The Russian school syllabus will soon include basic military training following a vote by the Russian parliament that overwhelmingly backed the Soviet-style lessons.
Compulsory lessons for male and female pupils would include how to strip an AK47 [sic], parade drills and the best response to a chemical, nuclear and biological attack. Parliament backed amendments to the law on Friday, by 338 votes to 42. Last month President Putin told a meeting of teachers at the Kremlin that such training "is not bad, it's necessary and useful".
The move has been interpreted as part of the Kremlin drive towards "patriotic education" on the history of Russian military and political strength. President Putin has admitted he puts the strength of the state above even democracy.
The move is also designed to revive the prestige of a military struggling with humiliating budget cuts and reforms.
The military was shielded from much criticism until Gorbachev's 'reforms' in the 1980s, which saw its prestige decreased as propaganda about it waned. It only got worse in the 1990s, though as with most things post-Soviet the worst seems to have passed.
This can sort of be seen as a followup to the practice of Russian military units 'adopting' orphaned/poor children (remember when that was posted last year?) and providing them with everything they need until they come of age- after which it's their choice should they want to stay in the military, but it seems to stand to reason that this would engender a sense of fealty to the armed forces as some kind of quasi-parental figure.
Vympel wrote:
This can sort of be seen as a followup to the practice of Russian military units 'adopting' orphaned/poor children (remember when that was posted last year?) and providing them with everything they need until they come of age- after which it's their choice should they want to stay in the military, but it seems to stand to reason that this would engender a sense of fealty to the armed forces as some kind of quasi-parental figure.
Hmm... maybe it's there I got my theory about SW stormtroopers being brainwashed orphans.
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Teaching kids to use gas masks isn’t a bad idea, actually they already learn how to use or improvise masks in many Russian schools because there in close proximity to chemical plants with poor safety records. However I think this is really leaning far too much back into the Soviet era, when graduating from high school required being able to throw a grenade 15 meters among other things.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
I have heard that being a new recruit in the Russian military is often seen as a first step into hell, is it really so bad across the board or are such stories from one off experiences?
Admiral Valdemar wrote:I have heard that being a new recruit in the Russian military is often seen as a first step into hell, is it really so bad across the board or are such stories from one off experiences?
Being a first-year conscript in an unreformed unit will very likely be hell- unless you're hardcore. The second-year conscripts fob off much of the work on the first years, and haze the first-years so badly that the beating (by both your fellow soldiers and your officers in some cases)/death (from aforesaid beating)/suicide (you can't take the beating)/murderous rampage (let's see how they like it) rate in the Russian military is quite high. This has been an issue since Soviet times; though whether it's more of an issue now I can't say- and has its roots in the conscript system and the lack of Western style NCOs (Seargants and Corporals) to keep the rank-and-file in line. Units with effective NCOs (I assume the units that are professional) don't really suffer this problem though, so I guess until reform picks up it's luck.
However, if you sign up as a professional in the first place, you are unlikely to be the victim of these sorts of practices. Another compelling argument for ending conscription- or at least, professional NCOs leading conscript soldiers.
I would argue that the last line of the article isn't really correct- the budget cuts were humiliating but the military budget has steadily been increased recently, not cut- but as for reforms, the military has largely fought tooth and nail (Soviet-era officers like the idea of having millions of expendable men at their command), and as such reform hasn't been as rapid as it should be.
I just recall a documentary a few years back called Soldat which followed some first and second year conscripts (can't recall where they were stationed), but they often had scuffles and the first years always got a hard bargain when trying to get accepted into the upper echelons on the year above.
Several of the "dares" involved acts that were punishable by firing squad I believe.
If they want to force kids to do something during high school, community service would be better; seems like Russia needs it.
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We didn't have AK's in school, but I was taught firearm safety in elementary school when a State Fish & Game officer came into our health class with an armload of pistols, shotguns, and rifles.
He picked them up, demonstrated how to make sure the chamber was empty and how to apply the safety, and them passed them around the class. I got to handle a nice Colt .32 pocket pistol, a .357 revolver, and a couple of longarms.
We also had a couple of FBI agents come in and do a presentation later on that year.
They had a genuine Thompson that they passed around the class. God, that thing was heavy (at least to my 11 year old arms).
I think those 2 events are what started my interest in firearms.
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Teaching kids how to react to NBC attacks is a good idea, there's nothing wrong with parade drilling...but what the fuck is this shit about AK-47s? That's damned crazy.
And you may ask yourself, 'Where does that highway go to?'
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Robert Treder wrote:Teaching kids how to react to NBC attacks is a good idea, there's nothing wrong with parade drilling...but what the fuck is this shit about AK-47s? That's damned crazy.
It'd be damned useful for assymetric warfare behind enemy lines- not to mention lessening training time if they enter the military. I doubt it's AK-47s, I'd say at the very 'worst', AKMs (the AKM is more common)- but probably AK-74s.
Except for the AK bit, I think it's pretty good. Brings a little discipline and safety.
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That we dying younger hiding from the police man over there
Just for breathing in the air they wanna leave me in the chair
Electric shocking body rocking beat streeting me to death"
- A.B. Original, Report to the Mist
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Vympel wrote:
It'd be damned useful for assymetric warfare behind enemy lines- not to mention lessening training time if they enter the military. I doubt it's AK-47s, I'd say at the very 'worst', AKMs (the AKM is more common)- but probably AK-74s.
We all know how the world's armies are poised to invade Russia... Suddenly I have the urge to break out the "Why we fight" series of US propaganda films. Nothing beats a 2-hour movie about the Russian's fighting the Germans that never once utters the words communist or Stalin, but says "the free and united people of the Soviet Union" abut thirty times.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
Vympel wrote:
It'd be damned useful for assymetric warfare behind enemy lines- not to mention lessening training time if they enter the military. I doubt it's AK-47s, I'd say at the very 'worst', AKMs (the AKM is more common)- but probably AK-74s.
We all know how the world's armies are poised to invade Russia... Suddenly I have the urge to break out the "Why we fight" series of US propaganda films. Nothing beats a 2-hour movie about the Russian's fighting the Germans that never once utters the words communist or Stalin, but says "the free and united people of the Soviet Union" abut thirty times.
Some of those are good, I liked the invasion of France one.
"Oh no, oh yeah, tell me how can it be so fair
That we dying younger hiding from the police man over there
Just for breathing in the air they wanna leave me in the chair
Electric shocking body rocking beat streeting me to death"
- A.B. Original, Report to the Mist
"I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately."
- George Carlin
best response to a chemical, nuclear and biological attack. Parliament backed amendments to the law on Friday, by 338 votes to 42. Last month President Putin told a meeting of teachers at the Kremlin that such training "is not bad, it's necessary and useful".
We've had that even before the act. As for the rest...damn, makes me regret I've left Russia.
But, of course, had I stayed, I would still miss the military training classes (I would have graduated from HS), and would have been fighting in Chechnya right now.
Gandalf wrote:
Some of those are good, I liked the invasion of France one.
You mean the one that says Germany attacked with several tens of thousands of tanks and armored vehicles and that the French and British only had a few of their own? Meanwhile in reality land the French and British had more tanks then the Germans, and that fact had actually come to light in 1944 when the series was made. They are all entertaining and informative in some ways though.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
That's something that we should consider for US schools. Except for the AK-47 bit, though. There's something about teaching that skill to everyone that makes me shudder a bit.
Teaching NBC, discipline, leadership and teamwork. Hmmm...perhaps we should incorporate the Civil Air Patrol or the JROTC into the national educational curiculuum. Plus the exposure to aerospace and aviation can't be a bad thing. I'd say CAP, as other than teaching dscipline, teamwork, leadership (I'm sure JROTC does that too), and exposure to aviaiton and aerospace, they do a decent job in search-and-rescue training, some basic survival skills and tips, and they do use AFMAN 36-2203 when teaching military Drill and Ceremonies (in Air Force BDUs and Service Blues, it is the USAF Auxilliary after all).
lukexcom wrote:That's something that we should consider for US schools. Except for the AK-47 bit, though. There's something about teaching that skill to everyone that makes me shudder a bit.
Of course. Why would we teach kids to strip a foreign rifle in American schools?
Solid Snake wrote:In response to this, American children will all be RANGER qualified before they graduate.
And to maintain their high education standards, Japan will start teaching all students to be Karate black belts when they graduate.
"Oh no, oh yeah, tell me how can it be so fair
That we dying younger hiding from the police man over there
Just for breathing in the air they wanna leave me in the chair
Electric shocking body rocking beat streeting me to death"
- A.B. Original, Report to the Mist
"I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately."
- George Carlin
