One possible explanation of the military is that it starts out heavily influenced by Polish paramilitary organizations. I could see a situation rising where a young proto-government spends what money they can earmark for the military mostly arming these organizations. There is something unique there to exploit. Poland could be a nation with a military where people pay for their equipment initially, with the draw being that the benefits and stability of the military makes it the best job to have initially. The early Polish military would have been small, but educated, and they would have melted together with local border militia's and patriotic paramilitary organizations. 

This wouldn't be sustainable forever, and it would be the way things work in 1980, but it would give you a root to build your military organization from. Eventually there would be more concessions for poor people to enter the service, most likely opening gruntwork to people who cannot pay for any basic equipment (and by equipment I mean, like, their gun and uniform. No planes and shit). The paramilitary organizations would slowly be brought into the government so that they fill a role similar to the national guard in the US. 

This outline creates the Poland that makes mad cash on arms dealing which became so important in the Armenian storyline.