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East Germany Uniforms, Decorations, and Insignia
With the exception of the People's Navy, whose dark-blue
uniforms follow the style of the majority of navies around the
world, all NVA services and the Border Troops wear the same basic
uniform adopted in 1956 when the NVA was officially established.
Several improvements have been made since that time, but the
style and cut remain fundamentally the same. There are various
kinds of uniforms, worn according to the work or social situation
and differing in material for summer or winter wear. Most
uniforms--service, semidress, and parade--are stone gray, a
brownish-gray color that is conspicuously different from the
gray-green of the People's Police uniform.
Several basic categories of uniforms--field
(Felddienstuniform), service (Dienstuniform),
semidress (Ausgangsuniform), parade
(Paradeuniform), and fatigue (Arbeitsuniform)--are
worn. The better quality and texture of the cloth in officers'
uniforms distinguish them from the uniforms of enlisted
personnel. The field and service uniforms are normal attire in
garrison and for most other duty activities.
In summer, the field uniform consists of a jacket and
trousers with a dark-brown raindrop camouflage pattern on a
stone-gray background. The uniform is worn with a field cap,
service cap, or steel helmet; high black boots; and a leather
belt with vertical web shoulder suspenders. In winter, a quilted
stone-gray padded suit without a camouflage pattern is worn over
the service uniform. The winter uniform also includes a fur pile
cap or a steel helmet, boots, knitted gray gloves, belt, and
suspenders.
The summer service uniform for officers features a bloused
jacket, worn without a shirt, trousers, and a visored service
cap. In winter, a service jacket with four large patch pockets
with button-down tabs, worn with a black belt, the service cap,
breeches, shirt, tie, belt, and high boots are provided for
officers and NCOs. For winter, there also is a long, heavy,
belted overcoat.
The semidress uniform, except in details, is the same for all
ranks and is worn on off-duty or off-post occasions. It includes
the service cap, jacket, long trousers, and black low-quarter
shoes. The single-breasted jacket is worn without a belt, with a
silver-gray shirt and a dark-gray tie. Officers may wear the
jacket with a white shirt. During periods of warm summer weather,
either the shirt and tie or the jacket may be omitted.
The parade uniform for officers is the semidress jacket worn
with all authorized awards and decorations, breeches and riding
boots, steel helmet, white shirt, dark-gray necktie, and a
ceremonial dagger on the left side, fastened to a silver-gray
parade belt. Officers in guards of honor carry sabers. In winter,
overcoat and gloves are worn.
Seasonal considerations and weather govern the kind of
fatigue, or work, uniform worn. Generally, reconditioned items of
service clothing--field, semidress, and winter padded
uniforms--are dyed black and issued for all kinds of fatigue and
maintenance details. Coveralls are also used by the lower ranks,
especially armor and air force personnel. Officers in technical
branches supervising fatigue details wear a laboratory-style
smock.
Other kinds of NVA uniforms exist as well. High-ranking
officers occasionally wear white uniforms, and staff officers are
supplied with staff service uniforms. Women service members have
their own uniforms--jackets, skirts or slacks, blouses, caps,
boots or pumps, and other appropriate items in accordance with
the season and the occasion. Paratroopers, motorcyclists, tank
personnel, and others have special items of apparel. The uniform
of the Border Troops is distinguished from that of the NVA ground
force and Air Force/Air Defense Force by a green armband with
large silver letters identifying the wearer's affiliation.
East German armed forces personnel display rank insignia on
shoulder boards or shoulder loops on service, semidress, and
parade uniforms, and subdued sleeve insignia midway between the
shoulder and elbow on the left sleeve of the field uniform,
coveralls, or other special uniforms. General officer rank is
denoted by five-pointed silver stars mounted on a gold and silver
braided shoulder cord set on a bright red base. All other
officers and NCOs wear a four-pointed star
(see
fig. 16;
fig. 17).
The regime has some seventy decorations for persons or groups
it wishes to recognize, and it bestows them liberally. Some, such
as battle decorations, are specifically set aside for armed
forces personnel, many may be awarded to soldiers and civilians
alike, and others, although ordinarily civilian awards, can on
occasion be earned by those on military duty. The latter group
includes decorations for achievement in the arts, literature,
production, and work methods. They may be awarded to service
personnel or specific units that have participated in civil
production projects or assisted during harvesting.
The Order of Karl Marx, Order of Merit, Star of People's
Friendship, Banner of Labor, Order of Scharnhorst, Order for
Service to the Fatherland, and the National Prize are among the
more important awards. Some, including the Order of Merit and the
Star of People's Friendship, are awarded in three classes. A few
are accompanied by substantial monetary premiums. Unlike the
Bundeswehr of West Germany, the NVA does not permit military
personnel to wear Wehrmacht awards and decorations.
Data as of July 1987
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