Army... Once it happens in a boy’s life, it changes him forever. It is generally accepted that the army is full of idiocy, injustice and unjustified cruelty. But did this happen by chance? Why is it that as soon as the green gates with red stars slam behind them, recruits lose almost all civil rights and find themselves under constant physical and psychological pressure? Daily, tough and purposeful... Why does the army system methodically and steadily strive to squeeze out of conscripts everything human and, above all, self-esteem and the ability to think independently? The author received the answer to this question while serving at the missile point in Sary-Shagan. The answer is unpleasant and honest. It was expensive, but it was worth it! Because the answer is much broader than the question. And knowing him, you stop being a boy and become a man