are liable to military justice. In
general, sentences for military crimes are more severe than for
equivalent crimes tried before civilian courts. For example, failing to
carry out the order of a superior is punishable by up to two years'
deprivation of freedom, and conviction for "clearly indicating
dissatisfaction with an instruction" can result in a year's confinement.
On the other hand, in many such crimes the perpetrator's fate is subject
to the discretion of his commander. If the commander determines that the
offense does not "substantially affect military discipline," he may
administer some lesser punishment without a trial, or he may refer the
case to a Komsomol or party cell in his unit and allow it to take
whatever action it sees fit. In times of war or under combat conditions
possible sentences are much more severe, and the death penalty may be
handed down for many more crimes.

Logistics

Bulgaria's armed forces cost the country considerably less per man than
do those of its allies, and the amount spent on equipment and
maintenance is relatively austere. This is also indicated by the
composition of its forces, in which all armored units, for example, are
of less than division strength.

Nearly all heavier and more complex items of military hardware are
produced in the Soviet Union, and Bulgaria receives only those items
that are being replaced in the Soviet forces' inventory or that have
been produced in quantities greater than needed in Soviet units. Older
equipment, however, is seldom retained after it has become obsolete.
Armies engaged in combined operations must have compatible equipment,
and maintaining supply channels required for indefinite maintenance of
old items can become more costly than replacing them.

Each of the Warsaw Pact allies produces ammunition, small arms, some
vehicles, and spare parts for a portion of its materiel that was
originally produced elsewhere. Bulgaria, with its less developed
industrial base, produces a relatively small amount of military
equipment locally. In order to preserve items on hand, much of the
training schedule is devoted to proper storage and handling of
equipment. Because the standard of living in the country is low, most of
the troops are familiar with few luxuries and get along with fewer
nonessentials than do the forces of its more relatively affluent allies.

Ranks, Uniforms, and Decorations

Ground and air forces use the same system of ranks a