The way mobilised service personnel are treated from their first days in a unit directly affects their motivation, trust in commanders and willingness to carry out combat missions. Poor provision and inadequate conditions can contribute to unauthorised absence from a military unit.
Brigadier commander Yehor Nozdriakov, commander of the 82nd Separate Air Assault Brigade, said this during a meeting between Air Assault Forces command and journalists. He noted that work with new arrivals begins not only with combat training, but also with meeting a service member’s basic needs.
A newly arrived soldier must be provided with proper living conditions, equipment, food and attention from the command.
“It’s humane treatment of new recruits. That’s the most important thing,” the serviceman said.
The brigade commander explained that provision and high-quality training give a service member a sense of confidence in their commanders. At the same time, indifference towards new arrivals can have the opposite effect.
According to him, if a person is “taken in like a dog” and, after arriving in the unit, is effectively left without proper conditions and support, they may lose trust in the command and leave the unit without authorisation. By contrast, properly receiving new recruits, personal communication with commanders and full-fledged combat training help build a cohesive unit.