Oberfeldwebel

Oberfeldwebel (Heer / Luftwaffe)
Rank insignia	German NCO rank
Introduction	1957
Rank group	Non-commissioned officers
Army / Air Force	Oberfeldwebel
Navy	Oberbootsmann
NATO equivalent	OR-6
US	Army: Staff Sergeant Air Force: Technical Sergeant
UK	Army: Sergeant Air Force: Sergeant

Oberfeldwebel (OFw or OF) is the fourth-lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in German Army and German Air Force.^[1]

It is grouped as OR6 in NATO, equivalent in the US Army to Staff Sergeant, or in British Army / RAF to Sergeant.

In army/ air force context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as Herr Oberfeldwebel also informally / short Oberfeld.

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

• OR-9: Oberstabsfeldwebel / Oberstabsbootsmann
• OR-8: Stabsfeldwebel / Stabsbootsmann
• OR-7: Hauptfeldwebel / Hauptbootsmann
• OR-6a: Oberfeldwebel / Oberbootsmann
• OR-6b: Feldwebel / Bootsmann

Remark

The abbreviation "OR" stands for "Other Ranks / fr: sous-officiers et militaires du rang / ru:другие ранги, кроме офицероф"!

junior Rank Feldwebel	(German NCO rank) Oberfeldwebel	senior Rank Hauptfeldwebel
		Oberfähnrich

History

The rank was introduced first by the German Reichswehr in 1920. Preferable most experienced Protégée-NCO of the old army have been promoted.

The Reichswehr Oberfeldwebel (OR-7) was taken over as second-highest Protégée-NCO rank by the German Wehrmacht in 1920. In the military branch cavalry, artillery and anti-aircraft artillery it was called Oberwachtmeister.

The equivalent rank to the Oberfeldwebel in the Waffen-SS was the SS-Hauptscharführer from 1938 until 1945.

The rank has been used in the GDR National People's Army from 1956 until 1990 as well.

Equivalent in other NATO countries Army/Air Force

• – Tetar / no equivalent
• – 1er sergeant-chef and 1er sergeant
• – Сержант (en: Sershant)
• – Sergeant
• – Narednik
• – Nadrotmistr/
• – no equivalent
• – Veebel/
• – Sergent-chef; Maréchal-des-logis-chef
• – Επιλοχίας; Epilochias
• – Törzsőrmester
• – Flokkstjóri 1.
• – Sergente maggiore
• – Virsseržants
• – Vyresnysis seržantas
• – N.N.
• – Sergeant der 1e klasse; Wachtmeester der 1e klasse
• – no equivalent
• – Starszy sierżant
• – Primeiro-sargento
• –
• – Rotný
• – Višji vodnik
• – Sargento
• – Astsubay Kıdemli Çavuş
• – Старшина (en: Starshina)
• – Warrant Officer Second Class
• – Staff Sergeant(US Army)/Technical Sergeant (USAF)

References