How do I become a Luftwaffe Officer? - Webpage 3



Officers of the Paratroopers

The Officers of the Paratroopers are trained as parchutists. Afterwards they receive special training and are reassigned to various branches of the service.

Caption above photograph reads: Paratroopers - Prove their worth wherever they go!


Caption under photograph reads: Hermann Göring Tank Division


Caption under photograph reads: During an Inspection

The Officers of the Hermann Göring Tank Division

After being evaluated the Officers of the Hermann Göring Tank Division may be assigned to various assignments within this service division.


Caption under photograph reads: He's not hurting him - he's just helping him.

The Medical Officers

The career path for medical officers is open to military physicians. The duty of the medical offier is to provide medical care and supervision of the troops to the broadest extent of the term. They further extend themselves to providing medical care for the soldier's family members. They stand within the highest ranks of the administrative and organizational system supervising field hospitals, research facilities, etc.

They are not assigned to any particular branch of the service. The medical officer can be assigned to Flight Troops, Flak Artillery and Communications as well as Paratroopers and the Hermann Göring Tank Division.

Only practitioners of medicine, who are already well aware of this high calling, can become medical officers in the Air Force. They must have deep interest in the activities of the medical profession, a desire and


love for the duties of an officer and an enthusiast attitude for the Air Force.

Assignment to the medical officer career path requires inspection of diplomas; example, schools and medical training (mostly this latter.)

The Branch Colors
Colors on the collar patch and the shoulder strap):
   a) Flight Troops and Flight Ground Troops - yellow
   b) Flak Artillery - pink
   c) Communications - golden brown
   d) Paratroopers - yellow
   e) Herman Göring Tank Division - white
   f) Air Force Construction Crews - black
   g) Medical Troops - dark blue

Caption under photograph reads: Sea Rescue Plane


How do I become an officer in the Air Force?

A. Troop Officer
   (Career officers of all service branches --
    including aviation engineering officers and medical officers)

1. Overall Requirements

Active officers (career officers) join the Air force as volunteers. They must commit themselves to unlimited time of service in the armed forces. Only those thoroughly dedicated to the ideals of career officer status; that is, only those truly bound to soldiering and who are ready to place body and soul in the service of the Führer, the people, and the fatherland, shall be chosen for this life calling. It takes real men to be teachers of defense tactics and leaders in battle. They must stand out by virtue of their character, soldierly comportment and military aptitude and they must compel their subordinates to obey their commands.

Experiences in wartime have proven that only a superior corps of officers can fulfill set military requirements.

2. Individual Conditions for Enlistment and Requirements

a) All young German men may enlist as candidates for the active officer career path.

b) Attendance and completion in specific school curricula is not required except for engineering and medical officer career paths.

Besides technical accuity and good mathematical and scientific background the following is required for the engineering officer career path:
      A diploma or equivalent form of certification from a high school or equivalent instructional facility, or,


Caption next to photograph reads: The first takeoff...

a certificate attesting to proof of ability to study the technical sciences.

In addition the engineering officer career path may include flight training:

Applicants who have taken specific exams, graduates of accredited technical colleges which are qualified because they follow the curriculum laid out by the Reichs Minister of Education for study in the field of aircraft construction and machine building.

Study of the appropriate classes in construction and engineering in the Donau and Alpine Country Reich Schools, in the Sudentland, in the district of Kattowitz and the Industrial Schools of the Bohemian and Moravian Protectorates.

Requirements for the medical officer career path are:

Certification, such as a current diploma or pre-semester certificate from an institution of higher learning or proof of acceptance into a study program. Further medical study certification of previous medical preliminary examination.

c) Proof of German citizenship (allegiance to the Reich); bring along police confirmation of German citizenship for the protectorate, the general government and for the newly annexed regions in the east, west and south. This includes settlers coming from these areas.


d) Pure Aryan blood.

e) Verbal and written mastery of the German language.

f) Deemed medically able to serve.

g) Readiness to apply for membership in the National Socialist Party
    of Germany under its leader and ready for active
    membership within the party.

h) Positive attitude towards career as an officer

i) Appreciation for the character of our leader and
    exemplary character traits such as the ability
    to comprehend and develop good spiritual habits,
    a fine grasp of general knowledge,
    and sound physical ability.

Caption under photograph reads: Who knows this model?

j) Fit for military service and
    unconditional fitness for Air Force career officer
    service (including the engineering career path.)
    For paratrooper service besides unconditional
    fitness to parachute jump


Go to pages 30-39

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Imaging and translation by Susan Kriegbaum-Hanks