The subject of this publication is a large part of the professional life of Andrzej Żmudzki, a psychiatrist: the years of his military service in post‑war Poland and his endeavors to reveal the need to introduce amendments to terms and methods of psychiatric and psychological treatment, referral and certification in the army. The paper provides a description of Żmudzki’s cultural and professional environment in Krakow, in the 1950s. It was that time and location, where his humanistic approach to individuals with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric disorders started to crystalize. Circumstances of his conscription and a course of his service in central military hospitals in Warsaw in 1957–1973 are described. The paper discusses his activity related to establishing the first mental health outpatient clinic in the Polish Army, Żmudzki’s involvemnet in the field of policies and procedures of psychiatric certification (both forensic and medical) for conscripts, and his views on the psychosocial determinants of maladaptation to the military service among the officers. Also presented are a few of his fine art prints.