Blowtorch and Keyboard Can Also Be Weapons of Victory

The future has arrived. It is just not the future we could have imagined.We never expected to face another liberation war. Yet in order to survive and protect our families and homes, we had to be inventive, and we have become so successful at it that Ukrainian innovations have changed the face of warfare and, in many ways, rewritten the protocols of combat.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.Ukraine has set in motion and taken the lead in a global military-technological revolution. We are fighting with drones and robots in the air, on land, and at sea. The enemy feels the consequences of this revolution every day, while ordinary people watch them in countless videos.Burning, blazing enemy equipmentDrone pilots are the most visible part of this story, but behind every video that shows an FPV drone hitting a target, behind every burning Russian marketplace, and every ground combat robot, there are far more people than just the operator.At a minimum, there is an engineer who prepares and tests the drone, a programmer who works on its software, an explosives specialist who prepares the warhead, a driver who delivers the system to the launch site, and only then does the pilot take over.New technologies create demand for new professions that are becoming critically important to the military. And the demand for such specialists is enormous.A robotic army needs new specialistsIn June this year, ground robotic systems were deployed on 16,676 missions. In January, that figure was 7,511 missions. That’s a 122% increase. Other Topics of Interest Over 113,000 Russians Flee to Georgia Amid Draft Rumors More than 113,000 Russians entered Georgia in a single week amid rumors of a new military draft, straining borders and housing markets. Before and after each mission, robotic systems require maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. Within the units themselves, auto mechanics, welders, electricians, engineers, and programmers keep these systems operational.The more robotic systems the military uses, the more technical specialists it needs. The demand is huge.And this means that modern warfare involves far more than just the people who can fight with a weapon in their hands. It also needs people who can build, repair, program, and maintain the technologies that make combat operations possible.Blowtorch, keyboard and wrench can also bring victory closerAt the same time, thousands of men have lost faith in their ability to find a place in the military and have effectively confined themselves to their homes.Instead of isolation and uncertainty, they can contribute to victory in a role they understand: with a blowtorch in their hands, behind a keyboard, or with a wrench.Why isn’t this happening?The simplest, perhaps naive, but also most realistic answer is that they simply don’t know about these opportunities. They don’t know how to find the right position, or they don’t trust the traditional system.Yet for three years there has been a mechanism that allows people to apply for positions of their choice through the recruitment system, namely through the 3rd Navy Recruiting Center.It’s not just about infantryThe purpose of this system is to connect civilians who want to make the best use of their skills in the military with brigades looking for motivated specialists.The 3rd Navy Recruiting Center maintains a database of all positions available in marine brigades, unmanned systems units, river and naval flotillas, and other formations under the command of the Ukrainian Navy.For those who are put off by the words “marines” or “infantry,” it is worth explaining that marine brigades are no longer made up exclusively of infantry.Virtually every such brigade has an unmanned systems battalion, so-called “drone laboratories,” a wide range of equipment that needs to be repaired and operated, as well as social media channels that require people to create, film, and edit content.The presence of a marine on a given territory remains important of Ukraine’s control over it and its ability to defend it. At the same time, it is not accurate to reduce the military’s needs to infantry alone. Modern warfare cannot be won only with infantry .Behind every marine is an entire ecosystem of people and resources. They need to be equipped, trained, fed, paid, transported. Someone needs to make sure they are covered from the air attacks, and, when necessary, evacuated and provided with medical care. In practice, at least five other people support the work of every service member on the front line.Military service, therefore, is not limited to direct participation in combat. The army needs people who handle documents and finances, prepare food, drive vehicles, operate drones, provide units with everything they need, and perform dozens of other tasks. Every one of these roles is part of the same effort, and each contributes to the military’s combat effectiveness and to bringing victory closer.In other words, there is a place in the military even for someone who has never imagined themselves as an infantryman.How the Recruitment System WorksThe key principle is simple: a person chooses what they want to do in the military, as well as a specific position and unit, before beginning their service.1. Contact and interviewThe candidate calls the hotline at +38 097 041 1755 or submits an application through the recruitment center’s website. They then have an interview with a recruiter at the recruitment center or one of its representative offices.2. Approval by the unit and a recommendation letterThe recruiter coordinates the candidate’s application with a specific brigade or unit. The candidate then receives a recommendation letter specifying the brigade and position.3. Medical examination and paperworkWith the recommendation letter, the candidate undergoes the required military medical examination, gathers the necessary documents, and completes the required psychological tests.4. Basic trainingOnce the paperwork is completed, the candidate undergoes basic military training.5. Taking up the positionAfter completing training, the candidate joins the selected unit in the position they chose.The recruiter supports the candidate throughout every stage of the process.A modern army needs modern recruitmentRecruitment is a modern approach for a modern military. It is a tool that provides a more accessible path into service while giving people the opportunity to choose a position that matches their skills and motivation.It is more than simply a more convenient way to join the military. It is a model of an army that recognizes the value of a person’s professional experience even before they are mobilized.Ukraine has already changed the technology of warfare. Now our task is to change the way people find their place in this war.Because a modern military needs more than people who can shoot. It needs people who can build, program, repair, operate, analyze, and teach.You don’t have to serve with a rifle in your hands. In the right hands, a blowtorch, a keyboard, or a wrench can also become a weapon of victory. The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.