Stabsfeldwebel

Stabsfeldwebel (StFw or SF) is the second highest Non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in German Army and German Air Force. It is grouped as OR8 in NATO, equivalent to a First Sergeant, Master Sergeant, or Senior Master Sergeant in the US Armed forces, and to Warrant Officer Class 2 in the British Army and Royal Navy. Promotion to the rank requires at least twelve years total active duty, of which at least eleven years have elapsed since promotion to unteroffizier, with at least ten years since promotion to stabsunteroffizier, and nine years since promotion to feldwebel.[1] In army/ air force context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as Herr Stabsfeldwebel also informally / short Staber.

Stabsfeldwebel
Heer and Luftwaffe shoulder insignia
Country	Germany
Service branch	German Army  German Air Force
Abbreviation	StFw
Rank	Unteroffiziere mit Portepee grade
NATO rank	OR-8
Non-NATO rank	E-8
Formation	1938
Next higher rank	Oberstabsfeldwebel
Next lower rank	Hauptfeldwebel
Equivalent ranks	Stabsbootsmann

History

Austria-Hungary

The ranks Stabsfeldwebel, Stabsoberjäger, Stabsfeuerwerker and Stabswachtmeister were introduced to the Austro-Hungarian Army (k.u.k. armed forces) in 1913.

See also

⇒ main article Rank insignias of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces

Germany

The rank was introduced by the German Wehrmacht equivalent to the German Kriegsmarine Stabsoberfeldwebel grades (Stabsoberbootsmann, Stabsobersteuermann and Stabsobersteuwermann) in 1938.

Not all Heer NCO's in this grades were called Unterfeldwebel, Feldwebel, Oberfeldwebel and Stabsfeldwebel which are ranks in the infantry tradition. In some other service branches, for example, the equivalent ranks were as follows.

• Cavalry and artillery: Unterwachtmeister, Wachtmeister, Oberwachtmeister and Stabswachtmeister
• Waffen-SS: SS-Scharführer, SS-Oberscharführer, SS-Hauptscharführer and SS-Sturmscharführer

The rank has been used before in the GDR National People's Army until 1990. The equivalent in the Volksmarine OR8-gradt was Stabsobermeister.

Rank information

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 Hauptfeldwebel	(German NCO rank) Stabsfeldwebel	senior Rank Oberstabsfeldwebel
Oberfähnrich

Equivalent in other NATO countries Army/Air Force

• – Kapter / no equivalent
• – Adjudant
• – Старшина (en: Starshina)
• – Master Warrant Officer, Adjudant-maître
• – Stožerni narednik
• – Nadpraporčík
• – Seniorsergent
• – Staabiveebel
• – Adjudant
• – Αρχιλοχίας, Archilochias / Αρχισμηνίας Archisminias
• – Törzszászlós and Zászlós
• – no equivalent
• – Maresciallo ordinario and Maresciallo / Maresciallo di terza classe
• – Galvenais virsseržants
• – Viršila
• – no equivalent
• – no equivalent
• – Chorąży
• – Sargento-chefe
• – Plutonier-major / Maistru Militar clasa II
• – nadrotmajster
• – praporščak and višji štabni vodnik
• – Brigada
• – Astsubay, Başçavuş
• – Warrant Officer Class 2, Quartermaster Sergeant / no equivalent
• – First Sergeant, Master Sergeant / Senior Master Sergeant

Equivalent in other countries

• – Starshina (ru: Старшина)
• – Старшина (en: Starshina)

References

1. https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/slv_2002/__18.html

Sources

• BROCKHAUS, Die Enzyklopädie in 24 Bänden (1796–2001), Band 5: 3-7653-3665-3, S. 487, Definition: Stabsfeldwebel
• BROCKHAUS, Die Enzyklopädie in 24 Bänden (1796–2001), Band 7: 3-7653-3676-9, S. 185, Stabsfeldwebel