Riker87

Thanks.^^ No, it hasn't. one arbor (horizontal) = Subteniente = Sub Lieutenant one chevron = Teniente = Lieutenant two chevrons = Primer teniente = First Lieutenant three chevrons = Capitán* = Captain * in the Navy = Teniente de Navió Another ranks you'll finde here.

Here are another uniforms of my collection. The man on the picture is my father. 100% Cubano. Navy - Teniente de Navio: Navy (field and service uniform), Teniente de Navio: Navy (field and serviceuniform), Naval academy 2nd year: Army (field uniform), Capitán: Army, (field uniform), Special Forces "Black Wasps" (actually they've got green berets): Policia Nacional Revolucionaria, Suboficial: Then I've got another cuban items. For example a tank uniform, police cap from the 80's, police belt, and some more

@Takc: Your belt buckle could be made and used in the mid 60's until the mid 70's because I asked my father who served the FAR from 1980 until 1983. He don't know these belt buckle. Here my FAR belt like my father had:

I will upload some pics of my collection in the next days. Here you will find some parts of my collection (left side: --> 1969 Strichtarn, --> Exkurs 80er Jahre, --> Exkurs UTV 85-90, "M. Leyva" that's me) To your question: The NVA haven't participated in active combat operations. The GDR concentrated their engagement in states of the "third world" in the form of military counsel and education missions. And they sent munitions, for example to Angola and Mozambique. The GDR didn't comply with setting of battle units and airforce pilots. But with good grace the Ministry of National Defence closed contracts for training of foreign military personnel. In the GDR thousands of soldiers were trained. They came from: Angola, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, People's Republic of Yemen, Cambodia, People's Republik of Congo, Cuba, Laos, Libya, Mozambique, Nicaragua, North Corea, Palestine, Tansania, Guinea,Syria and Vietnam. Here an example of this military education in the GDR: Soldiers from Mozambique, NVA dressed, in the GDR.

Hmm... That is very interesting. I never see this with a golden cap band. Here some photo references (all post revolution): This is one of my peaked cap, here with small FAR-badge (first type): The left one with the second type badge: Here with the Navy peaked cap: And now one heat of the ministry of the interior (see the badge with MININT, the police had this type of peaked cap too: black cap band and the badge with PNR):

Thanks. I've got only a police uniform of the 50's. But this uniform was used by the Revolutionary National Police too (see the badge). Here some pics: Here a photo with this uniform model (pre revolution):

I didn't pay anything for this jacket + hat. It was a present of my father's friend (who is married with the cousin of my father) to me. He served a long time in the FAR, now he works in a big factory and he is lieutenant colonel of the reseve troops. The most parts of my cuban collection is directly from Cuba.

@Paul: Unfortunately, no. I was born 1987 in the GDR. But I collect since seven years intensly GDR and Cuba militaria and I maintain close relationships to former NVA soldiers and officers (to Cubans too). And I collect several NVA regulation books.

Hi, here some comments: Bundeswehr is wrong. These are NVA (Nationale Volksarmee - DDR) badges of marksmanship lanyards. The right one of the Grenztruppen (border troops) and the left one of the Artillerie (artillery). They are of the Volkspolizei (People's Police), from left to right: - Anwärter - Volkspolizei-Bereitschaft - Anwärter - Volkspolizei/VP-Bereitschaft Tarnuniform - Wachtmeister - Volkspolizei - Oberwachtmeister - Volkspolizei In english: - aspirant (riot police, service uniform) - aspirant (normal police, service uniform and riot police, field uniform) - sergeant (normal police, service uniform) - staff sergeant (normal police, service uniform) From left to right: - aspirant (transportation police, field uniform) - aspirant (prison regime, service uniform) - sergeant (prison regime, service uniform) - staff sergeant (prison regime, service uniform) Best regards from (East) Germany

Hi Robert, 1) UTV = Unter Truppenversuch (engl.: in troops experiment) 2) It was used as the US and others wear BDUs with only undergarments beneath. 3) Yes, but only some troop units wore it for testing. I'll hope I could help. Soory for my bad english. But I'm German. :-)

Hi Scott, nice picture. But there is one BIG mistake. NVA-Soldiers in BDU's never put their trousers into the boots! The NVA clothes regulation clearly said, that the trousers had to wear over the boots. That's why the trousers have buttons at the end. greedings from (East)Germany

The two patches between "Sargento de Peloton Instructor" and "T" in the lowermost line are post revolution. They were worn in the 60's until mid 70's. You are absolutely right. The Cubans adopted the american design of the patches and field uniforms.

Ok.^^ I've got this "guard" badge too. But I don't know if those titles were ever awarded in Cuba.

Here is a picture of my cuban patch collection:

Here are some closeups. I hope it's ok for you. No, there isn't any hole. Only my white Navy uniform has a hole for the academy badge. What do you exactly mean with "Guards units"? I only know the following units: - Unidad de guardia de honor a nuestro heroe nacional José Martí (Santiago de Cuba) (engl.: Unit of the honor guard of our national hero José Martí) - Unidad de ceremonias - MININT (engl.: Ceremonial unit - Ministry of the Interior) - Unidad especial ceremonias - FAR (engl.: special ceremonial unit - Revolutionary armed forces)

Yes it would, but medical would fall unter other colours too, because the medical is a military career and not a own military unit like infantry etc.

When in the mid 70's the cuban army introduced the soviet rank insignias and they introduced some soviet uniform parts like this jacket model. The corps colour (you see it on the shoulder boards) is red. So this major jacket is from the (motorised) infantry. Other soviet/cuban corps colours are: black = tanks, artillery, technical, chemical, construction, engineering, communication troops; light blue = airforce, air technical service, paratroops; green = border troops, dark blue = state security, black shoulder boards with gold stripes = navy. NOTE: The construction and engineering troops had red as corps colour in Cuba! So this uniform need the following collar tabs: @Markgraf: "I'm sure that this piece isn't younger than 1990. I hope somebody can determine the concrete age of the tunic." You are right. The Cubans used this uniforms and soviet shoulder boards officially until 1988. But the transit time could account 5 years, so they worn it until 1992/1993. PS: Sorry for my bad english.

Really? Didn't see you my Captain's jacket? Look here.

The actually rank system was introduced in 1988. An ex-captain and now mayor of the reserve troops told me that. The russian ranks were worn from ca. 1975 until 1987/88. "For the Special Forces ranks colour is dark-green and not yellow:" That's not barely correct my friend. ;-) These are the ranks for the field uniform (inclusive special forces).^^

Very, very nice peaked cap! It could be an older model! My four caps are from the 80's and 90's. Your cap has a better quality than mine. I think yours is from the mid 70's, when this model of cap was introduced. Is the cap band golden or green-brown? Yes, please, show us more pictures of your great cuban items. PS: Does anybody of you need a cuban navy uniform? Please send me a message.

Hola Amigo, I have to correct you . This isn't a beret of the "Brigada de la Alfabetización". It's a beret of the military cadets. Here the complete patch:

Hola Markgraf, very interesting pictures. But I can't tell about this uniform on the basis of this two pictures. Can you upload more detailed pictures? So I can tell more. Do you have more Cuban items? Best regards from Germany.

Hola amigos, here is my army hat which has the smaller forerunner badge. It was used from the 70's until the middle of the 80's.

Helle collector's, my name is Manuel and I'm from Germany. I collect Militaria from Cuba and the DDR. Here is my Captain's jacket from 1980's. Unfortunately the belt is missing.