Soviet Pilot HSU in Afghanistan

[clebercalado]

Col. Valery Brukov arrived in Afghanistan just 30 days after your father died whem was shot down while flying your Mi-8 Helicopter in a insertion troops mission. After flying several mission like a Mi-24 Hind Pilot, he was tranfered to the ground forces, acting like FAC (Foward Air Controler) directing air suport fire to a Spetznas Platoon. In your last mission, his platoon climbed one hill and found a camo bunker with heavy machine guns, after searching in the area he steped in a land mine and lost both legs. This unfortunately
whas your ticket to home, but at least he recived de Gold Star and became an HSU ! After come back to russia, he stayed in the air force and helped to develop new FAC techinics, and planed several missions of atack in Chechnya, becoming Comander of a Frontal Aviation Squadron.
This intersting history was told in 2 documentaries of Discovery Chanel, intituled “Mi-24 Hind in Afghanistan” and “Su-25 frogfoot in Chechnya”, and the Colonel give an intersting interview , given your testmonial about the conflict. Many others intersting images show proud and happy condecorated soviet soldiers boarding in the Il-76 of Aeroflot !
In another scene an General can be seen visit the monument for the Unknow Soldier in Moscow and dressing all your medals !
I will post some pictures but the quality is not good, because was taken from a VCD movie.

[clebercalado]

The general and his medals

[ibaya]

The general and his medals

there seems to be a red stripe visible on his shoulder. judging by that, and the placement and size of the star, this officer could be either a major or a colonel (hard to tell, since the end of the shouldermark is cut off)

[clebercalado]

there seems to be a red stripe visible on his shoulder. judging by that, and the placement and size of the star, this officer could be either a major or a colonel (hard to tell, since the end of the shouldermark is cut off)

Yes, but when they show he walkig, the field cap is of an general.....I´ll try post some pics.....

The visor cap is like this,maybe he can be a Marshal?

[Dave]

there seems to be a red stripe visible on his shoulder. judging by that, and the placement and size of the star, this officer could be either a major or a colonel (hard to tell, since the end of the shouldermark is cut off)

He looks like a Colonel. I'm guessing that because of 3 things... First, if he were a Major, the star would be farther up his shoulder strap - more towards the middle. Second, with those awards, it's unlikely (though still possible) that he retired a Major (more because of the length of service required to qualify for his long-service awards) and Third, there are far more retired Colonels than Majors in the former USSR (just visit a Victory Day celebration - count the number of Majors in uniform versus Colonels!)

--Dave

[clebercalado]

This is the pic original from the movie, showing the visor hat....