From 1955 to 1958 he completed flight officer training at the flying school of Bautzen; he then was reported the flight squadron 7; from 1961 to 1964 he visited the Military Academy in Dresden; his next station was the fighter squadron 9, where he served from 1964 to 1973; from 1973 to 1977 he was head of the instructor department for fighter pilots in the Airforce Command; from 1977 to 1980 he was deputy commander for fighter pilots of the 1st Airborne Defense Division in Cottbus and from 1983 to 1985 Commander of the 3rd Airborne Defense Division in Trollenhagen; between this assignments he visited the USSR General Staff Academy; since 1988 Lieutenant General, GDR Airforce; from 1986 to 1989 he was Deputy Chief of the Airforce and Chief of Staff, from 1989 to 1990 he was the Chief of Airforce; when Germany was reunited he lost his job; one of four GDR candidates for a Soyuz mission; but not selected.