DOSAAF was the name a paramilitary society of the Soviet Union, Voluntary Society of Assistance to the Army, the Air Force and the Navy. It is a transliteration of the Russian abbreviation ДОСААФ, Добровольное Общество Содействия Армии, Авиации и Флоту. The society was preserved in a number of post-Soviet Republics, e.g., in Russia and Belarus. The name is changed in some of them, e.g., in Ukraine the counterpart is "Society of Assistance to Defense of Ukraine", and in Russia in december, 1991 it was reformed into the Russian Defence Sports-Technical Organization Российская оборонная спортивно-техническая организация - РОСТО.

The stated goal of the society was "patriotic upbringing of the population and preparation of it to the defense of the Motherland". Among the means in achieving these goals was the development of paramilitary sports. Initially, an important goal was financial support of Soviet military, by means of membership fees, subscriptions, lottteries, and donations. At the same time, ordinary sports were also supported within the framework of DOSAAF facilities: sports halls, stadiums, swimming pools.

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	Evolution of national defense awareness Military Thought - Find Articles (554 words) The leading role here by right belonged to the DOSAAF which, being, in essence, a state structure accomplishing specific tasks and missions set by the government, made a substantial contribution to strengthening the country's defense capability. In the 1960s, the DOSAAF also had a number of other functions, including the preparation and training of the Soviet population under a 14-hour Ready for Air Defense program and a 19-hour Civil Defense program. The mechanism for accomplishing this task was established in the directive by the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces dated July 14, 1967, and a corresponding resolution of the DOSAAF Central Committee Presidium, of August 9, 1967. Soviet Union - Premilitary Training (445 words) DOSAAF organized and conducted premilitary training for young men and women between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. DOSAAF worked closely with the ministries of education and the state committees for physical culture and sports in the union republics; it also maintained close relations with the deputy commanders for premilitary training in the military districts. The best DOSAAF clubs were found in the Russian Republic, which includes 51 percent of the people and 75 percent of the territory.
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