"The National People's Army (German: Nationale Volksarmee, pronounced [ˌnat͡si̯oˈnaːlə ˈfɔlksʔaʁˌmeː] (listen), NVA, German: [ɛn faʊ̯ ˈʔaː] (listen)) was the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990.
The NVA was organized into four branches: the Landstreitkräfte (Ground Forces), the Volksmarine (Navy), the Luftstreitkräfte (Air Force), and the Grenztruppen (Border Troops). The NVA belonged to the Ministry of National Defence and commanded by the National Defense Council of East Germany, headquartered in Strausberg 30 kilometers (19 mi) east of East Berlin. From 1962, conscription was mandatory for all GDR males aged between 18 and 60 requiring an 18-month service, and it was the only Warsaw Pact military to offer non-combat roles to conscientious objectors, known as "construction soldiers" (Bausoldat). The NVA reached 175,300 personnel at its peak in 1987." - (en.wikipedia.org 21.12.2020)
