Kyiv: A Frontline That Passes for Ordinary
Quick answer: What did the Western volunteers in Kyiv tell John Fenzel?
One, a former NATO peacekeeper who stayed in Ukraine, trains volunteer battalions in battlefield medicine and small-unit tactics on a shoestring; units completing full training see casualty rates drop. The other, a former Marine officer turned defense engineer, works with engineers who embed with strike teams and warns that field innovation now outpaces Western procurement cycles.
Kyiv was still shaking off the night's strike, but by evening the streets were busy again. People have learned to fold chaos into routine. John met two Western veterans who now call Ukraine home in a small restaurant behind an unmarked courtyard. The first, called Mark here, served with NATO peacekeeping units and stayed after meeting a woman in Ukraine. When the war widened, he began teaching battlefield medicine and small-unit tactics to volunteer battalions. On a shoestring budget, eating the same rations and sleeping in the same tents, his group has trained thousands, and casualty rates drop in units that finish the full cycle. The second, Alex, a former Marine officer turned defense engineer, works with engineers embedded with strike teams, iterating hardware and software in days and weeks. If you're not at the point of friction, he said, you don't understand what you're building. Western procurement can't keep pace. Mark's closing line: if this isn't contained here, we'll meet it somewhere else.
Why it matters for leaders: Results come from being at the point of friction; lead and build where the work actually happens.
Q: What did the engineer say about building systems?
A: “If you're not at the point of friction, you don't understand what you're building.”
Q: What warning closed the dinner?
A: “If this is not contained here, we will meet it somewhere else.”
Read the full article on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/kyiv-frontline-passes-ordinary-john-fenzel-3jxqe
By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation