Training people who turn the tide of war: Come Back Alive Foundation launches the CBA Academy
The Come Back Alive Foundation has unveiled the CBA Academy — an umbrella brand bringing together all the Foundation’s education and training projects. The platform showcases and scales the results of many years of work with the military, in which Come Back Alive has been investing alongside donors and partners since 2014. On the CBA Academy page, you can find out more about the nine schools and centres supported by the organisation, read the stories of cadets, and provide financial support for the projects.
Why education and training are important
The aim of the project is to build a core of professional military personnel through high-quality education and training. As a strategic partner to the Defense Forces, the Come Back Alive Foundation seeks not only to provide equipment and weapons but also to ensure that military personnel can use them effectively and turn the tide on the battlefield.
No matter how technologically advanced war may be, people remain its primary driving force and asset. They launch drones, operate robotic systems, configure electronic warfare suites, issue orders, and make decisions. Weapons and equipment are tools that will only deliver the best results in the hands of a highly trained soldier.
“People often associate war with technology and weapons. If there were a choice between a drone and military training, most would donate for the drone. But drones are launched by people. We invest in the education and training of military personnel because we see that a well-trained workforce saves lives, enhances the accuracy of weapons, and improves the effectiveness of decisions,”
comments Oleg Karpenko, Deputy Director of the Come Back Alive Foundation.
Instructors from Come Back Alive have been training military personnel since the Foundation was established. Initially, they helped soldiers master the equipment provided and use it as effectively as possible. Later, the team expanded this into a separate area of education and training to develop the capabilities of existing training centres within the military structure.
Projects of the CBA Academy
Among the public projects are nine schools and centres that form part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Captain’s Training is a professional military education course conducted at the Military Institute of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv as the Command Tactical Level Course of the Territorial Defense Forces (L-1C TDF). It is a tool for preparing officers using the approaches of NATO member countries.
Arkan School for Interceptor UAV Operators trains operators of UAV interceptors and radar operators from the ground up. Upon successful completion of the training, cadets are assigned the corresponding military specialty (MOS).
Operators of reconnaissance and strike UAVs are trained at the Yatagan UAV Operators School. There, military personnel acquire practical skills in piloting and maintaining drones to carry out combat missions effectively.
The Varan Unmanned Ground Systems Operator School trains specialists capable of operating various types of unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) to carry out logistical, reconnaissance, engineering, and combat missions on the battlefield.
The Spectre EW School is the only training center in Ukraine that prepares not only UAV electronic-warfare operators but also technicians responsible for installing and repairing electronic-warfare systems. Since the start of 2025, over 1,000 people from various branches of the armed forces have acquired new knowledge and skills here.
The Sniper School trains snipers and marksmen. Cadets also study navigation, camouflage, tactical medicine, sapper training, and other subjects.
The Diving Training School trains military divers who conduct search, rescue, and ship-lifting operations, as well as mine clearance activities. Ship and boat crews are taught here how to respond to emergencies at sea.
The Instructor Training School has been operating at one of the Army’s training centres since late 2025. It trains entry-level specialists as well as those in specific fields. In particular, the school offers training courses for drill instructors, tactical medicine, and marksmanship instructors.
Since the start of the full-scale war, the Tactical Medicine Centre has conducted over 30 courses and trained more than 10,000 combat medics. Here, combat medics from platoons are trained, and instructors in combat medicine at Levels I and II receive advanced training.
For each project, Come Back Alive covers a wide range of needs — from providing consumables for training to fully equipping the infrastructure. The foundation refurbishes lecture halls, workshops, and shelters; it purchases equipment — simulators, training drones, and other training tools, vehicles, and software. Come Back Alive also invests in providing adequate living conditions — modular buildings and refurbishment of accommodation for cadets, installation of laundry and shower facilities, kitchens and dining areas, and so on.
Thousands of military personnel have undergone training and education through these projects before returning to the battlefield to put their newly acquired skills into practice. Every donation to these projects expands the capabilities of the schools and centres and strengthens the armed forces.
