>It depended on your assignment and your job. Back then (early 80s) everyone had to learn the ranks and insignia of the soviet forces and all alllies (in order to be able to distinguish friend from foe). If you were assigned to latin america, you had to learn those (there are a lot!), etc. Didn't you have to memorize the aircraft, tanks, troop carriers, etc of other forces?

We weren't supposed to meet any other forces, nor to see anything beyond our borders for as long as we were in uniform. A truly defensive one, we were.