Thomas Ernst (Admiral)

Thomas Ernst (2010)

Thomas Josef Ernst (* 1956 ) is a flotilla admiral out of service in the German Navy and his last assignment was a defense attaché in the military attaché staff in Washington, DC ( USA ).

Military career

Training and first uses

In 1976, after graduating from high school, Thomas Ernst joined the German Navy as an officer candidate and member of Crew VII / 76. From 1977 to 1980 he studied electrical engineering at the University of the Bundeswehr in Munich .

After graduation, he completed a three-year training course to become a jet pilot officer, mostly in the USA. After retraining for the aircraft type PA 200 Tornado in Cottesmore, Great Britain , he began his career as a naval aviator with Marinefliegergeschwader 1 in Jagel in 1984 .

From 1989 to 1991 Ernst was used as a student department group leader at the Helmut Schmidt University . Then took part from 1991 to 1993 at the École Supérieure de Guerre Naval in Paris in the admiral staff training.

Service as a staff officer

After his return to Germany in 1993, he led the 1st squadron of Marinefliegergeschwader 2 in Eggebek as a squadron captain . After an interim assignment as a personnel manager in the Federal Ministry of Defense, Ernst took over the flying group as commander in Eggebek in 1998. From 2000 to 2002 another assignment followed in the Federal Ministry of Defense , this time as an adjutant to the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr in Berlin . After being promoted to sea captain in 2002, Ernst took over the management of the military policy department at SACLANT headquarters in Norfolk, VA for three years . From 2005 to 2007 he was head of department in the personnel department of the Federal Ministry of Defense in Bonn. Then he was office manager at State Secretary Wichert until 2010 .

Service as an admiral

In 2010 Ernst took over the management of the Mürwik Naval School . During this deployment he served from May 2010 to January 2011 as Deputy Commander (DCOM) of EU NAVFOR Atalanta at the EU Operational Headquarters in Northwood, UK.

From July 2013 to June 2016 he was Commander, Maritime Air (COMMARAIR) and Deputy Chief of Staff Maritime Air for NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) at the Maritime Headquarters Northwood / GBR.

Since September 1, 2016, Ernst has been a Defense Attaché on the Military Attaché Staff in Washington, DC He handed this position over to Brigadier General Frank Graefe in September 2019 and retired in October 2019 after 43 years of service.

See also

• List of commanders of the naval school (Kiel and Mürwik)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Personnel changes in top military and civilian positions - September 2016. In: Personal - About us. Bundeswehr, September 6, 2016, accessed on September 6, 2016 . 
2. ↑ Personnel changes in top military and civilian positions. April 13, 2010, accessed July 5, 2016 . 
3. ↑ Commander Maritime Air. Archived from the original on June 14, 2015 ; Retrieved July 5, 2016 . 
4. ↑ Personnel changes in top military and civilian positions. July 10, 2013, accessed July 5, 2016 . 
5. ↑ Personnel changes in top military and civilian positions - September 2019. In: https://www.personal.bundeswehr.de . Press and information staff in the BmVg, October 8, 2019, accessed on October 13, 2019 .