Sergeant Major

The Oberfeldwebel is a military rank of the Bundeswehr and former German armed forces .

armed forces

Sergeant Major
Rank badge
Rank group	NCOs with portepee
NATO rank code	OR-6
Rank Army / Air Force	Sergeant Major
Marine rank	Captain
Abbreviation (in lists)	OFw (OF)
Grade	A 7mA according to BBesO

The rank of Oberfeldwebel is determined by the Federal President with the order of the Federal President on the rank designations and the uniform of the soldiers on the basis of the Soldiers Act .

Authority and positions

In the armed forces, the Sergeant a corporal rank , which in accordance central service provision (ZDv) A-1420/24 "ranks and rank groups" to the rank group of NCOs with Portepee counts. Because they belong to the rank group of NCOs with portepee, sergeants can issue orders within the limits set there to soldiers of the rank groups of teams and NCOs without portepee on the basis of § 4 (“Superiors relationship based on rank”) of the Superiors Ordinance.

Sergeants are deployed, for example, as deputy platoon leaders , group leaders or on staff posts . Due to the position in the service, sergeant major can issue orders to all service or technical subordinate soldiers in the cases listed in the superiors regulation .

Appointment and remuneration

The decisive legal basis for the appointment as a sergeant major is the Soldier Career Ordinance (SLV) and, in addition, the Central Service Regulations (ZDv) 20/7. Professional soldiers , temporary soldiers and assigned reservists can be appointed to the rank of Oberfeldwebel . A requirement for the appointment to the rank of sergeant major is belonging to one of the career paths of sergeants. Employment with the rank of sergeant major is possible if the applicant has usable knowledge in the application. Most sergeants have previously served in the rank of sergeant . If all ranks between NCO and Sergeant have previously been passed, the rank can be reached at the earliest four and a half years after appointment as NCO .

Sergeant after the Bundesbesoldungsgesetz order (BBesO) with A 7mA (with duty allowance ) remunerated .

Rank badge

A sergeant major

→ Main article : Rank badge of the Bundeswehr

The rank badge for sergeant major shows two angles with the point upwards and a closed braid as a shoulder badge .

Equivalent, subordinate and superior ranks

The rank of sergeant major only carry army and air force uniforms . Navy uniform bearers of the same rank hold the rank of senior boatman . In the armed forces of the NATO of Sergeant is at all ranks with the NATO Code rank OR 6 equivalent.

In the sergeant's careers , the sergeant major according to No. 127 f. ZDv 20/7 classified between the lower-ranking sergeant or boatswain and the higher-ranking master sergeant or chief boatman (first rank designation for Army and Air Force uniforms; second rank designation for naval uniforms). The rank Oberfeldwebel also communicates between said at pre ranks respectively but equivalent only officer candidates traversed ranks Ensign or ensign and Oberfähnrich or Midshipman (first grade designation for each of Army and Air Force Uniform; second grade designation for each of Marine Uniform).

NCO rank
Lower rank		Higher rank
Sergeant Boatswain Ensign Ensign at sea	Oberfeldwebel Oberbootsmann	Hauptfeldwebel Hauptbootsmann Oberfähnrich Oberfähnrich zur See
Rank group : Teams-NCOs-NCO-NCOs-Lieutenant-Captains-Staff officers-Generals See also : Ranks  and Rank Badges of the Bundeswehr

Reichswehr

Introduced in the German Reichswehr for the first time in 1920 , preference was given to former deputy officers of the old army .

Wehrmacht

The rank of Oberfeldwebel was taken over in the Wehrmacht as the second highest rank of NCOs with portepee from the Reichswehr. In the arms of the cavalry , artillery and flak , the rank was Oberwachtmeister . This rank also corresponded to the SS-Hauptscharführer of the Waffen-SS, the SA-Obertruppführer as well as the Oberbootsmann of the Kriegsmarine , not to be confused with the Hauptbootsmann , who also wore two silver-colored stars on the shoulder piece . The officer candidate in the rank of Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel was nominally equal to the Oberfeldwebel.

• 

  Oberfeldwebel Panzergrenadier

• 

  Oberfeldwebel of the Luftwaffe

• 

  Collar tabs (four double wings also StFw)

• 

  Sleeve badge Fsjg

• 

  Aviator suit

• 

  Wehrmacht, Oberfeldwebel camouflage clothing

• 

  Kriegsmarine captain

• 

  Waffen-SS -Hauptscharführer (1934–1940)

Rank
lower: Sergeant	Sergeant Major ( Sergeant major )	higher: Staff Sergeant

See also : Ranks of the Wehrmacht , Ranks of the Air Force (1935–1945) and Nazi ranks

National Peoples Army

Shoulder piece

Oberfeldwebel
(telecommunications force)

Obermeister
( People's Navy )

Distinction badge
1956–1990

The rank of Oberfeldwebel (Oberwachtmeister of the artillery) was the second highest rank of NCO in the National People's Army of the GDR . The Obermeister was equivalent in the People's Navy of the GDR .

Rank
lower: Sergeant	Sergeant Major (Sergeant major)	higher: Staff Sergeant

See also : Ranks of the National People's Army

Other forces

Austrian Armed Forces

In the Austrian Armed Forces , the rank of sergeant-major is equivalent to Oberwachtmeister .

States of the former Warsaw Pact

The equivalent of the sergeant major in countries of the former Warsaw Pact was or is:

•  Bulgaria → Starschi Sershant ( Bulgarian Старши сержант )
•  Poland → Polish Starszy sierżant
•  Romania → Romanian Plutonier major
•  Russia → Starschij serzhant ( Russian Старший сержант )
•  Czechoslovakia → Czech rotmistr
•  Ukraine → Starschi sershant ( Ukrainian Старший сержант )
•  Hungary → Hungarian Törzsőrmester

Web links

Wiktionary: Oberfeldwebel  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Remarks

1. ↑ Left: Rank badge on the epaulette of the jacket of the service suit for army uniform wearers of the army anti-aircraft troops . Right: Rank badge on the shoulder flap of the jacket of the service suit for Air Force uniform wearers.
2. ↑ Army and air force uniform wearers of this rank group are unofficially summarized as sergeant ranks. Non-commissioned officers with portepee who hold appropriate ranks for naval uniform bearers are also unofficially referred to as boatmen .
3. ↑ According to Section 17 of the Soldiers' Career Ordinance, depending on the intended use, this includes, for example, the master craftsman's examination , the graduation from a two-year technical school , the professional qualification as a nurse , the basic study at a university for music with a preliminary diploma, etc. and, in addition, at least one year of professional activity in the corresponding area .
4. ↑ The four-and-a-half-year period applies to flying personnel , officers in the special forces command who are used for special missions and combat swimmers . For all other sergeants, the ZDv 20/7 stipulates a period of five years. In the case of recruitment with the rank of corporal, corporal, non-commissioned officer, staff sergeant or sergeant, the deadline is shortened in accordance with ZDv 20/7.
5. ↑ ZDv 20/7 on the basis of Section 44 of the Soldiers ' Career Ordinance ( TitelErg = Ordinance on the Careers of Soldiers (Soldiers' Career Ordinance - SLV) . March 19, 2002, Section 44 ( online [accessed on March 25, 2014] Neugefasst by Bek August 19, 2011 I 1813. Last amended by Art. 2 Paragraph 5 G of April 8, 2013 I 730). )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Hartmut Bagger , Command Staff of the Armed Forces I 3, Federal Ministry of Defense (Ed.): ZDv 37/10. Suit regulations for soldiers in the Bundeswehr . July 1996. Reprint from October 2008. Bonn July 16, 2008, 4 labels, p. 539 ( digital version (PDF; 3.5 MB) - reprint October 2008 replaces first edition from July 1996). Digitized version ( memento of the original from September 19, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
2. ↑ ^{a b} The Federal Minister of Defense (ed.): ZDv 14/5. Soldiers Act . DSK AV110100174, change status July 17, 2008. Bonn August 21, 1978, rank designations in the Bundeswehr, p. B 185 (not to be confused with the Law on the Legal Status of Soldiers (Soldiers Law) ).
3. ↑ ^{a b} Agreed English texts. STANAG 2116 . NATO standardization agreement (STANAG) . NATO codes for grades of military personnel. 5th edition. 1992 ( NATO Rank Codes - 1992 [accessed March 25, 2014] English).
4. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} The Federal President (Ed.): Order of the Federal President on the rank designations and the uniform of the soldiers . BPresUnifAnO. July 14, 1978 ( PDF - Order of the Federal President on the rank designations and uniforms of soldiers from July 14, 1978 ( Federal Law Gazette I p. 1067 ), last amended by Article 1 of the order of May 31, 1996 ( Federal Law Gazette I p. 746 ) has been changed).
5. ^ Federal Minister of Defense ; Command Staff of the Armed Forces IV 1 (Ed.): Abbreviations for use in the Bundeswehr - German Abbreviations - ZDv 64/10 . Bonn January 19, 1979 ( PDF - as of September 17, 1999).
6. ↑ ^{a b} Appendix I (to § 20, paragraph 2, sentence 1) Bundesbesoldungsgesetz orders of A and B . ( Online [accessed on March 25, 2014] Federal salary regulations (BBesO) only apply to professional and temporary soldiers and are an annex to the Federal Salary Act (BBesG)).
7. ↑ The Federal Minister of Defense (ed.): Law on the legal status of soldiers (Soldiers Act - SG) . Bonn March 19, 1956, § 4 Paragraph 3 (2) - ( PDF [accessed on March 25, 2014] Revised by notice of May 30, 2005 I 1482. Last amended by Art. 1 G of April 8 2013 I 730).
8. ↑ ^{a b} The Federal Minister of Defense (ed.): ZDv 14/5. Soldiers Act . DSK AV110100174, amendment status July 17, 2008. Bonn August 21, 1978, The Superiors Ordinance, p. A 12 1 (not to be confused with the Ordinance on the Regulation of Military Superiors (Superiors Ordinance - VorgV) ).
9. ↑ Federal Minister of Defense (Ed.): Ordinance on the regulation of the military superior relationship (Superior Ordinance - VorgV) . June 4, 1956, § 4 ( online [accessed on March 25, 2014] Last amended by Art. 1 No. 2 V of October 7, 1981 I 1129).
10. ↑ Federal Minister of Defense (Ed.): Ordinance on the regulation of the military superior relationship (Superior Ordinance - VorgV) . June 4, 1956 ( online [accessed on March 25, 2014] last amended by Art. 1 No. 2 V of October 7, 1981 I 1129).
11. ^ Ordinance on the career paths of soldiers (Soldiers' Career Ordinance - SLV) . March 19, 2002 ( online [accessed on March 25, 2014] revised by notice of August 19, 2011 I 1813. Last amended by Art. 2 Par. 5 G of April 8, 2013 I 730).
12. ↑ Note also: Annex (to § 3). Allocation of the career paths of the soldiers to the career groups of the men and women, the NCOs and the officers
13. ↑ ^{a b} The Federal Minister of Defense ; Personnel, Social and Central Affairs Department (Ed.): ZDv 20/7. Provisions for the transport and for the recruitment, acceptance and admission of soldiers . Bonn March 27, 2002, Art. 635 ( PDF ( memento of October 26, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) [accessed on March 26, 2014] DSK AP210100187, reprint January 2008). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
14. ↑ ^{a b} The equivalent, higher and lower ranks are given in accordance with ZDv 14/5 B 185, cf. The Federal Minister of Defense (ed.): ZDv 14/5. Soldiers Act . DSK AV110100174, change status July 17, 2008. Bonn August 21, 1978, rank designations in the Bundeswehr, p. B 185 (Not to be confused with the Law on the Legal Status of Soldiers (Soldiers Act) . The order of the ranks shown in the info box does not necessarily correspond to one of the regular rank sequences provided for in the Soldiers' Career Ordinance , nor does it necessarily correspond to the rank hierarchy described in the Superiors Ordinance a managerial relationship ).