 Upon arrival, Scharff began in the Camp Office—Reception (COR) and was eventually promoted by the Chief of the Fighter Interrogation Section, Captain Horst H. "Big Chief" Barth, to assistant interrogation officer of the American Fighters section responsible for the 8th and 9th Air Forces.It was during his training as an assistant interrogation officer that Scharff claims he learned his interrogation techniques through observation; he was never formally trained.He assisted two USAAF Fighter interrogators named Weyland and Schröder.