Good Sources on Cold War USSR and Warsaw Pact Soldiers, Conscription and RPG Details

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Officers had to agree to sign contracts for up to 10 or 25 years, but part of their service would involve university education and former military officers were often in a good place to go into politics or business, with their network of connections.

Was it similar in the Soviet Armed Forces?

I also don't have great sources, but my understanding based off of dated jokes, all fit male university students were trained to be reserve junior officers, and surely some of them were called up to serve.

Originally Posted by Icelander

Personal experience or family anecdotes of the period are totally valid information too.

Jokes about idiotic praporschiks (comparable to the lowest Warrant Officer or highest NCO), jokes about referring to the United States as "our probable military adversary".