Ensign student

National People's Army ; - Ensign Student -
	Identification of the FRS
Rank group	the ensign
NATO rank code	W-1 comparable
Rank Army / Air Force	Ensign student
Marine rank	Ensign student of the VM
Abbreviation (in lists)	FRS
Grade

In the GDR soldiers who were in the training of ensigns in the " armed organs " were referred to as ensign students (FRS) . The two-year training was offered in the National People's Army (including the People's Navy and Air Force ), with the border troops of the GDR and for parts of the MfS .

education

The course was to be completed either at an officers' college in the GDR (OHS) or at a military technical school . The ensign students were made up of conscripts and suitable non-commissioned officers who had to commit themselves for 15 years of service. The training was offered either as a two-year direct study or as a combination of one-year direct and one-year distance learning. The gross earnings of the ensign students in the 1st year of study corresponded roughly to those of the sergeant , in the 2nd year of study that of the sergeant major .

The fully trained cadet students should provide highly specialized "long-servant" below the officer level and include a skills gap in the technical races: While NCOs had the Master degree, the officers completed their training at the OHS as a diploma - engineers . The ensigns, on the other hand, were qualified as (technical school) engineers or engineering economists.

Ratio of ensign student / officer student

The number of ensign students was in all branches of service in a remarkable disproportion to the number of officer students. On December 1, 1986, the NVA Command Land Forces (LaSK) counted 777 ensign students, but 5,704 officer students. At the same time, the Air Force / Air Defense Command (LSK / LV) had 398 ensign students compared to 2,018 officer students; in the Volksmarine (VM) there were 68 ensign students and 578 officer students.

The GDR border troops initially had their own ensign school in Nordhausen ( Erfurt district ). From December 1, 1985, the ensign school was incorporated into the officers' school of the Suhl border troops ( Suhl district ) and managed as a specialization in ensign training .

The air force / air defense troops had their own ensign school in Bad Düben at the military technical school of the air force / air defense "Harry Kuhn" .

Development after 1989/90

After the German reunification , in October 1990 the remaining ensign students, similar to the officer students, were initially taken over into the armed forces and gradually led to a diploma degree until 1992 (officer students until 1993) . They were no longer regularly accepted into the Bundeswehr, but the qualifications obtained in technical (but not social science) subjects qualified the graduates for entry into civil professions.

Uniform and badge of rank

The uniform of the ensign students largely corresponded to the pattern of the officer students . For this they laid the epaulettes of the officers with an applied metal Gothic F to. Since 1983, the 1st year of study has been characterized by one cross strand, the 2nd year of studies two cross wires.

Badge of rank NVA ensign student

TSK	Land and air forces and border troops of the GDR				People's Navy
colour	Armored force		Air Force	Field service suit	Navy blue

	1st year of study	2nd year of study	1./2. Academic year	2nd year of study	1st year of study	2nd year of study
rank	WO-1