Hello, in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation there are courses for training junior officers of the Ground Forces.

In accordance with the Instructions for the organization of training courses for junior officers of the Ground Forces, approved by Order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation dated March 17, 2003 N 85, training in the courses is conducted according to accelerated training programs for military personnel in military specialties to acquire the skills necessary to perform duties in the primary military positions of officers, on the basis of the existing secondary (full) general, secondary vocational or higher professional education without increasing the educational level of students. The standard period of study for the courses is 10 months, classes begin on July 1 annually. Upon completion of the courses, graduates are considered to have received reduced military training. Military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (except for officers) who are serving under a contract (if there are at least 2.5 years left before its expiration) and conscription (who have served for at least six months) may be considered as candidates for enrollment in courses. under 27 years of age at the time of enrollment. Citizens in the reserve who have expressed a desire to study at courses, in the prescribed manner enter military service under a contract and are appointed to vacant military positions for which the state provides for the military ranks of soldiers, sailors, sergeants, foremen, warrant officers and midshipmen. Military personnel considered as candidates for enrollment in courses must have a higher (incomplete higher) vocational or secondary vocational education, confirmed by an appropriate state diploma. As an exception, by decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces - Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, agreed with the Main Personnel Directorate, military personnel with secondary (complete) general education may be considered as these candidates: - undergoing conscription military service (who have served for at least 18 months) those holding the positions of platoon commanders (chiefs of crews), company foremen (batteries), senior technicians of companies (batteries); - those undergoing military service under a contract (if at least 2.5 years remain before its expiration) and conscription (having served for at least 6 months), holding military positions as sergeants and privates, having experience in combat operations and awarded state awards. When enrolling in courses in accordance with the established procedure, the military unit in which he is serving in the military service enters into the first contract with a soldier undergoing military service upon conscription. The personal appointment of course graduates to vacant military positions as platoon commanders (crew chiefs), to be replaced by junior officers, is carried out by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. Simultaneously with appointment to military positions, military personnel who have a higher professional education related to the relevant military education system are awarded the first military rank of “lieutenant”. The rest of the military personnel, upon appointment to military positions, are awarded the first military rank of “junior lieutenant.”

Why did the Ministry of Defense call up several thousand reserve officers for contract service? Why did they start training pilots from ground staff? And did this help overcome the staff shortage? These and other questions from Izvestia columnist Alexei Ramm were answered by the head of the Main Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Colonel General Viktor GOREMYKIN.

Just a couple of years ago, the problem of a shortage of officers in the Russian Armed Forces was quite acute. Did you manage to solve it?

I want to say right away: there is no longer an acute problem with staffing officer positions. But, I must admit, there were certain difficulties. Although the recruitment of cadets to military universities did not stop, until recently there were not enough of them to fill all the primary officer positions. But already next year, 2018, the first full-fledged graduation of lieutenants in the last five years will arrive in the troops.

In 2009–2012, the formation of the so-called “new look” was carried out in the Armed Forces. An important place in this reform was occupied by the optimization of officer positions. Their numbers have decreased. Also, certain officer positions were replaced by the positions of sergeants, foremen, and even became civilian ones.

Therefore, the need for officer training has significantly decreased. The number of cadets in universities has also decreased. For a number of specialties for which military positions were not provided, training was stopped altogether. That is why, until recently, we had a certain shortage of personnel.

But today, with a small number of graduates from military educational institutions, we have used additional sources of recruiting officers. They allowed us to attract more than 7 thousand officers to the Armed Forces. In particular, we are talking about the admission to military service under a contract of career officers in the reserve. All of them have the same military training, the same rights and social guarantees as other officers serving under contract. And their career depends entirely on success in the service and the subsequent increase in the level of education and military training.

We also found innovative and at the same time effective approaches to maintaining staffing levels for a number of other officer positions. Thus, in 2016, for the first time, pilot training was carried out from engineering and technical officers with higher education. These are people who graduated from specialized military universities, who thoroughly know the structure of the aircraft and the principles of operation of its mechanisms. Their professional retraining took a year and a half.

Last year, the first graduating class of newly minted pilots entered the troops. . Today, another 50 such servicemen are undergoing training. According to the Air Force command, their flying career, I think, is well planned.

Another innovation is the training at short-term courses at military academies and schools for officers - platoon commanders from among contract soldiers and sergeants with a higher education. In general, all sources of recruitment allowed us to recruit more than 11 thousand officers for military service in 2016. We believe that all of them will remain in service until the start of full-fledged graduations from our universities in 2018.

- How many people leave the Armed Forces?

An equally important task in maintaining staffing levels is maintaining experienced officers motivated for military service. This work last year had a positive effect. Over the course of a year, the number of officers dismissed early was significantly reduced - almost twofold.

A personal approach, individual work with each dismissed officer helps to avoid early dismissal. Commanders need to pay attention to the life and concerns of their subordinates and take all measures so as not to lose the present and future of the Armed Forces.

Another very important task is the retention of young officers and especially university graduates. Work to plan their meeting begins today. We synchronize the work of commanders, personnel, housing, financial authorities and other interested structures. It includes internship at the place of future service, resolving issues of housing, employment of family members, applying for all types of allowances, and providing assistance in career and professional adaptation.

Next year, in addition to the traditional graduations in June and July, in a number of universities of the Ground Forces the first graduations will take place in March, as well as in December. Winter and spring graduations will be for graduates of command specialties transferred to four-year training programs. These are officers of motorized rifle, tank troops and a number of other specialties of the Ground Forces.

Until recently, future officers trained for five years. How will the four-year education be organized now?

Yes, indeed, until recently in the Russian Ministry of Defense the training period for all specialties was five years. But now, for certain command profile specialties of the Ground Forces, the period for mastering basic educational programs has become four years. At the same time, neither the volume, nor the content, nor the level of education received changes.

The name of the civilian specialty in the four-year training program corresponds to the profile of the educational program “Human Resources Management”. Without false modesty, I can say that we have achieved good rates of enrollment of cadets in universities. This is the most important task for the future recruitment of troops with officers.

This year, universities will be fully staffed with a variable composition. At the same time, the need to recruit both new formations and troops subject to re-equipment with modern equipment will be taken into account.

Now, to train future officers, we are actively introducing new forms of training. In particular, from September 1 last year, the training of students and cadets of military educational institutions was transferred to training using electronic textbooks and teaching aids.

- Russian education has switched to the Bologna system. How does this process go in military universities?

I would like to emphasize that the universities of the Ministry of Defense implement the same standards of higher education as civilian ones. Military educational institutions do not offer bachelor's degree programs. We train future tactical officers through specialty programs. The master's course is designed to produce specialists at the operational-tactical level in military academies, as well as at the Academy of the General Staff - at the operational-strategic level.

At military schools, cadets master a specialty program. Such graduates occupy junior officer positions - platoon commander, battery commander, as well as company or battalion commander. To further advance in your career, you must complete a master's program at a specialized academy. This already opens the way to the position of commander of a regiment or brigade, deputy division commander. To be appointed to senior officer positions, you must complete the master's program of the Military Academy of the General Staff.

Discussions about the transition of the Russian army to a contract method of recruitment have been going on for a long time. What is the current situation?

I would like to note right away that increasing the number of contract military personnel, as well as warrant officers and midshipmen, is the most important state task. It is determined by the May program decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 604 of 2012.

The planned indicators for the selection and acceptance of citizens for military service under contract in 2016 were fulfilled by 100%. The established parameter for staffing the Armed Forces with contract servicemen has been achieved. This made it possible to fill almost 384 thousand positions.

NCO positions are 100% staffed by contract soldiers. The majority of those sent for military service under contract are under 30 years of age and have a high or good level of neuropsychic stability. Today, in the positions of privates and sergeants, 67% of military personnel have a professional education (higher or secondary vocational).

The number of citizens with higher education accepted for military service under contract is growing every year. In 2016, compared to the previous year, it increased by 2%.

To attract and work with candidates, today there are 83 selection points for military service under contract throughout the country. Two of them (in Kandalaksha, Murmansk region and in the military-patriotic park of culture and recreation of the Armed Forces "Patriot") were opened in 2016.

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation operate courses for training junior officers of the Ground Forces.

In accordance with the Instructions for the organization of training courses for junior officers of the Ground Forces, approved by Order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation dated March 17, 2003 N 85, training in the courses is conducted according to accelerated training programs for military personnel in military specialties to acquire the skills necessary to perform duties in the primary military positions of officers, on the basis of the existing secondary (full) general, secondary vocational or higher professional education without increasing the educational level of students. The standard duration of training for the courses is 10 months, classes begin on July 1 annually. Upon completion of the courses, graduates are considered to have received reduced military training.

Military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (except for officers) may be considered as candidates for enrollment in courses. undergoing military service under contract(if at least 2.5 years remain until its expiration) and on call(who have served for at least six months), under the age of 27 at the time of enrollment. Citizens in the reserve who have expressed a desire to study at courses, in the prescribed manner enter military service under a contract and are appointed to vacant military positions for which the state provides for the military ranks of soldiers, sailors, sergeants, foremen, warrant officers and midshipmen.
Military personnel considered as candidates for enrollment in courses must have a higher (incomplete higher) vocational or secondary vocational education, confirmed by an appropriate state diploma.
As an exception, by decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces - Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, agreed with the Main Personnel Directorate, as these candidates military personnel with secondary (complete) general education may be considered:

• those undergoing conscription military service (who have served for at least 18 months), holding the positions of platoon commanders (chiefs of crews), company foremen (batteries), senior technicians of companies (batteries);
• those undergoing military service under a contract (if at least 2.5 years remain before its expiration) and conscription (having served for at least 6 months), holding military positions as sergeants and privates, having experience in combat operations and awarded state awards.

When enrolling in courses in accordance with the established procedure, the military unit in which he is serving in the military service enters into the first contract with a soldier undergoing military service upon conscription.
The personal appointment of course graduates to vacant military positions as platoon commanders (crew chiefs), to be replaced by junior officers, is carried out by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. Simultaneously with appointment to military positions, military personnel who have a higher professional education related to the relevant military education system are awarded the first military rank of “lieutenant”. The rest of the military personnel, upon appointment to military positions, are awarded the first military rank of “junior lieutenant.”

1. Training in the courses is carried out according to accelerated training programs for military personnel in military specialties to acquire the skills necessary to perform duties in the primary military positions of officers, on the basis of the existing secondary (complete) general, secondary vocational or higher professional education without increasing the educational level in students. The standard period of study for the courses is 10 months, classes begin on July 1 annually. Upon completion of the courses, graduates are considered to have received reduced military training.

2. Specific training specialties from the list of training specialties in courses for which recruitment must be carried out are determined annually on the basis of applications submitted by the commanders of military districts, by the decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces - Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. The size of the training group for each specialty must be at least 20 military personnel.

3. Military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (except for officers) who are serving under a contract (if there are at least 2.5 years left before its expiration) and by conscription (who have served for at least 6 months) may be considered as candidates for enrollment in the courses. , under the age of 27 at the time of enrollment<*>.

<*>Citizens in the reserve who have expressed a desire to study at courses, in the prescribed manner enter military service under a contract and are appointed to vacant military positions for which the state provides for the military ranks of soldiers, sailors, sergeants, foremen, warrant officers and midshipmen.

Military personnel must have a higher (incomplete higher) vocational or secondary vocational education, confirmed by an appropriate state diploma. As an exception, by decision of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces - Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, agreed with the Main Personnel Directorate, military personnel with secondary (complete) general education may be considered as candidates for enrollment in courses:

those undergoing conscription military service (who have served for at least 18 months), holding the positions of platoon commanders (chiefs of crews), company foremen (batteries), senior technicians of companies (batteries);

those undergoing military service under a contract (if at least 2.5 years remain before its expiration) and conscription (having served for at least 6 months), holding military positions as sergeants and privates, having experience in combat operations and awarded state awards.

4. With military personnel undergoing military service upon conscription, when enrolling in courses in the prescribed manner, the first contract is concluded in the military unit in which he is serving.

5. VUS for military positions of military personnel or civilian specialties must be single-disciplinary training specialties for training for which they are considered as candidates. As an exception, candidates may be considered whose educational qualifications for the military positions they occupy do not correspond to the training specialties in the courses due to the fact that they were appointed to these military positions during the year in connection with organizational and staffing measures from military positions that have a military qualification, single-disciplinary training courses.

6. Enrollment of military personnel in courses is carried out by orders of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces - Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation for Personnel, agreed with the Main Personnel Directorate, in accordance with the staffing number of variable personnel and training specialties established for the courses.

7. The deduction of military personnel of the variable composition of the courses is carried out by orders of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces - the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation for Personnel, at the request of the commanders of the military districts on the territory of which the courses are located.

Dismissed military personnel of variable composition are sent for further military service to the military units from which they entered the courses. Transfer of variable personnel to other courses is not permitted.

8. Personal appointment of course graduates to vacant military positions of platoon commanders (crew chiefs), subject to replacement by junior officers, is carried out by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. Simultaneously with appointment to military positions, military personnel who have a higher professional education related to the relevant military education system are awarded the first military rank of “lieutenant”. The rest of the military personnel, upon appointment to military positions, are awarded the first military rank of “junior lieutenant.”

9. When completing military service, course graduates must ensure their use in the main or single-profile military service in military positions for the performance of duties for which they received training in the courses, and taking into account their existing service experience.

10. Increasing the level of military training of course graduates, depending on their level of professional education, can be carried out in the following order:

a) officers with higher professional education can, in the prescribed manner, increase the level of military training to the “company (battery)” level at three-month advanced training courses in specialized military educational institutions of professional education of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as military educational institutions) , up to the “battalion (division)” level - in the existing system of additional professional education;

b) officers with secondary vocational education can, in the prescribed manner, increase the level of military training to the “company (battery)” level at three-month advanced training courses in specialized military educational institutions. In the future, after graduating from civilian educational institutions of higher professional education (through evening or correspondence courses), they can increase the level of military training to the “battalion (division)” level in the existing system of additional professional education;

c) officers who have a secondary (complete) general education, after graduating from civilian educational institutions of secondary or higher professional education (evening or correspondence courses) can increase the level of military training:

those who have received secondary vocational education - up to the "company (battery)" level in three-month advanced training courses in specialized military educational institutions;

those who have received higher professional education - up to the "company (battery)" level at three-month advanced training courses in specialized military educational institutions, up to the "battalion (division)" level - in the existing system of additional professional education;

d) officers with incomplete higher professional education, upon completion of training in civilian educational institutions of higher professional education (evening or correspondence courses), can increase the level of military training to the “company (battery)” level - at three-month advanced training courses in specialized military - educational institutions, up to the “battalion (division)” level - in the existing system of additional professional education.

Officers who have received higher professional education and increased the level of military training for military service in military positions at the battalion (division) level can, in the prescribed manner, enter specialized military academies (universities) for further training.

11. Organization and conduct of inspections of courses are carried out in accordance with the established procedure.

The head of the Main Personnel Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Colonel General Viktor Goremykin, gave an interview to “”, in which he answered pressing questions regarding the personnel sector of the country’s armed forces: staffing levels of officers, officer training, and the number of contract soldiers.

- Just a couple of years ago, the problem of the lack of officers in the Russian Armed Forces was quite acute. Did you manage to solve it?
- I want to say right away: there is no longer an acute problem with staffing officer positions. But, I must admit, there were certain difficulties. Although the recruitment of cadets to military universities did not stop, until recently there were not enough of them to fill all the primary officer positions. But already next year, 2018, the first full-fledged graduation of lieutenants in the last five years will arrive in the troops.
In 2009–2012, the formation of the so-called “new look” was carried out in the Armed Forces. An important place in this reform was occupied by the optimization of officer positions. Their numbers have decreased. Also, certain officer positions were replaced by the positions of sergeants, foremen, and even became civilian ones.
Therefore, the need for officer training has significantly decreased. The number of cadets in universities has also decreased. For a number of specialties for which military positions were not provided, training was stopped altogether. That is why, until recently, we had a certain shortage of personnel.
But today, with a small number of graduates from military educational institutions, we have used additional sources of recruiting officers. They allowed us to attract more than 7 thousand officers to the Armed Forces. In particular, we are talking about the admission to military service under a contract of career officers in the reserve. All of them have the same military training, the same rights and social guarantees as other officers serving under contract. And their career depends entirely on success in the service and the subsequent increase in the level of education and military training.
We also found innovative and at the same time effective approaches to maintaining staffing levels for a number of other officer positions. Thus, in 2016, for the first time, pilot training was carried out from engineering and technical officers with higher education. These are people who graduated from specialized military universities, who thoroughly know the structure of the aircraft and the principles of operation of its mechanisms. Their professional retraining took a year and a half.
Last year, the first graduating class of newly trained pilots joined the troops. Today, another 50 such servicemen are undergoing training. According to the Air Force command, their flying career, I think, is well planned.
Another innovation is the training at short-term courses at military academies and schools for officers - platoon commanders from among contract soldiers and sergeants with a higher education. In general, all sources of recruitment allowed us to recruit more than 11 thousand officers for military service in 2016. We believe that all of them will remain in service until the start of full-fledged graduations from our universities in 2018.

How many people leave the Armed Forces?
- An equally important task in maintaining staffing levels is maintaining experienced officers motivated for military service. This work last year had a positive effect. Over the course of a year, the number of officers dismissed early was significantly reduced - almost twofold.
A personal approach, individual work with each dismissed officer helps to avoid early dismissal. Commanders need to pay attention to the life and concerns of their subordinates and take all measures so as not to lose the present and future of the Armed Forces.
Another very important task is the retention of young officers and especially university graduates. Work to plan their meeting begins today. We synchronize the work of commanders, personnel, housing, financial authorities and other interested structures. It includes internship at the place of future service, resolving issues of housing, employment of family members, applying for all types of allowances, and providing assistance in career and professional adaptation.
Next year, in addition to the traditional graduations in June and July, in a number of universities of the Ground Forces the first graduations will take place in March, as well as in December. Winter and spring graduations will be for graduates of command specialties transferred to four-year training programs. These are officers of motorized rifle, tank troops and a number of other specialties of the Ground Forces.

Until recently, future officers trained for five years. How will the four-year education be organized now?
- Yes, indeed, until recently in the Russian Ministry of Defense the training period for all specialties was five years. But now, for certain command profile specialties of the Ground Forces, the period for mastering basic educational programs has become four years. At the same time, neither the volume, nor the content, nor the level of education received changes.
The name of the civilian specialty in the four-year training program corresponds to the profile of the educational program “Human Resources Management”. Without false modesty, I can say that we have achieved good rates of enrollment of cadets in universities. This is the most important task for the future recruitment of troops with officers.
This year, universities will be fully staffed with a variable composition. At the same time, the need to recruit both new formations and troops subject to re-equipment with modern equipment will be taken into account.
Now, to train future officers, we are actively introducing new forms of training. In particular, from September 1 last year, the training of students and cadets of military educational institutions was transferred to training using electronic textbooks and teaching aids.

Russian education switched to the Bologna system. How does this process go in military universities?

I would like to emphasize that the universities of the Ministry of Defense implement the same standards of higher education as civilian ones. Military educational institutions do not offer bachelor's degree programs. We train future tactical officers through specialty programs. The master's course is designed to produce specialists at the operational-tactical level in military academies, as well as at the Academy of the General Staff - at the operational-strategic level.
At military schools, cadets master a specialty program. Such graduates occupy junior officer positions - platoon commander, battery commander, as well as company or battalion commander. To further advance in your career, you must complete a master's program at a specialized academy. This already opens the way to the position of commander of a regiment or brigade, deputy division commander. To be appointed to senior officer positions, you must complete the master's program of the Military Academy of the General Staff.

Discussions about the transition of the Russian army to a contract method of recruitment have been going on for a long time. What is the current situation?
- I would like to note right away that increasing the number of contract military personnel, as well as warrant officers and midshipmen, is the most important state task. It is determined by the May program decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 604 of 2012.
The planned indicators for the selection and acceptance of citizens for military service under contract in 2016 were fulfilled by 100%. The established parameter for staffing the Armed Forces with contract servicemen has been achieved. This made it possible to fill almost 384 thousand positions.
NCO positions are 100% staffed by contract soldiers. The majority of those sent for military service under contract are under 30 years of age and have a high or good level of neuropsychic stability. Today, in the positions of privates and sergeants, 67% of military personnel have a professional education (higher or secondary vocational).
The number of citizens with higher education accepted for military service under contract is growing every year. In 2016, compared to the previous year, it increased by 2%.
To attract and work with candidates, today there are 83 selection points for military service under contract throughout the country. Two of them (in Kandalaksha, Murmansk region and in the military-patriotic park of culture and recreation of the Armed Forces "Patriot") were opened in 2016.