Vyacheslav V. Tikhomirov was born on March 9, 1945 in Michurinsk, Tambov region. In 1967, he graduated from the Tambov Higher Combined-arms Command School, was a platoon and company commander in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. He served as Chief of Staff and then as a battalion commander in the Odessa Military District.

After graduating from the Frunze Military Academy in 1979, he served in the Trans-Baikal Military District: he was a regimental commander, deputy division commander. From 1984 to 1986 - Deputy division commander in the Transcaucasian Military District.

In 1990, he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff and headed the Combat Training Department of the North Caucasus Military District. In 1995-1996, he commanded a group of troops of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation in the Chechen Republic, and since January 1996-a Joint group.

By Presidential Decree of March 1, 1997, he was appointed Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the Ural Military District.

The attentive reader could not help noticing that the column, which has become one of the leading ones for the magazine, has so far been mainly represented by representatives of the Ministry of Defense staff. We did not in any way implore the significance of the speeches made by the leadership of the Armed Forces, and it is impossible not to recognize that the involvement of officers and generals from the troops, representatives of all regions of the country, in the most important conversation will give a new impetus to our conversation on the topic of the day. In the coming year, we will definitely give them the floor. Moreover, the editorial board intends to hold a correspondence "round table" "We are for reform, reform is for us", which everyone can take part in.

Suggested interview with the Chief of Staff ? The first Deputy Commander of the Ural District can serve as a prologue to an interested discussion of the problems of reforming the Armed Forces.

- Comrade Lieutenant-General, the district troops, as in all the Armed Forces, continue activities related to military reform. How do you assess this process?

- Of course, the current stage of transformation in all parts of the army mechanism is the most difficult. This is primarily due, of course, to insufficient funding. I would like to hope that the situation in the economic and financial sphere will still begin to improve. It'll make us feel better, too. In the meantime, we must proceed from what we have: no one will allow us to go beyond the strict limits of material supply and financing. When working on organizational and staffing activities, the district headquarters understands that the district will not have fewer tasks for its intended purpose. But where can I find reserves to solve them? They are in increasing the intensity of combat training, in one hundred percent use of available resources. In other words, we will educate ourselves and our subordinates to be diligent owners, whose every investment pays off handsomely. For military people, this is reflected in the highly professional performance of their official duties.

Among the priority actions in the district, the elimination of duplicate structures that perform similar functions was carried out. And there were quite a few of them.

The intensification of combat training is achieved and will be achieved due to the continuity and strict adherence to the planned nature of the combat training process, a high degree of its intensity, together with equipping units with new weapons and equipment. I would like to emphasize that in this regard, the Urals is a unique place where the national elite of the military-industrial complex is concentrated.

By the way, the degree of combat and mobilization readiness of the Urals should be mentioned in particular. What was done here during the reconstruction of the district from 1992 to the present day deserves respect. As someone who has been in the district for a relatively short time, I admire the enthusiasm of people, the attitude to the maximum when solving any combat training tasks. I will not hide the fact that when I accepted the post of Chief of Staff two years ago, I felt a certain amount of skepticism. After all, I have recently visited almost all the hot spots of the former Soviet Union, where Russian troops were involved. Of course, the living conditions of the units there during combat use are noticeably different from those in which military collectives stationed in relatively calm regions are located. However, in the Urals, as I have seen, military work also requires perseverance and dedication. Both Defense Minister Marshal I. Sergeev and Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces General of the Army A. Kvashnin, who visited the district's troops last year, gave high praise to the Ural residents.

- The headquarters headed by you is the coordinating body in the system of transformations carried out in the district. How will the optimization of military management bodies affect the "accumulator of ideas" itself?

- I think that a differentiated approach in assessing the role and purpose of all staff specialists should be dominant here. The flexibility of the system of reforming the Armed Forces provides for a balanced approach to optimizing the activities of the management apparatus. And this is nothing more than the rational use of existing personnel. In all our endeavors, we must work to achieve the main goal - to achieve maximum efficiency in the planned transformations.

- I think it is impossible not to agree that any changes, especially such large-scale ones, often cause people to worry about the infringement of their social rights. The "sword of Damocles" of abbreviations creates a sense of uncertainty about the future, serious concern about the sources of livelihood, and the lack of a roof over your head...

- I think our society has fully realized the importance of reforming the army, understands that reducing its size should be accompanied by ensuring social rights, all the guarantees provided for by the serviceman, a harmonious combination of his moral, physical, and combat qualities. This, in fact, is confirmed by the "Law on Conscription and Military Service" adopted by the State Duma and approved by the Federation Council. As for our district, already at the first meeting devoted to the problems of transformation, the commander of the troops, Colonel-General Yu. Grekov, said that no officer or ensign should feel aggrieved. Therefore, we have developed structural reorganization plans that provide for minimal movement of personnel, weapons and equipment. By doing so, we managed to preserve the housing stock and special structures. In fact, without changing their locations, some units moved organizationally to the staff of other formations. Figures speak more eloquently about the scale of events being held. By September of last year, 20 units and institutions in the district were reduced, and about 40 moved to a new state.

- Vyacheslav Valentinovich, during the process of reforming the Armed Forces, suggestions were made about the need to unite all structures of law enforcement agencies of a particular region under one operational command. Is such work being done in the Ural Federal District?

- I will start by referring to my own experience in performing combat missions in Transnistria and the Chechen Republic. Without a unified leadership of forces and means, it is extremely difficult to achieve success. After all, sometimes it reached the point of absurdity: you set tasks for the troops, then clarify the decision made in Moscow, and then wait for permission to implement it. While the coordination process is underway, the situation changes, time is lost, and, consequently, the result of the planned operation is not at all what we expected. In this case, they strictly ask the commander, and those who approved his decision, as if they had nothing to do with it. It is very accurately noted: a victory has too many parents, and a defeat is always an orphan.

Now I will try to answer the essence of your question. You are right, there are many interpretations around the idea of bringing all armed structures under a single operational command. Of course, the possibilities of coordinated problem solving have great prospects. In my opinion, it is extremely important to prepare the prerequisites for creating a unified system of command, support and combat training of troops as soon as possible. To increase the effectiveness of their use, I think, it is also intended to strengthen the role of commanders by further transforming districts into operational and strategic commands. They will be called upon to ensure the defense of the country in their area of responsibility. Opportunities for this will be provided by the Air Force and Air Defense, ground units that are directly subordinate to the district commander. If we talk about closer cooperation with other law enforcement agencies, then the order of relations with them is within the competence of the country's top leadership. So far, such a task has not been assigned to the district's troops.

Another area of convergence could be the training base. Today, almost everyone has their own tactical field, training ground, and training center. For some, they are better, but for those who are poorer, they do not meet the requirements. Wouldn't it be easier to have a common training base in excellent condition? And this is not all the problems. However, having solved key tasks together, we can establish cooperation in the direction of creating territorial defense structures.

- In the process of military reform, the role of the officer-manager is increasing. What qualities do you think a staff officer should have?

- The staff of the headquarters must be highly cohesive and be able to provide command and control of troops in any conditions. This can only be achieved by maintaining constant combat readiness, bringing their peacetime staff structures as close as possible to the structure provided for a special period, and rationalizing the distribution of tasks. In the memoirs of the Chief of the General Staff of the war years, B. M. Shaposhnikov, it is said about this:"Well-educated people with energy and initiative, efficient, independent in their judgments and actions, but at the same time tactful and modest in communication should be called for management."

At the end of our conversation, I can say that officers, warrant officers, sergeants and soldiers of the district correctly understand the situation in the Armed Forces and in the country, take an active position during the reform, and honestly perform their duty. I would like to add that we don't have time to complain about the difficulties. We need to serve in the name of Russia and the future of the Armed Forces.