The war changes every four months The fighter with the callsign “Kiber” is a pilot of the ACS-3 UAV. This…
The Head of the Recruitment Service of the 39th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade, Alyona Vynokur, calls the army a vast field of opportunities.
Having gained experience serving in a combat battalion, she knows perfectly well that war is incredibly hard work — often involving risk to life, pain, and loss. Yet she clearly understands that when a nation is fighting for its right to exist, standing aside is not an option. The more people join the ranks of the Armed Forces, the stronger the defense will be — and the greater the state’s chance of survival.
She honestly admits she doesn’t know a single correct or super-effective way to overcome society’s fears — whether objective or instilled by Russian propaganda — about the army. But she is convinced that military service, if approached responsibly and thoughtfully, opens space for personal growth that will later be useful in civilian life as well.
“I fully support Israel’s approach to how they present their army within society. Boys and girls know from childhood that after school, they must serve in the armed forces for a certain period. They gain experience and an understanding that defending the state is their duty — while also receiving social guarantees and a solid start for adult life. If Ukraine adopts the same model, we can break this stereotype in people’s minds that the army is something frightening or unprestigious. Our youth must realize that a strong army and robust defense are a necessity”, — Alyona Vynokur is convinced.
Service in a combat unit: “Minimal bureaucracy, humane attitude, and no one cares whether you wear pixel or multicam”
At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Alyona was a fourth-year student at Odesa State University of Internal Affairs.
Her parents urged her to build a career in law, but she had other plans.
“From about the age of 15, I knew for sure that my future lay exclusively with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was my childhood dream. On July 16, 2022, I received my bachelor’s degree, and on the 17th, I went to the Territorial Recruitment Center. They looked at me as if to say, ‘Go home, little girl.’ But I was stubborn and still achieved my goal — I got registered for military service, and on November 12, I was officially enlisted”, — she recalls.
Alyona began her service in one of the battalions of the Regional Command of the Territorial Defense Forces, working on manning combat units. She immediately set her sights on becoming an officer — but not everyone shared her ambition.
“The command was against it. They loaded me with enormous amounts of work so I wouldn’t ‘get any funny ideas’. I was a personnel officer, an assistant battalion commander for legal affairs, conducted legal training for cadets… And before the start of each workday, I had to clean the headquarters, — Alyona laughs.— Eventually, they sent me on assignment to the 126th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade so I could ‘feel what combat is really like”.
However, the measure intended to “teach her a lesson” by showing the hardships of a combat unit and making her more obedient in a rear position had the opposite effect.
When Alyona was later told to return, she refused — and ended up staying in the 2nd Battalion of the 39th Coastal Defense Brigade.
“The atmosphere here was completely different. Minimal bureaucracy, humane treatment, mutual support. No one cared whether you wore a cap or not, pixel or multicam — the main thing was doing your job well. I arrived in the Kherson area in August 2023, when operations on the Left Bank began. The guys were getting seriously wounded; I was processing their paperwork and realized then that I wanted to be where I could be most useful”, — Alyona says.
“Paper army” — not always a negative term
After completing courses, Alyona earned her officer rank and became Head of the Personnel Group in the battalion.
“I always say this is one of the toughest positions, with a massive workload — recruitment activities, manning the battalion, maintaining personnel records, issuing military documents and veteran IDs, financial and other forms of support, awards, and so on. At first, some unit commanders didn’t take me seriously because I was very young. But when our team — and it was an amazing team — started showing real results, their attitude changed to respect. The high level our personnel group achieved is a shared accomplishment”, — Alyona notes.
A lawyer by education, she emphasized the importance of thoroughly studying the legal framework regulating the unit’s activities. She explained how vital it was to properly form archives, keep accurate records, and fill out every document correctly.
“All documentation must be completed so that any service member can request their papers at any time and be sure everything is accurate.This is crucial for the social guarantees provided by the state — documents confirming combat injuries, which allow a person to receive disability status linked to defending the Homeland; certificates confirming participation in combat operations, and much more. An ideal personnel service constantly interacts with the troops and works for the people. When issuing a certificate, explain what it’s for, what benefits or statuses it entitles the person to, that it should be laminated and kept safe. Even now, soldiers from my battalion still reach out — and I always help and explain everything”, — she says.
Alyona smiles, recalling: “Commanders often joked, ‘It’s easier for us to go into combat than to sit down and number archives with you”.
— And they weren’t wrong — it’s tough work. That’s why I say with pride that I’m a staff officer. Helping people brings me satisfaction. But I would really like some reciprocity — that personnel understand and respect our work, the time it takes to process documents, and the urgency of certain matters.
The recruiter’s roadmap
According to Alyona Vynokur, the army is a vast organism that needs specialists of all kinds — and the recruitment service exists precisely to help people find their place in the military.
“I really like the slogan of recruitment: ‘You choose — not the army chooses you’. It’s far more effective to contact the recruitment service of a specific brigade, where you’ll be interviewed and offered positions that match your civilian experience, skills, and preferences. It’s important to join a position where you can maximize your potential, learn, and grow”, — Alyona emphasizes.
She explains that the procedure for mobilization through recruitment is quite simple.
“You can come to the recruitment center in person — or we can first talk remotely, by phone. It’s primarily a friendly conversation with no obligations, during which you can get answers to all your questions. Recruiters ask what you do in civilian life, your education, computer skills, family status, etc. If everything suits you, we decide how to proceed. Many people are afraid to go directly to the Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC), thinking: ‘If I go there, they’ll send me somewhere else, and I won’t get into your brigade’. In such cases, if it’s convenient geographically, we go to the TRC together with the candidate — or we handle direct enlistment ourselves. You come to us, we issue a referral for the medical commission, you pass it, return to us, and we enlist you in the unit’s roster. Then you undergo basic military training. After that, we pick you up from the training center and bring you directly to the unit, where new arrivals complete an adaptation course. The recruitment service accompanies you from the first consultation and paperwork all the way to your unit. Even after you’ve joined, you can still contact us for any issues — we directly coordinate with unit commanders and can help with documents and other matters”, — Alyona explains.
She highlights that everyone in the 39th Brigade’s Recruitment Department has combat experience.
“We have infantrymen, drone operators, and others. Everyone knows what combat is and understands people’s worries and doubts. We’re approachable and human. We realize newcomers are entering the unknown, so we try to support them as much as possible and break the stereotype that ‘nobody cares.’ That’s simply not true”, — she notes.
Service — not a burden, but a responsibility to oneself, one’s family, and one’s country
Currently, mobilization is a serious challenge — there are no more lines outside the TRCs, even though the situation at the front is difficult and the army urgently needs reinforcements. The soldiers who have been fighting for a long time also need rest and temporary relief.
“This is a major challenge not only for recruiters — but for the state itself. I’ll never forget the sight of a woman with a child in her arms who came to the TRC begging not to send her husband to war. Tell me, dear woman — who should protect you and your child if not your husband?” — Alyona asks rhetorically.
She is convinced that no one can escape this war, because it is a battle for the nation’s very existence. The outcome ultimately depends on how each citizen perceives their role in this struggle.
“People think they can hide from the war. But that’s an illusion. It’s already here — with you, in your city, in your village. Everyone knows stories of men hiding at home, afraid to go out so they won’t encounter the TRC. But why live like that? What kind of life is it when you have to constantly hide? You can’t call yourself a free person while hiding from the army that’s fighting for your freedom. Yes, there is a risk of dying at the front. Sadly, there are losses. But civilian cities and villages are not much safer — we all see how women, children, and men die from Russian shelling. What guarantee do you have that you won’t die in Odesa, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Dnipro — anywhere? The reality is unavoidable: if the state has no defenders, we will have no state. And conversely — the more Ukrainians join the army to defend the country, the more chances we have to win”, — Alyona concludes.
