MOSCOW. July 12 (Interfax-AVN) - The Airborne Staff considers that the competition between people willing to serve in the professional army's division will be high.
"Starting from July 1 a professional serviceman will receive RUB3,197 (USD101.2) per month while sergeant will have RUB3,931 (USD124.44) per month. The sum is not small for an average salary in the Pskov region is some RUB1,500 (USD47.48) per month at present," Airborne Chief-of-Staff Lieutenant General Nikolai Staskov said in a interview with the Rossijskaya Gazeta newspaper published on Friday.
According to him, from January 1, 2003 salaries of officers will be increased as well. "The salary bonus will be also provided to officers of the division for a commander cannot receive less money than his subordinates," Staskov said.
The professional servicemen like their colleagues in the U.S. Armed Forces, for example, can have particular benefits when entering civil or military higher educational establishments. A draft decision on the matter is already elaborated.
Preliminary calculations show that the number of personnel in the professional army's division will be increased at 20 percent, Staskov stressed. "A professional servicemen, who returned from a day duty in his unit or at a proving range has the right to demand compensation. The bonuses will not be paid with money for it is too expensive right now but the serviceman will have additional holidays," he went on.
At present the division's stocks are being refilled with fuel, component parts and ammo. "If an airborne fighting vehicle crew has to smoke waiting for a lacking component part to be delivered the meaning of the experiment will be lost," Staskov added.