I__. - International Military Testing Association

From a technical point of view, there are no major differences between the
courses of studies provided at the two Federal Armed Forces universities and the
corresponding courses provided at civilian universities. Just like there,
studies are completed by taking the diploma examination. Students who pass the
examination successfully are conferred an academic degree, such as “Diplomingenieur”
.
Concept and Conduct of the Study-
In 1983 the Federal Minister of Defense assigned to the Federal Armed Forces
Institute of Social Sciences the task of conducting a study on the opportunities
and problems involved in the transition of officers with extended periods of
enlistment to the civilian working life. The study was to consider both officers
who completed a course of studies at the Federal Armed Forces universities and
temporary-career volunteers with an extended period of enlistment who left the
Federal Armed Forces at the end of their service without an academic education,
as well as jet pilots and weapons system operators who retired from service when
reaching the age of 41.
The study was designed as what is called a panel survey, i.e.; all the officers
with an extended period of enlistment who left the armed forces in 1984 and 1985
were questioned for the first time when retiring from active service, and a
second time three and a half years later using a standardized questionnaire. The
results given now in this presentation have been obtained from the second survey
among the retired officers. This second survey was conducted in late 1987
through early 1989 and included almost 60 % of all temporary-career volunteers
with a twelve years period of enlistment, as well as the pilots who left the
Federal Armed Forces in 1984 and 1985.
Results
If taking for granted that the results obtained are representative of officers
with an extended period of enlistment who have retired from active service, we
may say that those who graduated from a Federal Armed Forces university have
managed to become integrated into the civilian working life.
. Using the answers obtained from the officers as a basis, we may permit ourselves
to state that the majority of university graduates had no major difficulties in
adapting themselves to the demands made in the civilian sphere, and that they
were successful in their subsequent civilian careers. Except for pedagogics it
is obvious that all courses of studies provided at the Federal Armed Forces universities
may well be said to pave the way also for a civilian career.
Owing to the fact that the situation on the labor market was extremely unfavorable,
it was difficult for those who graduated in pedagogics to find a civilian
occupation closely related to their field of studies in the Federal Republic
of Germany. The fact that they nevertheless managed to find occupations, even
though many times outside the field of pedagogics, testifies to the flexibility
and adaptability of these officers.
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