02-10-95 ViPer011. ÚÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ À¿ ÚÙ À¿ ÚÙ À¿ ÚÙ À¿ ÚÄÄÄ¿ ³ ³ ÚÄÄÄÙ ³ ÚÄÄ¿ ³ À¿ À¿ ÚÙ ÚÙ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ÀÄ¿ ³ ÀÄÄÙ ³ À¿ À¿ ÚÙ ÚÙ ³ ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÙ ³ ³ ÚÄÙ ³ ÚÄ¿ ÚÙ À¿ À¿ÚÙ ÚÙ ÚÙ À¿ ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ³ ÀÄÄÄ¿ ³ ³ ³ À¿ À¿ ÀÙ ÚÙ ÀÄÄÄÙ ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÙ ÀÄÄÙ À¿ ÚÙ ÚÙ À¿ ÀÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÙ VIOLENT PERFECTION "A good idea circulated and discussed is worth a million brilliant ones buried in the archives." Disclaimer: Neither the group nor the author are responsible for any harm, misinformation, misdirection, or other such things befalling the reader. ******* The following is a small, lightly edited text taken from "Combat and Survival" magazine. SPECIAL FORCES - SPETSNAZ Part I (viper011.) by H.S. Stuttman, INC publishers. Edited by: ViPer Staff Mobilized at short notice, to penetrate a defense base, troops are parachuted at night into a desolate region - such as Siberia - and are pursued by motorized infantry over vast distances. But the target is prepared for an attack and, during the raid, it is not unknown for young conscripts to be killed. The government of the Soviet Union is not answerable for deaths in realistic exercises, even in peacetime. The troops on exercise are members of the Spetsnaz, the world's largest special forces organization. Spetsnaz (Spetsalnogo Naznacheniya), the Soviet's special purpose troops, come under the direction of the GRU and consist of 16 Spetsnaz brigades, four Spetsnaz companies and the Spetsnaz regiments - the latter being available for senior commanders to use as the situation demands. In peacetime, Spetsnaz number some 30,000 men; in the event of war or crisis those ranks can be expanded to 150,000. All Spetsnaz soldiers are conscripts and undertake a minimum of two years' military service, with a further five years in active reserve. Those selected will have been earmarked long before they gather at the conscript collecting centers for their compulsory military service. They will not be new to military life. First, they will have been members of the Young Pioneers (YP). This is roughly equivalent to the Boy Scouts. Many of their activities involve traditional field crafts such as hiking, swimming, camping and map reading. Membership is open to all boys and girls between nine and 14 years of age. The end product is a politically prepared individual who has basic military skills. The Young Pioneers are linked to schools and are particularly active in Soviet cities and towns. At 14, young people can join KOMSOMOL, which trains both physical and mental capabilities in military and political activities, to produce a good communist. A year later the young person can elect to join the DOSAAF, the Voluntary Society for Co- operation with the Army, Navy and Air Force. This is a para-military organization of some 15 million members, run by former military personnel and equipped by the Soviet armed forces. Compulsory school finishes at 16 in the USSR. Those not destined for military careers take up civilian jobs but can remain in the DOSAAF, where they will receive further military training - including shooting, parachuting, scuba diving and outward bound training. This will help them when they are called for their two years' military service. When they are called up, those who excelled in the DOSAAF are offered places at officer candidate school. Those who don't meet the highest standards, but who do want a military career, are taken into armed forces as NCO candidates. Anyone going to university must join DOSAAF and continue with military training until they have finished their studies, when they are required to undertake their two years' of service. The conscript collecting centers take in newcomers, twice a year - in the 'winter period' or the 'summer period'. Your birthday dictates which one you attend as you are liable for service immediately after your 18th birthday. Women are not subject to compulsory military service, but are selected through the KOMSOMOL and DOSAAF if they are interested in joining Armed Forces. At the center, the conscript is interviewed and his documents scrutinized. Everything about a person is recorded. How did he do at school? Does he have any special abilities? Was he good at sports? The all important KOMSOMOL and DOSAAF reports give details of his fitness, military skills and determination. At the top, the best are selected for the KGB, airborne, missile, and intelligence units. A small number are selected for a unit they have never heard of - the Spetsnaz. The young man who leaves the collecting center will be one of about a hundred others. They will travel to a Spetsnaz fighting unit to join other groups from other centers and begin a brutal training course that lasts several weeks. The conscript will train for either Army or Navy Spetsnaz. His training unit will be within, but separate from, an airborne or naval infantry regiment. His uniform will depend on the service his Spetsnaz brigade is attached to. Army Spetsnaz wear the pale blue beret and blue and white stripped T- shirt of the airborne VDV, while Navy Spetsnaz wear Soviet Naval Infantry uniform, a black beret and blue and white stripped T-shirt. The training cadre is made up of officers, warrant officers, sergeants and corporals, with some private soldiers for administrative duties. Conscripts are kept away from trained Spetsnaz soldiers. For the conscripts there are no weekends, and their day will begin at 0600 hrs with reveille, followed by strenuous exercises and an inspection before breakfast. Fit, strong, elite soldiers need food, and they are well fed. Training then begins in earnest, with the teaching and honing of military skills, including assault courses where the Soviet obsession with live firing will test the new soldier's mettle. From the very beginning live ammunition is used, and accidents, even fatal ones, are considered acceptable. Physical training and unarmed combat are high on the agenda. Political indoctrination is also important, for these troops will be inserted deep behind enemy lines to carry out their missions, so reliability is paramount. The day may end at 2300 hrs, depending upon how well the group has performed. In one test, conscript undertake a cross-country run of 30 km, with full kit and weapon and wearing a gas mask, all within a set time. If anyone weakens and removes his mask, everyone has to return to the start and begin again. Those who fail to pass Spetsnaz training are sent to other units to complete their military service, knowing nothing f the elite unit they almost joined. At the end of the basic selection training course about 20 recruits will be left from the original hundred in each group. The conscript is now a Spetsnaz soldier - but still with much to learn. He is constantly scrutinized by officers and senior NCOs. (to be continued) February 10th, 1995. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Violent Perfection ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³ WHQ : Psychotic Reflections BBS ³ ³ Sysop: Kamui ³ ³ #####: 718-981-6387 ³ ³ H/P/C/A/V/T ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ If you want to contact us, or have any interesting ³ ³ information/essays/articles/etc. to share with the ³ ³ rest of the Planet - than call our WHQ at a number ³ ³ given above. ³ ³ Log-On as "ViPer" ³ ³ Password "ViPer" ³ ³ 4-Digits "1111" ³ ³ Birthday "11-11-11" ³ ³ (BTW.. remember not to use the quotation marks.) ³ ³ ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ViPer011.