PEDAGOGICAL CONDITIONS FOR GENERAL MILITARY TRAINING OF HIGHER EDUCATION LEARNERS ON THE BASICS OF COMBAT SUPPORT

Abstract

The article provides a scientific substantiation of the system of pedagogical conditions necessary for the effective preparation of higher education learners in the discipline “Fundamentals of Combat Support”. The relevance of the study is driven by the changes in the geopolitical landscape and the introduction of mandatory Basic Combined Military Training (BCMT) in Ukrainian universities starting in 2025. The author emphasizes that the modern theater of war requires every combatant to possess a wide range of skills, from tactical medicine to engineering protection, regardless of their military specialty. The study identifies a contradiction between the defense sector's need for competent defenders and the outdated, theoretical teaching methodologies currently used in civilian universities. To resolve this, the author proposes and characterizes four groups of pedagogical conditions. The organizational-managerial conditions involve the integration of university educational spaces with military training centers and the mandatory involvement of instructors with combat experience to ensure the authority and practical relevance of the training. The content-procedural conditions are based on a competency-based approach and the adaptation of educational content to NATO standards, removing obsolete Sovietera provisions. This includes a modular structure with micro-learning principles for identifying mines, camouflage signs, and integrating tactical medicine elements. The technological conditions reflect the requirements of high-tech warfare. The author argues for the integration of VR and AR technologies for safe mine safety training, the use of UAVs for engineering reconnaissance, and the implementation of laser tactical simulation systems to model combat stress safely. The psychological-axiological conditions aim to form “engineering thinking” and ensure psychological desensitization to threats such as mine fear or radiophobia through gradual transition from theory to simulation. The article concludes that the discipline “Fundamentals of Combat Support” is central to the BCMT architecture. Implementing the proposed system of conditions ensures the formation of sustainable military-professional competencies, critical digital hygiene skills, and the psychological readiness of students to perform combat tasks and protect the state.