Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine forced many to join the ranks of the Armed Forces. Many took up arms for the first time in their lives without having any military experience behind them. In order to facilitate adaptation to the harsh army life, we have collected the advice of experienced soldiers, who suggested how to prepare morally, physically and intellectually for work at the front.
Before going into details and starting thorough preparation, understand the main thing: you should not think “I should”, you should think “can I”. Remember that you should not be ashamed of the fact that you are not in the war: each of us has our assignments in this life and each of us should be in his place.
Military psychologist Spartak Subota spoke in detail about all the main factors affecting behavior in extreme frontline conditions. Arriving at the collision line divides everyone’s life into “before” and “after”. The psychologist told about what you can become “after”:
Even before picking up a weapon, you need to determine for yourself which military specialty is most suitable for you. The army is a state within a state, and almost all existing professions are needed in it. For example, if you are a capable electrician or an experienced welder, or know how to cook well, or understand documents and legal matters, then you will bring extraordinary benefit to the army – doing your job, even if you do not fire a single shot during your entire service. One such profession, which does not involve daily work with weapons, is described here:
No matter what you do in the army, you must be physically fit. How to strengthen yourself is shown, for example, here:
If you’ve set your sights on being a stormtrooper, scout, infantryman, sniper, commando, or any other specialty that will put your hand on a machine gun or rifle, then you should check out this channel (and many others that have talk about how to properly handle weapons and share the experience of conducting real battles):
It is very important for all fighters to understand, at least in general terms, different types of weapons. After all, during the battle, a situation may occur when your personal weapon will fail or run out of ammunition, so you will have to continue the battle, picking up the first barrel that comes to hand. Therefore, the wider range of weapons you know, the more chances you have to survive. For example, this video talks about the Browning machine gun, popular at the front.