The overwhelming majority of citizens of the USSR served in the Soviet army. Only those who had serious health problems or no less serious "garters" were not included in the military service. Everyone else was to spend several exciting years in the army or navy. However, even then there were options with the help of which the painful service turned into one sheer pleasure. Well, or almost a pleasure.
1. Get to the kitchen
The service of a soldier-cook is not nearly as simple as it might seem at first glance. Nevertheless, the constant service in the kitchen automatically saved the conscript soldier from the numerous hardships and hardships to which the less fortunate comrades were subjected to a huge number. The chef was always warm and had access to food. It is foolish to deny that many soldiers stole government supplies and exchanged them for cigarettes and alcohol.
2. Treasury Service
A small number of conscripts had the opportunity to end up in the treasury service as assorted assistants in the bureaucratic apparatus of the army or navy. Most often, conscripts ended up in the supply department, where they were engaged in maintaining and filling out numerous statements, as well as preparing reports for the authorities. The main thing is that such fighters spent most of their time in a warm and dry room. In addition, the soldiers had every chance of making some interesting and useful acquaintances.
3. Get to the medical unit
If the conscript graduated or studied at a medical school, then he had every chance of getting to serve in the medical unit. Of course, the service as a paramedic had its own specifics, but in general it was much simpler than the service that ordinary soldiers carried. It is also important that a person serving in a medical unit had the experience of a medical employee in a work book. This was especially useful for those who, after compulsory military service, thought about a career as a doctor.
4. Get into a song and dance ensemble
The members of the ensembles themselves would hardly agree with this, but many less fortunate conscripts definitely envied the carefree service of those who were selected to organize various cultural events in the army. Of course, those involved in the creative component in the troops underwent the same basic army training. However, at the same time, the routines of dancers, musicians, artists and singers were somewhat simpler than those of the fighters of ordinary units.
Continuing the topic, read about "Motorcycle sewing troops": who and why invented the aiguillette.