In Afghanistan, I have been chief intelligence officer for 2 years, 2 months and 2 days
September 11, 2008 // “Kievskoe slovo” No. 37 (73)
The country should know its heroes. But intelligence officers are off the public. There are no portraits of them on the state billboards. Their feats as well as their real names often remain unknown to the wide public. That’s why on the eve of the Day of the Defence Intelligence (September 7) in order to find the real intelligence officer, “Kievskoe slovo” asked for help in the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, HQ. The head of the service - Victor Ivanovich Gvozd - has kindly agreed to declassify a name of one of the best representatives of this romantic, but very difficult profession.
The person who has been with intelligence service for all his life and has been awarded so many decorations that he has no empty space on his service coat- he is the one who in spite of all this does not consider himself a hero. He passes on the experience to young reconnaissance men, advises foreign specialists, raises tasty tomatoes in his country house and dreams of grandsons. Please welcome - Vadim Alekseevich Kokorin, Major-General of intelligence service.
- Vadim Alekseevich, how do you understand the expression: “He’ll do to take along”?
- First of all, it means that you can rely on the person. The most important thing is to feel certain of your comrade and be sure that he won’t fail you in a difficult minute.
In our service, unlike other professions, a lot depends on chance. And it can be very ambiguous. Those who at least several times were on mission together, - stay friends for ever. In the past (especially in the days of Great Patriotic War), as a rule, no one was formally appointed for the reconnaissance mission, people went voluntarily. After all not everyone was able to do that.
- And what for fellows those were who voluntarily agreed to be the first to draw fire upon themselves?
They were courageous and full-hearted people who consciously took over that hard work. At that time the main principle of intelligence was to trust in people. In our country the situation was indeed as follows – once a man penetrated into the enemy’s rear, reported about that to the command, but no one believed him - then it was said: «Go and check». After all one could leave the front line, lay down under a bush, lie there for a certain period of time, then return and invent what he had seen … Therefore, the reconnaissance man is a person that should be trusted.
- And what else should the real reconnaissance trooper be able to do?
- He should be capable to carry out the assigned task. For example, the officer who had served in Afghanistan for two years was replaced by another one. If the latter were a commander of a reconnaissance group, he wouldn’t be allowed to control personnel at once. Sometimes a person, who had arrived with good references, couldn’t work properly. Or the beginner went on reconnaissance only once, but the old soldiers (who had already served) asked not to appoint him with them anymore, otherwise they threatened to deal with him. And vice versa, rarely in difficult periods even hygiene instructor, medic or technician assumed control and handled it perfectly.
- And how did your military career begin? You haven’t always been the “chief of all chiefs”, have you?
- I graduated from Omsk Combined Arms Command School in 1963. (And then he shyly added.) Cum laude. The school was considered renowned and serious. There were no "daddy's" and "mum's" sonnies.
Together with us studied common fellows, guys from Siberia and Ural. Therefore, no one felt pity for us and we were properly taught. Almost each cadet had the category in some kind of sports. Apart from all this we practiced hand-to-hand combat and obstacle course overcoming. In order to go on leave, for example, it was necessary to run 10 kilometers-long cross-country skiing.
- And what about shooting?
- In the command school I was second in firing. We had a lot of sharp shooters and many of them later came to the intelligence service. I remember that when it was high time for me to make the choice, colonel Makarov called me and asked: “Well, Kokorin, where are you going on service?”. “I’ll follow the placement order”, - I answered. “Stop talking nonsense, you are going to Germany. I know about the state of affairs in your family”. The people who taught us were really so generous. Care and awareness of our needs were for them not only a simple record in the Regulations.
- What was so specific about your family status?
- There were three younger girls in the family who studied at school then. On the whole our parents had nine children. And in Germany at that time the rate of pay was twice higher. On my first leave from Germany to Moscow I have bought raincoats, watches and something more to my sisters. I tried to help, so to say.
- How did you get into intelligence service?
This happened in Germany during the placement in the division where I served after the command school. There were six of us from different cities, but only I was suggested to become a reconnaissance man. At once I had the thought that I would like to go. And it happened so. I became commander of a reconnaissance battalion. There were no hostilities in Germany, but our division stood directly on the outskirts of Berlin, that’s why our task was to enter the Western Berlin in case of the conflict. Then I became commander of a reconnaissance troop. As the part of it I entered Czechoslovakia in 1968. There we accomplished missions of disarmament, search for bootleg radio stations and snipers and their destruction. For that I received a Medal for Bravery which is the most precious award for me. Surprisingly, but being a common lieutenant, I was congratulated personally by the Minister of Defense of that time - Grechko. And in 1969 I entered Frunze military academy. At that period of time, there appeared a reconnaissance faculty. All the teachers were former front-line soldiers. Therefore, we learned not only theory, but also, and mainly, practice.
- It must have been in Afghanistan that your most difficult practice began. How did you get there?
- To Afghanistan I was appointed directly from Dresden, I even didn’t have an opportunity to say goodbye to my family. I was put on the plane! The takeoff! And I arrived in Kabul, in 1985. I have been the 40th army chief intelligence officer for two years, two months and two days. All the gained experience has been of great use there. It was a real war. Moreover, it was a guerilla war from the adversary’s side. And that made the situation really complicated, as all the modern reconnaissance assets were developed for large objects, and in Afghanistan the main mission objective was the group of people which constantly maneuvered in the mountainous area. Under such conditions we couldn’t but rely only on people.
- And how many intelligence men were under your command at that time?
- If the complement of the 40th army was about 100-110 thousand people then our intelligence component accounted for 10 650 persons. In fact, reconnaissance men comprised 10 % of the army. And, in spite of that, it wasn’t enough. The struggle with “caravans” (groups of insurgents) which came from Pakistan and Iran was mainly assigned to groups of Special Forces which were the part of intelligence component. There were two teams of them which consisted of four battle groups (535 people in a group).
- And how many Ukrainians were among them?
- Two out of the eight groups were formed on the territory of Ukraine: the fourth group - on the basis of Kirovograd Special Forces brigade and the seventh one - on the basis of Iziaslavskii Special Forces brigade. Both these groups were very different from each other. The fourth group captured the biggest “caravan” in the war history of Afghanistan.
- Was it difficult to manage such a great number of people?
- It was, certainly, hard. First of all, I was responsible for each person and it was on my conscience if something had happened. And losses in intelligence units were higher than in ordinary troops. 60 percent of all troops were on guard in airfields, garrisons and communications. 30-40 % of all the complement were on military operations. Each operation is first planned and then the groups responsible for its conduct are determined. That takes usually two weeks. The operation lasts 1-2 weeks, after that, fellows have an opportunity to rest. The reconnaissance men are always in action, they are the first to face an attack.
- Now you teach in the National Defence Academy of Ukraine. Can you tell us if any person can be taught to be a reconnaissance man or should there be a special talent for that?
- Modern intelligence compounds dozens of specialities, many of them deal with equipment and hardware, but despite that each speciality requires certain specific qualities. Therefore, there certainly exists a special selection of people.
- If so much equipment is used, it should, obviously, be permanently upgraded, shouldn’t it? How are the things with it now?
- Almost all the equipment used in the intelligence now is there since the 1980th. It has been morally outdated and can’t lead proper supervision over modern objects. This is the flaw of Ukraine’s intelligence service.
- You are one of those few officers who remained loyal to their profession during all their life. Were there other work offers?
- Yes, there were many of them. But I could not leave, I considered that a betrayal of my service. Such a person I am. I am proud to serve in intelligence. I don’t want to offend anyone. There are logistics officers in the army and they are also needed, without them the army as well as the intelligence will not last. But I am never ashamed to tell where I serve.
- Your family and, especially, your wife must have fallen on hard times, haven’t they? How many times have you had to change home?
- During thirty-year service we had to move once in three years. But I was very lucky with wife and I always knew: if Liuba was at home – everything would be fine. And when I arrived to Kiev, my family lived in different cities for some time. My wife and the son were in Rovno, the daughter studied in Kiev, and I was “between” those two cities. But as soon as we had received a flat in Kiev and could live an enjoyable life, Liuba died. Her heart failed.
- And what are the dreams of Major-General Kokorin now?
- My long-time dream is to have grandsons. I also want my children were ok. They are really good, I believe in them.
- Vadim Alekseievich, what would you like to wish your colleagues from intelligence service and all our readers on the eve of your professional holiday?
- Despite the importance of intelligence during the war, when it goes to the foreground, receives the best attitude of the command and gains proper provision. But I would wish to live in peace when the reconnaissance men only monitored the situation and reported: “No threats to national interests of Ukraine are found!”. The most terrible thing ever is hostilities during the peacetime.
Marina Marchenko
The person who has been with intelligence service for all his life and has been awarded so many decorations that he has no empty space on his service coat- he is the one who in spite of all this does not consider himself a hero. He passes on the experience to young reconnaissance men, advises foreign specialists, raises tasty tomatoes in his country house and dreams of grandsons. Please welcome - Vadim Alekseevich Kokorin, Major-General of intelligence service.
- Vadim Alekseevich, how do you understand the expression: “He’ll do to take along”?
- First of all, it means that you can rely on the person. The most important thing is to feel certain of your comrade and be sure that he won’t fail you in a difficult minute.
In our service, unlike other professions, a lot depends on chance. And it can be very ambiguous. Those who at least several times were on mission together, - stay friends for ever. In the past (especially in the days of Great Patriotic War), as a rule, no one was formally appointed for the reconnaissance mission, people went voluntarily. After all not everyone was able to do that.
- And what for fellows those were who voluntarily agreed to be the first to draw fire upon themselves?
They were courageous and full-hearted people who consciously took over that hard work. At that time the main principle of intelligence was to trust in people. In our country the situation was indeed as follows – once a man penetrated into the enemy’s rear, reported about that to the command, but no one believed him - then it was said: «Go and check». After all one could leave the front line, lay down under a bush, lie there for a certain period of time, then return and invent what he had seen … Therefore, the reconnaissance man is a person that should be trusted.
- And what else should the real reconnaissance trooper be able to do?
- He should be capable to carry out the assigned task. For example, the officer who had served in Afghanistan for two years was replaced by another one. If the latter were a commander of a reconnaissance group, he wouldn’t be allowed to control personnel at once. Sometimes a person, who had arrived with good references, couldn’t work properly. Or the beginner went on reconnaissance only once, but the old soldiers (who had already served) asked not to appoint him with them anymore, otherwise they threatened to deal with him. And vice versa, rarely in difficult periods even hygiene instructor, medic or technician assumed control and handled it perfectly.
- And how did your military career begin? You haven’t always been the “chief of all chiefs”, have you?
- I graduated from Omsk Combined Arms Command School in 1963. (And then he shyly added.) Cum laude. The school was considered renowned and serious. There were no "daddy's" and "mum's" sonnies.
Together with us studied common fellows, guys from Siberia and Ural. Therefore, no one felt pity for us and we were properly taught. Almost each cadet had the category in some kind of sports. Apart from all this we practiced hand-to-hand combat and obstacle course overcoming. In order to go on leave, for example, it was necessary to run 10 kilometers-long cross-country skiing.
- And what about shooting?
- In the command school I was second in firing. We had a lot of sharp shooters and many of them later came to the intelligence service. I remember that when it was high time for me to make the choice, colonel Makarov called me and asked: “Well, Kokorin, where are you going on service?”. “I’ll follow the placement order”, - I answered. “Stop talking nonsense, you are going to Germany. I know about the state of affairs in your family”. The people who taught us were really so generous. Care and awareness of our needs were for them not only a simple record in the Regulations.
- What was so specific about your family status?
- There were three younger girls in the family who studied at school then. On the whole our parents had nine children. And in Germany at that time the rate of pay was twice higher. On my first leave from Germany to Moscow I have bought raincoats, watches and something more to my sisters. I tried to help, so to say.
- How did you get into intelligence service?
This happened in Germany during the placement in the division where I served after the command school. There were six of us from different cities, but only I was suggested to become a reconnaissance man. At once I had the thought that I would like to go. And it happened so. I became commander of a reconnaissance battalion. There were no hostilities in Germany, but our division stood directly on the outskirts of Berlin, that’s why our task was to enter the Western Berlin in case of the conflict. Then I became commander of a reconnaissance troop. As the part of it I entered Czechoslovakia in 1968. There we accomplished missions of disarmament, search for bootleg radio stations and snipers and their destruction. For that I received a Medal for Bravery which is the most precious award for me. Surprisingly, but being a common lieutenant, I was congratulated personally by the Minister of Defense of that time - Grechko. And in 1969 I entered Frunze military academy. At that period of time, there appeared a reconnaissance faculty. All the teachers were former front-line soldiers. Therefore, we learned not only theory, but also, and mainly, practice.
- It must have been in Afghanistan that your most difficult practice began. How did you get there?
- To Afghanistan I was appointed directly from Dresden, I even didn’t have an opportunity to say goodbye to my family. I was put on the plane! The takeoff! And I arrived in Kabul, in 1985. I have been the 40th army chief intelligence officer for two years, two months and two days. All the gained experience has been of great use there. It was a real war. Moreover, it was a guerilla war from the adversary’s side. And that made the situation really complicated, as all the modern reconnaissance assets were developed for large objects, and in Afghanistan the main mission objective was the group of people which constantly maneuvered in the mountainous area. Under such conditions we couldn’t but rely only on people.
- And how many intelligence men were under your command at that time?
- If the complement of the 40th army was about 100-110 thousand people then our intelligence component accounted for 10 650 persons. In fact, reconnaissance men comprised 10 % of the army. And, in spite of that, it wasn’t enough. The struggle with “caravans” (groups of insurgents) which came from Pakistan and Iran was mainly assigned to groups of Special Forces which were the part of intelligence component. There were two teams of them which consisted of four battle groups (535 people in a group).
- And how many Ukrainians were among them?
- Two out of the eight groups were formed on the territory of Ukraine: the fourth group - on the basis of Kirovograd Special Forces brigade and the seventh one - on the basis of Iziaslavskii Special Forces brigade. Both these groups were very different from each other. The fourth group captured the biggest “caravan” in the war history of Afghanistan.
- Was it difficult to manage such a great number of people?
- It was, certainly, hard. First of all, I was responsible for each person and it was on my conscience if something had happened. And losses in intelligence units were higher than in ordinary troops. 60 percent of all troops were on guard in airfields, garrisons and communications. 30-40 % of all the complement were on military operations. Each operation is first planned and then the groups responsible for its conduct are determined. That takes usually two weeks. The operation lasts 1-2 weeks, after that, fellows have an opportunity to rest. The reconnaissance men are always in action, they are the first to face an attack.
- Now you teach in the National Defence Academy of Ukraine. Can you tell us if any person can be taught to be a reconnaissance man or should there be a special talent for that?
- Modern intelligence compounds dozens of specialities, many of them deal with equipment and hardware, but despite that each speciality requires certain specific qualities. Therefore, there certainly exists a special selection of people.
- If so much equipment is used, it should, obviously, be permanently upgraded, shouldn’t it? How are the things with it now?
- Almost all the equipment used in the intelligence now is there since the 1980th. It has been morally outdated and can’t lead proper supervision over modern objects. This is the flaw of Ukraine’s intelligence service.
- You are one of those few officers who remained loyal to their profession during all their life. Were there other work offers?
- Yes, there were many of them. But I could not leave, I considered that a betrayal of my service. Such a person I am. I am proud to serve in intelligence. I don’t want to offend anyone. There are logistics officers in the army and they are also needed, without them the army as well as the intelligence will not last. But I am never ashamed to tell where I serve.
- Your family and, especially, your wife must have fallen on hard times, haven’t they? How many times have you had to change home?
- During thirty-year service we had to move once in three years. But I was very lucky with wife and I always knew: if Liuba was at home – everything would be fine. And when I arrived to Kiev, my family lived in different cities for some time. My wife and the son were in Rovno, the daughter studied in Kiev, and I was “between” those two cities. But as soon as we had received a flat in Kiev and could live an enjoyable life, Liuba died. Her heart failed.
- And what are the dreams of Major-General Kokorin now?
- My long-time dream is to have grandsons. I also want my children were ok. They are really good, I believe in them.
- Vadim Alekseievich, what would you like to wish your colleagues from intelligence service and all our readers on the eve of your professional holiday?
- Despite the importance of intelligence during the war, when it goes to the foreground, receives the best attitude of the command and gains proper provision. But I would wish to live in peace when the reconnaissance men only monitored the situation and reported: “No threats to national interests of Ukraine are found!”. The most terrible thing ever is hostilities during the peacetime.
Marina Marchenko
