Someone You Can Rely On: The Story of a Soldier with the Call Sign “Truba”

“I was a human being, and I still am,” he replies when asked who he was before joining the military. That short phrase captures his humour and his habit of speaking plainly about himself.

Before his service, Truba worked at a grain elevator. He once tried to volunteer but was not accepted at the time. When he received his draft notice, he took it in stride. He completed training, including abroad, and later joined the 41st Separate Mechanized Brigade.

He speaks openly about his early days in a combat brigade: at first, it was a little frightening. There were new tasks ahead, training, and people to get to know—people he would work alongside. Gradually, he learned his craft and gained experience. Today, he serves in electronic warfare and says he enjoys the work.

It takes attention, patience, and a willingness to look for solutions. Sometimes you receive a task and initially have no idea how to tackle it. You work through it, think it over, and try different approaches. Then you find that one detail that makes everything work.

“And then you sit there thinking it really was that simple all along,” Truba says.

Behind those words is the familiar satisfaction of finally getting something right. What you did not understand yesterday is something you can do today. And you are ready to take on the next task.

He got his call sign while installing equipment. The story involved a metal pipe, wires, and an incident that prompted a well-timed joke. A junior lieutenant declared that he would be “Truba”—Ukrainian for “pipe.” The name stuck. The soldier speaks of the officer with particular warmth: “A very good person.”

Truba describes himself as calm by nature. He admits there were times when he got flustered, but experience taught him that it did little good. It is more useful to focus, think about the consequences, and do what is within your control.

He particularly values the trust his commanders place in him. He tries to honour it and never take advantage of it. If a call comes and he needs to head out on a mission, he is ready to get going, even in the middle of the night. He speaks about this as matter-of-factly as he does about working with equipment. For him, it is part of the responsibility he has taken on.

His story is full of simple words that reveal his character: a willingness to learn, to see a task through, and to be reachable when needed. Reliability is built from these everyday actions. These are the qualities people value in those who serve beside them.

In the 41st Separate Mechanized Brigade, Truba learned a new craft. His fellow soldiers know they can count on him. And he still speaks about himself just as simply: “I was a human being, and I still am.”