Jaime, a soldier of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade with the call sign “Tornado,” is a volunteer in the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Colombia. During our conversation, the hero was recovering from superhuman exertions, but once his rest is over, he is ready to return to battle for Ukraine.
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Diligence, endurance, and competence
Before joining the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Jaime worked in his home country as an installer of aluminum and tempered glass window systems. His civilian profession demanded high levels of competence and diligence, involved significant risks, and required him to maintain good physical condition. But two decades have passed since his military service in the Colombian army:
– I served in the military 20 years ago. I came to Ukraine to contribute to this war, to do a good deed, and also for the money. After meeting with a recruiter from the 47th Brigade and enlisting, I was very well trained. Field training lasted more than 20 days and covered all types of weapons: rifles, RPGs, other grenade launchers, various anti-tank and anti-drone weapons, and mine warfare.
It’s hard, but it’s possible
Hard work, endurance, and dedication paid off; the recruit excelled at his training exercises, so he soon set out on his first combat mission.
“We finished training and immediately headed to our position. It was tough getting to where we needed to go. We had to carry quite a lot of gear, but the hardest part was dealing with the drones. Here, in war, more and more operations involve drones—heavy and complex ones—but if a person knows how to operate under such conditions, they can move forward.”
War is not a game
“Tornado” speaks calmly and with restraint about his experiences. Carrying out combat missions is difficult for him, but entirely possible and manageable. He advises potential volunteers to fully understand what they’ll be facing.
– People who come to Ukraine to fight must understand that they are going to war. They don’t come here to play or for extreme tourism. This is a war, and if you do everything right, strictly following the commander’s orders—it’s entirely possible to move forward. Otherwise—we’ll be stuck there. This is not a game.
On the Future
Like most soldiers, “Tornado” speaks cautiously about his plans for the future.
“If God grants me the strength and allows it, I plan to stay here and help win this war; later, I’ll work in my own country. I’ll continue the work I was doing before.”
On 110 Days at the Front
It was very difficult, but my comrade and I managed to cope, and everything necessary was done. Everything turned out as it was supposed to. There was fear, yes, but you have to overcome it and be able to stay calm in order to escape that fear. While you’re at the position with drones overhead, you have to keep your fear and other emotions under control.
About the enemy
They are people just like us, flesh and blood. And killing them is no harder than killing other people. But they come with evil and spread evil in this country, in Ukraine. So we do what we have to do.
Learn more about the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Magura” and join on the official website.
Learn more about foreign volunteers in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and join on the official website.
Text: Volodymyr Patola
Video, photos: Volodymyr Patola, Dmytro Tolkachov, Oleksandr Bekker
Editing: Oleksandr Bekker
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