Military medic about the preparation of the Polish army. “We are not a parade army”

Second Lieutenant Artur Skobel has been working as a paramedic since 2009. He already planned his professional path in high school, starting with work in an ambulance, and later – fascinated by development opportunities – he went to the special forces unit, in which he served almost a decade.

Missions in Iraq and Afghanistan shaped his approach to service and combat preparation. As he emphasizes, there are experiences that cannot be gained in any other conditions.

– Getting a experience that cannot be simulated and cannot be found in any other conditions, we are better soldiers, we are better prepared to defend our country. So we are not a parade army, but an army that is experienced in battle – he says.

Whole conversation:

For Second Lieutenant Skobla is the heart of the professionalism of the army – real action in conditions of stress, limited resources and risk. In his opinion, it is these situations that teach responsibility, reaction speed and cooperation.

Military foreign missions as a forge of skills

Service in war zones is associated with a real threat to life – fire, patrols in dangerous regions, evacuations of wounded. Skobel admits that fear is an inseparable element. – Everyone is afraid. Courage is the ability to cover fear. If someone says he is not afraid, they probably have a mental disorder. We control fear and turn it into motivation – he emphasizes.

He emphasizes that missions are not only an obligation, but also a chance to acquire skills that cannot be developed in the country. Every return from the mission is better preparation of not only the individual, but also the entire armed forces for real defense of the state.

The wars are won by reservoirs

The war in Ukraine brutally reminds that in a modern military conflict it is not enough to count only on the professional army. Skobel draws attention to the need to involve a wider medical facilities.

– Professional soldiers, only reservoirs, do not win wars. We have to educate and engage civilian medics – he says.

In his opinion, during the crisis, every doctor, nurse and paramedic may become an invaluable support for the defense system. That is why the key is to implement elements of combat field medicine for medical studies, specialist training and volunteer courses.

Medical civil and military cooperation

Today, the Polish Army intensively trains Ukrainian doctors in the field of surgical procedures used in combat conditions. Training is conducted, among others at the Military Medical Institute, often with the participation of instructors from the United States.

Cooperation also works the other way – the experience of Ukrainian medics from the front can contribute to the modification of martial field medicine procedures around the world. According to Skobel, it is an invaluable source of knowledge that should be used both in the army and in civil health care.

Skobel argues that the effectiveness of the medical system during the war depends on how well civil health care structures will be prepared to cooperate with the army.

– We need to educate and support with civil medicine resources. Only then the system will be efficient during the conflict – he comments.

He emphasizes that civilian medics should be encouraged to participate in training not only because of the country’s defense needs, but also for real professional benefits – additional skills, greater certainty in action in crisis situations and raising qualifications.

The “parade army” is a denial of a modern army

For Skobel, the term “parade army” is the opposite of what modern armed forces should be. “We are not a parade army,” he repeats. – We are an army that is experienced in battle.

This experience, gained in missions and real actions, is – in his opinion – the most important element of preparing a soldier. Without it, it is difficult to talk about the true defense readiness of the state.