Day of the military signalman in Russia
Today, October 20, those who are without whom effective command and control of troops and their interaction would be simply impossible, celebrate their professional holiday. We are talking about signalmen, who are also called the “nerves of the army,” since these military specialists are not allowed to relax or lose concentration even for a few seconds.
Legally, the Day of the military signalman in Russia was fixed in 2006. However, 102 years have passed since the formation of the Special Signal Corps as an independent army unit.
However, army mail, which undoubtedly can be attributed to the "early version" of the above-mentioned troops, began to be used in Russia during the Northern War during the reign of Peter I.
If we talk about the telegraph, the first communications company was formed in 1851. Then, in 1899, the first military radio unit appeared, and in 1904 the Russian army already had a radiotelegraph, a telephone and a wired telegraph.
In terms of what signalmen do during military operations, the importance of their mission can hardly be overestimated. After all, it depends on these army specialists how quickly and accurately the command tasks will be transferred to servicemen.
The slightest delay or error of the signalman can lead to disruption of interaction and complete disorientation of the forward units, which will result in inevitable losses. In addition, one should not forget that signalmen, among other things, work with secret data, the leakage of which is unacceptable.
It is worth noting that the signal troops from the moment of their appearance in our army took part in all conflicts without exception. Signals also played a huge role during the Great Patriotic War. Many of them gave their lives, literally under a barrage of enemy fire, restoring damaged communication lines.
More than 300 representatives of this type of troops were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
Today, the Signal Troops, as a separate special unit, exist in all three branches of the RF Armed Forces. Lieutenant General Vadim Anatolyevich Shamarin has been appointed Commander of the Russian signalmen since May 2020.
Finally, it should be added that the arsenal of modern communications workers is not limited to radio and telephone. Today, these specialists are equipped with the latest digital means of data transmission, satellite stations, as well as special equipment responsible for reliable encryption and decryption of transmitted information.
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