I confess, I did not attach importance to one meeting that took place a couple of weeks ago in one of the city markets. Meetings with a fighter of the NWO. I did not ask either the name or the surname of the fighter. Yes, and it was not necessary. A chance meeting of two men who are tired of walking along the rows and begged their halves for the opportunity to smoke at the entrance to the market while they choose their next purchase.
A guy of about 30 in an ordinary military uniform, which today you can meet a dozen in an hour, walking along the streets of any Russian city. Moreover, the form does not necessarily indicate belonging to the army. More often it is rather a tribute to convenience. Just like jeans. The only thing that surprised me was the St. George ribbons on shoulder straps. Not stripes or stars, but a ribbon.
The guy came up to me, limping noticeably on his left leg, and asked me to light a cigarette. Now I don’t even remember why I asked him, pointing at his leg with my eyes:
- Hooked? ..
He simply replied:
- Yes a little. They got treated and went on vacation.
We were silent.
And my brothers called me. My "swallow" was repaired. Gotta go pick it up. And then they will hand it over to someone ... Well done fellow fellow countrymen. She was quickly cured as promised...
Then the companion returned, and he, throwing a half-smoked cigarette, hurried to her.
Here is such a meeting. The conversation is about nothing. But sunk into the soul. I remembered reading the advertisements on buses last year for volunteers. Including in remrot. So that's what this guy was talking about. About the same remrot that right now is “healing” equipment in our immediate rear.
But the topic, without knowing it, the guy raised a very serious one. In the army, and especially in war, a countryman is almost a relative. Almost brother. Probably, it is very important for people that in battle there is someone who, in a peaceful life, walks along the same streets, breathes the same air, swims in the same river ... Then there will be twins with whom you will not once in combat.
It is no coincidence that in films about the war there is often a scene when soldiers ask newcomers where they are from. Brothers are right here. These are people of war just like you. And the countryman is from there, from another life. This is a thin thread that connects with the house.
The question arises - is it necessary for commanders to form units taking into account the place of conscription? How will this affect the unit's morale? Won't "pop up" some kind of "home showdown" in combat conditions? Or vice versa, won't memories of "youth" become a reason for violating military discipline or even an oath?
The creation of a contract formation system
Not so long ago, I watched a video with another speech by Yevgeny Prigozhin in front of potential employees of the Wagner PMC, who are still in places not very remote. Speech, frankly, not an agitator at the recruiting office. I'm not even talking about the lexicon, it's clear here - you need to speak with people in a language they understand, I'm talking about how skillfully Prigozhin forms groups.
"You yourself will gather in groups ... with those with whom you will then go into battle."
It is clear that people who have spent quite a lot of years in prison have absorbed the laws of the zone and do not intend to violate them. You have to pay too dearly for such violations “in that world”. Prisoners are clearly divided among themselves and know very well how easy it is to lose status and slide to the very bottom.
Prigogine immediately dots the i's. This thesis that “only go into battle next to those whom you choose yourself” gives a guarantee. Yes, even backed up by another thesis - "we never take the omitted ones."
How is this related to community? Directly! PMC works with a certain contingent, and there is a slightly different division. Recruiters are well aware of what needs to be "pressed". Precisely on the status, on the place in the hierarchy. And only then on the opportunity to receive a pardon, to become a different person, and so on.
For an army commander, the place of status is precisely occupied by the community. And such a commander often simply does not have a choice. The units and formations that participate in the SVO are equipped with contract soldiers. This means that the vast majority of personnel were recruited from among the inhabitants of some region adjacent to the place of deployment. What we are seeing today at LBS.
The same thing happened with the mobilized military personnel. Calling up in the region, training in the region, combat coordination in the region and advancement to the place of the NMD by a ready-made unit or even part. Even specialists - sappers, snipers, machine gunners and others, after additional training in the immediate rear (at the training grounds of the DPR and LPR) return to their units.
Thus, our units and formations largely consist of fellow countrymen. The appearance of “fighting Buryats”, “Kadyrovtsy”, “Siberians”, Far Easterners”, “Muscovites”, “Tatars” and others is quite natural. The connection of such subdivisions and units is preserved in the future. People collect humanitarian aid for "their own". Governors come to their. Even vacationers from their units are taken out and returned by their buses, trains, planes ...
I don't see anything wrong with this. On the contrary, the regions provide additional supply of their units with the necessary things, sometimes leading representatives of neighboring units into a stupor. Let me remind you of a vile discussion in social networks that arose from scratch. The inhabitants of the region sent national musical instruments to their soldiers...
How much dirt I saw then. “It would be better if they sent socks and shorts, they are always in short supply ...” and similar nonsense. Yes, socks are torn, but very often the sound of some kind of accordion, beshkhuur, dechig pondar or kurai is much more necessary than socks or underpants. In war, the soul is more important than the body.
But there are also negative aspects of such formation. Alas, but this is also an objective and subjective factor. Imagine a battalion commander who, like manna from heaven, is suddenly sent a platoon or even a company of prepared replacements. Brave guys, eager to fight, have combat experience of the Chechen campaign or the Syrian one. Extremely motivated.
And his people sit on LBS without getting out for three or four months. Or intelligence reported on the preparation of the next "offensive" on some opornik. And this unit rushes to the aid of those who need help. A platoon to help a company is almost a miracle.
With all the pluses, the unit still does not know the local conditions, various ravines, dangerous forest belts, dirt and other trifles. And he runs into the enemy or into a minefield ... Or is substituted under the enemy's artillery. Who is to blame for the fact that the unit suffers losses?
The soldiers stand to the death. Officers, even wounded, do not leave the battlefield. The battalion commander performs the task with all the forces and means that he has ... A guide from experienced fighters knows the way ... The usual psychology and underestimation of the enemy are to blame. Now we’ll come and show them ... And then videos about “victories” or about the fact that some unit was immediately thrown into a meat grinder appear on the network ...
Is it good or bad to fight in the same ranks with fellow countrymen?
In my opinion, the question is far-fetched. In 1941, Siberian divisions beat the Germans near Moscow, fellow Kazakhstanis entered history like Panfilov's heroes... At the same time, the Muscovites showed themselves from the best side. Leningrad was defended by Leningraders. Sevastopol Sevastopol people. It was later, after the reorganization and recruitment, after the return of the wounded from the hospitals, everything was mixed up.
With regard to the current situation, units and formations tied to certain regions are very reasonable and good for the Russian army. Combining the concepts of fellow countryman and brother gives an additional incentive to soldiers and officers to be good fighters. Many of them have known each other since they were civilians and understand that stories about who fights and how will become known in their native city or village rather quickly.
In the same way, this affects the relationship between commander and subordinate. A platoon or company commander, battalion commander or regimental commander is also among those mobilized. Officers also care about their image. It is important to know at home that the commander, the one who lived on the next street or in the neighboring village, is a real father to the soldiers, literate, demanding, courageous, his own.
I remember a conversation with one of those mobilized back in the fall, before sending his unit to the NVO zone. At that time, the topic of the participation of deputies in the operation was being dispersed.
“The commander of the regiment, we have what we need. From the neighboring area. Deputy. He served his term as an officer. He retired and returned as a volunteer. He drove us like sidorov goats. "The Russian soldier must be able and have everything in the war." And he is an ethnic Kazakh. Son of the steppes. Meticulous, punchy, but demanding. We're lucky."
This is the opinion of a subordinate! I am sure that such a commander will gather officers to match himself. This is how the monolith is born. This is how it is born, already then it was born - a good combat-ready unit. I think that there are enough applications from volunteers who want to serve in this particular regiment in the military registration and enlistment offices.
And the fighter who is so concerned about the fate of his "swallow" is sure to be already there. It kneads the Donbas mud with wheels or caterpillars. And he already said “thank you for the good work” to his fellow countrymen. I think so...