Visa for my son

[K1researcher 0]

I dunno...if you could somehow swing being an officer, it probably wouldn't be so bad. I think typical conditions would still be worse than what even our lowliest enlisted enjoy, but it would probably be tolerable for an officer. Especially if you were stationed at a big headquarters or school.

We have a military school here that teaches Russian. I have a Ukrainian friend who speaks perfect Russian and tutors on the side. But she refuses to take military students because she's worried that when she goes back to Ukraine and Ukraine becomes part of Russia again (she's convinced this will happen), that she could be found to be a traitor.

are you referring to DLI? predisio at monterey? I went there :-)

[mox 298]

are you referring to DLI? predisio at monterey? I went there :-)

That's the one.

[mendeleev 68]

If you opt to get Russian citizenship for your son, he may not want to travel there when he is 18-27 years old, unless he wants to get drafted into the army! Something to think about.

I wouldn't be so pessimistic about this anymore as the Russian government is striving for an army of volunteers by 2010; considering that they have already implement a smaller mandatory term.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/wor.../army-intro.htm

But I can't seem to find a media source for this.

And I suppose you could surrender the citizenship at age 18 here in the US if nothing has changed in that time frame and depending on how many trips you make to Russia from 0 to 18, you might still come out ahead.

Yesterday my wife was reading stories in the Russian press about how this year they will conscript more men than in the past 10 years. I wonder if increased conscription is an attempt to get idle, young men off the streets where they might foment unrest against the political regime. Sorta like putting as many young men as possible into preventative detention.

Sure, the Russian govt talks about an all volunteer military. They talk about a lot of things that won't happen. Lyuba, you are wise to steer clear of Russian citizenship for your son.

[Lyuba 0]

I think so too. Besides getting Russian visa isn't hard at all.

I lived in Russia long enough to know better.

[slim 1,530]

There's also been a lot of talk lately about Russia securing it's interests in the Arctic, all the way up over the Pole and down into Canada. Since the Pole is shifting (magnetic, and polar ice cap.... and subsequent undeveloped gas and oil deposits) seems their interests are shifting as well.

Perhaps they're bolstering the army for a reason more than just to avoid civil discontent?

[visaveteran 1]

My wife's son is in the Russian army at the present time. We wonder if his seemingly good treatment relates to his mother living in the USA. He is allowed to take phone calls from his mother which strikes me as unique given Russian harshness towards recruits.

He was interviewed by the KGB before entering the Army so maybe they don't want bad press in the USA. He has a one-year tour of duty which seems a waste of time to me but he seems to be OK and without abuse. But Medvedev and Putin what to bring the old Red Army out of moth balls, so longer tours may be implemented soon. There was a lot of suicide in the Russian Army do to cruel treatment and abuse which led to the short tours mandated by Putin until recently.

Their equipment is woefully outdated and in need of repairs and replacement. With the drop in petro dollars, not sure where the rubles will come from to revive the great Red Army.

[mox 298]

My wife's son is in the Russian army at the present time. We wonder if his seemingly good treatment relates to his mother living in the USA. He is allowed to take phone calls from his mother which strikes me as unique given Russian harshness towards recruits.

He was interviewed by the KGB before entering the Army so maybe they don't want bad press in the USA. He has a one-year tour of duty which seems a waste of time to me but he seems to be OK and without abuse. But Medvedev and Putin what to bring the old Red Army out of moth balls, so longer tours may be implemented soon. There was a lot of suicide in the Russian Army do to cruel treatment and abuse which led to the short tours mandated by Putin until recently.

Their equipment is woefully outdated and in need of repairs and replacement. With the drop in petro dollars, not sure where the rubles will come from to revive the great Red Army.

I think you mean FSB. So wow, is he in intelligence or something? Not that I know anything at all about how the in-processing procedure works, but it seems a little irregular that he would be interviewed by the FSB as just a normal conscript.

[slim 1,530]

Not that I know anything at all about how the in-processing procedure works, but it seems a little irregular that he would be interviewed by the FSB as just a normal conscript.

Even a normal conscript whose mom lives in U.S.?

Most our our enlistees who have foreign connections are, at minimum, interviewed by DOD/DOS personnel somebody or other.

[mox 298]

Not that I know anything at all about how the in-processing procedure works, but it seems a little irregular that he would be interviewed by the FSB as just a normal conscript.

Even a normal conscript whose mom lives in U.S.?

Most our our enlistees who have foreign connections are, at minimum, interviewed by DOD/DOS personnel somebody or other.

Yeah, I still think it's a bit strange that they would still be that paranoid. If this were pre-1991, I would understand. Actually, if this were pre-1991 and his mom lived in the US, he'd probably be shot instead of interviewed. But these conscripts are basically given a rifle (occasionally) and then have the tar kicked out of them for the next year. It's not like they sit in front of computer screens watching targets or listening to intelligence. Seems like a waste of scarce rubles to me. (that's right folks, watch as mox fixes the Russian economy by identifying wasteful military practices!)

[slim 1,530]

mox, could you go ahead and fix our economy by identifying our wasteful military practices first? (There's this whole thing we're wasting money on right now, it's right between Iran and Syria.... maybe you've heard of it?)

[mox 298]

mox, could you go ahead and fix our economy by identifying our wasteful military practices first? (There's this whole thing we're wasting money on right now, it's right between Iran and Syria.... maybe you've heard of it?)

Shame on you Slim. We're spreading Democracy, dammit. Spreading it reaaaaaaaalll thin.

[slim 1,530]

Spreading it thin is right!

I can't wait til we start seeing some of this wealth that Obama's promised to spread.

[mox 298]

Hell, I'm still waiting to be showered with flowers and candy.

[slim 1,530]

I'd be happy with a little of that change they were talking about. As of now, all I have is hope.

[mox 298]

I'd be happy with a little of that change they were talking about. As of now, all I have is hope.

Given the big ####### Obama was handed, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt for a little longer. I mean, the old regime almost literally ran the country into the ground, and his hands are pretty tied on some pretty big issues, namely 2 foreign occupations that have no good solutions. The problems are massive and it's going to take time. But by the end of his first year I damn well better see some real change.