M-1988 Officer Summer Each Day
Uniform in Jacket (In Column)

    
Air Force Colonel (1989)

The Soldier is Wearing:

The Soviet Ministry of Defense formally adopted a new light jacket for the 1989 uniform regulation changes.  This gave officers the option of wearing the lighter jacket in place of the standard weight one (at the commander's discretion of course).

A pilotika with light blue piping and an officers cockade is the standard headgear for the uniform.  The lightweight jacket has two small breast pockets with button fasteners.  Epaulettes on the shoulders allow for the placement of rank boards.  These boards are identical to those worn on the basic green shirt.  Under the jacket, the standard shirt and green tie are worn.

The trousers are the standard pattern for wearing with boots.  They have flared upper portions and narrow as they approach the foot.  Stirrups with button fasteners are found at the bottom of the trousers to make it easier to keep them fitting correctly when putting on the boots.

A pair of boots completes the uniform.

Sources Cited

 
Return to Air Force Uniforms
of the Late Cold War
 

Service Chronology

The 1988 each day uniform with the jacket for on duty/in formation use was a minor evolution in Soviet uniform design.  It gave more flexibility for wear as it was more professional than the simple shirt uniform of the era, but not as formal as the M-1969 service uniform.  The lighter weight jacket was also more comfortable in warm weather.

Because of this, the uniform was more of a supplement to the M-1969 summer service uniform and not a replacement.  They both served side by side depending on the climate and commander's guidance.  It remained in service only a short time, and was replaced by the uniform changes of 1994.