I haven’t used this precise one but have used similar a lot in the field, and know some signal stuff which might help. Feel free to DM me pre-murder. Would be a shame to miss it.

We can then paste some of our convo back here for others.

Worth remembering when reading our comments: As already pointed out, a lot of guys serving now are newly mobilised. That generally means they didn’t want to fight before. That is a worse starting position than someone deciding to do something important in their late 30s. Many of these guys are in their forties. Any newcomer civilians from abroad will receive the same training and baptism by fire as the Ukrainians. The big experience gap is with sergeants behind the lines. It is honourable to take the same risk voluntarily as those mobilised mandatorily in my opinion.

You replied to a post about signing up at 18. Thought you were the Op. Okay - just ask the 25th Airborne recruiters to connect you with an already serving soldier. My current contacts in 25th infantry are Ukrainian-speaking only.

I just saw you are 18. I can’t recommend coming here and fighting in infantry so young. You know Ukrainians aren’t obliged to fight until 25, right? Means there are only a few people your age doing drones - and almost none doing infantry.

Concentrate on surviving. Contributing and surviving. Thank you for your service, as and when.

I stopped listening to it.

Not sure about ear pro in combat. For training fine, but I want unamplified sound to tell if an enemy is 10 meters away or 200. Guy who joined my fireteam on zero with ear pro did not use it.

Some truth here (especially about some sergeants). They are very well equipped - I had excellent drone support. Everything about the unit is serious. Pride feeds into disciplined behaviour. Foreigners bring NATO tactics and culture. Drone warfare has forced an evolution out of Soviet tactics in all brigades - what remains of the culture is often very useful.

Either a sucker or tough and motivated to take your share of the hardship here. Depends on your reason for coming.

Was proud to serve in their infantry last year. But I speak some of the language and did not require an English or Spanish speaking team. Talk to people from the new foreign units.

Shit enemy pilots is handy, though.

Ukrainians with asthma are still required to serve now. That was all I needed to hear. Just make sure your team understands any risks.

Can’t speak for Azov but other units using polygraph only care about recent drug use - not historical.

It is built for all the units that the foreign recruitment center works with - if you go through that site and center, you can pass through checks front to back in under two weeks. It is more for this enlistment fast track than the specific units I recommend it.

Just make sure you know everything on your person like it’s a body part when you go out on mission. And how durable it is.

He understands the quid pro quo underpinning American interest in Ukraine right now. He also realises that he doesn’t need a job title for these kinds of transactions: incentives trump authority; even ownership.

If they are close enough for you to see…

A year ago it varied from mission to mission but the trend was almost all your time down and dark in cover, enemy drones, little else. I understand that trend continued.

joinuarmy.org

It is better for everyone if you can tell the recruiters what role you would be a good fit for. Skills are one thing, but risk tolerance, technical interests, personality, education, social type and/or reason for joining can easily outweigh what skills you arrive with. What do you want to do? What do you realistically think you will be good at? Have you got an aggressive streak when pushed?

I would write a list of the roles you find on joinuarmy.org and research each one. Choose one or two that feel right, and come back here to talk to others about the realities, unit options and how to ready yourself.

The alternative is you will get offered roles based on limited information about you and maximum need. Might work out. Might be missing something.

And I say to everyone - don’t let the work prey on your conscience. You are saving lives. Only you don’t get to see the Ukie soldiers on position close by who no longer have to deal with the Russian you put down.

With most units, basic training itself will get you into shape, assuming you are okay to walk a few kilometres with 15 kilos already. If that sounds scary, start doing rucks with 15 kilos. The main physical requirement is occasional long rucks.

So sorry for your loss.

The news makes it clear how important it is that Russian aggression equals Russian failure. Some Ukrainians will wonder why you would risk so much, but that’s only if you do infantry. And you can just tell them.

First - respect.

As part of signing up, you will be asked if you have dual citizenship. I don’t know how things will change when truth comes to light, but anticipate that you could be mobilised. Ukrainians will respect you for doing this. Everyone should.

(I have ridden in the back of a pickup with an open rear canopy a total of zero times, but then, if I had asked nicely, maybe could have).