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Originally Posted by beastor
would I be okay to put blue collar tabs and shoulder boards on also for the Mabuta VDV Paratrooper look? or is that maybe a step too far?
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No problem at all with using the VDV insignia and patches. There were a few different uniforms used and trialed in TurkVO military district and later Afghanistan in the 70s and 80s, so if you have a reasonable reproduction of the period "mabuta" (might yours be a Ukrainian copy perhaps?), add the VDV collar tabs/sleeve patch/shoulder boards and a white undercollar (just a folded piece of white cotton fabric and you're good to go. I wouldn't put anything else like the various distinction badges, medals and so on, those were ok on a "dembel'" uniform worn by demobilised soldiers on their way back home but would not be appropriate on what presumably is a field setup.
Quote:
Originally Posted by beastor
I know the soldier would prefer sneakers, but you will be glad to know I have mastered the art of boot foot wraps from the diagrams you gave me, so the high boots or Para Jack boots will be worn!
(my feet bled for a while till I got it right: 2 pairs of light socks to stop the friction and hence no blisters, and a heavy cloth wrapped as per your instructions) The boots, I have to admit, are actually one of my most comfortable skirmish footwear to use now I know the secret.
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Good to hear you've tamed the "portyanki", it's no mean feat! However, the VDV generally wore boots - you can't jump with the jackboots on (you'll loose them) and Afghan operations often involved negotiation mountainous terrain for which jackboots just weren't the ideal choice. VDV used to call the infantry guys "sapogi" - jackboots, as opposed to themselves being "botinki" - [laced] boots.
Your Ukrainian impression looks very nice, unfortunately I don't know much about their current forces and the gear used, so I can't comment on its authenticity.