A Soviet observer and an American soldier sharing a friendly conversation somewhere in Western Germany, 1986 [2333x3000]
![A Soviet observer and an American soldier sharing a friendly conversation somewhere in Western Germany, 1986 [2333x3000]](https://i.redd.it/e9uuy9mni2p51.jpg)
Posted Sep 24, 2020, 9:59 AM UTC
87544
I’m concerned why that looks like Putin.
42
Well why does the American look like Obama?
44
Why do you look like Tim?
11
Looks more like Eric Holder
6
It was an ironic comment, because many Americans consider many slavs to be similar to Putin, although this is not true at all. And obviously, he does not look like Obama, it is as absurd as the statement that a soviet man is like Putin.
2
I was thinking it looked more like Eddie Murphy's disembodied vehicular head.
2
He looks more like Al Bundy from Married With Children.
2
He looks like the dad from Even Stevens to me.
2
Sup?
31
What was he Soviet observing? Why was he just allowed to walk around with a pair of binoculars?
21
Soviet observers in west Germany, western observers in east Germany, in an attempt to mitigate tensions a bit by allowing some transparency
40
Yep! They were allowed in certain areas, and were allowed to watch any of our exercises as long as they stayed in certain areas. If they left those areas we were allowed to apprehend them (if possible). Many exciting chases on the border with M151 Ford Mutts, and then HMMWV's chasing after SMLM Volkswagen vans with curtains all around the inside and guys taking pics with telephoto lenses. (SMLMs also had very distinctive yellow and red license plates so you knew who they were.)
18
Capitalist birds
6
Lol
1
Much of the point of military exercises is not training, but what you could call posturing. And there isn't much point in posturing if nobody is there to watch it. That is where military observers come in. They are invited by the host country to observe maneuvers and such.
A great benefit is transparency. Nobody really wants to obfuscate mass movements of armies and equipment, that would only lead to uncertainty and possibly someone doing something really stupid out of lack of information. Like the near crisis during Able Archer 83, when East German officials thought West Germany was readying an invasion, when they in reality were conducting a NATO exercise in a really stupid way.
6
That is an amazing photo!
15
you know this still happens today right? Russia goes to some western military bases to check on equipment and western militaries go to Russian bases to do the same.
I don't remember what is the name of the treaty but my dad did the same thing in some eastern country i don't remember right now a couple years ago. They go in, check if they have the right numbers of equipment and see if they got rid of the equipment they said they would and its done.
Of course its never a true check up since you can easily hide ur shit, its more of a formality
23
When the Russians came to inspect us in the West, it was called the Soviet Military Liaison Mission, or SMLM (pronounced "Smell-Em").
12
That would be amazing i alway like to talk to other military personnel tons of cool stories and pretty good experiences
2
He’s been exposed, send him to the gulag!
2
Those flashlights are terrible, why are we still issuing them out?
[deleted]
Went through basic training in 2017, we were issued those lights. They are horrible, we had a guy smuggle in a mini keychain maglight and it created way more light than on of the angle head lights did.
[deleted]
Where at? I went through Fort Sill, we didn't get headlamps. Only light source we got was that piece of scrap green angle head light.
It's amazing how good LED technology has gotten. Flashlights even 20 years ago where basically worthless, you might as well just bring a Bic lighter
I got one in 2015 before a deployment. I didn't bother bringing it.
What’s wrong with them?
They're heavy and they suck, a keychain light produces more light than those
My DS said they were so heavy and bulky that his dad had a confirmed kill with one.
My DS said he was going to skull fuck my soul if I opened my cock holster.
mine had over 300
My dad still has his from Desert Storm. Shits no brighter than a small candle in a jam jar.
If you want, you can actually replace the bulb in the angle head lights with an LED and it makes them pretty decent. You can get an LED bulb that fits perfectly in the socket, there are some YouTube videos about it if anyone wants to take a look
Nobody uses those anymore. My old ANG unit had a pile of them that just collected dust.
They're still needed for our Tank layout
Really? Why?
Because they're on the list. Nobody uses these things, but they're still on the list.
Because the military never actually throws anything away. We were using 60+ year old radios in my old artillery unit. They’re still using them to this day.
because it has a firefly mode