Prepared for a career in IT, but became a defender of the state: the story of the National Guard Bogdan
Bohdan comes from Ivano-Frankivsk region. He graduated from the Technological College of Lviv Polytechnic University, becoming a junior specialist in computer engineering.
He served in military service in one of the parts of the NGU in the Vinnytsia region. Participated in the battles for Kyiv region as a senior 120 caliber mortar gunner. And now he continues to serve in Volyn.
Combat operations for its mortar battery began on February 26, 2022. On this day, the unit left for the Kiev direction. At first, they held the defense in Vasilkov, and when the offensive of the Ukrainian Defense Forces began, the mortar guards in their composition repelled Fastiv, Makariv, Motyzhyn and Borodianka.
“There was fierce fighting for the village of Motyzhin. We laid out our mortar at six in the morning and worked for several hours on the enemy — his infantry, equipment, tanks. Then the enemy responded by covering us from the “Grad”. Fortunately, no one from the mortar battery died then. When we repulsed this village, we pulled into positions from which the enemy retreated. There we saw the results of our precise work,” Bohdan recalls.
According to the National Guard, high-quality training is the key to successful actions in combat conditions:
“Before the start of a full-scale war, we received high-quality training. We went to the training ground for a month and a half. And there they worked out each of their own specifics of actions with real combat shooting. I was very interested in working with a mortar. My task as a gunner is to bring the mortar into combat readiness as soon as possible, to point at the target according to its coordinates.”
In addition to general combat training, the mortar gunner must “make friends” with physics and mathematics, be able to make accurate calculations.
“Every soldier should try to work with all types of weapons that are in his unit. Or at least know the principle of their work,” Bohdan believes.
The National Guardsman admits that after the victory he plans to continue his studies, get a higher education and realize his dream — to work in the IT industry.
National Guard of Ukraine
