Fähnrichschüler

Fähnrichschüler (FRS) were German Democratic Republic soldiers who were in training for a career as Fähnrich in the Bewaffnete Organe der DDR. The two-year training was offered in the National People's Army, the Border Troops and in parts of the Ministry for State Security.

Fähnrich
Mark of the FRS
Rank insignia	NPA Fänrich rank
Introduction	c.1973
Rank group	Fähnrichs
Army, Air Force, Navy	Fähnrich
NATO equivalent	WO-1/E-8

Training

The Fähnrichkorps, was supposed to provide highly specialized "long service members" below the officer level and close a skills gap in the technical careers. While NCOs had the Meisterabschluss Meisterprüfung, the officers completed their training at the Offiziershochschulen der DDR with a Diplom in engineering, military science, or social sciences. For Fähnriche of the NVA a specialized technical education was aimed for.

First advanced senior NCOs, usually in the rank of Stabsfeldwebel, were promoted to the rank of Fähnrich, even without them having a specialist technical college qualification. This allowed them to retain specialists who would otherwise have retired after their ten years of service.

Later, only Fähnrichschüler could be appointed Fähnrich if they had successfully completed a two-year training course at a military technical school or an Offiziershochschulen of the GDR. This training was carried out partly within the branch of the armed forces the person was serving in, for example, for the NVA Air Forces this was carried out at the Militärtechnische Schule der Luftstreitkräfte/Luftverteidigung „Harry Kuhn“. During this training, the soldiers wore Fähnrichschüler ranks that corresponded to their service branch.

Development after 1989/90

After German reunification in October 1990, the remaining Fähnrichschüler, similar to the Offiziersschülern, were initially taken into the Bundeswehr and kept until 1992 (Offiziersschülern until 1993) to successively complete their diplomas.[1]

Rank insignia

	Air Force, land forces, and border troops					Volksmarine
Colour	Tank troops		Air Force		Field suit	Navy
	1. Studienjahr	2. Studienjahr	1./2. Studienjahr		2. Studienjahr	1. Studienjahr	2. Studienjahr
	1st Year Student	2nd Year Student	1st/2nd Year Student		2nd Year Student	1st Year Student	2nd Year Student
rank	WO-1

⇒ see main article Ranks of the National People's Army ⇒ see main article Corps colours (NPA)

(NPA rank) Fähnrichschüler

senior rank Fähnrich

See also

• Glossary of German military terms
• Warrant officer (United States)

References

1. www.ddr-luftwaffe.de (PDF; 307 kB)