Ensign (NVA)

National People's Army - Ensign -
LaSK , LSK , GT / Volksmarine Sleeve badge ensign 1979–1990
Rank group	the ensign
NATO rank code	W-1 comparable
Rank Army / Air Force	Ensign
Marine rank	Ensign of the VM
Abbreviation (in lists)	Fähnr (FR)
Grade

Fähnrich (abbr .: Fähnr / in lists: FR ) referred to a “ rank between NCOs and officers ; in the National People's Army (NVA) and the border troops (GT) of the GDR (introduced in 1973) and is a military technical college cadre (military specialist) who committed himself to a service period of at least 15 years. ”This was also the generic term for the rank group of ensigns (NVA) or designation for this special career. The address was Comrade Ensign .

Despite having the same name, the Fähnrich (NVA) does not correspond to the Fähnrich (Bw) and was fundamentally different from the previous ensign in the German armed forces. In contrast to the Reichswehr , Wehrmacht and Bundeswehr , the officer candidates of the NVA did not have ensign ranks , but student officer ranks with the current academic year designation.

With this concept, the NVA leadership followed the example of the USSR, which reintroduced the Praporschtschik (Navy: Mitschman ) career group from 1971 . There was a similar development in other Warsaw Pact states, but there they sometimes resorted to denominations of rank that were linked to the national military traditions of the country concerned.

introduction

In the NVA and the border troops of the GDR 168/73 first the independent were in 1973, according to Minister Order No.. Rank group of cadets and the rank of ensign introduced and settled between professional NCOs and officers.

On October 1, 1979, this rank group was expanded with the ranks Oberfähnrich , Stabsfähnrich and Stabsoberfähnrich . This created an independent ensign career.

The general obligation for ensigns was 25 years of service, but was later reduced to 15 years.

The NVA ensign had a special superior relationship, which represents a hybrid position between the careers of NCOs and officers (with officers' license ). Like officers, ensigns, unlike professional sergeants, were not tied to the location area during their free time; if they were not on vacation, they only had to be reachable within 24 hours.

NVA ensign ranks

TSK	Air, land and border troops					People's Navy
colour	Armored force	Pioneer troop	Paratroopers	Border troops	Field service suit	Navy blue
	Senior Ensign	Ensign of Staff	Ensign	Ensign	Ensign student (2nd year of study)	Senior Ensign	Ensign of Staff	Ensign	Ensign	Ensign student (2nd / 1st year of study)
rank	WO-4	WO-3	WO-2	WO-1		WO-4	WO-3	WO-2	WO-1

education

The ensign corps newly founded in the NVA was supposed to provide highly specialized "long servants" below the officer level and close a qualification gap in technical careers. While professional NCOs had a master's degree, the officers completed their training at the officers' colleges with a university diploma - engineers , diploma military scientists or diploma social scientists. A medium-term technical college engineer training was aimed for for ensigns of the NVA.

Senior NCOs were initially promoted to ensigns, usually in the rank of sergeant-major , even if they did not have a technical college degree . This enabled specialists to be retained who would otherwise have left after ten years of service.

Later, ensign students could only be appointed ensign if they had successfully completed a two-year training course at a military technical school or an officers' college in the GDR . This training was part of the armed forces , for example for the NVA air forces at the military technical school of the air forces / air defense "Harry Kuhn" . During this training, the soldiers had their own ensign student ranks .

The aforementioned two-year training was deviated from in the 1980s in certain fields (e.g. computer science). By means of an obligation to undertake an ensign career (ensign applicants), future ensigns studied at a civil engineering school (e.g. three years at the engineering school Görlitz), underwent three-month basic military training with the rank of second year ensign student, e.g. at the non-commissioned officer school "Kurt Bennewitz" Delitzsch after successful completion, appointed ensign and transferred to their locations (e.g. command posts of the LVD). As a rule, the ensign applicants already got to know their departments during their civil engineering studies, during the last six months in which the written engineering thesis with a practical military technical topic was prepared in this department.

With the simultaneous establishment of the new ranks Oberfähnrich, Stabsfähnrich and Stabs Oberfähnrich, the ensign corps of the NVA finally changed from a rank group to an independent career.

Uses

For the NVA ensign corps, assignments in troop service and in the technical area as head of workshops, flight control centers and telecommunications centers were possible. Other possible uses as a military specialist were, for example, in logistics, repairs or as a border scout in the border companies. It was also possible to work as a sergeant major or as a deputy to the company commander for technical equipment.

Uniform and insignia

Ensigns contributed officer uniforms and the corresponding officer insignia (insignia, silver cap cord, brown officer coupling buckle, etc.), but not applied to the parade sash (made of silver-aluminum web) and the parade saber as bare sidearm, as participants of a Honor or Ehrendolch to output uniform or . to formal suit .

The shoulder pieces made of matt silver flat cord resembled those of officers from Unterleutnant to Hauptmann, but the two outer cords were colored stone gray or blue for the People's Navy and Frontier Brigade Coast.

Depending on the rank of ensign, one to four gold-colored square officer stars were attached in a row on the shoulder piece. With the introduction of the graduation of the ensign ranks in 1979, silver-colored sergeant stars should be worn. Due to complaints from those affected who perceived this change as a reduction, it was withdrawn after a few weeks.

Another special feature was the seniority label in the form of a special sleeve patch (also known as a "bottle label") on the left upper arm of the uniform jacket and the uniform coat. The patch showed the state coat of arms of the GDR and an embroidered square officer star for more than 10 years of service, two stars for more than 15 years of service and three stars for more than 20 years of service. This type of seniority designation was superfluous with the introduction of the other ensign ranks in 1979 and could be abolished again.

• Sleeve badge 1973-1979
• 

  ... one star,
  10 years of service
  ( LaSK, LSK, GT )

• 

  ... two stars,
  15 years of service

• 

  ... three stars,
  20 years of service

• 

  ... one star,
  10 years of service
  ( Volksmarine )

• 

  ... two stars,
  15 years of service

• 

  ... three stars,
  20 years of service

The service career badges were worn in the manner of NCOs.

See also

• Ranks of the National People's Army

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Meyer's Universal Lexicon . 3. Edition. 1980, order no .: 576 970 2, license no. 433 130/198/80, Volume I, p. 678
2. ^ National People's Army and Border Troops of the GDR - rank, number 10 ensign / 10a sleeve badge; Paragraph 9 Ensign People's Navy. In: Meyers Universallexikon . 3. Edition. 1980, order no .: 576 970 2, license no. 433 130/198/80, Volume III, pp. 218-219