Parachutist Badges

[Taz]

These are the critaria that I have on the awarding of Para badges from the 10th Nov 1958 type, award critaria was updated to the following in 1968.

"Parachutist" After 1 Jump
"Otlichnik" After 18 jumps and special training
"Instructor" After 50 Jumps and special Instuctor training

Regards Eddie.

[desantnik]

thanks, Eddie.

[Nota Bene]

Found that too. I believe the previous regulations were from 1955.

Alexei

[willie777]

Did paratroopers have the Army, Air Force, and Navy style excellent service badges? If not, did they use another badge other than the jump badge. If they did use the jump badge, what about paratroopers with less than 10 jumps?

[desantnik]

Originally Posted by willie777

Did paratroopers have the Army, Air Force, and Navy style excellent service badges? If not, did they use another badge other than the jump badge. If they did use the jump badge, what about paratroopers with less than 10 jumps?

Paratroopers with fewer than 10 jumps were awarded the basic or "lysii" (bald) paratrooper badge.

[willie777]

Originally Posted by desantnik

Paratroopers with fewer than 10 jumps were awarded the basic or "lysii" (bald) paratrooper badge.

I know that. I am asking if the paratroopers had the Army, Air Force, and Navy style excellent service badges. If not, what would paras with below 10 jumps get since excellent paratrooper only covers 10-100 jumps? If so, would paras with 10-100 jumps still wear the badge? Or, did paras get VVS olitchniks?

[desantnik]

Originally Posted by willie777

I know that. I am asking if the paratroopers had the Army, Air Force, and Navy style excellent service badges. If not, what would paras with below 10 jumps get since excellent paratrooper only covers 10-100 jumps? If so, would paras with 10-100 jumps still wear the badge? Or, did paras get VVS olitchniks?

Service-specific excellent badges were for general skills and awarded to enlisted only. Officers were awarded excellence badges, but of a different appearance. The ground forces one I know was the combined arms badge.

The "Excellent" Paratrooper badge should not be confused with these. This is an example of a sub-set of excellence within the paratrooper specialty. Most enlisted were never in service long enough to complete the necessary amount of jumps for an excellent paratrooper badge.

Officer or enlisted paratroopers with 1 to 1000000 jumps would wear their respective jump badge and if warranted, a service-specific excellent badge.

[willie777]

Originally Posted by desantnik

The ground forces one I know was the combined arms badge.

So, paratroopers would use the ground forces otlitchnik, not the VVS counterpart? What did the officer badges look like, or were they just the classification badges?

Originally Posted by desantnik

The "Excellent" Paratrooper badge should not be confused with these. This is an example of a sub-set of excellence within the paratrooper specialty. Most enlisted were never in service long enough to complete the necessary amount of jumps for an excellent paratrooper badge.

Really? Not even 10 jumps?:yow

[desantnik]

Originally Posted by willie777

So, paratroopers would use the ground forces otlitchnik, not the VVS counterpart? What did the officer badges look like, or were they just the classification badges?

Really? Not even 10 jumps?:yow

Soviet airborne officers and enlisted wore ground forces proficiency badges (my prefered term for "excellent badges"). For a picture of an officer ground force combined arms proficiency badge, someone else will have to help you. It is a horizontal badge with various arms of service shown (tank, artillery, etc.) and a number 1-3 or "M" for master. I'm in the middle of a move and my references are in boxes.

If you visit another thread, "Excellent" or "Otlichnik" actually required a minimum of 18 jumps, and yes, I've talked to many veterans and there is plenty of photographic evidence of demobilizing 2-year draftees with bald jump wings.

I'm guessing, but 95% of US airborne parachutists are "5-jump chumps" who only attended jumpschool, but never served in an airborne unit so had the opportunity to amass a larger number.

[willie777]

Originally Posted by desantnik

Soviet airborne officers and enlisted wore ground forces proficiency badges (my prefered term for "excellent badges"). For a picture of an officer ground force combined arms proficiency badge, someone else will have to help you. It is a horizontal badge with various arms of service shown (tank, artillery, etc.) and a number 1-3 or "M" for master. I'm in the middle of a move and my references are in boxes.

Oh those... I have always thought of those as qualification badges, not otlichnik badges.

Originally Posted by desantnik

If you visit another thread, "Excellent" or "Otlichnik" actually required a minimum of 18 jumps, and yes, I've talked to many veterans and there is plenty of photographic evidence of demobilizing 2-year draftees with bald jump wings.

I'm guessing, but 95% of US airborne parachutists are "5-jump chumps" who only attended jumpschool, but never served in an airborne unit so had the opportunity to amass a larger number.

Would an extended service career soldier have had a chance to perform 18 jumps?