20% rate in 1994. For many military units, it has often been accepted that commanders extort bribes for an early demobilization of conscripts. There have been reported cases of mistreatment of army conscripts on duty and Hazing. Women in the National Army Women under the age of 21 who have a secondary education and have volunteered for military service can qualify for higher educational studies at the military institute. In 2016, Senior Lieutenant Jahan Yazmuhammedova became the first female paratrooper in the Armed Forces, serving in the 152nd Independent Air Assault Battalion. A parade in 2019 was the first parade in which female siblings (Captains Shirin and Aknabat Velikurbanov) took part in the parade as part of the same contingent. The contingent in question was led by Major Nabat Nurgeldyeva, who was in her 16th parade. References CIA World Factbook, 2003 edition. Further reading Rustam BURNASHEV, Irina CHERNYKH, TURKMENISTAN’S ARMED FORCES: PROBLEMS AND DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS, "Central Asia and the Caucasus," 2003. Note that much of the information on ground forces deployments attributed to Jane's is inaccurate; in particular, the designation '357' attributed to a division disappeared from the 357th Rifle Division in March 1955. Allison, Roy: Military Forces in the Soviet Successor States, Adelphi Paper No. 280 (London: IISS, 1993). Staar, Richard Felix: The new military in Russia: Ten myths that shape the image'', Naval Institute Press, 1996. Military of Turkmenistan Politics of Turkmenistan Political organizations based in Turkmenistan