The Allgemeine SS was the administrative and non-combatant division of Hitler's Schutzstaffel. However, these SS officers were appointed into the Sicherheitsdienst, or the SS security service. The SD officers reported directly to Reinhard Heydrich, and were tasked with intelligence gathering and state protection. The SS recruited men who either joined the Nazi Party during its beginning, or from locals who even needed a job. These officers were usually equipped with only a sidearm.