“Wave” in the army a relic of the past? MON representative: Today we would call it mobbing

The phenomenon of “wave” in the Polish army has been controversial for years. Some identified them with the informal, often mocking ritual of introducing new recruits into the realities of service. As “Naval” says in an interview on the “Moments” channel, today we would call it mobbing – a practice in which older colleagues use more or less troublesome behavior towards “young”.

The whole conversation is available:

What was the “wave” in the army once and how is it today?

A former thunder soldier explains that in times of compulsory military service it was not difficult to find abuse towards younger soldiers. They were “pressed” physically or mentally. There were even cases of beatings. In the conversation, “Naval” points out that in the past similar matters were usually “swept under the rug”. Nobody talked about escapes from the army or suicide attempts – and if they already happened, they were treated as marginal incidents that were reluctant to talk about.

According to the interlocutor, today the army is largely free from this type of practices. The representative of the Minister of National Defense for Military Service conditions points out that today, first of all, the service is of a professional nature, based on volunteers, which in itself changed the dynamics of the relationship between soldiers. Secondly, we live in a time when social media and quick information circulation enable reacting to any manifestations of abuse. Finally, there are clear procedures for reporting irregularities – any serious matter can be referred above, even anonymously, and the Ministry of National Defense has direct contact channels at its disposal.

Memories of “Navala” and the face of the army from the perspective of a Grom soldier

However, the conversation on the “Moments” channel was not limited to the topic of “wave”. A former soldier of the GROM military unit, the elite Polish special formation told about his military missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as about participation in the peace mission in Libya. According to “Navala”, the time spent on foreign operations irreversibly shapes the character and view of the world.

The details of training for GROM were also an interesting thread. “Naval” emphasized that this stage of preparation for service in a special unit is extremely exhausting and selective, both physically and mentally. Candidates must show great determination, efficiency, but also the ability to cooperate. As “Naval” recalls, the recruitment once based on a secret-few people knew how recruitment to GROM is going on and what you need to face to join the elite group.