Military ranks of the Swiss Armed Forces
The military ranks of the Swiss Armed Forces have changed little over the centuries, except for the introduction, in 2004, of a new set of warrant officers. The rank insignia for all personnel are worn on shoulder boards with the appropriate background colour (see below). The exception is that, in all services, rank insignia is not worn by recruits; it is however worn by privates once they have finished recruit school. Designations are given here in German, French, Italian and Romansh (in this order), with an English translation which is used during overseas missions. In the chart below, NATO codes are used for comparison purposes only; Switzerland is not a member of NATO, and the rank structure in the senior officer region can be seen to diverge significantly from other armies'.
Enlisted ranks
Enlisted men
 rank |
Rank insignia | Name | Description | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epaulette | Camouflage | German | French | Italian | Romansh | English designation | English equivalent | ||
| OR-1b | Rekrut (Rekr) | Recrue (recr) | recluta | recruit | Recruit | ||||
| OR-1a |  |
 |
Soldat (Sdt) | Soldat (Sdt) | soldato | schuldà | Private E-1 (PTE) | Private (PTE) | |
| OR-2 |  |
 |
Gefreiter (Gfr) | appointé (App) | appuntato | appuntà | Private E-2 (PTE) Lance Corporal (LCpl) (old designation) |
appointee | |
| OR-3 |  |
 |
Obergefreiter (Obgfr) | appointé-chef (App chef) | appuntato capo | primappuntà | Private first class (PFC) | Private first class (PFC) | The rank "Obergefreiter" was removed as of 1 January 2019 with the WEA of the Swiss Army[1] Specialists who took over tasks of responsibility or held the position of a squad commander. If the Obgfr had a commanding role, they counted among the NCOs, otherwise they were enlisted men. A soldier may have been promoted to Obgfr after attending the NCO course at the Swiss Army's Recruit School, during which time they were also called Anwärter. Upon very good conduct, a Gefreiter may also have been promoted to Obergefreiter at a "repetition course". This promotion was not linked to extended duty (service time). |
Non-commissioned officers (NCO)
rank |
Rank insignia | Name | Description | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epaulette | Camouflage | German | French | Italian | Romansh | English designation | English equivalent | ||
| OR-4 |  |
 |
Korporal (Kpl) | Caporal (Cpl) | Corporale (Cpl) | Caporal (Cpl) | Corporal (Cpl) | Corporal | Before the reorganization of the Swiss Armed Forces, this was the standard junior NCO rank, while the rank of Wachtmeister (Sergeant) was awarded to NCOs upon good conduct. Soldiers in the rank of a Korporal (Corporal) serve as specialist NCOs (e.g. arms specialization, CBRN specialization etc.) |
| OR-5b |  |
 |
Wachtmeister (Wm) | Sergent (Sgt) | Sergente (Sgt) | Sergent (Sgt) | Sergeant (Sgt) | Sergeant | Currently, the standard junior NCO rank |
| OR-5a |  |
 |
Oberwachtmeister (Obwm) | Sergent chef (Sgt chef) | Sergente capo (Sgt capo) | Caposergent (Csgt) | Sergeant First Class (SFC) | This rank is awarded to future platoon leaders while attending officer school or to sergeants who attend the "platoon leader substitute" program during "repetition courses". | |
Higher NCOs
rank |
Rank insignia | Name | Description | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epaulette | Camouflage | German | French | Italian | Romansh | English designation | English equivalent | ||
| OR-6 |  |
 |
Feldweibel (Fw) | Sergent-major (Sgtm) | Sergente maggiore (Sgtm) | Primsergent (Psgt) | Sergeant Major (SGM/Sgt Maj) | Master sergeant (SSgt) |
Lowest rank of "Higher non-commissioned officers" (NCO); it used to be a higher rank than Feldweibel and to oversee unit-level military service and operations. Changed under the 1995 reform to a specialist rank. Nowadays, Feldweibel are almost only seen in military police and NBC units. |
| OR-7 |  |
 |
Fourier (Four) | Fourrier (Four) | Furiere (Fur) | Furier (Fur) | Quartermaster Sergeant (QMS) | Quartermaster sergeant (QMS) | The higher NCO who administers a company's finances, subsistence and lodging. |
| OR-7 |  |
 |
Hauptfeldweibel (Hptfw) | Sergent-major chef (Sgtm chef) | Sergente maggiore capo (sgtm capo) | Capoprimsergent (cpsgt) | Chief Sergeant Major (CSM) | First sergeant (SFC) |
The Hauptfeldweibel oversees unit-level military service and operations. |
| OR-8 |  |
 |
Adjutant Unteroffizier (Adj Uof) | Adjudant sous-officier (Adj Sof) | Aiutante sottufficiale (aiut suff) | Adjutant sutuffizier (Adj suff) | Warrant officer (WO) | Warrant officer class 2 | |
| OR-9 |  |
 |
Stabsadjutant (Stabsadj) | Adjudant d'état-major (adjut EM) | Aiutante di stato maggiore (aiut SM) | Adjutant da stab (Adj S) | Staff Warrant Officer (SWO) | Warrant officer class 1 | |
| OR-9 |  |
 |
Hauptadjutant (Hptadj) | Adjudant-major (Adjm) | Aiutante maggiore (Aiut magg) | Adjutant principal (Adj prin) | Master Warrant Officer (MWO) | Warrant officer class 1 | |
| OR-9 |  |
 |
Chefadjutant (Chefadj) | Adjudant-chef (Adj chef) | Aiutante capo (Aiut capo) | Chefadjutant (Schefadj) | Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) | ||
Officers
Subaltern officers and Hauptleute (captains)
rank |
Rank insignia | Name | Description | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epaulette | Camouflage | German | French | Italian | Romansh | English designation | English equivalent | ||
| OF-1b |  |
 |
Leutnant (Lt) |
Lieutenant (Lt) |
Tenente (Ten) |
Litenet (Lt) |
Second Lieutenant (2Lt) | Second lieutenant | Platoon's leader |
| OF-1a |  |
 |
Oberleutnant (Oblt) |
Premier-lieutenant (Plt) |
Primo tenente (I ten) |
Primlitenant (Plt) |
First Lieutenant (1Lt) | First lieutenant | Platoon's leader or future company commander. Usually, a Second Lieutenant will be promoted to First Lieutenant after completing two Annual Advanced Training Service Deployments of their Formation in their junior officer rank.[2] |
| OF-2 |  |
 |
Hauptmann (Hptm) |
Capitaine (Cap) |
Capitano (Cap) |
Chapitani (Chap) |
Captain (Capt) | Captain | Company commander
or officer in battalion's staff |
Staff officers, specialist
rank |
Rank insignia | Name | Description | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epaulette | Camouflage | German | French | Italian | Romansh | English designation | English equivalent | ||
| OF-3 |  |
 |
Major (Maj) |
Major (Maj) |
Maggiore (Magg) |
Maior (Mai) |
Major (Maj) | Major (Maj) |
Several assignments in a battalion's staff (deputy S1-7), under special circumstances appointment to battalion commander, teacher or staff officer on a military academy, commander of a HQ company, staff officer in large units (BDE). |
| OF-4 |  |
 |
Oberstleutnant (Oberstlt) |
Lieutenant-colonel (Lt col) |
Tenente colonnello (Ten col) |
Litinent colonel (Lt col) |
Lieutenant Colonel (LTC/Lt Col) |
Lieutenant colonel (Ltc) |
Battalion commander, staff officer in large units (BDE). |
| OF-5 |  |
 |
Oberst (Oberst) |
Colonel (Col) |
Colonnello (Col) |
Colonel (Col) |
Colonel (Col) |
Colonel (Col) |
Under special circumstances appointment to battalion commander, deputy commander of a brigade, staff officer in larger units (BDE). |
| OF1a-5 |  |
 |
Fachoffizier (FachOf) | Officier spécialiste (Of spéc) |
Ufficiale specialista (Uff spec) | Uffizier spezialist (Uff spez) |
Specialist Officer (Spec Of) |
Specialist Officer | "Specialist Officer", variable from OF1a to OF5, all officer's rank groups. |
Higher staff officers
Higher staff officers wear black lampasses on the outside seam of dress uniform trousers.
rank |
Rank insignia | Name | Description | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mounting loop | Camouflage | Kepi | German | French | Italian | Romansh | English equivalent | ||
| OF-6 |  |
 |
 |
Brigadier (Br) | Brigadier (Br) | Brigadiere | Brigadier | Brigadier general | One-star rank, commander of a brigade, also military attaché |
| OF-7 |  |
 |
 |
Divisionär (Div) | Divisionnaire (div) | Divisionario | Divisionär | Major general | Two-star rank, commander of territorial division, also in an Army HQ or staff. |
| OF-8 |  |
 |
 |
Korpskommandant (KKdt) | Commandant de corps (cdt C) | Comandante di corpo | Korpskommandant | Lieutenant general | Three-star rank, also the rank of the Chief of the Armed Forces, highest rank in peacetime. |
Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces
rank |
Rank insignia | Name | Description | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mounting loop | Camouflage | Kepi | German | French | Italian | Romansh | English equivalent | ||
| OF-9 |  |
 |
 |
General (Gen) | Général | Generale | Generale | General | The rank is assigned only during time of war, when the Federal Assembly chooses one general to command the entire Swiss military. Otherwise the word "general" is not used.[3] |
Throughout Swiss history, there have only been 4 officers formally designated as General:[3]
- Guillaume Henri Dufour (1847, Sonderbund War;[4] 1849, Baden Revolution;[5][6] 1856–57, Neuchâtel Crisis;[7] 1859, Second Italian War of Independence[8])
- Hans Herzog (1871–1872) – Franco-Prussian War
- Ulrich Wille (1914–1918) – World War I
- Henri Guisan (1939–1945) – World War II
Shoulder board colour (Waffenfarbe)
| Armored Corps | Infantry | Staff officers, engineers, intelligence, chaplaincy | Artillery | Air Force | Signal and command support corps | Medical corps, Red Cross service |
| Rescue corps | Logistic corps | Territorial service | Military police | Special forces command | Armed Forces Legal Service | Peace Support Operation |
References
- See MG (Militärgesetz) Art. 102.
- Verordnung über die Militärdienstpflicht, S. 56. (PDF; 306 kB).
- McPhee, John (31 October 1983). "La Place de la Concorde Suisse-I". The New Yorker. p. 50. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- Langendorf, Jean-Jacques (7 November 2005). "Dufour, Guillaume-Henri". Historical Dictionary of Switzerland (in German). Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- "Wyrsch-Ineichen, Paul: Die Schwyzer Truppen im Büsinger-Handel 1849 von 1985 in Mitteilungen des historischen Vereins des Kantons Schwyz". Archived from the original on 28 January 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- Hans Senn: Aktivdienst in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- Rapport sur l'armement et la campagne de 1857. Revue militaire Suisse 1857
- Toast à la Patrie. Revue militaire Suisse 1860
External links
- Swiss Armed Forces rank insignia as of 1 Jan 2006
- "Rank insignia" (PDF). Insignia of the Swiss Armed Forces. p. 31. Archived from the original (pdf) on 14 December 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2009.
- iPhone Tool to look-up and study Swiss Military Grades and Function Insignias
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