service requirement for various other reasons. The most frequent reason for exoneration was a medical exemption (). All conscripts, including conscientious objectors but excluding those exempt for other reasons, had to attend a medical examination () at the local county draft bureau (). Those who did not fulfill certain standards did not have to serve, either in the military or in a civilian service. Delinquents sentenced to more than a year or charged with a felony against peace, democracy, the state, or state security were not drafted for military service. Priests were not drafted. Another provision exonerated everyone from military service who had two siblings who had already served. The same was true for men whose fathers, mothers, or siblings died in military or civil service. Men who were married, living in a registered civil union, or had children were also free to choose. Workers performing tasks in areas of important public interest could be exempted from military service on request. This mostly applied to policemen, career firefighters, and specialists in telecommunication or engineering services. Alternative services to Zivildienst Another alternative was to become a foreign "development helper" ("Entwicklungshelfer"), which means that the person would be expected to work in a technical capacity in a recognized "developing country" for a period of not less than two years. To qualify for this option, the candidate had to meet the requests of the chosen agency which includes formal vocational training or an educational program that grants a recognized qualification in a marketable skill making him a useful asset in a developing host country. Many men who chose this option, become so engrossed in the developmental needs of such countries that they stayed abroad many years longer than the legal requirement. The disproportionately high percentage of German nationals found in many international aid, conservation, medical and technical assistance organizations active in developing countries may be directly attributable to this trend. Women and undrafted men may have opted in to serve one year of voluntary service in a social or environmental institution, called "Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr" (FSJ) and "Freiwilliges Ökologisches Jahr" (FÖJ), respectively. It was not a real alternative to military service, but for most practical purposes identical to the civilian alternative service that conscientious objectors were required to serve. This included social security coverage for the term of service and might have given the young attendee a direction for their later career as