Three days in the Special Forces Airborne

It is an exciting feeling when you at the airport in Minsk met a squad of soldiers. This is the beginning of the army of the "Bloggers in the army."

The point - to throw a group of botanists nesluzhivshih bloggers in the thick of military training. For those not were holding anything heavier than a MacBook, military testing and standards threatens to become a living hell. I'll tell you what life is really divided into before and after.

26 photos + video via Tim





2. To the Army I have always been quite perverse attitude, thanks to a daring tales of the 90s and naitupeyshemu series "Soldiers". Logic tells me that the army - it is very different and it is impossible to describe it in one word, but painting the grass, hazing, and a waste of time really become part of the associative array. However, the taste of oysters should be discussed only with those who ate them, and I agreed to participate in the project.

I no longer get rid of the fear of some sleep and be late for a morning flight. I do not know why, but in this case I do not trust myself or alarm clock. Each time between little sleep and waking up in the morning tiring I chose the latter, and at the airport in time to appear, though, but in a wretched state. Flight to Minsk was no exception, and the background of sleep my colleagues looked haggard face not. Morning Airport.



3. Total participated in the project for 6 people from Belarus and Russia, divided into two teams: "Steel woodpecker" and "Battle of magpies."



4. The organizers of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Belarus: the commander of the Special Operations Forces, General Oleg Belokonev, deputy commander of the mtrs on ideology Colonel Sergei Andreev and the head of the information agency "Vayar" Colonel Andrei Shubaderov.



5. Everyone remembers the dialogue from the film "DMB»:

- Undercollar sewn to the collar.
- And we do not know.
- No one knows ... It is not a skill, not a desire, and in general in anything. The point in the sewing podvorotnichka.

Each of us received a set of uniform with chevron stripes and, of course, no one knew how to sew. And it is certainly not in ability, not a desire, and generally anything. The fact that we had a rise at 4 am, and at this point, each of stripes should be in place. It seemed as if the room has become a hall of hardworking seamstresses and only softly & quot;% # $ & quot ;, be periodically denunciations from various quarters has returned an observer in the real world. With special pleasure I cut the last thread, put down the needle and looked at the time. In the dream was 3:00.



6. The rise took place without unnecessary hysteria. All hopelessly brushing teeth, dressing and loaded into the bus. Somewhere near Minsk we have already waited two Mi-8 helicopter, ready to fly across the country. What I want to say about a helicopter?

HELICOPTER! I've never flown a helicopter, so here are my first impressions were particularly vivid. To say more, it also was a huge military helicopter! Inside it is the size of a bus, really shakes and shakes it much stronger.



7. On it we had to fly to Brest, where the 38th Guards Brigade separate mobile Armed Forces of Belarus. Of course, about the first 15 minutes throughout the cabin could be heard, "And look there and see here!", But after a while the excitement was sleeping, and almost all bloggers have fallen asleep. For porthole swam plowed field, and I sat and wrote a cell phone last post about the slope of the Russian army. That's right, it was written at the height of one kilometer.



8. The second strong impression - this, of course, zhrachka. All my life I'm sick of pasta. I did not take the pasta in any form, he declared their lively, blitzkrieg and mitbol. And here, irony, I was greeted by them.



9. From that moment began the thing why I came here. Fight with yourself - this is the most difficult type of confrontation. Ahead were serious load injured arm ached, but his shot from the chef was too sudden and achieved his goal.

I ate pasta.

The first barrier of my past life fell, crumbled into dust. I dropped tears ate pasta and they have seized a cutlet, because in front of us definitely had some time to die and rise again, and this would be a good idea to stock up on energy.

Very soon, we have built one of the barracks for military equipment. It's a standard set, which usually carry a paratrooper in any case, even if goes to the store for bread. It includes a self unloading, set of chemical protection UGC, a flask, a shovel, a gas mask, a paratrooper backpack, elbow pads, knee pads, sleeping bag, rain cover and probably something else. Lucky-radio operator receives a bonus in the form of a 15-pound radio station R-159. Charge itself is good enough is not easy, especially for a man with a citizen. Nothing beyond, but at some point the backpack starts to outweigh the good, and this is the best option laytovy "full gear."



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11. Looking ahead, we have to say that if not for his sense of responsibility to the department, I would not have managed to get through most of the stages. The team - it's a great motivation when force is gone, everything hurts, and it is impossible to go forward. The army is very good skill to learn to put the public interest above their own, it is rarely who manage in the ordinary world.

On the first day we had to go through several exercises, including the Scout band, finding the azimuth, radio and airborne complex. The band scout cause us the most concern, as even its unhurried passage ended a strong shortness of breath and totally ushatannym state. By itself, it consists of a piece of land studded with various obstacles, fences, walls, tunnels and barbed wire. In the embodiment, in which we had to pass it, it ended with broken glass wall, the path to which lies on the laid over a pit log.



12. Of course, for his diggerskoe ruferskoe past and I had enough nalazit, if not one "but." In-Goal passes band for any negotiations relied penalty balls. The team was divided into pairs, who moved synchronously, but within the same obstacles. If the para-intelligence started before prepyatsviya pass para-rear, team ball, penalty. On top of that, a number of our rivals were, so the band had to move on, quietly but quickly. Add 30-degree heat of the sun, and will develop the full picture. Nearly as "good news, you will live poorly, but not for long!".



13. I think that after the Scout band I first realized the importance of being part of a team. In addition, despite the fact that the strength was not there at all, I miraculously walked farther forward, stepping over fatigue. Before that I never ran in the morning, I did not go to fitness and general as something frivolous attitude to their health. All of this came up instantly, at the same time giving me to understand that the boundaries of human capabilities actually still far ahead. Well, while I was sitting on the grass and trying to catch my breath though.

Finding the azimuth was given command is relatively easy, but soon after we moved him to airborne complex. That's where the hell! If the obstacle we did not finished off, that's for sure had to do it. The complex consists of several simulators to practice skills treatment with a parachute. Training parachute kit weighs 25 kilos and adds the thrill impermanence of life. I will show the most hellish simulator.

Exercise for the development of the ankle. It is necessary to put on a training parachute and jump like a grasshopper on a line of tires and metal. It looks easy, but after the fifth wheel pulse can be considered over bumps in the ears and the feet are buzzing worse than offended deputies in parliament. (in the background you can see my face full of mixed feelings)



14. At this point, the pot was already everywhere, shrouded eyes and flowed a small stream. No one has seriously and did not expect to rest all together staggered in front of the barracks when the team entered wear backpacks and "in full gear" to advance to the forest base in seven kilometers from the part. Almost immediately after the team left the location of the parts, the rain poured down.



15. Worse than tired to go through the woods may be just the way wet woods, in the dark and in the company of very hungry mosquitoes. We were accompanied by slaps, sending winged creatures to the next world with a speed of 20 pieces per minute. Every half-hour radio operator contacted the base and reported the situation. In the middle of the road we were able to catch up with our rivals, which by that time reached the swamps and wore rubber boots. These boots themselves are very bad, unless you're in a hurry, so we decided to go through a swamp without them.

Feeling swamp water that flows into your treachery, and so already rather wet shoes - is a huge signal "no turning back". I do not know exactly how much we have gone, taking into account the likely paths the curves and all 10 kilometers instead of 7, but until the team reached base in Encouraged state. Wet, but happy, we went to the fire to dry and sleep.



16. Each team was stationed in his tent. In each of them, the organizers have provided electricity, light and internet. The beds, however, were a little softer plank floor, but after that date it had no value at all. Surprisingly, it is for a good sound sleep is suitable for almost any horizontal (and sometimes not) surface.



17. Of course, I knew that the next day the muscles will ache. I even suspect that they will be hurt badly, but that's really what I do not think about is that the pain is so bad that I will not even be able to sit down! He ached. It hurt so that on the basis I moved like a real invalid, staggering and limping. But it is not by itself I was not even pain in the muscles, and on the understanding that future day prepares us even more hardcore testing.

The morning began with the exit of the hopping field where future paratroopers ready to jump with a parachute. On the field, their helicopter was waiting, almost the same as the one on which we reached Brest.



18. Alas, some time before takeoff strong wind arose and jumping for soldiers was canceled. Instead, the helicopter sank three parachutists athletes. The aircraft took off, climbed to an altitude of 2 kilometers and paratroopers, smiling, jumped off into the abyss behind. I never thought that this could be done with a satisfied look on his face!



19. Of course, it would be very cool to jump with a parachute, but neither the weather nor our skills are not allowed to do that. However, ahead of us was leaving the shooting range, which is very different emotions and other tests.



20. I am very good attitude to arms, but somehow it happened that of military weapons do not have to shoot. Maximum - a shooting bottles and jars from a pneumatic pump over. It turns out, shoot - is not just a nichrome.



21. When I was aiming for the first time, I had a feeling of complete blindness. With open sighting device requires a certain skill. I shot, even the most unaware of where the bullet will fly today. Kalashnikov at 100 meters it flew "somewhere in the direction of the target." Of course, after such a scene of wild shooting in the films look at least comical, but shoot - it's still very cool. Apparently, the newcomers really lucky. The first three shots went past.

- What are you doing here, a pacifist? - The commander asked, eyeing a clean target.
- No, just the target ekonomlyu!

At the next cone cartridges economy managed to tie, and a few bullets still flew to the target. Two of them were in the top ten, managed to enter at one point. Perhaps it is not a bad result for the blind and the lame hand, but to shoot well - you have to shoot a lot. This is a very simple rule, and it almost makes exceptions.



22. On a nearby military range shooting more serious fun. Howitzers, anti-aircraft guns and shooting a gun on the APC. Phone, of course, can not pass that screen, to which you are shot, but believe me, very, very powerful sound.

After shooting we already have gathered to get into the bus, suddenly pulled up to the site three armored personnel carriers. The idea of ​​a ride on the APC at first sight, of course, look outrageously cool, but dialogue commanders have little confused:

- Well, let him sit down on the bus?
- The bus? No, APCs. They're in the army now that there are no exceptions!

What do you mean, no exceptions? So is that turbulence in the helicopter, truck and even on potholes bus from the Kiev railway station - a sophomoric in comparison with a trip to the APC! It seems that Bush is no principle in an APC. At each pit, if you have not caught on all that you can, you'll be flying through the cabin like a balloon.



23. Upon arrival at the base of the forest have been waiting for a new job. Unloading in the backpack, the backpack on his shoulders, with plenty of water and run to orienteering. 4 points scattered on the polygon, the march to the last throw of the camps and overcoming the water hazard.

It turned out that the last obstacle proved to be one of the strongest impressions for the entire trip. I ran out of gas on the wildly orientation. Each subsequent step, at some moment was "the last jerk", followed by another and another. Surprisingly, if you have a wildly hurt all muscles of the body, to run much less painful than walking. However, this does not mean that you will not fall after the forced march, trying to recover. I've even stopped to wonder how I found strength to move on, but the hardest part was still to come.

Overcoming a water barrier - a test in which three members of the team need to cross the small lake, along with their belongings. Things removed and wrapped in a rubber coat of chemical protection suits. The test has a subversive component - during the crossing is forbidden to publish or talk loud enough and noticeable sounds, such as bursts of water.

From our team to swim off Alex, I'm Michael. Together with Alex we quickly swam to the opposite shore, where there is a problem - our third party stuck at the start.



24. "You can help, but only one!". I'm not a very good swimmer and a ferry to one side a well-hit by the breath of me, but what happened next - seemed a living hell. I went back into the water and quickly swam to Misha. His bale of things at that time had already several times roll over and burst into good water. One hand had to cling to this same package, and the second - to paddle to shore, towing the bag with Misha. It was not just hard, it was really unbearable. It lacked nothing, no air, no forces, but his head I still understand what you need to swim to the shore at any cost.



25. All that I could do the next 5-10 minutes, going to the beach - it is very difficult and often breathe. Perhaps this was the most difficult and also the most enjoyable moment for all the project. It was clear that at this stage we lost our competitors and lost a lot of points, but it was no longer important. By the time we lost in a monolithic, hard as a diamond team. Maybe someone and I jumped, swam and ran faster than us, but united we had no one I know for sure. When I caught his breath, I was approached by one of the commanders, shook his hand and said, "Good for you, did not give up a comrade." This phrase has become a more serious to me than any victory in the project.



26. After the swim, we went to the tents. In principle, the competitions were over. Someone discussed experienced per day, someone dried form, and someone sent the materials to the editors. The day came to an end and everyone went to bed. It would have to come to an end and our trials, but no.

About an hour of the night in the tent burst commander shouting "alarm." Together with him in the tent flew three or four operators with spotlights on cameras that are perfectly dazzled us. In utter confusion, we pulled equipment, jumped into the MAZ and rushed to an unknown destination.

Here we have We mention that MAZ, which rushes through the forest road, the passenger sitting in the back on wooden benches - not very comfortable APCs. A little sleepy start jitters caused by the surge andrenalina, but very soon it manages to appease. Since there is nothing at all, no phones, no cameras, no water. MAZ stops in the woods.

Jumped out of the body "Forty," the commander of a combat mission reads. "You are in an unknown area of ​​the forest. Your sergeant wounded. Your goal - to get to the base. Time has gone! ". MAZ tearing up and we are alone under the dark night sky. We find the north, which pretends to be located base, grab the sergeant at arms and run.

Tired and exhausted, the team resorted to the forest camp. It was the last test, the project is finished.





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