Rear services
Encyclopedia
Rear services were those agencies in Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...

 and Soviet style military forces concerned with military logistics
Military logistics
Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:...

 and support. The Rear Services supplied the armed forces with ammunition, fuel, spare parts, food, clothing, and other matériel. Usually a deputy minister of defense served as chief of Rear Services for the armed forces. Rear Services encompasses mainly the Rear Services' Staff, several main and central departments and other services.

Organization

Major departments were;
  1. Military Transportation which was the primary traffic management organization for the armed forces and was responsible for coordinating and planning supply movements by all means of transport.
  2. Food Supply which both procured food from civilian agricultural enterprises and operated a military state farm system to supply troops, particularly those serving in remote areas.
  3. Clothing Supply usually had its own clothing factories to manufacture uniforms and specialized gear.
  4. The main and central directorates operated post exchange, health care, and recreational facilities for military personnel. The Rear Services also provided financial reports on armed forces activities to party and government organs.
  5. The chief of the Rear Services commanded the Railway Troops, Road Troops, Pipeline Troops, and Automotive Troops. The mission of these supporting service was to construct and maintain the military transport infrastructure. Automotive Troops trained and provided the drivers and mechanics needed to maintain and drive cargo trucks loaded with supplies from railheads to operational units in the field. Railway Troops, Road Troops, Pipeline Troops built permanent rail lines, roads, and pipelines between the supply points and units in the field.
  6. Formerly divided among independent maintenance, medical, and motor transport companies, the provision of rear services in Soviet and some Warsaw Pact regiments had become the responsibility of unified matériel support units. As in most armies, these matériel support units were subordinate to operational commanders, although they worked with the next highest chief of rear services on technical matters.
  7. Traffic Regulators
    Traffic Guard
    A traffic guard, "traffic controller", "flagman", or "flagger" is a person who directs traffic through a construction site or other temporary traffic control zone past an area using signs or flags. They are responsible for maintaining the safety and efficiency of traffic, as well as the safety of...

     , were generally non-military police
    Military police
    Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...

     personnel who directed traffic through temporary traffic control zone thru an area using signs or flags. They were responsible for maintaining the safety and efficiency of traffic, as well as the safety of road workers, while allowing construction, accident recovery or other tasks to proceed. They used Signal Flags, Signal Hand Sign, Signal Batons, and Traffic Cones and Warning Signs to control traffic movement.


On the dissolution of the Soviet Union much of the former Soviet force became the Rear Services of the Armed Forces of Russia
Rear Services of the Armed Forces of Russia
The Rear Services of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is a rear of the Russian Armed Forces. It encompasses mainly the Rear Services' Staff, 9 main and central departments and 3 services.-History:...

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