Russian Military Uniforms and Clothing

GarryB wrote:Lance-Corporal ....But you made Colonel here...


(Funny thing is... I didn't know how to spell Lance-Corporal so I typed Lance-Corprl and clicked on it to get the correct spelling and the only option it gave me was Vice-Chancellor... computers... eh?

Just Corporal - we don't have a Lance-Corporal rank.

Instead there's a Junior Sergeant one, which Commonwealth militaries don't have - instead going straight from Corporal to Sergeant.

What's starshina and praporshik BTW?

flamming_python wrote:

VladimirSahin wrote:

flamming_python wrote:

I had this one on the bottom-right, only the stripe was more yellowish-green, differentiated itself from the background

Efreitor? Cool I guess

Actually Starshyj Matros, but the Efrejtor rank slide served me well

Y what were u?

I was a Corporal, But in 2011 I qualified to become Junior Sergeant. You were a Senior Sailor, What were you assigned to?

Walther von Oldenburg wrote:What's starshina and praporshik BTW?

First the easy one - Praporshik is the Army term for a Warrant Officer. You have 2 ranks of Warrant Officer; Warrant Officer and Senior Warrant Officer. I believe there used to be a Junior Warrant Officer rank too - but it was abolished some time around about when I served or perhaps earlier.
The Naval equivalent rank is Midshipman.

Starshina; or Sergeant-Major - is both a role and a rank.
As a role it's typically occupied by a Senior Warrant Officer (Senior Midshipman); there is 1 Sergeant-Major for the whole battallion or company and he's responsible for packing your shit in, the barracks and its activities and a lot of other things besides.

As a rank it's present in both the Navy and in the Army/all other Service Branches.
In the Navy, 'Starshina' is present in the names of about 4 ranks - where it means Petty Officer. In order of ascension - Petty Officer 2nd Class (Junior Sergeant), Petty Officer 1st Class (Sergeant), Chief Petty Officer (Senior Sergeant), Chief Ship Petty Officer (Sergeant-Major).
In the Army, it's the name of only 1 rank - the one above Senior Sergeant (i.e. the same as the Chief Ship Petty Officer).

I guess the closest equivalent in Commonwealth militaries would be the Company Sergeant Major rank.

VladimirSahin wrote:

flamming_python wrote:

VladimirSahin wrote:

flamming_python wrote:

I had this one on the bottom-right, only the stripe was more yellowish-green, differentiated itself from the background

Efreitor? Cool I guess

Actually Starshyj Matros, but the Efrejtor rank slide served me well

Y what were u?

I was a Corporal, But in 2011 I qualified to become Junior Sergeant. You were a Senior Sailor, What were you assigned to?  

I was a Dieselist-Electrician of Electric Power Lighting Units (i.e. generators), assigned to the reserve power-station of my unit (in fact the only one, but it's a reserve one because usually we drew our power from the power grid).

It was a role for a Senior Sailor rank; so technically like you I could have been comfortably promoted to Petty Officer 2nd Class, but I guess that in 1 year of service there aren't many opportunities to really stand out enough for 2 successive promotions (a couple comrades managed it though).

For most of the first 6-7 months I was also assigned as a Rifleman in the Anti-Terror detail; which I guess was a Sailor rank role. Either way it wasn't my primary job.

flamming_python wrote:

VladimirSahin wrote:

flamming_python wrote:

VladimirSahin wrote:

flamming_python wrote:

I had this one on the bottom-right, only the stripe was more yellowish-green, differentiated itself from the background

Efreitor? Cool I guess

Actually Starshyj Matros, but the Efrejtor rank slide served me well

Y what were u?

I was a Corporal, But in 2011 I qualified to become Junior Sergeant. You were a Senior Sailor, What were you assigned to?  

I was a Dieselist-Electrician of Electric Power Lighting Units (i.e. generators), assigned to the reserve power-station of my unit (in fact the only one, but it's a reserve one because usually we drew our power from the power grid).

It was a role for a Senior Sailor rank; so technically like you I could have been comfortably promoted to Petty Officer 2nd Class, but I guess that in 1 year of service there aren't many opportunities to really stand out enough for 2 successive promotions (a couple comrades managed it though).

For most of the first 6-7 months I was also assigned as a Rifleman in the Anti-Terror detail; which I guess was a Sailor rank role. Either way it wasn't my primary job.

Cool stuff, Yeah usually conscripts do not get promoted too high. In the VDV I was in a air assault division then I transferred to recon then back to assault. Looking forward to more chats with you even though we've been acquainted for a while now

VladimirSahin wrote:

flamming_python wrote:

VladimirSahin wrote:

flamming_python wrote:

VladimirSahin wrote:

flamming_python wrote:

I had this one on the bottom-right, only the stripe was more yellowish-green, differentiated itself from the background

Efreitor? Cool I guess

Actually Starshyj Matros, but the Efrejtor rank slide served me well

Y what were u?

I was a Corporal, But in 2011 I qualified to become Junior Sergeant. You were a Senior Sailor, What were you assigned to?  

I was a Dieselist-Electrician of Electric Power Lighting Units (i.e. generators), assigned to the reserve power-station of my unit (in fact the only one, but it's a reserve one because usually we drew our power from the power grid).

It was a role for a Senior Sailor rank; so technically like you I could have been comfortably promoted to Petty Officer 2nd Class, but I guess that in 1 year of service there aren't many opportunities to really stand out enough for 2 successive promotions (a couple comrades managed it though).

For most of the first 6-7 months I was also assigned as a Rifleman in the Anti-Terror detail; which I guess was a Sailor rank role. Either way it wasn't my primary job.

Cool stuff, Yeah usually conscripts do not get promoted too high. In the VDV I was in a air assault division then I transferred to recon then back to assault. Looking forward to more chats with you even though we've been acquainted for a while now

Sure, anytime - I think we served in the same period no? 2010-2011?
Did you sign a contract? Hard to believe that they would bother transferring a 1-year conscript twice - but then the whole military was messed up at that time and chaos reigned supreme; in fact my base didn't actually receive any money whatsoever from the MoD during this period because there was confusion about whether we were actually subordinated to Northern Fleet Naval HQ in Severomorsk, or directly to Moscow. Needless to say, with no money - our unit was full of improvisation

flamming_python wrote:

VladimirSahin wrote:



Cool stuff, Yeah usually conscripts do not get promoted too high. In the VDV I was in a air assault division then I transferred to recon then back to assault. Looking forward to more chats with you even though we've been acquainted for a while now

Sure, anytime - I think we served in the same period no? 2010-2011?
Did you sign a contract? Hard to believe that they would bother transferring a 1-year conscript twice - but then the whole military was messed up at that time and chaos reigned supreme; in fact my base didn't actually receive any money whatsoever from the MoD during this period because there was confusion about whether we were actually subordinated to Northern Fleet Naval HQ in Severomorsk, or directly to Moscow. Needless to say, with no money - our unit was full of improvisation

I signed a 4 year contract 2008-2012, I was moved around alot, During 2008-2010 I was in Tula, Then sometime just before 2011 I was transferred to Pskov. After the Georgian war and I finished training, I was sent to South Ossetia for a 2 month period as a "MC"(peacekeeper), I basically was deployed to a checkpoint and did some patrols, I got to meet with some Georgian soldiers, And some foreign observers. And yeah I know what you conscripts go through service is full of improvisation. But that aside, You probably got to see some cool ships, Did you get to participate in a military drill?

VladimirSahin wrote:

flamming_python wrote:

VladimirSahin wrote:



Cool stuff, Yeah usually conscripts do not get promoted too high. In the VDV I was in a air assault division then I transferred to recon then back to assault. Looking forward to more chats with you even though we've been acquainted for a while now

Sure, anytime - I think we served in the same period no? 2010-2011?
Did you sign a contract? Hard to believe that they would bother transferring a 1-year conscript twice - but then the whole military was messed up at that time and chaos reigned supreme; in fact my base didn't actually receive any money whatsoever from the MoD during this period because there was confusion about whether we were actually subordinated to Northern Fleet Naval HQ in Severomorsk, or directly to Moscow. Needless to say, with no money - our unit was full of improvisation

I signed a 4 year contract 2008-2012, I was moved around alot, During 2008-2010 I was in Tula, Then sometime just before 2011 I was transferred to Pskov. After the Georgian war and I finished training, I was sent to South Ossetia for a 2 month period as a "MC"(peacekeeper), I basically was deployed to a checkpoint and did some patrols, I got to meet with some Georgian soldiers, And some foreign observers. And yeah I know what you conscripts go through service is full of improvisation. But that aside, You probably got to see some cool ships, Did you get to participate in a military drill?

I got to board a hospital ship for a flourograph (X-Ray).

I was in Severomorsk (Northern Fleet HQ) and Murmansk a number of times; I got to a lot of ships such as I think the Pyotr Velikyj was there was right among the quays, perhaps the Leonov too, definately did see the Kuznetsov 2-3 kms out in the bay; it looked positively huge even from that distance.
Another time was when we visited Severomorsk for the Navy Day celebrations in late July - we were treated to an exercise involving Marines and Landing Ships, together with a couple frigates providing firing support from their large-calibre autocannons - it was difficult to figure out what was going on really. But definately; saw the BDKs, the BTR-80s swimming away from their clamshell doors and so on.

We had some drills of our own; mostly it was anti-terror alarms/drills; they were conducted almost every night but rarely did we do anything other than have to drop what we were doing, grab our chemical gear and run to the HQ all in under 3 minutes; whereupon we'd practise getting our chemical suits on, or just get asked to take some files back to the barracks. On occasion we had to do something more involved/tactical.
A couple times those anti-terror alerts were actually real, because of a terrorist attack in another part of the country - we were put on alert too for a short while.

There was also a 3-day exercise which was organized for the entire base; whereby we were mostly patrolling around, standing guard and conducting anti-terror drills for 2 days; sleeping very little and only with our rifles; nearly got busted smoking weed when I was suddenly called up by an anti-terror alarm - pretty close call. Then we got to take part in a few assaults on radio transmission sites and so on.

But 95% of service wasn't the cool tactical stuff; it was just shovelling snow, sweeping the grounds, standing on duty in barracks, catching some sleep in the generator room, kitchen duty, cleaning potatoes, collecting berries and mushrooms in the forest, exercise, football, pushups and so on.

flamming_python wrote:

VladimirSahin wrote:

flamming_python wrote:

VladimirSahin wrote:



Cool stuff, Yeah usually conscripts do not get promoted too high. In the VDV I was in a air assault division then I transferred to recon then back to assault. Looking forward to more chats with you even though we've been acquainted for a while now

Sure, anytime - I think we served in the same period no? 2010-2011?
Did you sign a contract? Hard to believe that they would bother transferring a 1-year conscript twice - but then the whole military was messed up at that time and chaos reigned supreme; in fact my base didn't actually receive any money whatsoever from the MoD during this period because there was confusion about whether we were actually subordinated to Northern Fleet Naval HQ in Severomorsk, or directly to Moscow. Needless to say, with no money - our unit was full of improvisation

I signed a 4 year contract 2008-2012, I was moved around alot, During 2008-2010 I was in Tula, Then sometime just before 2011 I was transferred to Pskov. After the Georgian war and I finished training, I was sent to South Ossetia for a 2 month period as a "MC"(peacekeeper), I basically was deployed to a checkpoint and did some patrols, I got to meet with some Georgian soldiers, And some foreign observers. And yeah I know what you conscripts go through service is full of improvisation. But that aside, You probably got to see some cool ships, Did you get to participate in a military drill?

I got to board a hospital ship for a flourograph (X-Ray).

I was in Severomorsk (Northern Fleet HQ) and Murmansk a number of times; I got to a lot of ships such as I think the Pyotr Velikyj was there was right among the quays, perhaps the Leonov too, definately did see the Kuznetsov 2-3 kms out in the bay; it looked positively huge even from that distance.
Another time was when we visited Severomorsk for the Navy Day celebrations in late July - we were treated to an exercise involving Marines and Landing Ships, together with a couple frigates providing firing support from their large-calibre autocannons - it was difficult to figure out what was going on really. But definately; saw the BDKs, the BTR-80s swimming away from their clamshell doors and so on.

We had some drills of our own; mostly it was anti-terror alarms/drills; they were conducted almost every night but rarely did we do anything other than have to drop what we were doing, grab our chemical gear and run to the HQ all in under 3 minutes; whereupon we'd practise getting our chemical suits on, or just get asked to take some files back to the barracks. On occasion we had to do something more involved/tactical.
A couple times those anti-terror alerts were actually real, because of a terrorist attack in another part of the country - we were put on alert too for a short while.

There was also a 3-day exercise which was organized for the entire base; whereby we were mostly patrolling around, standing guard and conducting anti-terror drills for 2 days; sleeping very little and only with our rifles; nearly got busted smoking weed when I was suddenly called up by an anti-terror alarm - pretty close call. Then we got to take part in a few assaults on radio transmission sites and so on.

But 95% of service wasn't the cool tactical stuff; it was just shovelling snow, sweeping the grounds, standing on duty in barracks, catching some sleep in the generator room, kitchen duty, cleaning potatoes, collecting berries and mushrooms in the forest, exercise, football, pushups and so on.

Soldat? you were almost caught smoking weed?!   That's cool that you got to see the Kuznetsov and all those equipment. We had week long drills, Where we would survive in the woods in a low supply zone area, The unit I was in was the best trained unit in maybe the whole division, We would usually do snap drills. One particular test that happened to me was when I was at guard duty, A guy sneaked up on me and choked me and grabbed me, Reflex came in and I got out of the hold and flipped him and then I realized the dudes squad was behind me and the guy said your out of this drill. I was so relieved to find out it was a drill, But it would have been f*cked up if it was a real war situation. I mean imagine some douchebag US squad sneaks up on me and murders me LOL.

VKPO in arctic camo.

Modern russian camouflage

Digital Flora:

Arctic:

Desert:

New camouflage pattern spoted in Syria:




looks pretty effective if you ask me

Well, another May 9th parade and another new dress uniform.

Litzenspiegel? Really?

So I will see military wearing mix-match of multiple patterns like so the following image which appears to be a mix of digi flora and flora. (Correct me if I'm wrong)

-or sometimes even wearing different camouflage patterns such as how in one video which I cannot find, they were wearing digi flora primarily but some people were in civilian clothes and others in flora. Even the odd multicam was show at one point being worn by a man. I'll link the video if I can find it.

So my question here is 'Why so many camouflage patterns as opposed to just using one. Sure makes identification of friend and foe easier, yes?'

Sorry if this was a bit difficult to understand.