Does the army of Belarus need civilian assistance and control?
On November 1, the co-chairs of the campaign “Tell the Truth”, Tatyana Karatkevich and Andrei Dmitriev, using the rather loyal Belarusian legislation on appeals from citizens, “had the good fortune” to participate in the reception on personal matters with Acting Minister of Defense of Belarus, Major General Oleg Belokonev, and handed him suggestions on , in their opinion, changes in the army.
The proposals were formulated by a public commission, which was created by the movement back in August of this year to observe the exercise "West-2017". The commission included politicians, military experts (!) And analysts. After the tragic incident at the training center in Pecs, the commission decided to continue its work and developed proposals for changing the rules for serving in fixed-term service in Belarus. The Ministry of Defense has been offered a set of concrete measures that are supposedly capable of ensuring the safety of the service of conscripts and raise the image of the Belarusian army.
The document includes 13 items. As Tatiana Korotkevich explained: “Here there are real operational measures, as well as whole directions for the urgent reform of our army. These proposals take into account the public discussion that is taking place today in the Belarusian society, the experience of other countries. ” However, are all these measures necessary in the army and must be implemented?
We will be consistent and consider each point from the point of view of people who at one time had a direct relationship to the Armed Forces, and not politicians trying to do this extra PR. By the way, Dmitriev and Korotkevich participated in the parliamentary elections of the 2016 of the year, albeit without success. Now they are "sharpened" in the election campaign for local councils of deputies, which must pass no later than 20 in February of 2018, the launch of which they announced on October 24.
“Andrei Dmitriev and Tatiana Korotkevich will head the list of candidates in which there are already more than 120 people. We are going to the elections in order to turn the power to the people and open the doors of local councils for citizens, ”said Sergei Voznyak, head of the republican headquarters“ Tell the Truth ”at the elections, at a press conference in Minsk.
So, the proposals of our "experts":
1. Reduce emergency service to 9 months and create a rich program to develop the skills and abilities to protect our homeland.
Making a rich program is really good, but with a reduction in terms ... Each military specialty requires different time to prepare, for example, to train a serviceman-gunner of a motorized rifle division and a radio operator of communication troops need a different time - one can be trained in a month, another three. This is only to train, but the soldier still needs to consolidate all this in practice and conduct coordination in the composition of the unit. So it turns out that reducing the service life to 9 months, in some specialties a young person, only becoming a more or less normal specialist, will have to quit. Thus, there will be very few well-trained soldiers in a number of specialties in the army.
The transition to the contract method of recruitment does not mean that those who expressed a desire to serve under the contract are immediately ready to perform the combat mission. To do this, they also need to acquire skills in military occupational specialties or undergo a training course in military training units to master other specialties. And this is exactly what is acquired during urgent military service, and 9 months for this are clearly not enough, especially, as suggested, for a “rich program.”
2. Introduce the institution of ombudsman (ombudsman) for the rights of military personnel who will be able to monitor the implementation of legislation in this area.
This means introducing another official who will be entrusted with the functions of monitoring the observance of justice and the interests of servicemen. In many parts there are full-time lawyers who are responsible for this. If they do not refine, then that is another question.
Introducing a new position, you have to create a whole staff of such persons. To whom they will obey, to whom they are accountable, at whose expense will they be financed, who will and how will implement their recommendations? There are many questions, but the politicians did not give a clear explanation, only beautiful and fashionable words. In our understanding, it is an empty idea or just baby talk.
3. Create a public advisory council at the Ministry of Defense and invite representatives of civil society, human rights organizations to it.
Why have another body if the Advisory Council to the Minister of Defense already exists. Moreover, it consists of competent military experts, and not civilian amateurs. The advisory council was created to increase the responsibility and role of officers in solving the tasks assigned to them, to study and summarize their views on topical issues of military construction and improve the vital activities of military teams, combat and mobilization readiness, operational and combat training, strengthening discipline and law and order, organizing ideological work, ensuring the social protection of military personnel, civilian personnel, their family members and other issues related to war activities.
4. For the development of public relations within the Ministry of Defense to create a Department of civil-military cooperation.
Again, these are new posts that will actually deal only with conversations at various venues. Who will contain these devices, what is the selection criterion for this council? In whose submission are they? What is legal liability? This is not friends to call football to play in the yard. Moreover, “our experts” have forgotten (or did not know) that the number of the defense department is strictly limited and is approved by the President of the country. Therefore, there will be a question in return of what to introduce this or that new body - whom to cut?
5. To simplify the procedure for granting layoffs on weekends and holidays to conscripts, to give them more freedom to communicate with relatives and friends.
The procedure for granting is simple at the present time: a military serviceman for fixed-term service, if he is not subject to a disciplinary punishment “deprivation of the right to dismissal”, has the right to one dismissal per week.
No one forbids visiting relatives and friends. Obviously, the “military experts” of the “Tell the Truth” movement and, as it was announced, analysts, did not even bother to read the General Military Charters of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus, where entire chapters are devoted to dismissing military personnel from the location of the military unit and visiting. By the way, everything is clearly painted there.
Maybe the term “simplification” was understood to mean the installation of electronic terminals in the barracks, when every soldier or sergeant who wanted to, by clicking on the icon, would immediately get a leave note and could go to all four sides?
In addition, after such visits, often, the soldier cannot then perform his duties normally, but waits for the next day off in order to hold on to her mother’s skirt. And many sympathetic "friends" do not forget to grab a bottle or two for a meeting, to "pity" a comrade. Thus, the serviceman does not carry the service, but only comes to his senses for two or three days.
Do not forget about the banal food poisoning and disorders that occur, including after a sharp change of food.
6. To form the sergeant staff exclusively from contract soldiers who have completed urgent military service, to organize for them and warrant officers a specialized secondary military education.
Great offer. Many countries strive for this. However, to realize this - it is necessary to interest people. This is done with the help of benefits, appropriate monetary allowances, collateral. If Messrs. Dmitriev and Korotkevich think that only they have thought of this before, then they are mistaken. Everything is long overdue. This requires a huge budget, which our state cannot do. However, to speak - not tossing bags! Even Russia, the authority of the army in which in recent years is quite high, as well as increasing military spending, could not fully ensure the implementation of the program for the transition to professional service. On this topic on the Internet there are a lot of publications.
7. Unload military psychologists from bureaucratic work and maximize their time working with personnel.
What does it mean to maximize unload and increase the time - how many hours? Officers also have families and children who also need attention, or for politicians it doesn’t matter - for them, the commanding fathers should always be in the service.
In addition, you yourself asked to saturate the program - there would be no time for a soldier to run through psychologists, he would have to sleep after heavy loads.
To unload from bureaucratic work - this means not keeping records of work, psychological status magazines of military personnel, not writing notes for classes, not developing programs, various testing, surveys. So why then will need such psychologists or something else "respected commission" laid in this item?
8. To complete units inclusive to a battalion from military of one period.
Sorry, but this is a crazy idea. Okay, Korotkevich is a woman, she may not understand, but Dmitriev himself seemed to be doing military service, he should have known that this was not possible - otherwise, in brigades and regiments, at least one battalion of one period will always be on “leave”! The period came to retire - the battalion took the suitcases and went home, and serve, who will? There is no other thing - only soldiers were called for him, they are preparing, but as a fighting unit - it does not exist, and always! But what about the transfer of experience, the coordination of units, etc. What kind of combat readiness of the same battalion or the whole military unit can be said in this case? Ordinary absurdity, or, as they say, "the circus left, and the clowns remained."
9. Together with human rights defenders to create an independent hotline for military personnel.
Create. Only who will respond to complaints? Where will these “human rights activists” meet and how will they prove their professional suitability to consider the vital functions of the defense department, if, again, you didn’t go through the charters before visiting the Ministry of Defense? How everything will be recorded, will anonymity be respected, and if so, how to prove the facts of violations? Some questions. Moreover, the "telephone hotlines" are in each barracks. If our conscripts are afraid to openly call that scoundrel, then this is a lack of upbringing in the family, and not in the army. Here they do not teach "collective responsibility" and do not lay down the "slave principle".
10. To create at each part trusteeship councils with the participation of veterans and representatives of the parents of servicemen.
Create - no problem. That's just for what - what are their functions and responsibilities? After all, they have already proposed the creation of a civil-military cooperation department, a public advisory council and even an ombudsman - which is more. Some kind of farce is out. Can still create a Council of soldiers' deputies, as it was after the February Revolution? What came of it is enough to watch the Russian film “Battalion”.
11. Think about the possibility of the soldiers to choose their representative at the command of the unit, to solve everyday, legal and psychological issues.
12. To ensure the right of soldiers of the fixed-term service of one period to choose from their own circle a representative at the command of a unit for solving everyday, legal and psychological issues.
Decide at the end of it all - think or provide. In 1917, the year was already given the opportunity - they then beat officers in the face and hanged them. Passed - we know where it leads. This is the army, not a meeting in the school class!
13. Secure by law the removal of criminal responsibility from the military, who voluntarily left the military unit due to hazing.
It’s a good idea, but think what will happen if the soldier, because of his character and upbringing, seemed to be bullied and only required to comply with the Articles of the Charter. And in the case of leaving the location of the part it is classified as a crime - the same article! So it was, is and will be in all countries.
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“We have taken a step towards the Ministry of Defense. It is important that they took a step back. For us, the themes of bullying and information work are extremely important. They are about building trust in society. Without it, the development of the country is impossible. Changing the image of the Belarusian army requires high-quality execution of the existing legislation, changing the training system for ensigns and sergeants, establishing continuous cooperation with civil society, and open information policy of the department, ”said Andrei Dmitriev in an interview with the media.
So you can draw a line. Except for how to create new unnecessary departments — councils, incomprehensible committees, all the proposals were reduced to boltology — the politicians did not offer anything worthwhile or truly justified.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense has already made certain decisions, and they were voiced by the Minister of Defense, Lieutenant-General Andrei Rawkov, answering questions during the November direct line 4. In particular, it was decided to allocate funds for installation at places where military personnel would be accommodated with technical means of observation, which would allow the duty officer at the school, who is in the barracks, to more quickly see the premises where the military personnel are located, in order to minimize the slightest questions - any or all impact.
In addition, according to A.Ravkov, a decision has been taken on the financing of campus facilities, a club, a canteen. For medical company will be purchased new equipment.
At the same time, the officers and warrant officers of the entire center, the school for training specialists, are being tested, and according to the results of testing these officers, for some who do not confirm their professionalism, certification will be held and appropriate measures taken - either a reduction in office or dismissal.
By order of the President, the new head of 72 of the integrated training center, Colonel Vladislav Budik, was admitted to fulfillment of his duties, until recently - the head of the service department of the Armed Forces troops.
Also, at present, young people who serve in the Furnaces may have telephones with them, but only of an approved sample. This decision, according to the Ministry of Defense, was adopted by the new head of the training center. At the same time, soldiers may use the mobile device not when they want, but according to the schedule. Earlier it was also allowed to call from the army, but mobiles were stored in strictly “designated places”.
What motivates the representatives of “Tell the Truth” - is it really a desire to help the defense department or, nevertheless, are these actions connected with the possibility of additional PR and attracting people's votes to their side? With this you need to understand, and experts in certain areas. After all, it is no secret that many representatives of the media and political beau monde use the death of a serviceman for their own selfish interests.
Reformed military service may be necessary, but real professionals should speak about it and do it, but not amateurs from the “Tell the Truth” campaign. Could it be that a former conscript Dmitriev could not talk about this topic with his father, a reserve officer, some kind of military professional, before forming frankly delusional ideas, including in other areas? ..
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