The Ministry of Defense was headed by Colonel General (Generaloberst) Willi Stoph, who was also minister of the interior.

Concurrent with the establishment of the NVA as a legal entity was a return to public manifestations of German military traditions, with the addition of socialist elements.

New uniforms, whose cut but not colour (stone grey) were far closer to those of German World War II forces than to Soviet models, were introduced.

Only the helmet represented a radical departure from World War II, but here too the design differed from the Soviet model.

The swift creation of the NVA as a force of more than 120,000 officers and other ranks practicing Prussian-style drill was a dramatic gesture of nationalism that was impossible for the world to ignore.

Garrisoned and trained in battalion-size units, they were capable of carrying out police tasks and other security functions.

In the mid-1980s, its complement of about 4,200 personnel had a military-to-civilian ratio of approximately three to one, in contrast to comparable Western ministries or departments that generally have a much higher proportion of civilian employees.

People's Navy Command (German: Kommando Volksmarine) was based in Rostock-Gehlsdorf emerged from the administration of the naval forces.

It was led by the Chief of the Naval Forces Command/Marine People (German: Chefs des Kommandos Seestreitkräfte/ Volksmarine).

The Command GDR border troops (German: Kommando Grenztruppen der DDR) was based in Pätz.

It was led by the Chief of the GDR border troops command (German: Chefs des Kommandos Grenztruppen der DDR).

The Technology and Armament Department (German: Bereich Technik und Bewaffnung), was led by the Chief of the range equipment and armament (German: Chefs des Bereiches Technik und Bewaffnung).

Content of these agreements was the preferred treatment of the army in the food issue, to entering and use of forests and open spaces in the GDR.