Old Fox: 'You are your first medic in this war'

From a reservist in Romania to a combat medic in Ukraine

Old Fox is a combat medic from Romania. In the 4th International Legion for the Defence of Ukraine, he teaches recruits the basics of tactical medicine and prepares future combat medics to perform their duties on the battlefield. "An old fox" is a self-deprecating, even somewhat self-critical image. However, it only takes an instant to realize that there could be no better callsign for this gray-haired man with a cunning, slightly childish look in his eyes. When talking to him, you won't cease to be amazed by how so many contradictory traits coexist in one person. The confidence of his speech and the strict clarity of his words can instantly burst into a torrent of witty stories, warm jokes, and ringing laughter.

Old Fox used to be a military reservist in his native Romania. However, more than a year ago, he came to Ukraine to share the knowledge he gained in a NATO state army. With several wars under his belt, the legionnaire is willing to pass on his expertise to recruits. Old Fox gained his first combat experience during the Bosnian War three decades ago. Comparing that conflict with the Russian-Ukrainian war, the combat medic notes:

 – It was completely different because it was mainly a war of snipers. Yes, we had mines, we had all that fun. Nevertheless, most of our missions involved countering and supporting snipers. It is what makes that conflict so different from the war, where you are constantly chased by drones and can be hit by artillery at any moment.

The main task of a combat medic is to save the lives of the infantry. But medical skills are not enough when it comes to your own life. From his first day in the Legion, Old Fox realized that to survive on the front lines, you must first master the profession of an infantryman, and only then combat medicine:

– For instance, the first medic we trained was a girl from one of the Baltic countries. While preparing her for work on the zero line, we emphasized that a medic must be able to do everything a foot soldier can do. She constantly argued, ‘I’m not going to dig a trench.’ But when she finally got to the front line, she called me and said, ‘You were right. The first thing I did was dig myself a hole.’ She almost lost her leg, but she managed to avoid a mine because we taught her how to move and react correctly in battlefield conditions.

Combat medics are a priority target: good specialists can save a lot of lives. And the saved will return to the battlefield to kill their killers. That is why the Russians do not shy away from the slightest opportunity to murder such people, disregarding the norms of international humanitarian law. However, Old Fox sees room for true heroism in this high-risk work:

– One of our medics sent me a photo: he had an enormous wound on his arm. He applied a tourniquet himself and then continued to help others despite his injury. So, as far as I understand, he will be recommended for an award.

What Old Fox saw on the front lines convinced him once again that history has never seen a war like Russia's aggression against Ukraine. He emphasizes that this is why recruits must forget everything they knew about combat before.

 His goal as an instructor is to break the mindset of newcomers and reformat it to meet the challenges of this war, so that future legionnaires can effectively destroy the enemy or at least survive in a space where dozens of FPV drones are overhead and hundreds of mines are underfoot.

– Most of the soldiers we had initially had experience in Afghanistan or Iraq. They had access to practically everything they needed there. Evacuation? A helicopter or a Humvee would usually pick you up within 10-15 minutes. Here, you are your first medic. If you are unable to provide yourself with first aid to survive the first minutes after being hit, your fate is almost sealed. Every single second counts.

– We try to inoculate the foreigners arriving to fight for Ukraine with the idea that all their knowledge is only a fraction of what they need to know here. They have to start their training from zero. They have to start thinking in a new way, regardless of their experience. Once they understand that, they have a better chance of surviving in combat situations. Most of the mistakes were made in the past by soldiers convinced they were ready for this war.

Old Fox appreciates it when recruits ask him questions, as a willingness to ask means genuine interest. He has a ready answer for any question. But if you have your head in the clouds, beware! He will fire back with napalm of jokes at anyone who ignores his training:

– Don't think you know it all. You don't. Remember, you will fight not against peasants or untrained militias; you will fight against a well-drilled army. Russians learn from their mistakes and use our errors against us.

If you have previous combat experience, it will surely come in handy. But you must understand that your lives depend on your knowledge gained in training and the men and women next to you. You depend on them, they depend on you, so the harder you train alongside them, the better you will fight.We must constantly adapt. Once you're out there and you see with your eyes what's happening, you will instantly remember everything you have learned. But if you've slept through it all, well, good luck!

 Training to become a legionnaire can be challenging even for the hard-boiled. However, the most merciless drill instructor's scream will seem like a mother's lullaby compared to what awaits recruits on the real battlefields.

– At first, most of them are confident that they already know everything. Then we divide them into pairs to see if they have the necessary skills in practice. We keep repeating this throughout the training process. We have two or three days for theory. Then it's practice, practice, practice. 

We combine tactical drills with medicine every time they are at the range. We simulate situations where some are injured and others must provide first aid. There will be no instructors on the front line with them. So we have to make sure that they understand and act instinctively, without waiting for someone to give them instructions.

Volunteers from over 75 countries are fighting in the International Legion. It is an extraordinary honor, but also a significant challenge. Despite being fluent in English and Spanish, Old Fox notes that it is sometimes difficult to cope with the different languages spoken by the legionnaires:

– The language barrier is the hardest thing. We have soldiers who speak English or Spanish very well. Our job is to make sure they understand the information we give them. For example, we now have soldiers from Taiwan and South Korea. So we must overcome any language barriers and avoid them in the future.

It is a war in which everything is constantly changing. New technologies and approaches render previous experiences useless, so even instructors have to return to the battlefield to update their skills and relearn. That's why Old Fox advises his "students" to always listen to all the tips given by their teachers. After all, their fate on the front lines will depend on their training.

– The best reward for our work is when they return from the red zone and say, “Thank you for training us, because thanks to you, we are alive.” So be ready to learn, and we will welcome you as brothers once you put your lives in our hands, and we put ours in yours."

You can learn more about the International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine on the official website: https://ildu.mil.gov.ua/

Dmytro Tolkachov