Ustinova's unit, the 73rd Air Defense Company, is a mercenary force created from the remnants of several destroyed Russian Army battalions that were being kept at a vehicle depot outside Minsk at the end of the war. The young Ustinova joined the unit as a mechanic, and rose through the ranks to command an AAV company, fighting everything from Red Banner gunships to white guard strike fighters over the course of his career. Though young, she is considered an expert in Air-Defense tactics, and has developed several innovative strategies that make the most of her BTR-112 Anti-Aircraft vehicles.