Russian kids play war in military summer camps | DW | 30.07.2018

We used to have the Boy Scouts and did similar things. We did not dress in camo- but survival skills and one leader taught us about weapons. All the dads were there to help....weird.

PO3 Brad Smith Lt Col Scott ShuttleworthSGT Gregory Lawritson SGT Jim Arnold SSgt Brian BrakkeCMSgt (Join to see) LTC (Join to see) MSG Frederick Otero SFC Pete Kain SSG David Andrews SCPO Morris Ramsey SGT Jim Arnold PO1 William "Chip" Nagel SGT (Join to see) TSgt Joe C. Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. LTC Greg Henning PO2 Rick Fox SGT John " Mac " McConnell Lt Col Charlie Brown

Well, to be frank...that doesn't sound all that different from me and my friends down at Boy Scout camp, or heading out with the Civil Air Patrol "back in the day". (ok, we didn't do "de-mining" or room clearing...but we didn't make cardboard owls either)

Obviously there's some latent paramilitary overtones in teaching young people to do land nav, shoot, forage, complete obstacle courses and drill...all while wearing uniforms. With little doubt, each nation/culture has it's own form of "prepping" youth who may aspire to entering military service...I'm quite certain some of what I learned courtesy of those "youth programs" helped me once I signed on the dotted line a few years later.

Sounds like the Russians (in keeping with their overall stereotype) have taken it up a notch.

My grandson would probably like this.