People´s Army of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany)

[Sempai]

A unit of paratroopers of the GDR...

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/Sempai2008/nva-fallschirmj.jpg

A mechanized crew...

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/Sempai2008/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-85455-0001_Be.jpg

...and some words of Siegfried Weiß the vice minister of national defence at this time.

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/Sempai2008/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-2008-0118-502.jpg

[Sempai]

I´m not sure, but I think it´s the second celebration day of the NVA.

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/Sempai2008/GDR/nvajubilaeum2_v-gallery.jpg

Crossing a river as our fathers, uncles and grandfathers did in WW2. :)

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/Sempai2008/GDR/nva-sturmboot.jpg

[Sempai]

Men of the undersea divers of the GDR. They was the absolute elite of the people´s army.

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/Sempai2008/GDR/2078279193_db6a08353c_b.jpg

Paratroopers take a little bridge during a training scenario.

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/Sempai2008/GDR/stellung.jpg

Preparing for a jump.

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/Sempai2008/GDR/prepare2.jpg

One of the planes which carries paratroopers to their missions. I jumped out of such a type as I did my first jump.

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/Sempai2008/GDR/annab.jpg

Group-jumping.

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/Sempai2008/GDR/sprung.jpg

Paratroopers after landing going forward to their designated target.

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/Sempai2008/GDR/trupp.jpg

A paratrooper in position.

http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w356/Sempai2008/GDR/tarnung.jpg

[ACSpectre]

Being a former Airborne Soldier, I love the paratrooper pics.

Excellent, Sempai.

[Sempai]

Thanks mate! I have many more pictures but I don´t know of all if I have permission to post it. But what I find and if I´m sure I have permission to post I´ll do it. I´ll try to write a history with pics and stories of the NVA here if I have time therefor. I think many of You guys will surprised of the parallels between/of NVA and Wehrmacht.

Greetings from Germany! :)

[Louis]

Forgive the ignorance, Sempai, but this has something to do with the Bundeswehr?

[Sempai]

Yes and no, Louis. The NVA was the former direct opponent for the Bundeswehr. NVA was the military/armed forces of the GDR (German Democratic Republic - East Germany). GDR was the part of Germany which was the former soviet zone of occupation. After the fall of the wall all soldiers who wasn´t forced to retire became part of the Bundeswehr. Just like the war technique.
The Bundeswehr was and is the armed forces of the FRG (Federal Republic of Germany - West Germany). FRG was the part of Germany which was the former west allied occupied zone. After the "reunion" of Germany the GDR was took over by the FRG. That´s rough the official version of the history.

Greetings

[Louis]

I understand that the Bundeswehr is the armed force in Germany today?

[Sempai]

Yes Louis, that´s right. :)