SOVIET ARMY ENLISTED SERVICES (SVERKHSROCHNAYA SLUZHBA)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000400200001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 13, 2009
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: November 10, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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LC~t
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Austria/USSR
SUBJECT Soviet Army Enlisted Service
(Sverkhsrochnaya Sluzhba)
This material contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States within the mean-
ing of the Espionage Laws, Title 18. U.S.C. Sees. 793
and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in
any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law.
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
10 November 1954
NO. OF PAGES 4
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
Attached isa copy
ARMY review completed.
[fi
NAVY #X AIR #X FBI
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CONFIDENTIAL
COUNTRY Austria/USSR
SUBJECT Soviet Army Enlisted Service
(Sverkhsrochnaya Slushba)
DATE OF INFORMATION
PLACE ACQUIRED
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
INFORMATION ON SOVIET ARMY CAREER ENLISTED SERVICE
(SVERKHSROCHNAYA SLUZHBA)
1. Definition
defined "sverkhsrochniki" as those milita
ry personnel of the
en fisted grades who elected to remain in th
e service after completing
three years of compulsory service.
2. How chosen
Applications of prospective "sverkhsrochniki" had to be a roved either
b the divisi or possibly A licanls had to agree, to serve a minimum of two years.
indefinite applications were also accepted.
Duties
~ each unit had definite T/O&E positions for re.-
en' sees. If these positions were not filled by reenlistees, then
draftees were selected for them. Each year, an earnest recruiting
program was followed to fill these positions, since the majority of
draftees did not elect to stay on active duty after completing the
required three years of selective service. In the 287th ads Rifle
regiment there were approximately 15 T/O&E positions calling for
reenlistees. Among them were: chief of secret sections, senior regi-
mental clerks, musicians, chief stewards of EM and offic 'messes,
chiefs of all types of warehouses, PX managers, chiefs of housekeeping
sections, specialists of repair shops, first sergeants of regimental
units, and occasionally MG platoon leaders. Of the last, there were
only two reenlistees in line units of the regiment. Few, if any,
reenlisteeb accept duty in line-unite since they would be required to
work long hours.(0700-24oo in
ning .troops ,
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Incentives
Quarters
Reenlistees lived in separate areas atwa-y from the troops and had
their own rooms. reenlistees were supposed
to.live in the officer's ormory but there was a shortage of
space. Reenlistees with line units were required to live with
the regular conscript troops; however, they also had separate
rooms. In the USSR, reenlistees received separate quarters for
themselves if single and family quarters if married.
In the USSR they were permitted to wear civilian attire after
duty hours while other EM were nnta_
b. Pay
Reenlistees were much better paid than other EM
reeniisvee first sergeant of a rifle company received approximately
600 rubles credited to his account and a like sum of shillinzs
which was given him over the pay table in Austria.
the first sergeant reenlistee who was in charge of the Secret
Section received about 800 rubles credited to his account in the
USSR and an equivalent amount of shillings which he received in
Austria. the a of reenlistees and specialists
of the re r services was about 1,000 rubles. Pay of
all reenlistees was base o. type of duty held and years of
service. rank among reenlistees did not
play a role in pay determination.
c. Clothing
Reenlistees received the same issue of clothing as conscript EM
with one exception: they received a dress uniform (blouse and
breeches) which all EM were supposed-to get but did not. They
could keep all their clothing upon demobilization.
d. Recreation
In the USSR they had the privilege of
intoxicating beverages at the club.
(1)
They were given 45 days of leave, plus a maximum of 15 days
travel time annually.
(2)
They were permitted to leave the caserne after duty hours.
(3)
They could'eat in the officers' mess provided
extra charge, the same as the officers did...
authorized officer's rations.)
they paid an
(They were not
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(4) They were permitted to marry Soviet EW or Soviet civilians
working in the Soviet Zone of Austria. If they married in
Austria, they were given one-room quarters in the officers'
dormitory.
Discipline
Reenlistees could be demobilized for misconduct on order of the
regimental or division commander. They could not be given strict
arrest (strogly crest i.e., being placed in the guardhouse and given
hot meals one day, and receiving only bread, sugar and tea the
other). They were not subject to work details. They could be
reprimanded before a formation of other reenlistees. Simple-arrest
(prostoy arest i.e., time in the guardhouse with all regular meals)
could be given a "sverkhsrochnik"
6. Insignia
Reenlistees wore the shoulderboards Of the unit to which they were
assigned. Rank designation was the same as that for other EM of
regular Soviet units. The only distinguishing feature was a
chevron worn on the left sleeve half-way between the shoulder and
elbow as follows:
Chevron
Color Remarks
Yellow(narrow) Zero to two years
extended service
Three to five years
Yellow (wide) extended service
Red
,a-? Yellow
7.
Yellow (wide)
,Red (narrow)
Over five years
extended service
There were other servic1 chevrons for reenlistee~
Additional Information
First sergeants of line units who were not reenlistees did not
share the rights and privileges of reenlistees. These first
sergeants were draftees. The only privilege they had was that
they received a room in the barracks separate from the other
draftees. They could administer *wo days of simple arrest to
EM below the grade of sergeant, or give EM four details at one
time. They could give sergeants a maximum of two details as
punishment (a detail was usually completed in one day). 2.
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