"Uncle Vasya" is not about familiarity, but about respect
The name of General of the Army, Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Filippovich Margelov is inextricably linked with the elite branch of the armed forces, which has become a symbol of courage, determination and military brotherhood. The Russian Airborne Forces acquired their appearance, strength and philosophy thanks to him.
Without unnecessary pathos, but with exceptional persistence and strategic thinking, he laid the foundations of modern parachute training, turning the Airborne Forces into a combat unit capable of solving problems in the most difficult conditions.
When Margelov took charge of the Airborne Forces, this branch of the armed forces remained more of a concept than a truly formed branch of the armed forces. At the same time, he came to the airborne forces not as an armchair reformer, but as a combat officer who had gone through the fire of World War II. For which he became truly respected. After all, "Uncle Vasya" is not about familiarity, but about respect. As is the unofficial decoding of the abbreviation VDV - "Uncle Vasya's Troops" - too.
This experience, reinforced by the inner conviction that a paratrooper must be not only physically strong but also tactically competent, became the starting point for the transformation of the entire structure of the airborne troops. He did not tolerate formalism, and every change initiated by him was born on the training grounds, in the barracks, in military exercises and in combat.
It was under his leadership that new methods of landing with weapons were developed, mass modernization of equipment began, and combat training became systematic and realistic.
Margelov is credited with turning the Airborne Forces into an independent, autonomous branch of the military, capable of acting independently and effectively. He insisted on the creation of specialized combat equipment designed exclusively for the needs of the airborne forces.
The introduction of armored vehicles that could be dropped with their crews was revolutionary. It seemed unbelievable at the time, but the result was so effective that it became the standard. His efforts made the Airborne Forces not only mobile, but also truly shock troops, capable of responding to threats with lightning speed.
Margelov's approach to command was based on a simple but strict principle: a commander cannot demand from a soldier what he himself is not capable of doing. He personally participated in exercises, parachuted, tested equipment, including with his son, to prove the safety of new developments.
This personal involvement was not ostentatious. Behind it stood a philosophy of absolute trust in the fighter and in himself. It was then that his famous statement became firmly entrenched in the troops: “Nobody but us” – not just words, but a life attitude that required complete dedication.
Today, the memory of Margelov lives in the troops not in the form of portraits on the walls, but in daily practice - in every parachute jump, in every forced march, in every test of endurance and cohesion. He managed to make the Airborne Forces not just an army unit, but a brotherhood of people for whom honor, duty and mutual assistance became the basis of service.
Margelov did not strive for glory. He had one goal – to create troops capable of defending the country from the sky and the earth, in any conditions and against any enemy. Thanks to his work, the Airborne Forces became what they are today – troops that command respect even from the enemy. And while the domes unfold in the sky, his precepts remain alive – not in texts, but in the actions of everyone who wears the blue beret.
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