Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023: Partnerschaft für gemeinsame Werte

In civilian life Yuliia was a designer and president of the Mutokukai-Ukraine Aikido Federation. In 2014 she took part in the Revolution of Dignity and became a paramedic. Yuliia was the commander of the Taira Angels unit and served in the evacuation unit of the 61st Military Mobile Hospital (2018-2020). During one of her combat evacuations, she suffered a hip injury. Both hip joints had to be replaced. On 16 March, 2022 during the full-scale war, Yuliia and the driver of the ambulance, Serhii, were captured at a checkpoint in the village of Mangush near Mariupol and were taken prisoners when they were going through the so-called green corridor, organised for civilians to leave for Zaporizhzhia. In 2020 she was selected for Team Ukraine and was the only woman in the national team of Ukraine. Yuliia “Taira” Paievska, who was unable to compete at the event after being captured by Russian forces, has spoken about her ordeal, expressing her gratitude to Prince Harry for the impact his words had on her fortunes. Yuliia was released from captivity in June 2022, and has since stated her belief that the awareness raised by the Games contributed to the decision by Russian forces to let her go. After being released she established her own Charity Fund called “Mria” (a dream) to help the children of fallen comrades.

Before the war he was a barista. With the outbreak of the war he became a platoon commander of the 49th separate rifle battalion called “Carpathian Sich”. On 24 August, 2022 in the area of Vіrnopillia, Kharkiv region, he found himself under tank and mortar fire. He received bilateral traumatic amputation of his feet and injuries to his lower legs. After his injury, he became the star of a charity event held at the 76th Cannes Film Festival. While undergoing prosthetics in the United States, he danced with ballet dancers at the California Theatre.

Temper and war

I was in the military before it became mainstream. I was born in the Kirovohrad region, did my military service in the 25th Airborne Brigade in 2008-2009, I even have a parachute jump. When I was discharged, I stayed at home for a year and then got a job in Kyiv at the State Protection Department. Back then people used to consider the army unnecessary, the state security department was more or less at a decent level. In terms of salaries. I had a pretty good future there. But in 2014, I realised that I was a military man, there was a war in the country, and I was sitting in the government quarter and not taking part in it at all. I was trained. And we were taken to one combat coordination to another when were finally told: "You are not going anywhere, you will stay here". Perhaps, my type of personality played a role. As in my childhood, I had to try something new. Upon completion of the contract, I signed a new one with the National Guard in 2017. I was in charge of 20-22 people. I was a deputy platoon commander. In about 4-5 months, we had our first rotation to the Svitlodarsk bulge. Later I got slightly wounded on the right flank, along the front line. And the first rotation was just to the Svitlodarsk area - we were shooting with the enemy through the reservoir. We had short rotations of two months. At that time, the enemy's IPSO was quite actively spreading information that the National Guard was on the third line and had too much equipment. But each unit has its own purpose. Some units of the National Guard had to protect public order. Our Rapid Response Brigade had artillery, and tanks and performed tasks exactly like an infantry brigade of the Armed Forces. We did what we could and acted according to the orders. Perhaps, until I experienced my first missile attack, I did not fully realise that I was at war. Because at that time, in 2017, we had a positional war, there were no such active phases then. We just knew where our enemy was and understood more or less what to expect from them. They (pro-Russian separatists, Russians) withdrew from their positions, came around from the forest and fired and SPG-9 at us from the flank. At the time, we were collecting firewood - the guys were carrying it and preparing it, and I was cutting it with a chainsaw. And it was so uncomfortable that I took off my bulletproof vest and helmet, despite the safety measures. Suddenly I saw the guys falling down. They heard the shot, but I didn't hear it because of the saw. I fell down too and I was lying there and thinking: "I'm the commander at this position, I need to organise observation, find out where the shelling is coming from, whether we will be outflanked or whether it's a distraction-free manoeuvre." I realised that I had to crawl to my bulletproof vest and helmet. I had my assault rifle on me, but the bulletproof vest and helmet were a couple of metres away. That was the first time I realised I was at war. I went to the front at a fairly mature age, so I understood that I could be wounded, killed, or captured. I thought, for example, that captivity would not happen... As they say: "Fast feet are not afraid of captivity". And I thought that my injury would be very lightl. I thought I was being very careful. I wouldn't peek out from a trench if it wasn’t necessary. I believed that everything would be grouped and that I would be able to run into some gap or to a dugout during a mortar attack...

Injuries

I was wounded in Novoluhanske on September 25, 2019, a month after my birthday. I didn't remember that day, but when my comrades and I got together and started to recall where we had gone the day before, and what we did two days earlier, everything started to form a logical chain. There was also a moment when I was calling my wife and a fellow soldier said: "Say “hello” to her". I said: "But she doesn't know you". And he said again: "Just say “hello” from Gary". Then I remembered this conversation word for word and it made another puzzle i n my memory. Our reconnaissance platoon was sent to reinforce the infantry company because the Svitlodarsk bulge was one of the hottest areas of the frontline. The distance to the enemy was 100-160 metres. But we had better technical capabilities to conduct more active surveillance and we had more experience, as many people in our unit had been fighting since 2014. I remember this day until the moment I looked through the thermal monocular, saw some movement, crouched down and tried to get my weapon. And then that was it. I lost consciousness and fell into a coma. Most likely, it was a reconnaissance-sabotage group, because the 9 mm. calibre of the weapon was not typical for a sniper. But it pierced my head. As far as I understand, my colleagues worked according to the protocol and evacuated me as quickly as possible when the situation allowed. They always tell at war: "Dig, dig!". We had trenches, but they were narrow. They were fresh and not yet prepared. Our unit was in new positions that previously held by the enemy. When I was carried out, I weighed 90 kilograms, and it was a bit difficult to carry me in those narrow trenches. The guys carried me on the open terrain. There were several shots, but they managed to carry me about 400 metres. Oleksandr Marchenko, a neurosurgeon at Mechnikov Hospital, wrote a post about me on Facebook: "He could not breathe on his own, his heart was almost not beating, his blood pressure was close to zero, he was in a deep coma, there was no pupil reaction to light. [...] The scale of the injury was impressive. The bullet entered under the right eye, shattered the walls of the maxillary sinus, flew through the right hemisphere of the brain, pierced the occipital bone and stopped under the skin." The first statement from Mechnikov said: "vegetative state". Although I had been in the military long before I was injured, I was not interested in the topic of injuries. I had little information about different injuries. It is only now that I know what the cerebral, shrapnel, gunshot wounds are...

Coma

I was in a coma for 11 days. And the first thing I saw, or rather heard, when I came out of it was my wife (who was my girlfriend then) coming in, and the chief doctor of the Mechnikov Dnipro Regional Hospital, Serhii Ryzhenko, leaning over me and saying: "Volodymyr, can you hear us? If you can hear us, blink." I blinked once. And then I communicated with my eyes: if you heard them I had to blink once, if I didn’t - I didn't blink, I would blink once for “yes” and twice for “no”. People in a coma often have their throats cut and a tracheostomy inserted so that the ventilator goes straight into their lungs, therefore they cannot speak. Ihor Halushka and I (in 2017, in the village of Maryinka, Donetsk region, the soldier received a perforating bullet wound to the head while saving the life of his colleague. In 2022, he won a gold medal at the Invictus Games), then laughed that his head looked like a deflated ball. Like a dent in a ball. Now I have a titanium plate in my head, but back then it was just a dent - a quarter of my head was missing. The right hemisphere of my brain, which is responsible for the left side of my body, was damaged. My left leg and left arm were paralysed. At first, it all seemed like a dream. But gradually I had to accept reality. My brain was covered only by skin at first, and I could touch it and feel the cortex with my fingers. Then it was covered with a titanium plate. They say that during a coma people see the light at the end of the tunnel. There was no such thing. There were two pink Mercedes. I just remember driving them, choosing discs and tyres in the shop. It was like a dream, but a very realistic one. When I came out of my coma and could speak , I was transferred to the central hospital of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. A friend, whom I helped to choose a BMW earlier, came to visit me so I asked him: "Well, how's the car?" He said: "It's fine, it's running, something broke." I said: "When I get out of the hospital, I'll take you for a ride in my Mercedes". My father was standing nearby, thinking that maybe I was out of my mind and asked: "What Mercedes? You have a BMW". I said: "I know, you have to make discs for BMWs. How are my Mercedes? I brought them home before the rotation". Everything seemed so real and those pink Mercedes too.

Acceptance

For three months I did not accept what had happened to me. I didn't understand how it happened. There was even a failed suicide attempt. But it was a funny one. When I was in hospital in Kyiv, I could neither get out of bed nor turn over. I was taken care of almost 100%. I told my wife: "Katya, I'm so sick of it, I'm going to throw myself out of the window." And she calmly answered: "It's the first floor", and then added: "And there are nets on the windows". And I realised that the plan would fail, so I had to live. I don't think about it anymore because I appreciate the work of those who saved my life. Starting with the guys who carried me out, to the doctors, to my family, who endured everything. When I had a blood transfusion, Dnipro announced a blood donation day then. That is, a lot of work has been done to save my life, so I can't just do that. My wife and I also had a situation called "How I was dragged to the registry office". I love and respect Kateryna, but the incident was ridiculous. It was three months after my injury. We were getting married in the October Palace. And there were 10 steps to climb. I was walking very, very slowly, holding my wife's hand while walking. And the guard said a brilliant phrase: "I've been working here for a long time, but I've never seen a man being dragged to the registry office like that." And I just couldn't walk. My recovery from the injury was very emotionally intense. When I started walking, especially up the stairs, I almost cried. I was very afraid that I would not be able to walk up and down the stairs. But the rehabilitation therapist was helping me. In general, I became more emotional after my injury. Sometimes I might be teary or sometimes aggressive. I have been undergoing rehabilitation in Ukraine - at the Kyiv Regional Hospital, the Modrychi Rehabilitation Centre and Next Step since 2019 and until now. I go there with Tryboi (Dmytro Tryboi is an ATO veteran. He was a scout in the 95th Brigade, and in 2017 he was seriously wounded in the head by a sniper. He was in a coma for five days and had a poor prognosis from doctors. But he survived. He learnt to speak and walk again.) We meet up, go together and, in addition to the classes there, we also play a psychological support role. Now there are a lot of veterans with brain injuries. And they guys see the result and the positive changes that can be made. We share our own experience with them and tell them how we deal with certain situations. This is how the story of Ihor Halushka inspired me once. My friends came to me and told me that there was a guy from Azov with a similar injury. His right side of the body was also paralysed, and he could not speak. By then he had already started to perform somewhere, probably at the Games of Heroes or the Invictus Games, and I was shown a video. I was really interested in his story. I can say that I even studied it in detail and this information was a small ray of hope.

Veterans and society

Society is not ready to accept veterans yet. Before the full-scale war, many people thought that the military were just going to the east to shoot or take a break from their wives and household duties. At that time, the war simply did not affect everyone. Now we don't need help, we need understanding. I had an illustrative story with a backpack. Once, in the early stages of rehabilitation, when my arm was not yet working, I was going by bus and was holding my backpack behind me. Someone made a remark to me like “You are supposed to take off your backpack in public transport". I replied that I knew that, but I needed to hold on, and I couldn't hold the backpack with my other hand. The situation started to escalate and I had to show the scars and explain why I wasn’t able to take off my backpack. Then they calmed down. But it was humiliating. Another thing is respect. Recently, there was a funeral ceremony in Lviv, and men of military age were drinking beer and laughing in a cafe nearby. And while people were bowing down and paying their respects to the deceased, the atmosphere in the café was completely different. It looked as if "we have more power, and whoever wants to fight we it’s their choice". It shouldn't be like that. Veterans are more cautious about new relationships. For example, we slept in the same sleeping bag with our brothers-in-arms and trusted each other. Now it's harder to trust a stranger. I like that now I’m working in the military circle. I was dismissed from military service and taken on a civilian position as an instructor in a military unit. My work is more theoretical because it is difficult for me to show how to dig a trench or hold a weapon in practice, I need to use both hands. As the joke goes: "Those who could not find a way in life, became teachers".

What were you like as a child?

I don't have any brothers or sisters so I'm used to being a single child, and a single grandson. The favourite one. As a child, I was very active and restless. Probably, I tried everything possible - running, crawling, swimming, jumping, and playing musical instruments. Now one of my sports is archery. When I was a kid, any branch with a string on it turned into a bow. Even when my parents forbade me to do something as a child, I still wanted to try it. They told me that I shouldn't climb the neighbour's cherry tree, but I wanted to, I was a kid, so I did. Once, I stole a neighbour's strawberries through the fence posts, which a child's hand could easily get through.

What annoys you?

When people tell me what to do and how. I know my condition, I know my capabilities. Especially when they say do this, or do that, but I simply cannot do it.

What kind of help do you accept?

For example, the help from my wife is rehabilitative. Parents are naturally protective of their children. Sometimes it turns into hyper-protection, which has a bad effect on rehabilitation - if you can't do it, they will do it for you. A wife is wiser in this regard, she goes: “Come and take it. If you want it - try. In any case, you will try, and whether it works out or not - we will draw conclusions. Such support also helps me morally, as it gives me an understanding that I can do it myself and I don't need to be served all the time.

What period was emotionally difficult for you?

When I was lying there and you didn’t know what would happen to you next - would I stay in bed or would I be able to walk? We really have little information about such injuries. For example, a stroke is somewhat similar in its consequences. However, we should understand that a wound to the head with a difference of a millimetre to the right or left makes it a completely different injury. I learnt about the consequences of a stroke. It's very difficult emotionally, I'll tell you in detail: when your mother or father takes your genital and puts it in a urinal because you can't hold it with one hand, and you need help to pee. When you are 29 years old and you need help to go to the toilet or to be spoon-fed, it's a real pain.

Who gave you the most strength and motivation?

I always had one of my parents with me. Katia was always there. The brigade authorities came quite often, the National Guard came, and colleagues from the State Protection Department. Even those people came with whom I thought I hadn’t had the best relations. I never felt abandoned or forgotten. Such general support helped me. Such support does great things.

How can people thank veterans?

For example, when the selection for the Invictus Games team took place in Lviv, it was a closed event(for safety measures), but in peaceful Ukraine, I would like people to respect such veteran events and initiatives. I would like people to come to the competitions and show support. We have to change, though, we are always complaining. Instead, we have to look after ourselves and keep order. Remember not only your rights but also your responsibilities.

Do you see the victory?

I can see Ukraine's victory, but I am more afraid of what may come after it. As the saying goes: "Moscow lice are not as bad as our own nits.”

What are you most proud of?

This is a difficult question. Now I like the fact that I can motivate people with similar injuries.

What did the war teach you?

That there are reliable people - comrades who have carried me out under fire.

Why do you want to participate in the Invictus Games?

To try and prove that I can do something new. And I wanted to try to work not only with a rehabilitation therapist but also with a coach, to be more active. I want to restore my life as much as I can and make it as it had been before the injury. My circle of friends and acquaintances has increased here.

Before the full-scale war

I am a tractor driver, a gunner, and a mechanical engineer. I studied to become a mechanical engineer, and at the same time, I received a second degree as an artilleryman. In 2015, I was mobilised to serve in the State Border Guard Service in the Sumy region. At that time, I wrote a report to serve in Kramatorsk, but I was told that there were already enough officers serving there, and I would serve in Krasnopillya.In my youth, I was involved in athletics and sports in general. I won prizes at the Ukrainian championships and was a six-time champion. But I didn't make it to the junior national team or further. I was 15-16 years old, so a transitional age started and I was thinking about whether to go to the training camp or study in order to keep my scholarship. I had to choose between studying and working. I used to have a dream - to have my own house or apartment and put my medals on the wall in it. I’ve had my apartment for two years now, and I haven't put them up yet for my child can see. Now I'm thinking about whether to build a house or not because we live 10 kilometres away from the frontline. In 2014, there were no hostilities in our region, but we could go to the ATO zone. In 2014, everyone still called the war a "hybrid" war, and as far as I remember, in our region, instead of 10 checkpoints, only five were left. I have always admired military uniforms. But after 2015, when I saw everything from the inside, I realised that the army was not for me. I can't do anything under the conditions: "Whoever is older - is smarter and is always right".

Full-scale war

On 24 February, the situation was completely different. At 5:00 a.m., the missiles started flying. Our city is located in a kind of a wedge to russia. The russians were on the Konotop highway, passed Kyiv-Moscow and were going to Buryn and to Sumy, Sofiyivka, and we were 15 kilometres away from both sides. They went past us. We did not experience being under occupation or anything terrible. Some people fled, some did not, some stayed at home, and some went to Sumy. We did not know what to expect. It was 40-50 kilometres from Sumy to the occupied Trostianets and Okhtyrka, and they are further from the border than we are. The russians set up their posts in Buryn and Sofiyivka. I took my wife and child to my grandmother's house in the village so that they would not live in an apartment but in a private house. For the first few weeks, it was not very clear what was happening and what would happen next. And when the russians were leaving, they went the same way through Sumy and Buryn and everything was calm again. And then the air strikes and air raids started... On the eve of the full-scale war, on 23 February, I received a call from the military enlistment office, they said: "Come tomorrow. With your belongings". In the morning, everyone was in a panic, it was not clear who was going where. People were standing in front of the military commissariat, but it was closed... The town is small, everyone knows each other, so people started calling each other but one could really say anything. We didn't have a territorial defence or anything like that. There were just hunters left - somebody had a gun, somebody had a stick or something else. We were just patrolling the city and organised the self-defence group to prevent looting. Some of my friends went to defend Sumy, they stood at checkpoints. At the military commissariat, they told me not to rush, and that everything would work out at home. And then they called and that was it: Lviv, ground forces, training, artillery... During the distribution in Lviv, I said: "It's not that I want to go home, but I used to serve at the border, I have experience. I would be more useful at home". But I was sent to the 57th Brigade. And I ended up in Lysychansk. All day long, we had targets and tasks. Six times a day we were moving around, firing Grad systems twice. Then the russians from Toshkivka and Sievierodonetsk began to narrow the encirclement and by the end of June, the Luhansk region was occupied. When I drove through the village, children waved at me, and people smiled. And then a few days later we had to drive the russians out of that village. One farmer once asked us: "Well, guys, are we holding the defence?" I said: "Of course, we are." And two days later, the russians pushed attacked so hard that we had to move 30 kilometres back. I was so ashamed for misleading that man. I don't know if he moved out. But there were also cases when we were betrayed by the citizens. In Bakhmut, we still had Ukrainian mobile communication, but in Lysychansk, we didn't, there was no service. The locals would wave to you and then take their phones and call someone, which meant they already had a russian mobile operator. And right after that, we would get hit by missiles. After the Luhansk region, we had an operational coordination in the Chernihiv region for a month and a half. And then we went straight to Kherson. We came in at the end of August. I joined a mortar unit. We had some losses... One driver was killed, and two soldiers were injured. I slightly objected that I was a bit out of place with a mortar there because I couldn't reach anywhere... If I had been engaged in the artillery instead, maybe I wouldn't have been injured... We did reconnaissance and evacuation, I did everything I could. And people wanted to follow me. Somehow we worked and did everything in a hurry.

Injuries.

In Odesa, I found out that four people had been blown up on mines in the same forest. And all of them had left leg injuries. We all laughed at it. There are a lot of mines there. When we went beyond the Ingulets River, into the russian trenches we saw that their positions were cleverly made, and the wires were stretched. I had to scout the area a bit. And not only was everything covered with leaves but there were explosions and gunfire around, so I couldn't really look where I was walking. I stepped on an anti-personnel mine. At first, I thought something had exploded nearby. And then everything went numb, I felt the heat in my legs. I looked... "That's it," I thought, "the war is over. I applied a tourniquet. Andriy was shouting that he was going to pull me out, and I told him to try a rope so that he wouldn't blow himself up too. When we were driving I felt my flesh stinking. It was clear that the leg was gone there were just pieces hanging. When we were on the way to the hospital in an ambulance, there was an infantryman whom I had evacuated with a contusion earlier that morning. He was very surprised to see me. At first, I was sent to Berezneguvate, the Mykolaiv region. They performed an amputation there. The next day I was sent to Mykolaiv, and from there to Odesa. And after 10 days, when everything healed a bit, I had a re-amputation. I told my wife for several days that it was just an explosion nearby. I was given such strong painkillers and I was so “high” and I felt so good, that I could go back to war.

Rehabilitation

Somehow, I managed to adjust myself the way that I didn’t feel depressed. I watched some videos on the Internet and realised that I was not the first one. I've had leg surgeries before, so was familiar with the rehabilitation process. The first six months before the prosthesis, then the application of the prosthesis and the rehabilitation were easier to cope. And now everything seems to be fine, but sometimes I feel down. I noticed that when I overstrain myself, I start feeling the nerves on the missing leg.

What helps you mentally?

I used to have a pretty active life. I used to ride my bike and went to Poland to work. But now I stay at home for days and it's hard. I sold my tractor, I have got nothing to load. Half of the fields are mined, and half are rented out. I need to occupy myself with something. I used to go to the gym...

What do you want to do next?

I know my artillery occupation well, and I think the war will not end very soon. I was told that I could still serve with a disability. And civilian life is difficult now. While I was at home, I got the feeling that people were divided into two or three types. Those who weren’t looking for any excuses and went to serve voluntarily or were drafted. The second is those who are trying to help. And the third type is those who are only looking for excuses, either the government is bad or the military commissariats are not good. It makes me angry to hear such things from my friends. They shouldn’t say that at least not in front of me.

Are you a pessimist or an optimist?

I don't know. Sometimes I take psychology tests, and it seems that if I answered honestly, I would be already in a mental institution somewhere.

What do you want most for yourself right now?

Something to do with sports. I have always liked it.

Why do you want to participate in the Invictus Games?

Perhaps in my youth, I didn't realise myself enough, so I would like to go somewhere to compete, to show what I’m worth and demonstrate good results.

Herr Huss, nach Ihrem Grundwehrdienst haben Sie sich länger bei der Bundeswehr verpflichtet. Warum haben Sie sich dafür entschieden und wie lief dann Ihre weitere Karriere?

Ich habe während des Grundwehrdienstes erfahren, was Kameradschaft wirklich bedeutet. Aber auch, wie sinnvoll es ist, Dienst an der Gesellschaft zu tun. Das waren die Gründe für meine Entscheidung, länger bei der Bundeswehr zu bleiben. 2007 wurde ich Berufssoldat und ging das erste Mal in den Einsatz, anschließend wurde ich Ausbildungsfeldwebel. Nach meinem zweiten Einsatz in Afghanistan musste ich aber im Januar 2014 feststellen, dass ich mich verändert hatte. Und dass ich mir Hilfe suchen muss. Die Diagnose war: Posttraumatische Belastungsstörung. Daraufhin kam ich ins Ausbildungszentrum für spezielle Operationen, habe meine Reha angefangen und eine Umschulung zum Feldjäger-Feldwebel gemacht. Die Sporttherapie hat mir dabei sehr geholfen. 2019 wurde ich dann gefragt, ob ich bei einem Pilotprojekt mitmachen möchte. Es nannte sich „Trainer Sport/KLF“ (körperliche Leistungsfähigkeit). Dort habe ich die Ausbildung zum Trainer absolviert und bin nun hauptamtlich dafür da, mit Rekruten Sport zu machen, aber auch die Sportausbildung zu steuern. Das ist der Übertrag von der Teilnahme bei den Invictus Games zu meiner jetzigen beruflichen Tätigkeit.

2017 wurden Sie in die Mannschaft für die Invictus Games in Toronto berufen. Wie war die erste Teilnahme bei den Games für Sie?

Ich habe mich sehr geehrt gefühlt, dass ich Deutschland vertreten darf. Aber spätestens bei der Eröffnungszeremonie ist mir auch klar geworden, dass ich nicht aufgrund besonderer sportlicher Leistungen da bin, sondern dass der Grund für die Teilnahme an sich ein negativer ist: meine Erkrankung. Dann habe ich aber die Invictus-Familie kennengelernt und festgestellt, dass es auch andere Menschen gibt, die dieselben Probleme haben. Ich war dadurch motiviert, weiterzumachen.

Sie haben danach auch an den folgenden Invictus Games teilgenommen. Hat sich das Erlebnis im Laufe der Zeit verändert?

2017 war ich erstmal etwas überfahren. Ich musste für mich einordnen, was es bedeutet, eine chronische Krankheit zu haben. 2018 hat sich das Bild so verändert, dass ich aus der „Opferrolle“ herausgeschlüpft bin. Ich habe versucht, die Gegebenheiten so zu akzeptieren, wie sie sind. Unterm Strich ist es bei mir so: Ich möchte kein Mitleid. Ich hätte zwar gerne mein altes Leben zurück, aber ich bin auch für die Dinge dankbar, die ich durch diese Erkrankung habe erleben dürfen. Für mich war es sehr wichtig zu lernen, anders mit der Erkrankung umzugehen. Man lernt, die Signale zu erkennen. Es besteht ja eine große Gefahr, als Betroffener in eine Abwärtsspirale zu geraten. Ich hatte mir gesagt, ich ziehe eine Linie und suche Hilfe, sobald meine Familienmitglieder die Leidtragenden sind.

Die Invictus Games setzen ein Zeichen der Wertschätzung für ehemalige und aktive Soldatinnen und Soldaten, die im Dienst für ihr Land Gefahren auf sich nehmen. Was können die Invictus Games aus Ihrer Sicht bewirken?

Die Athletinnen und Athleten können ein Vorbild sein für Menschen, die nicht nur mit einer körperlichen, sondern auch mit einer psychischen Einschränkung leben müssen. Da passt einfach das Zitat von Invictus-Initiator Prince Harry: „Es ist sehr schwer, um Hilfe zu fragen. Aber es ist sehr einfach, Hilfe zu bekommen.“ Das habe ich mir auch auf die Fahne geschrieben, das möchte ich vermitteln. Wenn du dir eingestehen musst, das gewohnte Leben funktioniert so nicht mehr, dann ist das ein mächtiger Schritt. Der sich aber lohnt zu gehen, egal wie steinig er ist. Als Vorbilder können wir anderen zeigen, dass sie ein Anrecht haben, von der Gesellschaft wahrgenommen zu werden. Außerdem können wir Soldatinnen und Soldaten anderer Blaulichtorganisationen darauf aufmerksam machen, was die Bundeswehr implementiert hat und wie sie sich um ihre Kameradinnen und Kameraden kümmert, gerade was die soziale Absicherung angeht.

Sie unterstützen die Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 als Botschafter. Was bedeutet Ihnen diese Aufgabe?

Mir bedeutet das sehr viel, vor allem, weil ich die positiven Veränderungen sehe, die bei den Spielen und durch die Spiele stattgefunden haben. Wichtig ist ja auch, dass Vorgesetzte das Handwerkszeug für den Umgang mit Betroffenen bekommen. Da kann ich sagen: Ja, da hat sich etwas getan. Und wie gesagt, ich möchte auch ein Vorbild sein und jeden ermutigen, diesen steinigen Weg zu gehen. Ich will diese Botschaftertätigkeit aber nicht nur auf mich begrenzen. Ich bin einer von drei Botschaftern. Familie und Freunde spielen außerdem ebenfalls eine zentrale Rolle, bei mir etwa meine Frau. Die Invictus Games beziehen ja auch die Familie mit ein, denn das sind diejenigen, die die meiste Last zu tragen haben neben uns Betroffenen und denen gehört genauso viel Wertschätzung und Anerkennung und Respekt gezollt wie uns.

Marc Bürvenich leitet bei Deloitte den Bereich Defense innerhalb des Sektors Defense, Security und Justice. Er verfügt über mehr als 20 Jahre Berufserfahrung im Verteidigungsumfeld sowie in der Luftfahrtindustrie und war als Projektleiter in nationalen und internationalen Projekten für oberste Bundesbehörden sowie die Verteidigungs- und Sicherheitsindustrie tätig. Er ist Experte für den Einsatz unbemannter Luftfahrtsysteme mit Schwerpunkt auf T-UAVs im Einsatz zur Sicherung kritischer Infrastrukturen. Marc verfügt über viele Jahre Auslandserfahrung durch Einsätze u. a. in Westafrika, dem Mittleren Osten und dem Balkan.

Marc, du bist seit mehr als 20 Jahren bei der Bundeswehr, zuerst im aktiven Dienst, seit einigen Jahren als Reserveoffizier. Du warst auch bei verschiedenen Auslandseinsätzen dabei, in Bosnien, Kosovo und anderen Regionen. Was bedeuten dir die Invictus Games persönlich?

In den USA gibt es mit den US Warrior Games bereits seit 2010 eine jährliche Veranstaltung, die gleich im Geist ist, aber national durchgeführt wird. Seit Prinz Harry 2014 die Invictus Games ins Leben gerufen hat, ist Deutschland mit einem Team dabei. Die Invictus Games – und insbesondere die Möglichkeit für deutsche Soldaten teilzunehmen – bedeuten mir persönlich unendlich viel. Für unzählige Kameraden ist Sport – und der sportliche Wettkampf - ein Weg, die psychischen Belastungen, die sich aus Verwundungen ergeben, zu besiegen und Wert und Sinn im Leben zu finden. Es ist toll zu sehen, dass es mit den Invictus Games ein Forum gibt, wo sie zeigen können, dass wir weiter zusammengehören und dass sie trotz aller Verwundungen weiterhin zu Höchstleistungen in der Lage sind. Sie alle haben unseren höchsten Respekt verdient und dies ist der richtige Anlass dafür. Umso glücklicher bin ich, dass ich dieses Herzensprojekt auf Seiten von Deloitte leiten darf.

Du warst mehrmals in Auslandseinsätzen und das in verschiedenen Regionen und Funktionen. Was hat das mit dir gemacht? Hat es dich verändert?

Ich war in verschiedenen Krisenregionen eingesetzt und habe dort Dinge erlebt und gesehen, die ich mir vorher so nicht vorstellen konnte. Natürlich verändert das einen. Diese Eindrücke haben mich reifen lassen – und sie haben meinen Blick auf unser tägliches Leben in Deutschland verändert. Ein neues Maß an Dankbarkeit dafür, dass wir in Deutschland schon so lange Zeit in Frieden leben durften, und eine erhöhte Aufmerksamkeit.

Kannst du dich an besonders einschneidende Erlebnisse erinnern?

Im Kosovo haben mit wir unserem internationalen Team im HQ KFOR aus Pristina heraus humanitäre Einzelmissionen durchgeführt. Wir haben z.B. eingehende Sachspenden von Hygieneprodukten über Bekleidung bis hin zu Spielwaren nach durchgeführten Erkundungen passend für Familien in Bergdörfern zusammengestellt und per Konvoi persönlich geliefert und übergeben. Hierbei haben wir von tiefer Dankbarkeit bis zu aggressivem Neid auf andere Belieferte alles erfahren und sind mehrmals von Personen angegriffen worden, die unsere Hilfsgüter stehlen wollten. Dieser extreme Kontrast und die Bereitschaft, seine Forderungen mit Waffengewalt erpressen zu wollen, waren bei mir prägend für diesen Einsatz. Generell wird man bei Einsätzen mit Tod, Verletzungen und Verwüstung konfrontiert. Ich habe Kameraden sterben gesehen oder habe miterlebt, wie sie verletzt wurden und wie sie sich danach wieder mühsam ins Leben zurückkämpfen mussten. Das lässt einen nicht mehr los.

Du kennst sicher viele Veteranen, mit denen du zusammen gedient hast. Wie geht es denen, vor allem denen, die Verwundungen davongetragen haben?

In meinem direkten Umfeld haben, Gott sei Dank, fast alle wieder in ihr „normales“ Leben zurückgefunden. Leider habe ich aber einige Kameraden, für die die Rückkehr sehr problematisch geworden ist. Nur wenige Menschen können mit der Einsatzerfahrung wirklich „etwas anfangen“, sie nachvollziehen. Nach vielen Jahrzehnten ohne Kriegserfahrungen in Deutschland ist die Realität der Einsätze so weit von der Lebensrealität im Heimatland entfernt, dass echtes Verständnis für die Situation schwerfällt. Für viele Kameraden ist bereits der tägliche Anblick zerstörter Wohngebäude, nicht funktionierender Infrastruktur und öffentlicher Dienste, wie fließendes Wasser, Strom oder auch die Müllabfuhr eine starke mentale Belastung, die in dieser Form nicht vorhersehbar ist. Von außen betrachtet erscheinen derartige Erlebnisse als marginal und das „Erleben“ durch Fernsehberichte oder Streaming Videos kann die Intensität der Gefühle im Einsatz nicht ansatzweise vermitteln. Außerdem standen und stehen Mitmenschen in Deutschland den Einsätzen oft kritisch oder gar ablehnend gegenüber. Dies hat zu einer Form von Sprachlosigkeit auf Seiten betroffener Einsatzrückkehrer geführt und teilweise ein Distanzierungsgefühl zur Gesellschaft ausgelöst. Die Frage, ob sich Politik oder Gesellschaft für die Erlebnisse von Einsatzrückkehrern interessieren und wie sie ihnen begegnen, insbesondere denen, die körperlich oder seelisch verletzt zurückkehren, haben eine gesamtgesellschaftliche Relevanz. Nicht jedem Veteranen sieht man seine Verletzung an. Belastungsstörungen und psychische Probleme sind nicht sofort sichtbar, können einem das Leben aber zur Hölle machen. Ich kenne Fälle, in denen ehemalige Kameraden damit nicht klargekommen sind und nur noch einen Ausweg sahen, nämlich ihr Leben zu beenden.

Die Invictus Games wollen ein Zeichen setzen für den Umgang mit Veteranen. Zum einen für den Umgang mit Verwundungen, seien es körperliche oder seelische. Zum anderen für den Übergang in ein ziviles Leben. Was können die IG da bewirken?

Die Invictus Games können ein Katalysator für die Auseinandersetzung der Gesellschaft und der Politik mit dem Thema Einsatzrückkehr sein. Die öffentliche Wahrnehmung von Einsatzversehrten und Veteranen in dem positiven Umfeld eines sportlichen Wettkampfes, der gleichzeitig Motivation und Lebensfreude für die Teilnehmer bringt und den gesellschaftlichen Diskurs anregt, ist ein großer Gewinn für alle Veteranen. Für alle anderen ist sie eine Gelegenheit, direkt mit Betroffenen zu sprechen – nicht nur aus Deutschland, sondern aus allen Teilnehmernationen. Auf diese Art werden vielleicht auch Arbeitgeber positiv für die Unterstützung von Veteranen motiviert. In meinem Team haben wir mehrere Einsatzveteranen für die Arbeit bei Deloitte gewinnen können und wir wachsen weiter.

Wie war der Übergang in das zivile Berufsleben für dich?

Ich war vor meinem Eintritt in die Bundeswehr bereits selbstständig tätig. Da meine Karriere bei der Bundeswehr als Wehrpflichtiger anfing und ich mich in dieser Zeit für den Laufbahnwechsel entschieden habe, hatte ich das Privileg, den Kontakt zum zivilen Berufsleben nie zu verlieren. Auch unterstützt die Bundeswehr über den Berufsförderungsdienst den Übergang. Da ich in der Beratung im Verteidigungssektor unterwegs bin, hat sich die Umstellung auch recht einfach gestaltet.

Du bist jetzt seit rund zwei Jahren bei Deloitte. Helfen dir deine Erfahrungen, die du bei der Bundeswehr und deinen Einsätzen gemacht hast, auch im Job?

Auf jeden Fall. Meine militärische Expertise und die Erlebnisse aus Dienst und Einsatz tragen entscheidend zu meiner täglichen Arbeit bei. Sie ermöglichen mir ein tiefes Verständnis für die Bedürfnisse der Truppe. Meine Kollegen und ich wissen deshalb sehr gut, wie man Verteidigung auf allen Ebenen z.B. mit digitaler Transformation oder Cyber Strategy effektiver machen kann. Und auch in der Beratung gilt: Du musst gut organisiert und diszipliniert sein, damit die Projekte erfolgreich abgeschlossen werden.

Wie wirst du die Invictus Games erleben? Hast du persönliche Highlights im Programm?

Ich werde fast während der ganzen Zeit persönlich vor Ort sein und die Gelegenheit nutzen, einige Wettbewerbe zu besuchen und die Teilnehmer anzufeuern. Besonders freue ich mich auf die Opening Ceremony mit allen Nationen und sportlich gesehen auf die Schwimmwettbewerbe. Außerdem bin ich gespannt darauf, viele interessante Menschen zu treffen. Am liebsten am Stand von Deloitte, wo ich oft sein werde.