Conscription

The vast size of the Soviet military in the 1980's was quite staggering.  In order to maintain these massive manpower numbers the Soviet Union had to rely on system of conscription that called up new recruits twice a year in accordance with the Law on Universal Military Service of 1967.

At this time each military district issues the number of personnel that they require.  The districts then send out notices to the recruits who are then processed and transported to the next higher military commissariat office.  From here the recruits are then sent to specific units as determined by the military district headquarters.

The recruit has little ability to select what job he desires in the military.  Typically, they are assigned wherever the military needs them.  A recruit can unofficially adjust his chances by being a member of DOSAAF or an equivalent club (motor vehicle, canine, etc).  In this way a young DOSAAF member may have a higher chance to be selected for an aviation related specialty, a motor club member for a vehicle based specialty, and a canine club member for a military dog related field.  It should be mentioned that while these improve the chances, there are no guarantees.

Soviet Dog Tags

To the right is an example of a Soviet dog tag of the period.  These tags were simple pieces of sheet metal.  The front letters "VS CCCP" mean "Armed Forces USSR", while the second line "D-412433" is a code number for the officer in question.  The back of the tag is blank.  This minimalist approach runs counter to the Western doctrine of placing information such as blood type, religion, branch of service, and other data on the tag.

Initial Army Clothing Issue(4)

When the young conscripts arrive at the processing center they are issued their first uniforms.  The list below was typical of the clothing that was issued to conscripts in the late 1980's.  Also listed is the approximate time that the clothing was expected to last before needing replacement.  The last column lists the cost of replacing the items.

Replacement items (along with hygiene gear, letter writing sets, and other small items) could be purchased on base through the local Voentorg exchange.  This was analogous to the Post Exchanges (PX) found in Western military forces.  The employees of the Voentorg would wear shoulder patches like the one shown to the right.  Voentorg exchanges could be found on almost every Soviet military base.

Soviet Army Regulations (1985)

Here you can see a copy of the Military Regulations for the Armed Forces of the USSR.  The 482 page manual begins with the Soldier's Oath.  It then covers military order and discipline, then drill and ceremony.  There are even sections that deal with flag handling, saluting, and even military marching music.

Typical Soviet Army Training Schedule (3)

An average training day in the Soviet army of this era would often follow a schedule similar to the one below.  Days would begin at 0600, with any formal training beginning at 0800 hours.  This would continue until early afternoon when lunch began.  Following lunch would be a short break followed by time for equipment cleaning.  The afternoons would be a time where political education, further equipment maintenance, or even organized team sports would be held.  A period of time for studying military topics would last for over an hour before dinner.  After dinner, the soldiers would retire to their barracks where they had some 'free' time to themselves.  This 'free' time before final roll call was most often used for polishing boots, sewing in new collar liners, preparing gear for the next day, and personal hygiene.  It was loosely supervised by a non-commissioned officer.  Final roll call was then held to account for the troops and posting of night watches.  Once this was completed the training day was complete and the barracks lights would be turned off.

Activity	Hour	Time Allotted
Reveille*	0600 - 0605	5 minutes
Physical Training*	0610 - 0640	30 minutes
Personal Hygiene	0640 - 0700	20 minutes
Morning Roll Call and Inspection*	0700 - 0715	15 minutes
Breakfast	0715 - 0745	30 minutes
Training	0800 - 1400	6 hours
Lunch	1400 - 1440	40 minutes
Afternoon Rest	1440 - 1510	30 minutes
Care of Personal Equipment	1510 - 1530	20 minutes
Special Activity      A) Political Education (Monday/Tuesday)      B) Equipment Maintenance (Thursday/Friday)      C) Organized Sports (Wednesday/Saturday)	1530 - 1830	3 hours
Self Study	1830 - 1940	70 minutes
Dinner	1940 -2010	30 minutes
'Free' Time	2010 - 2140	90 minutes
Final Roll Call	2140 - 2155	15 minutes
Taps and Lights Out	2200 - 0600	8 hours

*These activities are conducted by sergeants, though the company commander will occasionally observe the functions.

The Soviet Sailor

The officers and men of the Soviet navy served at a time of high tension with the West.  While they were safe from the ravages of Afghanistan, but were on constant guard in the Atlantic and Pacific where they faced off with NATO forces on an almost daily basis.

The conscript sailors were required to serve for three years instead of the two required of their army counterparts.  The additional year of service was due to the greater training that Soviet sailors received.  When combined with the fact that they could travel to exotic locations such as India, Cuba, or Ethiopia sea service was not so bad.

The role of women in the Soviet military of the time was very minor. Despite Soviet claims of women's equality, they were seen by the military as a supplemental force that could free men up to fight if they were required to do so. As such, the number of women in the military of the time was not more than 10,000.

Restrictions and Obligations of Service

According to the Soviet laws of the time, women from age 19 to 40 who have had medical or other special training, can be drafted into the Soviet Armed Forces. They could also volunteer, even though they could be drafted even in times of relative peace. During war, women could be drafted for auxiliary or special service.  Drafting women did not actually occur during this period as their was no major crisis that required it.

Women of this time period enlisted for terms of 2 years. They did not have to undergo the rigid training and strictly regimented lifestyle that their male counterparts did. They were also not subject to the same strict military discipline that the men are. Women are also prohibited from joining any combat arms branch of the military, although exceptions have been made for test pilots (M. Popovich and S. Savitskaya) and those undergoing Cosmonaut training (Colonel-Engineer Valentina Tereshkova-Nikolayeva is one such exception).

Promotions and Advancement

Although women could theoretically attain any rank that their male counterpart could, most women did not have much opportunity for advancement. This was because they received commissions far less often than their male counterparts and were forbidden from attending officers academies and graduate schools. For this reason most of the women of this period were of the enlisted ranks. Those women who choose to make a career out of the military did receive all of the privileges and benefits of career personnel, even though their promotion opportunities were much rarer.

Here we have the military identification booklet of a woman soldier. The cover of the book is to the right, while the first pages are listed below.

The military and state security forces occupy a special and honored position in Soviet society.  In recognition of this numerous military holidays fill the calendar.  They celebrate virtually every branch and also mark special government anniversaries or the anniversary of military victories.