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Alexander Cherepanov: I decided my own destiny”
Continuing a good tradition to meet with Heroes of the Russian Federation, on April 25, USUE students had a chance to personally communicate with Alexander Cherepanov who participated in the Chechen war as an airborne officer.
At present, Alexander Cherepanov is in reserve, he lives in Moscow. Sergei Voronin an advisor to the USUE rector met him 28 April 2000, when both were awarded the Gold Star medals of Heroes of the Russian Federation. Since that time, the Heroes have maintained friendly relations. It turns out that they simultaneously served in the North Caucasus, were in the area of ??the Argun Gorge, with the only difference that Cherepanov performed the tasks assigned to the paratroopers, and Voronin -to the infantry.
After a short story of the Moscow guest about himself, the students had a unique opportunity to ask questions to the Hero of Russia.
Having learned that Alexander Cherepanov had entered the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School not on the first try, they asked how his parents react to that. But Alexander's mother died when he was 11 years old, his father had a new family, and Alexander was brought up by his grandmother. "I decided my own destiny myself," Cherepanov concluded.
“Having failed to enter military school, I did not waste time, I went in for sports, got a driver's license and a profession of electric locomotive driver. Therefore, when I was called up for military service, I was ready for the army." He served in the Strategic Missile Force in Chita Oblast. And afterward he entered the military school followed by the Frunze Military Academy.
Answering the question why he retired, Alexander Cherepanov joked, "Military service is good because you retire in one’s prime, provided with housing and medical care."
The students asked questions about parajumping. Alexander Cherepanov told them about jumping with a parachute from an airplane, from a helicopter, about peculiarities of landing on water and on a tree, about the most difficult jumps - with very high and extremely low altitudes.
Asked about the worst case in his biography during combat operations, Alexander Cherepanov responded like a real commander, "When there are 50-100 soldiers behind you, it's scary not for yourself, but for them. The officer's task is to get out of the fight with minimal losses, and better - without any. "
When he was asked "Was there any order that you refused to carry out?", he thought a little and then said "I could not fail to fulfill it, but could postpone it for a while, for a day. For example, to occupy a high ground you need artillery. You should wait and then, already without loss fulfill the order. We did not engage in battle thoughtlessly."
The girls wanted to know how women are treated in the war. "There are many women in military units: clerks, communication personnel and medical staff. There exist whole women's regiments! Often the wives of military men serve. But of course, women do not take part in the battle. A woman is a woman. Women are always guarded, kept away from the front line. "
At the end of the meeting, Alexander Cherepanov said that several times a year he meets with young people to tell them about days of the war. So, in March, the Hero of the Russian Federation Alexander Cherepanov visited Yaroslavl, and in May he is invited to Perm.
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