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CNN Saturday Morning News
Interview With Alex Kostin, U.S. Army Reservist and Former Soviet Soldier
Aired January 25, 2003 - 09:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Like thousands of other U.S. Army reservists, Alex Kostin has been called to active duty. He's a lawyer and lieutenant and will serve at Fort Lewis, Washington. The last time he was called to duty, though, he was a Russian drafted by the Soviet army. Now he's a U.S. citizen. He will compare for us life in the two different armies.
Lieutenant Kostin, thanks for being with us this morning. We just want to hear a little bit about your experiences. Take us back for a moment, if you will, to when you were 18 years old.
LT. ALEX KOSTIN, U.S. ARMY RESERVIST AND FORMER SOVIET SOLDIER: When I was 18, I was drafted into the Soviet army, and I was sent to the mechanized infantry division that was blockaded in the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, and I was there until 1989.
COLLINS: How were the conditions there for the soldiers?
KOSTIN: The conditions were pretty bad. Soldiers were basically deprived of the most basic stuff. And the morale was really low. And soldiers didn't really understand what they were doing, why they were there. So that was a very hard time for me, (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
COLLINS: They just basically did what they were told, it seems.
KOSTIN: Well, there was just basic misunderstanding and -- of -- people just didn't know why they were doing what they were supposed to be doing there. And local population was very hostile. They didn't want the Soviet army. And there was lots of demonstrations and rallies, and people were coming to soldiers and just telling us to get out of Lithuania. And that was just pretty bad.
COLLINS: Now, how old were you when you came to the United States, and when did you become a citizen?
KOSTIN: I was 21 when I came here. And I became a citizen three and a half years ago.
COLLINS: So, you know ...
KOSTIN: In 1999.
COLLINS: Right. A lot of people would say, Boy, you did not have a great experience with the services in the Soviet Union at that time. Now, it seems like some people would say, Hey, you know, you've done your serving your country, and now you come to the U.S., and you're doing it all over again. Tell us why.
KOSTIN: Well, I want to join the reserve because I have a civilian job that I like, and being in the reserves really allows you to keep your civilian job, and -- but at the same time pursue second military career. And also I'm doing -- I'm practicing in the certain areas of law in my civilian job that I couldn't practice in the military, and in the military I'm just given this -- new opportunities to learn about something else. So that's basically...
COLLINS: What are the biggest differences, though, that you see, Lieutenant Kostin, between the Soviet army and the United States reserves?
KOSTIN: Well, in the Soviet army, I think the officers really didn't care about the welfare of their men, and here it's -- I'm very surprised, it's really a paramount concern of the commander is taking care of the soldiers, and that's number one.
And second is the training that's mandatory for a U.S. soldier is much better than the training that they provided for the Russian soldier. And here any soldier can get enrolled in any kind of a program, go to all kinds of military and civilian schools. And that is just something unheard of in the Russian army.
COLLINS: What exactly are you doing for the army reserves right now?
KOSTIN: I'm with the 21st, 22nd Garrison Support Unit in Fort Lewis, and we are providing assistance in training soldiers that are going to -- going through Fort Lewis, and they might be deployed, or they might stay in the United States. Basically, my section, JAG, Judge Advocate General section, we're providing legal support. We're doing wills, powers of attorneys, and providing legal assistance.
COLLINS: To all of the soldiers?
KOSTIN: But the -- Yes. But overall mission of the unit is to train and support troops.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. We certainly appreciate you spending some time with us this morning, Lieutenant Kostin, and good luck to you.
KOSTIN: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Soviet Soldier>
Aired January 25, 2003 - 09:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Like thousands of other U.S. Army reservists, Alex Kostin has been called to active duty. He's a lawyer and lieutenant and will serve at Fort Lewis, Washington. The last time he was called to duty, though, he was a Russian drafted by the Soviet army. Now he's a U.S. citizen. He will compare for us life in the two different armies.
Lieutenant Kostin, thanks for being with us this morning. We just want to hear a little bit about your experiences. Take us back for a moment, if you will, to when you were 18 years old.
LT. ALEX KOSTIN, U.S. ARMY RESERVIST AND FORMER SOVIET SOLDIER: When I was 18, I was drafted into the Soviet army, and I was sent to the mechanized infantry division that was blockaded in the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, and I was there until 1989.
COLLINS: How were the conditions there for the soldiers?
KOSTIN: The conditions were pretty bad. Soldiers were basically deprived of the most basic stuff. And the morale was really low. And soldiers didn't really understand what they were doing, why they were there. So that was a very hard time for me, (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...
COLLINS: They just basically did what they were told, it seems.
KOSTIN: Well, there was just basic misunderstanding and -- of -- people just didn't know why they were doing what they were supposed to be doing there. And local population was very hostile. They didn't want the Soviet army. And there was lots of demonstrations and rallies, and people were coming to soldiers and just telling us to get out of Lithuania. And that was just pretty bad.
COLLINS: Now, how old were you when you came to the United States, and when did you become a citizen?
KOSTIN: I was 21 when I came here. And I became a citizen three and a half years ago.
COLLINS: So, you know ...
KOSTIN: In 1999.
COLLINS: Right. A lot of people would say, Boy, you did not have a great experience with the services in the Soviet Union at that time. Now, it seems like some people would say, Hey, you know, you've done your serving your country, and now you come to the U.S., and you're doing it all over again. Tell us why.
KOSTIN: Well, I want to join the reserve because I have a civilian job that I like, and being in the reserves really allows you to keep your civilian job, and -- but at the same time pursue second military career. And also I'm doing -- I'm practicing in the certain areas of law in my civilian job that I couldn't practice in the military, and in the military I'm just given this -- new opportunities to learn about something else. So that's basically...
COLLINS: What are the biggest differences, though, that you see, Lieutenant Kostin, between the Soviet army and the United States reserves?
KOSTIN: Well, in the Soviet army, I think the officers really didn't care about the welfare of their men, and here it's -- I'm very surprised, it's really a paramount concern of the commander is taking care of the soldiers, and that's number one.
And second is the training that's mandatory for a U.S. soldier is much better than the training that they provided for the Russian soldier. And here any soldier can get enrolled in any kind of a program, go to all kinds of military and civilian schools. And that is just something unheard of in the Russian army.
COLLINS: What exactly are you doing for the army reserves right now?
KOSTIN: I'm with the 21st, 22nd Garrison Support Unit in Fort Lewis, and we are providing assistance in training soldiers that are going to -- going through Fort Lewis, and they might be deployed, or they might stay in the United States. Basically, my section, JAG, Judge Advocate General section, we're providing legal support. We're doing wills, powers of attorneys, and providing legal assistance.
COLLINS: To all of the soldiers?
KOSTIN: But the -- Yes. But overall mission of the unit is to train and support troops.
COLLINS: All right. Very good. We certainly appreciate you spending some time with us this morning, Lieutenant Kostin, and good luck to you.
KOSTIN: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Soviet Soldier>
