European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 28, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                 Magazine soviet Soldier in his tank from the highest reaches of the defense ministry to simple platoon tactics far reaching and revolutionary changes Are slowly taking place in the soviet army analysts say. Red army reforming in Wake of afghan War by Jim Stewart Cox news service the russian phrase Loril is  Zinc  soviet dead in the Afghanistan War Are shipped Back Home in seated coffins made of Zinc a relatively plentiful Metal in the Sovie Union and one that does t rust. If the Young Man was not too disfigured in his death then a narrow soil is left in the lid of the coffin at face level so the family can have a final glimpse. Frequently however the coffins have no Slit. To understand the soviet army today is to first understand the Impact of . In its seventh year of battling the will of the Wisp Mujahideen in Afghanistan. The historically intransigent soviet army is revealing a new style. From the highest reaches of the defense ministry to simple platoon la clips revolutionary and far reaching changes Are slowly taking shape. Since 1984. Nearly half of the top leaders of the soviet armed forces have been replaced. Younger More aggressive and some analysts believe far More dangerous men have taken Over. Unusually harsh self criticisms of the red army Are appearing in the press another sure sign of Reform. Snapshot images provided by deserters and emigres disclose a Host of ills facing the new leadership the non commissioned officer corps the Backbone of most Western armies remains virtually powerless in the soviet armed forces. A new warrant officer corps created to fix the problem is years away from being effective. A historically brutal pecking order among enlisted men has turned even More violent in Afghanistan. Raggings hand grenades pitched into closed feels have been reported As commonplace. Re enlistments never High in the first place Are averaging one percent a year. Despite vigorous campaigns in the Media and by political officers heavy drinking remains a Way of tile in the red army one defecting fighter Pilot complained the do icing machine on his aircraft frequently failed to work because  personnel siphoned off the alcohol to drink it while comparatively few soviet soldiers have experienced the War in Afghanistan Only three percent at any Given time compared to 20 percent of u s Forcer rotated through Vietnam the despair commonly summed up in the reference to coffins 15 toll throughout the red Amy the Slinko by Tohy that have trundled Back Homo now number Between 20.000 and 30.000 together. The lessons of this unrelenting War and Tho Annc Linro technology Raco Wilh America have prompted Tho largest army on Arlo to begin a troubling  of itself in the manner in which of selects is soldiers a Jonesl. The soviet Union remains As democratic a they come party members dissidents jews Farmers All Are expected to serve All males Are liable for service once icy turn 18 they will serve a minimum of two years should they to selected Lor the army three years in to Navy ii is possible to be deferred for did in the sow t Union but the chances Are not great in Addison to special waivers Given by the communist party exceptions Are granted for family hardship Lull time Truol Lenl in higher education arid poor health soviet analyst Ellen Jones has estimated that As much to 90 percent of those eligible serve like the United states birth control and . Lifestyles have resulted in a smaller Pool of Ehr june 18 year Olds by 1988. Both superpowers will a per Cinco a 25 percent reduction in that prime acre group fiut unlike Tho United Stales the soviet Union will Sec its Pool begin to increase by 1990 and continue to  Only women Are not Welcome in the red Arm in a far cry from the Days of the revolution when 2 000 women rom Petrograd formed the women s battalion of death females today Are discouraged from enlisting fewer Tutvin 10,000 Are in uniform . Mostly in Obs such As switchboard operators and nurses like the changing seasons Young draftees gather each Spring and fall depending on their birthday and report for training Between 1 5 million and 2 million a year Are shuttled by Tram to the various Basic raining Camps some gel an Early lip Olf about what is in Siloro those sent for training to the Republic of turkmen on the Afghanistan Frontier can reasonably expect to be in Battle within three months All the world Over Basic military training is a harsh demanding experience the soviet Union is no exception. Viktor Suvo Rov the pseudonym adopted by a soviet officer who defected and wrote the liberators my Lite in the soviet army related one recruit s first Day immediately after the steam Bath they gave us a haircut in Lack they pretty Well shaved it then we had to hand Over our clothes. Everything except for soap toothpaste and shaving Cream they even look my Cologne to Slop me from drinking it. Which i found is a pretty common thing. We were Given uniforms though of course they did t bother Wilh finding the proper size before we put it on we had to sew a White strip of cloth inside the Collar so they could Tell if your neck was  a recruit s Day begins at 6 am. And does not end until 11 . His three meals a Day Are simple fare porridge dried fish and great amounts of bread spread Wilh Margarine typically a Pound and a half of bread a Day. Analyst Richard Gabriel surveyed More than 130 soviet emigres around the world who served in the soviet armed forces. Ninety six percent of them Felt the feed was inadequate and worse than they had As civilians. Suvo Rov reported thai most soviet regiments maintained their own pig Herd fed from leftovers to supplement the men s diet. Ten Days of leave Are authorized each year but they Are Given As rewards for special performance. Many recruits will spend their entire two years on Active duty without returning Home once. For this service to the Rodina. Or motherland each continued on Page 14 the stars and stripes Page 13