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10 April 2015

Life in Kyrgyzstan’s Army Really Sucks

By KEVIN KNODELL

Military life can be incredibly demanding in any country. The food is usually bland, the pay typically isn’t great and the barracks almost inevitably reeks of body odor. Then there’s the heightened chance of going to war and dying.

But some militaries are worse than others. In Kyrgyzstan, the barracks are crumbling relics of the Cold War. Food is scarce and the commanders arecrazy. Bullying, poverty and hunger make life miserable.

Despite the fact these soldiers aren’t even engaged in a war, violent death is distressingly common. Suicide and murder run rampant in the ranks.

Kyrgyzstan is a former Soviet republic in Central Asia, and its military traces its origins’ to the Soviet Turkestan Military District. Almost all of its equipment and leaders trace back to the Soviet army.

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