About life as a conscript in the Turkmen army

Recently conscripts doing military service in the Turkmen army have been drawing attention to their worsened living conditions and line of duty.

The conscripts complain primarily about nutrition.According to recruits and their parents, the diet of conscripts is quite meagre soup without meat, broken rice and bread made of low quality domestic flour.

Those who have been serving for a year and more claim that three months ago the meals were better and the menu included mashed potatoes, pilaf and even fish.

“When I joined the army, the food was more or less decent.The diet included broken rice with meat, rice and potato soup, stewed fruits, apples, butter, pea porridge, tea with sugar and pilaf.

Over the past year the food has deteriorated and we are no longer offered fruit or stewed fruit or even local apples.Tea is served without sugar and no butter is available for breakfast.

The soup consists of 90% water with very little pasta, some rice and a piece of potato.Since the price of potatoes and onions has increased, they have become rare in our diet”, a soldier who has completed his military service told “Chronicles of Turkmenistan”.

The conscripts say that the food in the army is made from blocks of meat which have spoiled.When boiled soft it dissolves in the dish and smells of rotten meat.

According to the cooks working in the kitchen, this meat comes from storage facilities (depots in case of war or other emergencies).It may be assumed that the storage supplies have been renewed and instead of writing off expired food products, they were given to the army.

According to documents, the groceries were purchased for army needs.

The majority of conscripts are not provided with a brand new military uniform.Over the past few years discharged soldiers hand back their military uniform and return home in civilian clothes sent by their parents.

The civilian clothes, which they were wearing when they arrived at the military station, are handed over to housekeeping.They are then distributed among recruits as work clothes for fatigue duty.

The cash allowance of privates amounts to 68 manats (~$20 at the government established rate or about $10 at the “black market” rate).But instead of cash soldiers receive hygiene items and a subscription to the newspaper “Asker” (“Warrior”) or magazine “Goshun” (“Army”).

A conscript can buy additional groceries or things he needs only by using money sent by his parents.

The problem of hazing and tribal communities has not been eliminated. Senior conscripts haze recruits and those from the same regions of the country become united based on tribal affiliation or their region in order to defend themselves from other similar tribal “gangs”.

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