This question occurred to me when I noticed in this Wikopedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001%E2%80%93present)that the former Soviet republic of Georgia is part of the NATO coalition with a presence in Afghanistan. Since it was only about 12 years from the end of the Soviet Afghan War, and the start of America’s military intervention, it occurred to me that it would not have been unreasonable that some of the senior field commanders in the Georgian contingent might have served in the Soviet Army during the Soviet Afghan War. Granted, I don’t know when Georgian participation started, and I imagine the number of Georgian forces involved was probably pretty miniscule. I also seem to recall at some point reading or hearing about Latvian or Lithuanian troops stationed in Afghanistan in support of the NATO coalition, but I could be mistaken, and in any case Georgia is the only former Soviet state listed in the Wikopedia article as participating in the NATO effort. (And, yes, I am well aware that Wikopedia is not infallible.)
Not a direct answer to your question, but my father had an interesting military pathway during WWII.
In 1939 he was a professional soldier in the Latvian army.
In 1940, the Russians invaded Latvia and my father was dragooned into the Russian army.
In 1941 the Germans invaded Latvia; he deserted the Russians and joined the Wehrmacht, and spent the next couple of years fighting the Russians on the Russian front.
In 1944 the Germans drafted Latvians into newly formed national divisions in their army, and my father was transferred back to one of these.
He ended the war fighting in the Courland Pocket against the Russians; before eventually escaping to Germany and surrendering to the Americans.
One war, four armies.
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
Lots of the troops used by the Sovs in Afghanistan were from the C Asian SSR especially Tajik regiments. Many of the troops were conscripts and would have left military service soon after.
In other news, the 2nd graders who were with GW Bush on 9-11 are not old enough to oh fight themselves.
I remember reading an article in a military journal written by an officer from one of the Baltic NATO states who served in Afghanistan with ISAF and, as a young man, in the 1980s as a conscript in the Red Army, also in Afghanistan.
Thank you. That answers my question. So, apparently, it did happen.