Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1955–1991)

In December 1956 the coloured border piping on officers' shoulder straps was changed. A cinnamon-brown color was used instead of the burgundy red previously worn by commanders and commanding officers. All other officers and other ranks wore corps colours as follows:

• Motorised & mechanised rifles – raspberry
• Artillery & armored troops – black, red
• Air Force & aviation – blue
• Technical troops of any kind and the navy – black

The regimental numberings of the 1943 system were removed altogether.

Rank group	Warrant officers		Non-commissioned officers					Enlisted men
Shoulder boards (motorized infantry troops)
Shoulder boards (air force & aviation)
	(introduced 1981)	(introduced 1971)	(from 1964)	(until 1963)
	Ста́рший пра́порщик Stárshiy práporshchik	Пра́порщик Práporshchyk	Старшина́ Starshyná		Ста́рший сержа́нт Stárshiy serzhánt	Сержа́нт Serzhánt	Мла́дший сержа́нт Mládshiy serzhánt	Ефре́йтор Efréĭtor	Рядово́й Ryadovóy
US equivalent[1]	Chief warrant officer	Warrant officer	Command sergeant major		Sergeant major	Master sergeant	Sergeant	Private first class	Private

Colors by type of troops:

• motorized infantry troops – red (scarlet);
• artillery, rocket, tank, engineering, construction, automobile, railway troops, signal-corps, troops of radiation, chemical and biological protection – black;
• air force and airborne troops – sky blue;
• state security troops (KGB troops) – dark blue, instead of the letters "СА" (Советская Армия) the letters "ГБ" (Государственная Безопасность – State Security);
• internal troops (Interior Ministry troops) – crimson (dark red), instead of the letters "СА" (Советская Армия) the letters "ВВ" (Внутренние Войска);
• border troops – green, instead of the letters "СА" (Советская Армия) the letters "ПВ" (Пограничные Войска).

• The letter imprint "СА" on army shoulder boards stood for Советская Аpмия (Sovetskaya Armiya) and was the symbol of adherence to the Soviet Army.
• The letter imprint on Soviet navy shoulder boards symbolised the adherence to the appropriate fleet or naval major command.[3]
  • Ф – Fleet (Russian: Флот, romanized: Flot), general personnel of the Navy
  • БФ – Baltic Fleet (Russian: Балтийский Флот, romanized: Baltiski flot)
  • ЧМ – Black Sea Fleet (Russian: Черноморский Флот, romanized: Chernomorski flot)
  • СФ – Northern Fleet (Russian: Северный Флот, romanized: Severny flot)
  • ТФ – Pacific Fleet (Russian: Тихоокеанский Флот, romanized: Tikhookeanski flot)
• Other letter symbols
  • ВВ – (Russian: Внутренние Войска, romanized: Vnutrennie voiska) – Internal Troops
  • ВМУ – (Russian: Военно-музыкальное Училище, romanized: Voyenno-musykalnoye Utchilishche) – students of military musician schools or cadets of military bands
• ВС – (Russian: Вооружённые Силы, romanized: Voorushonnye Sily) – armed forces (Soviet Army, later USSR armed forces, also Armed forces of the USSR)
• ГБ – (Russian: Госуда́рственной Безопа́сности, romanized: Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti) – Committee for State Security (KGB)
• К – (Russian: Курсант, romanized: Kursant) – higher military college student
• Н – (Russian: Нахимовец, romanized: Nakhimovez) – cadet in the Nakhimov Naval School
• ПВ – (Russian: Пограничные войска, romanized: Pogranitshnye voiska) – border troops
• СШ – (Russian: Cпециальная школа, romanized: Spezialnaya shkola) – special school
• СВУ – (Russian: Суворовец, romanized: Suvorovez) – cadet at a Suvorov Military School