Following the broad changes of the 1969 regulations and the subsequent modifications of the early seventies, it would have seemed that the Soviet high command would have been satisfied for a time. This was not to be as another major change military uniform insignia was ordered in 1980. These regulations dealt with far more than just the army shoulder rank boards, the navy boards were more dramatically affected, and even the wearing of military decorations was changed by these regulations. Order of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR No. 85 was the most sweeping of the new regulations to affect the army rank board structure<2>. It abolished the separate silver parade rank boards for the special services (administration, intendant, justice, veterinary, and medical). They would wear motor rifle crimson colors for their rank boards, but would still retain their service insignia. Still other changes came about on 18 January 1986 when the Minister of Defense issued Order No. 10. This order changed the way that rank was displayed on the field uniform. No longer would the service boards be used with green painted stars or red striping. Now the green painted stars were attached directly to the faux shoulder boards built into the uniform. Enlisted personnel would use green cloth stripes on those same 'shoulder boards' to denote their ranks as well. Despite these regulations, the old habits would continue to be followed: gold stars as well as green would be worn on service boards in the field, enlisted personnel would continue to use both yellow and red strips with their uniforms (and even use each day service boards) when the green stripes were not available. The order further decreed that all enlisted army rank boards (except for those of sergeant major) would be marked with the letters "CA", the border guards would be marked with "BB", and the KGB units would be marked with "GB". Another change that the regulation introduced were the white parade rank boards for officers to wear on the white shirt sleeve uniform. Green rank boards were also authorized for enlisted personnel to wear on the newly authorized enlisted green shirt sleeve uniform. These changes would be made permanent in the later 1989 uniform regulations. <3> Below you will find shoulder boards worn by army personnel. These will eventually cover every rank from Marshal to Private soldier, but for now we have an incomplete, but diverse selection of shoulder boards worn by officers and enlisted men. |
Earlier Period Army Shoulder Boards |
1969 Pattern |
1989 Pattern |
Later Period Army Shoulder Boards |
Boards for Great Coat & Tunic (4-sided) Boards for Shirt (6-sided) Warrant Officer BoardsEnlisted Boards |
Boards for Great Coat & Tunic (4-sided)
Boards for Shirt (6-sided)
Enlisted Boards
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Post-1969 Officer Shoulder In this section you will find the shoulder rank boards that were worn by officers, generals, and marshals on the shirt sleeve uniforms established in 1966. Prior to 1986 the only shirt sleeve uniform was the green M-66 service shirt. This uniform used the service (everyday) shoulder boards shown below. It was the only shirt sleeve uniform authorized by the army. This changed in early 1986 when the parade version of the M-66 shirt was authorized. A new series of white parade rank boards were also established to be worn with the new white shirt. As with all shoulder boards of this type, they were designed to be slipped through loops on the shoulders of a uniforms and secured by a 14mm button pushed through the board and sewn directly to the shirt. The gold colored button featured a star with hammer and sickle design on it. Furthermore, the officer's branch of service was indicated by a branch of service pin placed on the board just below the button. This can be seen in our examples below. |
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Service (Everyday) | Parade | |
Chief Marshal | Coming Soon! | Coming Soon! |
Marshal | Coming Soon! | Coming Soon! |
Colonel General | Coming Soon! | Coming Soon! |
Lieutenant General | Coming Soon! | Coming Soon! |
Major General | Coming Soon! | Coming Soon! |
Colonel | Coming Soon! | Coming Soon! |
Lieutenant Colonel | Coming Soon! | Coming Soon! |
Major | Coming Soon! | Coming Soon! |
Captain (Artillery) |
Coming Soon! | |
Senior Lieutenant
(Motor Transport) |
Coming Soon! | |
Lieutenant
(Motor Rifle) | Coming Soon! | |
Junior Lieutenant
(Artillery) | Coming Soon! |
References
1 - Zaloga, Steven J., Inside the Soviet Army
Today, Osprey Publishing: London. 1987. Print. |