WPS Agency, Russia
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 31, 2008 Wednesday

OFFICERS OF THE NORTH CAUCASIAN MILITARY DISTRICT: ONE FOR THREE

LARGE-SCALE REDUCTIONS TAKE PLACE IN TROOPS OF THE NORTH CAUCASIAN
MILITARY DISTRICT; More than ten combined-arms brigades of permanent
readiness will be formed in the North Caucasian Military District as a
result of the formation of a new look of the army and quantity of
officers will be reduced by 66.66%, reports Deputy Commander of the
North Caucasian Military District, Lieutenant General A. Verbitsky.

More than ten combined-arms brigades of permanent readiness will be
formed in the North Caucasian Military District as a result of
formation of new look of the army and quantity of officers will be
reduced by 66.66%, reports Deputy Commander of the North Caucasian
Military District, Lieutenant General A. Verbitsky.

Verbitsky says, "In the course of transformation of our districts, the
troops will be transferred to the three-level command structure of
district, operational command and brigade. Overall, 11 combined-arms
brigades of permanent readiness will be formed in the district."

According to him, the 58th army headquartered in Vladikavkaz will be
reorganized into an operational command and two mechanized infantry
brigades of permanent readiness will be formed on the basis of the
mechanized infantry division based in the Volgograd Region.

Three Russian military bases – in South Ossetia (Tskhinval and
Dzhava), Abkhazia (Gudauta) and Armenia (Yerevan) will be included
into the North Caucasian Military District. The Deputy Commander of
the North Caucasian Military District points out that brigades and
units of permanent readiness will be formed according to three
principles: from contract servicemen, from conscripts and according to
the mixed manning system (80% of contract servicemen and 20% of
conscript soldiers).

Speaking about reduction of the quantity of officers, Verbitsky said
that it would be reduced by 66.66%. He did not name certain figures of
reduction but pointed out that social guarantees to which every
officer and warrant officer was entitled were brought to the officers
of the district to be dismissed.

Lieutenant General Verbitsky stressed that "the organization of combat
and operational training of troops" would be changed radically in the
course of transformation of the command bodies.

Verbitsky also said, "The newly formed brigades and units of permanent
readiness will gradually transit to new programs of combat training of
troops that are being worked out now in the main department of combat
training and service of troops of the Armed Forces in cooperation with
the combat training departments of the Ground Forces and the
district."

Source: Voenny Vestnik Yuga Rossii (North Caucasian Military
District), December 07, 2008, p. 1

Translated by InterContact

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress