Flamethrower Operator
Requirements
- Fitness for service in terms of health and moral qualities
- Age 18 to 45
- Physical endurance
- Composure and the ability to follow instructions under pressure
- Willingness to learn and work as part of a group
- Military service experience is an advantage but not required
Responsibilities
- Destroying enemy fortified firing points, structures and light armoured vehicles
- Fire support for the squad during tasks
- Selecting and preparing a firing position, preparing a reserve one
- Maintaining weapons, preparing them for use, observing safety rules
- Operating as part of the squad: moving with the group, holding your sector
Terms
- Mobilisation until the end of martial law, or contract service
- Basic and specialist training as required
- Pay: base pay of UAH 21,000 + an additional bonus of up to UAH 100,000 for carrying out tasks in the combat zone — up to UAH 121,000 per month in total, depending on the duration and area of the tasks
- Full social package
- Full provision of protective equipment and military property
- Opportunity to obtain combatant status (UBD)
Flamethrower operator in the AFU: who they are and what they do
A flamethrower operator is a service member in an infantry unit armed with a rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower. Their task is to engage targets against which ordinary small arms are ineffective: fortified firing points, buildings from which the enemy covers the approach, dugouts and light armoured vehicles.
A modern rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower is not a jet of flame like in Second World War films. It is a single-use launch tube with a rocket capsule carrying a thermobaric (fuel-air explosive) charge. The power of such a shot lies in the pressure and temperature acting inside a room or shelter, which is why the flamethrower is especially effective against enclosed targets.
One accurate shot often solves a problem that would otherwise cost an assault and put people at risk. That is why the flamethrower operator in a squad is a narrow but very valuable specialisation: they move with the group, hold their sector and go into action when their particular target appears.
Who can become a flamethrower operator
No military experience is needed. Most people who come to infantry positions in the 141st SMB have no army background — and they go through full training with instructors who have fought themselves.
What really decides it:
- Working physical fitness. Not gym records, but the ability to march with a load, carry ammunition and dig in
- Composure. The shot has to be made on the first attempt: you need to get within range, choose a position and not rush
- Safety discipline. A flamethrower demands strict adherence to the rules — both for yourself and for the brothers-in-arms next to you
- Reliability in the group. The squad must be confident that your sector is covered
- Medical fitness — determined by the military medical board (VLK)
Experience in shooting sports, hunting or any physical work will come in handy. But most of our soldiers started without it.
Flamethrower operator duties in the 141st SMB
Main tasks:
- Destroying fortified firing points, dugouts and buildings from which the enemy is firing
- Engaging light armoured vehicles
- Fire support for the squad during an assault or while holding a position
- Choosing a firing position with the danger zone behind the shooter in mind — the rocket's back-blast passes through it when the shot is fired
- Preparing the main and reserve positions, maintaining weapons and handling them safely
Most of the time a flamethrower operator does the same work as the rest of the infantry: moving with the group, holding a sector, digging in and fortifying positions.
How a flamethrower operator differs from related positions: a machine gunner provides sustained fire support; a grenadier engages vehicles and shelters at range; a rifleman moves with the group and holds the position. A flamethrower operator solves one task — destroying a fortified or enclosed target where other means do not produce results.
How you will be trained
You will be trained from scratch — you do not need a flamethrower operator VOS (military occupational specialty) or any military training:
- Basic military training — 51 days. After it, as the Ministry of Defence explains, a service member receives VOS-100 "Rifleman"
- 141st SMB adaptation course — 14–15 days
- Specialist training: the design and use of the flamethrower, choosing a position, safety
The adaptation course is run by instructors with combat experience. These are not lectures: a 12–15 kilometre march with drills for different situations, including reacting to drones; training by day and by night; water and ration packs are dropped along the route by heavy drones — so that the skill of collecting cargo from the air is built in advance.
Tactical medicine is drilled separately until it is automatic: tourniquet, bandage, helping a brother-in-arms. The instructors' principle: the priority is to survive.
Training does not stop: after completing tasks, soldiers return to the training ground to keep in shape.
What you will be provided with
The brigade issues a full kit — from gear and protective equipment to weapons. On top of the standard supply, 141st SMB soldiers receive the brigade's own developments: an enemy drone detector and anti-thermal camouflage. Such items rarely reach the infantry through general supply, so the brigade makes them itself.
A flamethrower operator never works alone: the squad acts as one team, and all training is built around the group coming back at full strength. "One for another" is not a slogan but a working principle.
What the terms include:
- Pay: base pay of UAH 21,000 + an additional bonus of up to UAH 100,000 for carrying out tasks in the combat zone — up to UAH 121,000 per month in total
- Full provision of gear, protective equipment and military property
- The social package provided for service members
- Opportunity to obtain combatant status (UBD)
Where you can grow
The flamethrower operator position is an entry point, not a ceiling:
- Other fire support specialities — grenadier, machine gunner
- Squad leader — an NCO position, your own group and higher base pay
- Instructor — passing on your own combat experience to newcomers
- Another field within the brigade — reconnaissance, unmanned systems, engineering specialities
In the 141st SMB, rank is just an entry in your military ID. Promotion depends on competence, a cool head and readiness to take responsibility, not on length of service.
Awards in the brigade are also earned through deeds: a green patch for combat work and lives saved, a blue one for assault actions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Logic and process: we answer the key questions about enlistment, training and status.
Apply for this positionDo I need military experience to become a flamethrower operator?
+No. Most people come without it: 51 days of basic military training, the 14–15-day brigade adaptation course and specialist training.
How does a flamethrower operator differ from a grenadier?
+A grenadier engages vehicles and shelters at range; a flamethrower operator solves the task of destroying a fortified target where other means do not produce results. Both positions provide fire support for an infantry squad.
Can I move to another position later?
+Yes, and it is common practice. From infantry specialities, people move into reconnaissance, unmanned systems and command positions.
I have no military experience. Can I still join you?
+Yes. Most of our best specialists were civilians yesterday. What matters to us is your motivation. We’ll match a role to your skills: if you understand machinery — you’ll go to the mechanics; if you know electronics — to UAVs or communications. Everything military — we’ll teach you.
How long does training take before deployment to the unit?
+Every recruit completes Basic General Military Training (BGMT) at a training center. After that — additional specialized training depending on the chosen role. We send only the prepared to the line of contact — that is our core principle.
What happens after I fill out the form?
+Your application goes to the recruiting center. Within 24 hours our specialist will call — it’s not an interrogation, just an introduction and answers to your questions. If we’re a match, the brigade issues an official request and our liaison helps you get through the TRC and MMB as fast as possible.
Can I transfer to the 141st SMB from another unit?
+Yes, we consider transfers — including via the Army+ app. Fill out the form and select the status “Active service member” — a recruiter will advise on your real chances and the steps involved.
I am AWOL (SZCh). Can I join?
+The law allows a return to service. If you’re motivated to fight in a sound team — fill out the form and state your status honestly. Our specialists will advise you individually on legal ways to return. Confidentially.
Do you provide uniform and equipment?
+Yes. The brigade fully provides basic kit, body armor, helmets and weapons. Plus — thanks to a strong volunteer network, we have additional technological support: drones, EW, transport.
Similar positions
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Tell us which role you wantWhat happens after you apply
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01
A call within 24 hours
Your application goes to the recruiting centre and a specialist calls within a day. It is not an interrogation — just an introduction and answers to your questions.
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02
Interview and choosing a role
Together we look at what you can do and where it is most useful. If we are a match, the brigade issues an official request for your transfer.
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03
Enlistment office and medical board — with support
Our liaison helps you get through the enlistment office and the military medical board as fast as possible. You do not navigate the queues alone.
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04
Training first, then the unit
Basic general military training takes 51 days, followed by the brigade’s 14–15 day adaptation course with instructors who have combat experience. We send only prepared soldiers to the front line.