Private Igor Straminsky was the 4077th's dim-witted chow line server. He worked as a cook's assistant under Sergeant Salvatore Pernelli and was responsible for a variety of "KP" duties such as serving the food, scrubbing the pots and cleaning up the mess tent. As such, despite not actually cooking the food, he was the usual target for the camp's anger about how bad and limited it was.
Igor was generally portrayed by actor Jeff Maxwell, although Peter Riegert assumed the role temporarily in two sixth-season episodes. He debuted in the second season and appeared on and off up until the series finale. He has appeared in more episodes than any recurring character except for Nurse Kellye, often as a background player, but almost as frequently with a line or two, and -- in later seasons -- occasionally as a featured player in a subplot.
Igor is a good natured but oblivious young draftee who frequently became the target of bullying from the equally dim-witted Major Frank Burns, resulting in both men confusing each other. In one episode he is cursed by the entire camp when he creams local grown corn instead of serving it on the cob ("A War for All Seasons"). Later on in "No Sweat" he turns a big fan on while Major Winchester is trying to sort out his family's income tax papers, and scatters them all around. He plays cards regularly with other enlisted men, including Radar, Klinger and Zale, and once mentioned to Father Mulcahy that he sets aside three dollars from each salary payment for the local orphanage.
Along with the other enlisted men, he periodically performs other menial duties as well (such as medical orderly, watchman and laborer), and in one extreme circumstance ("Hey, Look Me Over") even an ersatz surgical nurse. ("I'm not even qualified to be a cook and they got me doin' this nurse stuff!")
In "Promotion Commotion", Igor is bucking for promotion and lavishes special chow line privileges on Hawkeye and B.J. to earn their favor. This fails miserably when later tested at the promotion board as to the only three things a soldier should say to the enemy if captured: after much brow-furrowing, Igor comes up with "name, rank and phone number". He remains an E2 Private for his entire time on the show.
In "The Price of Tomato Juice", a script error caused Igor to identify himself by his actor's name, "Maxwell," and Major Frank Burns also refers to him as "Maxwell" in the following line of dialogue. This 4th wall violation was a singular event.