Heer What's a O - A Lehrgang

[AlecH]

Hi Everyone,

Researching a infantry officier's photoalbum, a page of six photos is titled O-A Lehrgang, I've researched a number of Wehrpasses which have different Lehrgänge entered in them, never come across this particular one. Do any members have any knowledge?

Regards

[GRA]

Hello AlecH!

O.-A. = Officer Candidate, thus Officer Candidate's School (or something along those lines). As you can see on the photo, the man is an NCO, presumably an officer cadet. To my knowledge, the OA abbreviation is still used in the Bundeswehr to denote an Officer Candidate, the NCO Candidate of equal rank is an UA.

/Jonas

[AlecH]

Hi Jonas,

Thanks for your post, reading it, a couple of things have fallen into place O-A could well be Officer Ausbildung i.e. Officer Training. I did ask a couple of old time Bundeswehr soldiers about the abbrievations O-A, unfortunately the didn't know, possibly as conscripted soldiers doing 18 months service they never got on the promotion ladder and would have no idea concerning different training courses. Thanks anyway for your trouble, its one less unknown put to bed.

Regards

[speedytop]

Hi AlecH,

it is definitely Offizieranwärter-Lehrgang =officer canditate course on an officer candidate school.

In the Bundeswehr it is short OA for an "Offizieranwärter" in addition to a rank, e.g. Gefreiter (OA):

http://de.wikipedia....rsanw%C3%A4rter

Uwe

[AlecH]

Hi Uwe,

That seems to confirm everything, thanks for your post.

Regards

[aubagne98]

the NCO Candidate of equal rank is an UA.

Since a few years there is a new one.

FA = Feldwebel-Anwaerter.

It was introduced to make the NCO´s carrier more interesting for young soldiers.

You will be Feldwebel after three years service.

UA was a longer way.

First you was UA, than Gefreiter UA , maybe Obergefreiter or HG UA, than UA mbL (mit bestandenem Lehrgang, completed succesful NCO´s school) than Unteroffizier and Stabsunteroffizier.

This took 3-5 years.

After that, if you had good certifications you were send to the Feldwebel-Lehrgang, after compelting it succesful you were waiting to be promoted to feldwebel.

I know a guy who was 4 years Stabsunteroffizier, because there was no possible position for him to get Feldwebel. He left Bundeswehr after 8 years aas Stabsunteroffizier whit the paygrade of a Feldwebel, but without the chrevron.

Now the FA insures you that you will be Feldwebel after three years.

The equivalent to the Navy is BA, Bootsmann-Anwaerter.

The FA shows a golden cord, smiliar the silver one for OA.

The BA shows a second UA chevron.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feldwebelanw%C3%A4rter

[aubagne98]

UA mbL (mit bestandenem Lehrgang, completed succesful NCO´s school)

http://www.survival.de/media/images/produkte/rangschlaufen/bw_kordel3_gross.jpg

http://home.arcor.de/matthias-schmitz/Dienstgrade_der_Bundeswehr_auf_Feldanzuegen_ect.pdf

Look at page 4 at 4. Besonderheiten, the second epaulette.

http://www.marine.de/portal/a/marine/service/lexikon/lexikon_r?yw_contentURL=/01DB070000000001/W26W7F53004INFODE/content.jsp

[AlecH]

Hi,

Thanks everyone for your posts.

Regards