Feldwebel

Template:Short description Template:Italic title (Fw or F, Template:Literally) is a non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in several countries. The rank originated in Germany, and is also used in Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. The rank has also been used in Russia, Austria-Hungary, occupied Serbia and Bulgaria.

is a contraction of meaning 'field' and , an archaic word meaning 'usher'. comes from the Old High German , meaning to go back and forth (as in 'wobble').

There are variations on , such as Oberstabsfeldwebel ('Superior Staff Field Usher'), which is the highest non-commissioned rank in the German army and air force.

in different languages

The rank is used in several countries: Template:Langx, Template:Langx, Template:Langx, Template:Langx and Template:Langx.

In Swiss German the spelling is used.

in different countries and armed forces

Austria

was a typical infantry rank of the k.u.k. Austro-Hungarian Army (1867–1918). It might have been comparable to NCO-rank OR8./ Company Sergeant-major ranks in the British Army.

In the k.u.k. Austro-Hungarian Army was equivalent to:

• (Master-Blacksmith 1st class) cavalry,
• Feuerwerker (Master-Sergeant, Template:Lit) artillery,
• Oberjaeger (Master-Sergeant) of the mountain troops and rifles,
• (Fiscal sergeant 1st class),
• (Regimental bugler),
• (Regimental drummer),
• Wachtmeister (Master-Sergeant) cavalry,
• (Weapon master 1st class) artillery and weapon arsenal,
  • (Master-Sergeant – volunteer serving one year), and
  • (Cadet-Master-Sergeant).

The rank insignia was a gorget patch on the stand-up collar of the so-called Waffenrock (tunic), and consisted of three white stars on 13 mm ragged yellow silk galloon. The gorget patch and the stand-up collar showed the particular Waffenfarbe (corps colour).

Examples (selection)

Designation	Non-commissioned officers OR8/ ranks
	File:K.u.k. Feuerwerker.PNG	File:K.u.k. Wachtmeister.png	File:Oberjäger k.k. Gebrigstruppe 1907-18.png	File:K.u.k. Feldwebel.png	File:Feldwebel des k.u.k. Militärwachkorps.png
Rank insignia
Rank description
Branch	Artillery	Cavalry	Mountain infantry	Infantry
(English)	(Artillery Master-Sergeant)	(Cavalry Master-Sergeant)	(Rifle Master-Sergeant)	(Master-Sergeant)	(Master-Sergeant mil. guards)

Bulgaria

In the Bulgarian army, (pronounced ) existed from the late 19th century to the late 1940s, when the German-type military organization was phased out in favor of a new doctrine, identical to the Soviet one.

Estonia

The Estonian rank of is derived from the name of the German rank .

NATO code	OR-9		OR-8	OR-7	OR-6
Estonian
Template:Army	File:Estonia-Army-OR-9b.svg	File:Estonia-Army-OR-9a.svg	File:Estonia-Army-OR-8.svg	File:Estonia-Army-OR-7.svg	File:Estonia-Army-OR-6.svg
	Sergeant major of the Land Forces	Sergeant major	Master sergeant	Sergeant first class	Staff sergeant
Template:Country data Estonia	File:Estonia-Navy-OR-9b.svg	File:Estonia-Navy-OR-9a.svg	File:Estonia-Navy-OR-8.svg	File:Estonia-Navy-OR-7.svg	File:Estonia-Navy-OR-6.svg
	Master chief petty officer of the Navy	Master chief petty officer	Senior chief petty officer	Chief petty officer 1st class	Chief petty officer 2nd class
Template:Air force	File:Õhuväeülemveebel.png	File:Õhuväestbveebel.png	File:Õhuväevanemveebel.png	File:Õhuväeveebel.png	File:Õhuväenooremveebel.png
	Chief master sergeant of the Air Force	Chief master sergeant	Senior master sergeant	Master sergeant	Technical sergeant
Estonian
NATO code	OR-9		OR-8	OR-7	OR-6

Finland

The Finnish Defence Force uses the ranks of and which are the third and second highest NCO ranks, respectively. is also the highest rank that can be awarded to a female non-conscript NCO who has not completed the volunteer female military service (equivalent to the male conscription service). The Finnish Navy's equivalent rank is (Template:Translation).

In addition, the Finnish Defence Force uses to indicate an NCO position (which might or might not be occupied by an NCO of the rank ) subordinate to the company commander. The unit's is in charge of the company's personnel management as well as supply, provisioning and maintenance, including the maintenance of the premises inhabited by the unit. They are also responsible for maintaining the general order, discipline and unit cohesion. The company's is the lowest-ranking FDF position that can conduct a preliminary investigation into suspected service-related crimes. Their powers with regard to punishment are limited to conscripts, who they can punish with either a warning or up to six hours of extra duties.

Rank group	Non-commissioned officer
Template:Army	File:Ylivääpeli M05.svg	File:Vääpeli M05.svg

Germany

German

In the modern German , is considered a senior NCO, due in part to the large number of corporal positions which exist as junior grades.

The modern NCO grades are as follows:

• Junior NCOs (Template:Langx) – , (NATO-Rank Code OR 5a, 5c)
• ranks: (OR-5b), (OR-6b) and (OR-7) are ranks only held by Officer aspirants (OA) (Officer candidate or Officer Designate)
• (Senior NCOs)

The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group (NCOs with portepee or Senior NCOs with portepee) is as follows:

• OR-9: /
• OR-8: /
• OR-7: /
• OR-6a: /
• OR-6b: /

19th century and

gained its widest usage under the German military beginning from the early 19th century. The highest-ranking non-commissioned officer until 1918, the Feldwebel acted as Company Sergeant Major. By contrast with some other countries, the position and duty of Regimental Sergeant Major never existed in Germany.

From 1877 veteran NCOs could be promoted to the rank of . This Army Reserve officer ranked with the Commissioned Officers, but was always inferior to the lowest .

From 1887 the (Deputy Officer) ranked as a kind of Warrant Officer (more NCO than officer) between and the commissioned officers.

There were three further NCO ranks: (Vice , senior NCO), (junior NCO) and (Lance Sergeant or Corporal, junior NCO). The was not an NCO as he had no powers of authority, and was a higher grade of private soldier.

and

After World War I, in the German and , the rank group was divided into several grades:

• (deputy), in the meaning of platoon sergeant,
• (platoon sergeant, possible appointment to (in the meaning of company sergeant major),
• (special rank reserved for 25-year volunteers only).

and above were (Senior NCOs); and were (Junior NCOs). In 1921, the rank of was renamed . s did duty as squad/section leaders.

The rank was reserved for those who had enlisted for 25 year terms of service in the pre-war German military and those who were enlisted for shorter terms were not eligible to hold this rank.

The appointment of Hauptfeldwebel (Company sergeant major/First sergeant) could be held by s or s only. NCOs of a lower rank (, , ) holding this position were titled (i.e. acting ).

Rank insignia until 1945

In the German Wehrmacht (Template:Translation) and (Template:Translation) were rank insignia as follows.

Rank insignia
Rank group
Shoulder insignia	File:WMacht H OR8 StFw Inf.svg	File:WMacht H OR7 OFw Inf.svg	File:WMacht H OR6 Fw Inf.svg	File:WMacht H OR5a UFw Inf.svg	File:WMacht H OR5b Uffz Inf.svg
Camouflage suit sleeve	File:StFw Stuscha OR8 cam slv 1945.svg	File:OFw Hscha OR7 cam slv 1945.svg	File:Fw Oscha OR6 cam slv 1945.svg	File:UFw Scha OR5a cam slv 1945.svg	File:Uffz Uscha OR5b cam slv 1945.svg
Army
Template:Hr
Cavalry and artillery
Template:Hr
Waffen–SS

Rank insignia GDR National People's Army until 1990

In the German Democratic Republic National People's Army (junior NCO grades) were replaced by , and (senior NCO grades) were called . The shoulder board rank insignia were as follows.

Rank insignia shoulder board
Armoured troops	Border troops	Military engineering	Signal corps	Missile troops and artillery
File:GDR Army OR5b Unteroffizier Pz.png	File:GDR Border Troops OR5a Unterfeldwebel.gif	File:GDR Army OR6 Feldwebel.gif	File:GDR Army OR7 Oberfeldwebel.gif	File:GDR Army OR8 Stabsfeldwebel.gif
OR-5b	OR-5a	OR-6	OR-7	OR-8

Russia

The rank of (Template:Langx; plural: Template:Transliteration) existed in the Imperial Russian Army from 1722 to 1917. A held the highest non-commissioned officer (, Template:Langx) rank from 1722 (the introduction of Peter the Great's Table of Ranks) until 1826 (the introduction of the still-higher ranks (Template:Langx Template:Literally OR-7 and later (; Template:Lit) OR-8 in 1884). , even after the introduction of these senior ranks, were usually the most senior non-commissioned officers in a unit and held the positions of the unit's CO senior assistant or (; Sergeant Major). When they were promoted to OR-8 or OR-7 ranks, but still held the OR-6 positions, they were authorized to still wear the 's bands on their shoulder boards. The cavalry equivalent of this rank was the vakhtmistr or (, derived from German ), also OR-6.

Since 1917, Soviet and Russian armies have used the rank of as the rough equivalent of the old .

Sequence of ranks

junior rank: Starshy unterofitser

File:Lesser Coat of Arms of Russian Empire.svgFile:Герб Российского государства.png ()

senior rank:

Rank insignia

designation	Rank insignia as to the years 1904-1917
shoulder board epaulette	File:1904ir036-p05.png	File:1907-gr13-p05.png	File:1907ossr11-p05.png	File:1908ur03-e05.png	File:1911ur03-p05s.png	File:1906ossr11-p07.png
military rank	(1904)	(1907)	of the Dowager Empress Maria Fyodorovna's 11th East Siberian rifle regiment (1904)	(1908)	long-serving, with a monogram from the 1881 to 1894 reign of Emperor Alexander III (1911)	on assignment (1914)

Switzerland

is the lowest rank of higher non-commissioned officers in the Swiss Army. Until the Reform XXI agenda, there were two branches of s: technical and company level.

The oversees unit-level military service and operations. In 2004, the rank of was introduced. Since then, only technical specialists have remained in the rank of .

See also

• History of Russian military ranks
• Ranks and insignia of NATO Armies Enlisted (Army)
• Ranks and insignia of NATO

Sources

• BROCKHAUS, Die Enzyklopädie in 24 Bänden (1796–2001), Band 5: 3-7653-3665-3, S. 487, Feldwebel