Some Features of Service in the Soviet Army

“Time to throw stones, and time to gather stones.” (The Ecclesiast )

In the early 1970s, after graduating from the institute, my father received the rank of lieutenant, and was called to devote his two years to the Soviet Army as a commander of a tank squadron. Of course, not one of them was called, many of his fellow students were sent to the same military unit.

Fresh-cooked officers got their squads and began service. It should be mentioned,, that the division was squared, that is, the compound was on the schedule, but the ordinary and sergeant staff served little. A typical tank squadron consisted of three mechanics-drivers plus the squadron itself. This was quite enough, because most tanks were peacefully sleeping in storage in cocons. However, specifically my father was much less offended, because he had the only squadron deployed in the battalion.

But in general, the service of the two-year-olds promised to be if not a sinecure, then quite tolerable. Not any Timutarakan, but the respectable Kaliningrad region, the personnel are few, and most importantly, despite the modest rank, the salaries were 170 rubles (the Soviet state for the army in those years did not shrink). For the early 1970s, it was very even decent money, especially considering that yesterday’s students recently satisfied themselves with modest scholarships of 30-40 rubles. In addition, the income is four times higher.

Most importantly, spending the newly acquired wealth was nowhere. Food in the officer’s dining room “Ruch” cost little. There were, of course, some moderate spending, such as on a dormitory, sewing a parade shape, and other little things. Sometimes I went for a walk to Kaliningrad. And yet, after all the expenses, there was still a decent amount.

This circumstance almost immediately began to be used shamelessly by numerous personnel "fifty-year-old captains" and even paratroopers. This may have been a special case in their division, but most of these personalities were hardened alkas. Knowing this sad quality, their wives, on the day of receipt, met the narrowed at the gate of the part and immediately confiscated cash. Even if someone could hide the ass, it was missing for a long time. Three Topora, Agdam, Zosia Osipovna, Anna Pavlovna, and white were consumed in huge volumes. Although they are relatively inexpensive, they are not free.

And therefore, to shoot a ruble or two in the naive "jack" was a holy thing.
Do you pay a couple of rubles? Half ordered and half ordered.
– Victor Pavlovich, can I borrow a ruble? Tomorrow I will come back, asking for a flag with a loud voice.

Where to go? To be heard by the man and the man "without the sense of the elbow" did not want anyone. Plus the amount is funny. You will not refuse the help of a fellow servant, especially if you are in the regiment for a year without a week, and these personnel servants of Kirzachi to the ass. Information that a lieutenant could be intercepted for a drink was distributed across the battalion and regiment with the speed of sound.

The problem was not that they asked for debt, but that some tricks were surprisingly “forgotten” about the return. Of course, you can’t fool everyone, but many have sinned with this. And although some gave the borrowed, often 10-15 rubles (and in some two-year-olds and more) unnoticedly dissolved within a month between debtors.

It was uncomfortable to go back and demand the ruble, and even the three, was uncomfortable. Even if you remember, it sounds like a typical answer:
Sorry, I totally forgot it. turned with the service. Of course, I will bring it tomorrow afternoon.
But it was tomorrow, aftermorrow, a week, and a month, and the debt never increased. They replied to the reminder:
Oh yeah yes. How I remembered the old balbes for your three. Once you have finished, you can give two more rubles. I’ll get it in a week, I’ll give it five.

Five, most often, ordered a long life, and the debtor was looking for another responsive two-year-old. Some, the cleverest borrowers, gave away the debt, and a week later asked again, only the amount of a little more, and it was not repayed.

The lieutenants, after analyzing their expenses, were surprised to find that almost a monthly salary, or even more, had disappeared in the pockets of unprincipled debtors over the course of a year. Especially not cool, one green lieutenant, Gene Tan. He was the finest short, who even in his thin student years was ready to give off his last shirt. Raised in a traditional Korean family, where the veneration of the elderly is a sacred law for centuries, he could not even think of refusing to ask for the elderly by rank and age.

He was "loved" by the damaging batalion's chief, Captain Redko. Almost every month he borrowed from the poor lieutenant, and "forgot" to give. More precisely, he remembered this before another request, apologized, and, asked again, and vowed to return everything fully from the next receipt. Gene first naively believed, then gave with a violin, then promised to himself that it would be the last time. After a few months, Redko was owed a very solid sum, just over 100 rubles.

Finally, the patience was overwhelmed, and on the next request to borrow, Tan replied to the captain with a decisive refusal, and demanded the money back. He rarely denied the debt, but asked to wait, because he could not pay such a sum. Gene accepted this by her kindness. Since then, with the trick of the tanker, the captain has avoided the encounter with our hero. Then he has urgent affairs in the headquarters, then he is terribly busy in the warehouse, then he writes a report, then he is on vacation. If the meeting was not to be avoided at all, he apologized, promised to return again, and disappeared with a barrel.

Tan’s hopes of getting his money back melted every month. He shared his grief with former classmates, but how could they help? Just then he this sorrow to his father – as the informal leader of their call. In general, it often happens, seemingly all of the same age, rank and position, but still sooner or later there is a leader to whom everyone comes for advice and cry in a vest. Probably influenced by the fact that his father was a champion of the regiment in table tennis and chess. Plus, as a deployed squadron, he periodically performed the duties of a comrade (when he went on vacation).

My father tried to talk to Redko and he received an unexpectedly sharp response:
“What are you, Comrade Lieutenant, don’t get into your business. My relationship with Lieutenant Tan is my relationship with Lieutenant Tan. They do not touch you at all. are free.

The father shared the collector's failure with Genoa, and he generally stumbled and almost buried his chances of returning. What my father promised:
I will not leave this case so. I will not be me unless I find a method against this bastard. Just give time.

The opportunity turned in a couple of months. The fact is that the division was commanded by Margelov (the eldest son of the same famous Margelov). The unspoiled six wrapped up at the time and the comedian was about to get the next title and position. But before this, as is known, some had to visit all sorts of inspectors and inspectors. Of course, the whole division ran like an ambassador.

Everything that was broken seemed. What was moving, moved to the place. Everything was painted. Everything broken down. There was perfect order in the warehouses, in the barracks, in the park, in the armor, and even in the kitchen and dining room. Of course, the personal composition was especially troubled.

The squadrons of the division flew from regiment to regiment, from battalion to battalion, in order not to miss a single small thing. So it turned out that one day, while my father was appointed the head of the park, the headquarters of the division came there with a sudden check. A large bush led a grief, looked, smelled, but found no sins. The lieutenant was definitely not for nothing.

The pleased colonel thanked him kindly for his service, held his hand and asked how it should be:
Are there complaints and requests?
And then the father understood that this was a chance that may no longer be presented, and shook the great chief:
So exactly. Comrade the Colonel. There are some unconstitutional relationships.
If the father had said that the squadron was an American spy or an Israeli military stationed at the border, the headquarters would not have been so surprised.

The kindness flew in a moment. Unfortunate before a large inspection is filled. The sharp teeth of the Soviet machine can melt at least a hundred colonels, they will not fade. He cried out, he cried out:
Report to.
The Communist, Captain Redko, borrowed from Lieutenant Tenn, a candidate for members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the Command of the third company of the second battalion, more than 100 rubles and did not pay for more than six months, despite repeated requests and reminders. This creates a very unhealthy and tense working environment. I would even say that Captain Redko discredits the high rank of an officer of the Soviet Army. Moreover, he is an example of an unworthy communist. I hope you can consider this issue.
Is that all? The Colonel stumbled.
So exactly. My father answered.
Thanks for reporting. I will personally do this.

The next evening, a joyful Ginkgo came to my father’s eyes.
“Listen, you won’t believe it, but this afternoon a smiled Redko came to me and gave me a debt. I gave it back to the penny. I apologized, I barely shrugged my tail. Do you know how it happened?
I have no idea. My father smiled. Probably his conscience spoke.

The story immediately spread across the regiment. This is what my father decided to use to turn a tactical victory into a strategic. From now on, as soon as he was asked to borrow a couple or three rubles, he took out of his wallet a specially deferred twenty-five rubles.
Please always please. Sorry, there is no small money. Take twenty five. We will both forget about the third, and we will remember about the fourth. He spoke meaningfully.
Yes well. Another fifteen year old captain. I just need a couple of rubles.
As you know, my father replied. If you want, take a quarter. I trust you.
and thanks. I will interrupt somehow. He was looking for easy money.

The method began to work impeccably. No one decided to borrow such a large amount. He shared the decision with the other two-year-olds, and after a month no one asked them for a debt.

It went well, and the feeling of the elbow showed, and the money was not lost. As the saying goes, “the wolves are full and the sheep are whole.”