Engineering Troops
The equipment of IV parts largely depends on their functional purpose. The division occurs as follows:
- intelligence service;
- sapper units;
- barriers organizers;
- assault troops;
- teams for the construction of pontoon bridges and roads;
- units engaged in camouflage of military personnel and equipment.
- water supply services and other units.
The armament of the engineering troops is military engineering equipment. It belongs to specialized types of weapons.
This includes:
- Stationary devices. For example, equipment that allows you to detect mines (RShM-2).
- The mobile mechanisms used for reconnaissance are the IRM-2 machine.
- A technique for studying the topography of the bottom of a water barrier is an echolocator.
- Portable devices - mine detectors, periscopes, sapper rangefinders, etc.
- Barrage vehicles.
- Earth-moving devices.
- Armored personnel carriers and armored vehicles.
- Forklifts and other equipment.
Military personnel are entitled to small arms from engineering troops. These are machine guns and Kalashnikov assault rifles with under-barrel grenade launchers, anti-tank machine guns. The arsenal is supplemented by weapons mounted on armored personnel carriers.
Advantages and disadvantages
Benefits of contract service:
- provision of housing and subsidies;
- they pay a stable and decent salary;
- social benefits, free medical care;
- the right to early retirement;
- high probability of climbing the career ladder.
Flaws:
- high responsibility and strict selection;
- Regular business trips are likely;
- risks to life and health;
- strict conformity, routine and lack of self-expression.
In addition, the difficulty of finding a job can be considered a disadvantage. It is possible only if there are vacant positions, and contract candidates are subject to strict requirements for physical and psychological preparation. To pass the selection, you must contact the reception center at your place of registration, residence or stay and provide a wide range of documents. If the candidacy is approved, the citizen begins service on the basis of a contract.
Special equipment of the Russian engineering troops
- BAT-2 is an indispensable assistant in almost any engineering field. This army track-laying machine, like a sewing knife, has several working tools that are necessary for laying column tracks. BAT-2 also has special crane equipment with a lifting capacity of up to 2 tons. Despite the huge number of additional units and mechanisms, in practice this equipment is a fairly obedient, responsive and very fast machine, capable of accelerating up to 70 km/h.
In addition to performing its direct duties, BAT-2 has proven itself well in clearing terrain from snowdrifts and snow debris in the winter. Instead of the friction and planetary turning mechanism traditional for heavy military equipment, the BAT-2 tracklayer is equipped with 2 onboard gearboxes. For greater maneuverability on rough terrain, the caterpillar drive is equipped with rubber-metal hinges. Activation of one of the three modes of a powerful bulldozer occurs using standard hydraulic equipment. The weight of BAT-2 together with power units and additionally installed equipment is 39.7 tons.
- IMR-1 - engineering clearing vehicle. Built on the basis of the T-55 tank. In just 1 hour, it is capable of turning 300 meters of solid rubble into a road suitable for the passage of conventional vehicles. It is distinguished by stronger hull armor, since very often the vehicle has to perform tasks under enemy fire. A manipulator with a gripper is used to install logs into the ground. The IMR-1 has a very small visibility, so together with the mechanic, a commander-operator is also sent to complete the task, who supervises the driver’s actions in the process of manipulating the crane installation. The body of this armored vehicle has quite powerful protection against radioactive radiation.
The installed working equipment has 3 main operating modes: two-blade, grader and bulldozer, which makes this type of equipment a real all-rounder in military affairs. The suspension is an individual torsion bar, the maximum speed over rough terrain is about 20 km/h. The weight of the IRM-1 engineering vehicle is 37.5 tons.
- MDK-3 is an army armored vehicle for digging pits, which can quickly dig a ditch 3.5 m wide and deep, and the length of the ditch can be any. This car is equipped with a turbocharged 12-cylinder engine producing 710 horsepower. The weight of the machine is 39 tons. Maximum speed up to 80 km/h over rough terrain. For digging a pit, a special rotary-type working body is provided, and there is also a baking powder and a cutter. The rotor’s productivity is quite high—in 1 hour, this technique is capable of digging about 350–450 cubic meters of soil.
The external tool of the MDK-3 engineering equipment is a milling cutter that looks like a meat grinder knife. Actually, its functions are similar. It is the cutter that first “bites” into the ground and feeds the loosened mass into the second wheel - the rotor, which rotates much faster than the cutter and throws the soil to one side. The rotor and the huge working cutter are driven by a gearbox. Its gears are rotated by a driveshaft with a diameter the size of a telegraph pole. But the main movement of all mechanisms is determined by the hydraulic motor.
There is another gearbox combined with a gearbox, and for finishing work the MDK-3 has a small blade that levels the shelter, making the walls vertical, and also quickly builds convenient driveways. The maximum burial depth is 5 meters. Being at a depth, in order not to get sick from exhaust fumes, driver mechanics use a first-class standard air purification and ventilation system made in Russia, which can even withstand radioactive dust. By the way, you can also control the earthmoving machine while digging a pit using a remote control from outside the cab.
Benefits of serving in the Army Corps of Engineers
The salary of contract soldiers depends on the region of service. On average, salaries vary between 25–40 thousand rubles. In addition, various monthly allowances, lifting and annual financial assistance are additionally provided. The modern army provides an opportunity not only to earn good money, but also to provide for a family.
There is another significant advantage in contract service. After the first contract, any serviceman has the right to enter into a military mortgage. It works differently than a civilian one - while the service is ongoing, the state fulfills loan obligations. But even if a contract soldier decides to become a civilian, no one will take away his apartment or house. In this case, the serviceman will independently pay off the remaining debt to the bank.
The social package of a contract soldier, among other things, includes the opportunity to receive free education, free medical care and rehabilitation support, as well as food and clothing allowances. Soon the term of the first contract is planned to be reduced to 2 years. At the same time, a unified system of discounts will be created when contract workers purchase public goods and services.
It is also planned to develop a project for preferential lending to contract soldiers of the engineering troops. The main directions in matters of improving contract service are to create favorable living conditions, optimize monetary allowances, improve social and living conditions and improve the status of engineering troops who serve under contract.
In addition, social protection and the rights of military personnel and members of their families are guaranteed.
Who can join the contract service?
The categories of citizens who are allowed to serve under a contract are established in paragraph 2 of Art. 35 of the Law of March 28, 1998 N 53-FZ. Among them:
- men and women who are not in reserve;
- Russian citizens aged 18 to 40 years;
- foreign citizens aged 18 to 30 years;
- men who have received a university diploma;
- conscripts who completed military service and received higher education;
- conscripts who completed military service and served for at least 3 months;
- citizens in reserve;
- graduates and students of military educational institutions.
Important! Persons with an outstanding criminal record, those under investigation, and those who have not undergone medical and psychological professional selection have no right to enter into a contract. The right to military service may be limited by a court decision.
To determine your professional suitability for entering military service under a contract, you can undergo psychological testing on the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
How do military engineers serve today?
The Russian Engineering Troops are a real gold nugget, an alloy of science and courage. And there is not a bit of exaggeration in this. Quickly laying a road for the safe movement of vehicles, clearing mines from the territory where hostilities are taking place, and providing water and electricity to populated areas in the event of an emergency is an invisible but necessary job. And here we cannot do without professional soldiers serving on a contract basis. That is why modern Russian engineering troops consist of 80-90% trained contract soldiers.
You will not find traditional army armored vehicles in IW brigades. These units are armed with their own unique “monsters” made of metal, each of which has its own specific characteristics.
Some machines are designed to clear debris, others make passages in minefields, and still others build bridges across rivers and reservoirs. Separate battalions of engineering troops also perform different tasks. For example, a mine clearance battalion clears areas near populated areas from unexploded shells. Only contract soldiers serve here. In one day, an engineering battalion is capable of clearing up to 5 hectares of land from landmines.
It is impossible to carry out such a colossal amount of work manually, so special equipment comes to the aid of the soldiers. Today, the newest mine clearing machine “Uran-6” is of particular importance. This is a robotic minesweeper that is controlled from a distance. This technique is actively used to clean urban areas, as well as foothill areas. Also today, soldiers of the engineering troops are mastering the latest model of a mine detector, which was nicknamed “Kite” in the Russian army for its unique technical characteristics. Today, engineering troops are developing by leaps and bounds, and automation plays a key role in reforming IW units.
In terms of the level of military training in terms of using special equipment, soldiers of engineering brigades are considered one of the best in the Russian army. A well-thought-out material and educational base helps to hone skills. Many units have their own engineering camp, a waterport for pontoon crossings and a training ground with an obstacle course where driving and fire training are taught. Combat brigades are staffed on a mixed basis - contract soldiers in the most popular army specialties are accepted for service:
- part-commander;
- deputy platoon commander;
- medical instructor;
- electrician-communicator;
- driver mechanic.
At the beginning of service, a probationary period is provided for all contract soldiers. Unconfident and weak-willed soldiers who simply cannot cope with the tasks and responsibilities assigned to them are eliminated after the probationary period (3 months) according to the principle of natural selection. Only the most persistent guys, ready for self-sacrifice, get into the service. Contract soldiers live in service apartments and cockpit-type barracks. Alternatively, it is allowed to rent housing in a nearby locality. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense compensates part of the money for renting an apartment or private house.
It is possible to conclude a contract for military service in the ranks of the engineering troops through the representative office of the Ministry of Defense.
Absolutely any law-abiding citizen of the Russian Federation (without a criminal conviction) over the age of 19, who has a state diploma of complete secondary education and has served in military service in active military units of the Ground Forces or Navy, can submit the appropriate application. Entrance tests for all applicants for contract service in the army are carried out at specially created regional selection points. These tests are complex and multi-level competitions, including a mandatory test of psychological stability, as well as a test of physical fitness.
How and for how long the contract is concluded
Both citizens who have completed military service under conscription, and graduates of military educational institutions or other universities, as well as those who are not in the reserve, can enter into a contract. Regardless of the candidate’s status, in order to conclude a contract it is necessary:
- Open the official website of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
- Find a list of collection points in the region.
- Arrive at the point according to the reception schedule for citizens.
- Provide an original passport, certificate or diploma.
- Check the full list of documents at the commissariat.
- Pass a medical examination and psychological testing.
- View the list of contract service vacancies.
- Select a vacancy in accordance with your qualifications and sign a contract.
There are two stages of selection for contract service:
- selection of candidates in military commissariats;
- reception of candidates arriving from military commissariats in military units.
For citizens entering military service for the first time under a contract, the military commissariat issues military tickets on the basis of a certain document, a relationship confirming the fact that this military unit, or rather the unit commander, agrees to provide you with a position in a certain military registration specialty, within the framework of which you will undergo further tests.
Based on the results of the selection, the head of the military unit issues an order to conclude a contract for military service. How long to wait for an order depends on various circumstances. This can be from a week to several months. On average, an order takes 2 – 4 weeks. The exact period is not defined by law.
Reference. Acceptance of documents and applications may be refused if there are no vacant positions, an incomplete package of documents, as well as failure to meet physical and psychological standards.
On average, the first contract is concluded for a period of 2 to 5 years, depending on the military position. After military school, the minimum contract lasts 5 years. The beginning of the contract service period is considered to be the day the contract is signed.
Russian Engineering Troops Day
On January 21, the Russian Federation celebrates Engineering Troops Day. Compared to paratroopers or sailors, tank crews or reconnaissance officers, their service is not so often covered in the media, but this does not make it any less necessary and important for both the armed forces and the country as a whole.
Today, the engineering troops of the Russian Federation consist of engineer-sapper, engineer, pontoon-bridge brigades, engineer-sapper and engineer-camouflage regiments, and include the Tyumen Higher Military Engineering Command School named after Marshal of the Engineering Troops A.I. Proshlyakov, in which Military specialists with higher and secondary education are being trained for the needs of the engineering troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Military engineers remain one of the most important branches of the military and receive high-quality training.
On Engineering Troops Day, Military Review cordially congratulates all generals, officers, warrant officers, sergeants and soldiers of the engineering troops, cadets, reserve military personnel related to service in the engineering troops, on their professional holiday. The most important wish is the absence of combat and non-combat losses, and the rest will follow.
Requirements for military service under contract
Mandatory requirements and conditions for the candidate:
- passing professional psychological selection and testing;
- provision by the candidate of a complete list of required documents;
- at least complete secondary education (11 grades), preferably higher education;
- passing a medical examination with assignment of categories A or B;
- passing physical fitness standards (bending, running).
Important! The leadership of military units and commissariats has the right to expand and establish their own selection criteria. For more information, please contact the collection points or call the reception desk.
