Officer Candidate (Bundeswehr)

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An Ober- and a Hauptgefreiter OA at the Naval School Mürwik

Officer candidates in Germany are soldiers of the Bundeswehr in one of the career paths of officers. They are candidates for officer training.

Notation

As is often the case in the military usage of the Bundeswehr (as is often the case in official German ), the fugue (" genitive - s " or "fugue-s") is not used formally and the spelling "officer candidate" is preferred to the spelling "officer candidate". In the civil colloquial language in the entire German-speaking area, informally also in the German armed forces, the use of the Fugen-s is meanwhile just as common as its non-use. According to Duden , both forms are permitted.

definition

Officer candidates of the Bundeswehr are soldiers on a temporary basis or professional soldiers who have a rank of the teams or NCOs defined in the order of the Federal President on the rank designations and the uniform of the soldiers and in accordance with the Soldier Career Ordinance in conjunction with the Central Service Regulation (ZDv) 20/7 one of the Belong to career paths of officers of the military service or the military technical service . Reservists in the appropriate service levels and trajectories of the Reserve be as a reserve officer candidates referred

Depending on the context , the term officer candidate also includes corresponding reservists. For the purposes of the Soldiers' Career Ordinance, prospective officers in the careers of medical service officers and military music service officers do not count as officer candidates, but are referred to as " medical officer candidates " and "military music officer candidates". As their name is completely analogous, and they, also contenders to a rank of the officers in terms of the arrangement of the President , they are in civilian vernacular counted and often informally and within the Bundeswehr to the cadets and fall in official service rules and regulations without further differentiation often into this group.

It is a legal career classification of soldiers. With regard to salary , authority in the sense of the Superiors Ordinance , permissible and customary positions , etc., officer candidates are equated with the corresponding team ranks and non-commissioned officers without and with portepee (the corresponding military service relationships ).

Rank designations and additions

Officer candidates wear the normal crew ranks . The ranks for NCOs are only partially kept unchanged. Officer candidates in army or air force uniform use the rank designations Fahnenjunker , Fähnrich and Oberfähnrich instead of the ranks NCO , Sergeant and Hauptfeldwebel ; in the case of naval uniform wearers, instead of the ranks mate , bosun and captain, the ranks of midshipman , ensign at sea and senior midshipman at sea are used. In correspondence , officer candidates add “(officer candidate)”, “(officer candidate)” or “(OA)” or “(reserve officer candidate)”, “(reserve officer candidate)” or “( ROA) ". For the ranks of ensign, ensign, chief ensign, midshipman, ensign in the sea and in chief in the sea, the rank additions are dispensed with, because these ranks are only worn by candidate officers.

In contrast to the provisions of the Soldiers' Career Ordinance, brackets are often left out of the abbreviations in practice .

Admission

Mudra barracks in Cologne : location of the assessment center for Bundeswehr executives

The relevant legal basis for admission to one of the careers is the Soldiers' Careers Ordinance (SLV) and, in addition, the Central Service Regulation (ZDv) 20/7.

Admission to the career of military service officers

Anyone who is between 17 and 29 years old and has at least a secondary school diploma can be employed as an officer candidate for the career of officers in the troop service. The selection is made at the assessment center for Bundeswehr executives . In addition, NCOs with portepees of all careers can switch to one of the careers of military service officers regardless of school education and age if they have successfully participated in a selection course; no selection course is required for recruitment as a candidate reserve officer in service.

A small proportion of the officer candidates (around 1 to 2% per year) are hired directly as career officer candidates. The selection is based on the results at the assessment center for Bundeswehr executives . The prerequisite is the general higher education entrance qualification, the subject-specific university entrance qualification, the technical college entrance qualification or equivalent. After promotion to lieutenant and expiry of a four-year probationary period, he is accepted into the service of the professional soldier .

Admission to the career of officers in the military technical service

Admission to one of the career paths of officers in the technical military service can only be granted to non-commissioned officers . As for the corresponding careers in troop service, the secondary school leaving certificate is required. As a rule, only ranks from sergeant higher are admitted; In deviation from this, NCOs and staff NCOs can also be admitted to the air traffic control service and flight service if they can provide proof of suitability for use.

Rank order

Rank sequence of officer candidates in the troop service

During their training through the officer candidate successively Mannschafts- and lower officer ranks in the Soldatenlaufbahnverordnung time limits and provided there rank order of lowest rank - corporal - Corporal - cadet (or midshipman ) - Ensign ( Midshipman ) - Midshipman ( Midshipman ). The promotion to lieutenant or lieutenant at sea then usually takes place after a period of service of 36 months.

In the event of a career change, the previous rank is usually continued; only the ranks of non-commissioned officer (or mate ), sergeant ( bosun ) and main sergeant (chief boatman ) will be transferred to the corresponding ranks for officer candidates with the career change. The deadlines for promotion to the next higher rank envisaged for officer candidates since starting the career are shortened by up to one year, if necessary, based on the period of service in the previous rank, taking into account the periods specified in the Soldier Career Ordinance. The career is then usually continued in the rank sequence described above. Staff Sergeants (OA) (or Stabsbootsmen (OA)) and Oberstabsfeldwebel (OA) ( Oberstabsbootsfolk (OA)) are appointed lieutenant ( lieutenant at sea ) at the end of their training as an officer .

In the army, the promotion to Fahnenjunker requires the successfully completed officer candidate course (see below ), promotion to ensign in accordance with officer course 1 (see below ) de facto.

Rank sequence of officer candidates in technical service

Officer candidates in the military-technical service go through the ranks in the same order as all other officer candidates, but usually only switch to a career in a rank for non-commissioned officers with portepee . With regard to the ranks, they are treated like career changers in the troop service: So they initially continue their previous rank; only the ranks of non-commissioned officer (or mate ), sergeant ( bosun ) and main sergeant (chief boatman ) will be transferred to the corresponding ranks for officer candidates with the career change. Staff Sergeants (OA) (or Stabsbootsmen (OA)) and Oberstabsfeldwebel (OA) ( Oberstabsbootsfolk (OA)) are appointed lieutenant ( lieutenant at sea ) at the end of their training as an officer . Before being appointed officer, officer candidates must pass an officer examination. As a rule, promotion to lieutenant takes place 36 months after the change to a career for officers in the military service, but can be shortened by up to 18 months, depending on the grade of employment, due to the time served in the Bundeswehr prior to the change of career.

education

The training to become an officer lasts at least three years, but can be shortened by up to eighteen months after taking into account periods of service already performed before starting the career. Officer candidates must successfully pass an officer examination before being appointed officer. According to the Soldiers' Career Ordinance, training in troop service and military service ends with promotion to lieutenant or lieutenant at sea . In fact, the training does not end until the rank of lieutenant or first lieutenant; beforehand, the officer candidates usually go through various civil or military training phases and are often only permanently deployed in the troops with the rank of first lieutenant.

Training in the careers of the troop service

Training in the career paths of military service in the army

Officer's letter from the Army Officer School from an OL1 graduate

The training in the careers of the troop service in the army takes place first in one of the two officer candidate battalions . There the officer candidates complete a six-month officer candidate course. This is followed by "Officer Course 1" (OL1) at the Army Officer School and, as a rule, studies at a university of the German Armed Forces . Already in the rank of lieutenant or first lieutenant, the "Officer Course 2" at the Army Officer School and the "Officer Course 3" at the troop school for the respective military type , as well as the required driver's license courses , lone fighter courses or the course "Survival in action" follow after studying .

Training in the careers of military service in the Navy and Air Force

Marine Mürwik of the fjord seen from

In the Navy and Air Force, candidates for service officers are promoted to naval cadets or Fahnenjunker with successful completion of the officer course part I / II (for the Navy at the Naval School Mürwik in Flensburg - Mürwik and for the Air Force at the Air Force Officer School in Fürstenfeldbruck) after twelve months . This is usually followed by studies at one of the universities of the Bundeswehr together with those wearing army uniforms . In the Air Force and Navy, too, the full officer training is only completed with an officer training (leadership training / officer training course Part III) that follows the degree, often with the rank of lieutenant or first lieutenant.

Training in the career paths of the military technical service

Officer candidates in the professional military service are trained decentrally. Since the officer candidates have considerable previous training, many of the training phases required for the other officer candidates are not required. Officer candidates complete the officer candidate course part 1 and part 2. After the officer candidate course part 1 and part 2, the four-month "officer training course for specialized military service" must be successfully completed at one of the officers' schools. This is followed by the final technical training (in the army, for example at the respective military school ) , often already in the rank of lieutenant . One example is basic helicopter driver training for prospective helicopter pilots .

Rank badge and uniform

With a few exceptions (see below), officer candidates basically wear the same rank badges as all other teams and NCOs with and without portepee . Officer candidates in army and air force uniform are usually identified by a silver-colored cord made of metal web in the form of a pull-over loop, which is pulled onto all epaulettes. A five-pointed star instead of the badge of use in the same color and design as the rank badge indicates as a career badge the career affiliation of corresponding naval uniform wearers . Soldiers in the lowest rank wear appropriate pull-over loops and stars, if necessary on otherwise empty epaulettes, sliding loops or sleeves . Cadet , cadets , midshipmen and cadets at sea bear the same insignia as commissioned officers , sergeants , petty officers and boatmen . Only the Oberfähnriche and Oberfähnriche at sea have special features . These two are already wearing the officers' uniforms . The shoulder flap of the service suit for senior middlemen is therefore not edged with a surrounding braid like other non-commissioned officers with portepee , but instead with silver piping , as with officers , so that the pull-over loop can be omitted. In the same way, senior middlemen at sea ​​wear a braid on their lower sleeves or on their epaulettes in the manner of the officers (instead of the corner of the head in the manner of the chief boatmen ); In contrast to the slip-on loops for army and air force uniforms, the slip-on loops of the senior middlemen at sea are designed in the same way and are therefore not the same as the slip-on loops for main boatmen.

The silver cord on the epaulettes can be found in the service suit in the variant for army and air force uniforms as collar and epaulette piping ; in the social suit of corresponding groups as epaulette piping . Since senior ensigns and senior ensigns at sea already wear the officers' uniform as a special privilege , they also wear the cap of the officers of the lieutenant's rank group .

  • Jäger OA (field suit, army uniform carrier)

  • Sleeve badge Gefreiter OA (service suit marine uniform carrier)

  • Shoulder flap Fahnenjunker (service suit in army uniform)

  • Sleeve badge sea cadet (service suit naval uniform wearer)

  • Shoulder flap Oberfähnrich (service suit air force uniform wearer) (basic shape of the shoulder flap like officers)

  • Sliding loop Oberfähnrich (field suit air force uniform wearer) (basic form as main sergeant)

  • Shoulder board Oberfähnrich zur See (corresponds to the shape of the shoulder boards for officers)

History of the careers of officers in the military technical service

This article or the following section is not adequately provided with supporting documents ( e.g. individual evidence ). Information without sufficient evidence could be removed soon. Please help Wikipedia by researching the information and including good evidence.

Introduction of careers

The career of officers in the military technical service was decided by the federal government on August 28, 1968 . The aim was to appropriate non-commissioned officers with Portepee a rise to allow an officer.

Change of career of staff sergeant and senior staff sergeant

From 1969 onwards, all existing staff sergeants and senior staff sergeants (at that time paid with grades A 9 to A 10 ) were offered the opportunity to switch to the career of officers in the military service. In the case of applicants without a secondary school leaving certificate, the educational test carried out by an officer of his unit was temporarily recognized as a sufficient educational requirement before being promoted to staff sergeant . Furthermore, the training to become a (senior) staff sergeant in connection with the long service time was taken into account, so that only a shortened (two to three-week) officer training had to be completed at an officer school . After completion of officer training the Sergeant to have been lieutenant and sergeant major to lieutenants appointed . This path of becoming an officer, which was comparatively easy for the first candidate, was viewed with suspicion by the other officers . There was also talk of “substantial deficiencies” in the officers of the military technical service. At times there was a threat of a split in the officer corps .

The aim of personnel management was also the gradual phasing out of the ranks of staff sergeant and senior staff sergeant. There were rare individual cases in which the Oberstabsfeldwebel, a rank rare at the time, refused to be accepted into the career of officers in the military service and retained the highest rank of non-commissioned officer. A popular saying was: “Better to be the king of asses than the ass of kings.” Commanders should act on these “refusers” in order to be able to achieve “career adjustment”. After the introduction of the career of officers in the military-technical service, promotions to staff sergeant and senior staff sergeant were initially no longer carried out. When later promotions to Oberstabsfeldwebel took place again, he was only paid A 9 with an official allowance.

Change of careers of other NCOs

From the early 1970s the officers of the military professional service could for the career staff sergeant , sergeant , staff sergeant and sergeant apply. The prerequisite was a two-week selection course at the military school of the respective armed forces (example: Air Force NCO school in Iserlohn ). In contrast to the current procedure, only suitability as an officer in the military technical service was examined. Passing the selection course was unusually difficult. Only three to five percent passed it; Even proven and high-performing sergeants fell through in a row. This created unrest in the troops and criticism of the selection process. As a result of court rulings , the employer had to remove all information from the personnel files in connection with unsuccessfully attempted career changes.

Because the number of suitable candidates was too small to fill the career path, preparatory training for the selection course was introduced. Soldiers who had not passed the selection course generally did not repeat the course, although this would have been possible. It was noticeable that repeaters achieved surprisingly good results. This initially led to a preference for these repeaters in the grades-based admissions to the career of officers in the military service. Following complaints from the first time, the personnel management restored the fair balance. The non-commissioned officers who had passed the selection course could subsequently acquire the secondary school leaving certificate as an educational requirement for admission to the career of officers in the military technical service at a Bundeswehr technical school within three six months at state expense . The duration could be shortened to one year if an aptitude test was passed, for which one could prepare by correspondence course before the start of the training.

On admission to the raceway of the officers of the military technical service day were Sergeant ( Grade A 7 ) to cadets (A 7), the Sergeant ( A 8 ) and the CSM (A 8 m. A.) to upper cadets (A 8 m. A.) appointed or promoted. A rare curiosity arose: while the newly promoted senior middlemen were now allowed to wear an officer's uniform, this happened to a sergeant who was no longer in grade A 8 m before he was admitted to the career of officers in the military service. A., but was paid at a prominent post according to the salary group A 9 , because he could not be appointed senior ensign with the lower salary group (A 8 m. A.), but was instead appointed chief sergeant ( OA ). For the time being, he stayed with the uniform of the sergeants with portepee .

Comparable groups in other armed forces

Many other armed forces have a similar status for prospective officers. According to the NATO rank code , all soldiers with the rank code “OF-D” can be compared with the officer candidates of the Bundeswehr.

literature

  • Wolfgang Sender: The professional biography of naval officers. Career choice, professional expectations and evaluation of officer training at the Naval School Mürwik - results of the surveys of crews VII / 2005 to VII / 2008 . In: Social Science Institute of the Bundeswehr . Strausberg 2009, ISBN 978-3-941481-00-8 .
  • Wolfgang Sender: The professional biography of naval officers. The officer training at the Naval School Mürwik - report on the questioning of officer candidates of Crew VII / 2005 and Crew VII / 2006 . In: Social Science Institute of the Bundeswehr . 2008, ISSN  0342-2569 .

Remarks

  1. ↑ See on this (Officer Candidate) - (Officer Candidate). In: Google Books Ngram Viewer . Google , accessed on November 14, 2014 (English, German-language books since 1890 show that the use of the fugue in the word officer (s) candidate was mostly slightly more frequent. Overall, however, there is no clear preference).
  2. ↑ ZDv 20/7 on the basis of Section 44 of the Soldiers ' Careers Ordinance ( Soldiers' Careers Ordinance. Ordinance on the Careers of Soldiers (Soldiers' Careers Ordinance - SLV). March 19, 2002, Article 44 ( online [accessed on March 25, 2014] Neugefasst by Bek August 19, 2011 I 1813. Last amended by Art. 2 Paragraph 5 G of April 8, 2013 I 730). )
  3. ↑ According to the Soldier Career Ordinance, there are also corresponding reservist careers in military music and medical services. In none of these careers are there any candidates for an officer rank. Accordingly, there are no “reserve medical officer candidates”, “reserve military music officer candidates” or the like.
  4. ↑ Compare, for example, the order of the Federal President on the rank designations and uniforms of soldiers (III (3)) and the Central Service Regulations 37/10 (e.g. No. 509), which regulate the uniforms that all include "officer candidates" Mean candidates for an officer rank including medical officer candidates and military music officer candidates.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Applies unchanged to medical officer candidates and military music officer candidates
  6. ↑ a b Does not apply to medical officer candidates and military music officer candidates. According to the Soldier Career Ordinance, these have the additions "(Medical Officer Candidate)", "(Medical Officer Candidate)", "(Military Music Officer Candidate)", "(Military Music Officer Candidate)" or "(SanOA)" and "(MilMusikOA)" behind all ranks.
  7. ↑ ZDv 20/7 on the basis of Section 44 of the Soldiers ' Careers Ordinance ( Soldiers' Careers Ordinance. Ordinance on the Careers of Soldiers (Soldiers' Careers Ordinance - SLV). March 19, 2002, Article 44 ( online [accessed on March 25, 2014] Neugefasst by Bek August 19, 2011 I 1813. Last amended by Art. 2 Paragraph 5 G of April 8, 2013 I 730). )
  8. ↑ According to the Soldier Career Ordinance , the rank of corporal does not have to be passed. In practice, this rank is usually also held by candidate officers. Reserve officer candidates do not have to hold the rank of senior ensign (or senior midshipman for the sea ) and often skip this rank. The ranks of Hauptgefreiter , Stabsgefreiter , Oberstabsgefreiter , Stabsunteroffizier , Oberfeldwebel , Stabsfeldwebel and Oberstabsfeldwebel (and corresponding ranks for naval uniform bearers) can also be held by candidate officers. In practice, however, this tends to be the exception. Usually these are soldiers who only later switched from a career in the career group of the men or the NCOs to one of the career paths of the officers.
  9. ↑ According to the Soldiers' Career Ordinance , promotion to private after three months, corporal after six months, ensign after twelve months, ensign after 21 months, senior midshipman after 30 months and to lieutenant after 36 months (also for corresponding ranks for naval uniforms) ). Lower requirements are placed on the length of service and corresponding deadlines for reserve officer candidates. However, they are on an equal footing with active soldiers insofar as promotions are only permitted after a period of time that is assumed as a minimum period of service in an active employment relationship.
  10. ↑ In individual cases, the Federal Office for Personnel Management of the Bundeswehr decides on the date of promotion to the next higher officer candidate rank.
  11. ↑ In the Soldiers' Career Ordinance , these two training phases are not mentioned as a prerequisite for promotion. Only corresponding minimum periods of service are required there. In practice, however, the completion of the courses mentioned in the army is a decisive criterion for promotion
  12. ↑ According to the Soldier Career Ordinance , reserve officer candidates do not have to hold the rank of senior ensign (or senior ensign in the sea ) and often skip this rank. The Ranks Staff Sergeant , Sergeant , First Sergeant and Sergeant Major (and corresponding grades for Navy Uniform) can also be performed by cadets. In practice, however, this tends to be the exception. Usually these are soldiers who only later switched from a career in the career group of NCOs to one of the careers of officers in the military-technical service.
  13. ↑ According to the Soldier Career Ordinance , promotion to ensign after 24 months and to lieutenant after 36 months can take place (also for corresponding ranks for naval uniforms). If the career change took place in the rank of staff sergeant or sergeant, evidence of at least one year of service in this rank must be provided before further promotion can take place (also for corresponding ranks for naval uniform wearers).
  14. ↑ If you are taken on as a non-commissioned officer (then Fahnenjunker) or staff non-commissioned officer (also for corresponding ranks for naval uniform wearers), a reduction of up to 12 months is only possible.
  15. ↑ In the careers of the troop service, according to the Soldiers' Career Ordinance, service completed up to one year can be credited to the training period before starting the career; In the careers of the military technical service, the training can be up to 18 months shorter if previous service time is taken into account.
  16. ↑ The Army Aviation Troops provide most of the officers in the military service .
  17. ↑ Does not apply to medical officer candidates. According to ZDv 37/10, instead of the starfish, depending on the direction of approval, they wear different versions of the Aesculapian staff in the same color and design as the rank badges as career badges instead of the usage badges .
  18. ↑ Also applies to military music officer candidates.
  19. ↑ The same applies to the shoulder straps of the society suit , the silver instead of old gold are piped. The slip-on loops for senior middlemen in army and air force uniform are therefore the same as the slip-on loops for sergeant-major ; the silver pull-over loop further distinguishes officer candidates and sergeant-major.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Ordinance on the Careers of Soldiers (Soldiers' Careers Ordinance - SLV) . March 19, 2002 ( online [accessed on March 25, 2014] revised by notice of August 19, 2011 I 1813. Last amended by Art. 2 Par. 5 G of April 8, 2013 I 730).
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h The Federal Minister of Defense ; Personnel, Social and Central Affairs Department (Ed.): ZDv 20/7. Provisions for the transport and for the recruitment, acceptance and admission of soldiers . Bonn March 27, 2002, Art. 635 ( PDF ( memento of October 26, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) [accessed on March 26, 2014] DSK AP210100187, reprint January 2008). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.reservisten.bundeswehr.de
  3. ↑ cf. Officer candidate, who. In: Duden . Bibliographisches Institut GmbH, 2013, accessed on November 9, 2014 . and officer cadet who. In: Duden . Bibliographisches Institut GmbH, 2013, accessed on November 9, 2014 .
  4. ↑ cf. Art. 1, The Federal President (Ed.): Order of the Federal President on the rank designations and the uniform of the soldiers . BPresUnifAnO. July 14, 1978 ( gesetze-im-internet.de [PDF] Order of the Federal President on the rank designations and uniforms of soldiers from July 14, 1978 ( Federal Law Gazette I p. 1067 ), last amended by Article 1 of the order of 31. May 1996 ( BGBl. I p. 746 ) has been changed).
  5. ↑ Note also: Annex (to § 3). Allocation of the career paths of the soldiers to the career groups of the men and women, the NCOs and the officers
  6. ^ Sending ZDv 37/10 with attachments. In: FragDenStaat.de . Open Knowledge Foundation Germany , April 13, 2014, accessed on August 4, 2014 (request in accordance with IFG / UIG / VIG . The BMVg's response includes ZDv 37/10 as of January 27, 2014 and additions 01 / - and 02 / 2014). In detail:
    1. Hartmut Bagger , Headquarters of the Armed Forces I 3, Federal Ministry of Defense , SKA DvZentraleBw (Ed.): ZDv 37/10. Suit regulations for soldiers in the Bundeswehr . July 1996. Reprint from October 2008. DSK F110100003. Bonn , Euskirchen January 27, 2014, p. 293 ( digitized version [PDF; 3.1 MB ; accessed on August 4, 2014] Reprint October 2008 replaces first edition from July 1996; last changed on January 27, 2014 (change no. 7) by SKA DvZentraleBw).
    2. Inner Guidance Center . Department of Law and Military Order (Ed.): Supplement / amendment 01/2014 to ZDv 37/10 . Koblenz January 28, 2014, p. 16 ( digital version [PDF; 3.1 MB ; accessed on August 4, 2014]).
    3. Inner Guidance Center . Department of Law and Military Order (Ed.): Addition / amendment 02/2014 to ZDv 37/10 . Koblenz April 28, 2014, p. 30 ( digital version [PDF; 3.1 MB ; accessed on August 4, 2014]).
  7. ↑ a b Hartmut Bagger , Command Staff of the Armed Forces I 3, Federal Ministry of Defense (Ed.): ZDv 37/10. Suit regulations for soldiers in the Bundeswehr . July 1996. Reprint from October 2008. Bonn July 16, 2008, 4 labels, p. 539 ( digitized version [PDF; 3.5 MB ] Reprint October 2008 replaces first edition from July 1996). Digitized version ( memento from September 19, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  8. ^ Agreed English texts. STANAG 2116 . NATO standardization agreement (STANAG) . NATO codes for grades of military personnel. 5th edition. 1992 (English, NATO Rank Codes - 1992 [accessed March 25, 2014]).

Web links

Wiktionary: Officer candidates  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations