Petty Officer School

The Petty Officer School (POS) in Plön in Schleswig-Holstein trains – as its name implies – the Navy's petty officers (OR-5 and OR-6).   In keeping with the motto 'train the trainer', its courses focus on the soldiers’ theoretical and practical qualification as military superiors.

The practical subjects at POS include leadership, drill, as well as planning and conducting training courses. Theoretical instruction encompasses, among other things, military law, political education and general soldierly action. Training Group A, the School’s training group responsible for these subjects, also conducts special training courses such as follow-on training seminars and practical action training for petty officers (OR-6).

In addition to these career courses, POS, like the other Navy schools, conducts basic military training. In parallel to their career courses, recruits undergo either the so-called Basic Training Shipboard or the Basic Training Ashore from day one of their service – depending on whether their future professional assignment will take them on a ship, boat or a shore-based facility. For these training courses, Training Group B is responsible. It also conducts the so-called non-theatre-specific training. This general preparation for possible deployments abroad includes subjects such as small arms firing practice and protecting own vessels in foreign ports.

And in addition, the Navy's cooks learn their craft at the School. Just like an army marches on its stomach, Navy sailors also need catering – a task more challenging at sea than on land.