The paper highlights experience of scientific units in the Russian Armed Forces. These units contribute to the strengthening of confidence to the army. Service in scientific units meets the requirements of humanization, allows to combine compulsory military service with the acquisition of new experiences, cultural and social capital. Scientific units are superior to traditional military service by conscription on the parameters of efficiency of conscripts’ labor, safety of military service, human development of the soldier. Scientific units effectiveness is built on a set of factors, among them most important are: inclusion of military personnel in relevant research projects and appointment of competent tutors, proper allocation of time and possibility to implement academic results into practice. Data analysis showed that not all units involved in the study fully meet these conditions, there were differences in the level of satisfaction with the service in various units. Conscripts identified some problems typical for Russian science in general: underfunding, weak technical laboratory facilities, lack of implementation of scientific results. There are also some specific challenges for the military-scientific complex: limitations on scientific communication and access to information sources. Despite this, majority of scientific units servicemen are not disappointed with their choice and believe that military science is on the rise. Author concludes that the project to create scientific units has proved to be a success and has great potential for development, it contributes to the support of human resources of military science. At the same time, scientific units do not solve systemic problems: relationship of science with industry, unattractiveness of employment in organizations of the military-scientific complex for civilian youth, inadequate laboratory and technical capacities, insufficient funding, etc.