A Reserve Officer with a Always Funny Side The army has become a main topic in comedian Ilya Raevsky's performances. Joking about military service, conscripts, and army life isn't easy; we still do so with caution. Raevsky himself served as a military translator, remains a reserve officer, and knows army life firsthand. In an interview with Maria Chadina's "Louder Than Words," he described spending 110 days on assignment in #Syria: