Feldwebel

Feldwebel (Fw or F), literally "field usher", 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, and Bulgaria.
"Feldwebel" is a contraction of "feld" meaning "field" and "weibel", an archaic word meaning "usher". "Weibel" comes from the Old High German "weibôn", meaning to go back and forth.
There are variations on feldwebel, such as "Oberstabsfeldwebel" ("Superior Staff Field Usher"), which is the highest non-commissioned rank in the German army and air force.
Feldwebel in different languages.
The rank is used in several countries: Swedish fältväbel, Russian фельдфебель ("fel'dfebel'"), Bulgarian фелдфебел ("feldfebel"), Finnish vääpeli and Estonian veebel.
In Swiss German the spelling Feldweibel is used.
Feldwebel in different countries and armed forces.
The Landsknecht regiments first installed "Feldwaibel" to keep the men at line at the battlefield. The rank is used in the German Army and German Air Force. 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 Feldwebel".
Germany.
19th century and Kaiserreich.
"Feldwebel" 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 "Feldwebel-Leutnant". This Army Reserve officer ranked with the Commissioned Officers, but was always inferior to the lowest "Leutnant".
From 1887 the "Offizierstellvertreter" (Deputy Officer) ranked as a kind of Warrant Officer (more NCO than officer) between "Feldwebel" and the commissioned officers.
There were three further NCO ranks: "Vizefeldwebel" (Vice "Feldwebel", senior NCO), "Sergeant" (junior NCO) and "Unteroffizier" (Lance Sergeant or Corporal, junior NCO). The "Gefreiter" was not an NCO as he had no powers of authority, and was a higher grade of private soldier.
Reichswehr and Wehrmacht.
After World War I, in the German "Reichswehr" and "Wehrmacht", the "Feldwebel" rank group was divided into several grades:
"Feldwebel" and above were "Unteroffiziere mit Portepee" (Senior NCOs); "Unterfeldwebel" and "Unteroffiziere" were "Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee" (Junior NCOs). In 1921, the rank of "Sergeant" was renamed "Unterfeldwebel". "Unterfeldwebels" did duty as squad/section leaders.
The "Stabsfeldwebel" 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 "Stabsfeldwebels" or "Oberfeldwebels" only. NCOs of a lower rank ("Feldwebel", "Unterfeldwebel", "Unteroffizier") holding this position were titled "Hauptfeldwebeldiensttuer" (i.e. acting Hauptfeldwebel).
Rank insignia Wehrmacht until 1945.
In the German Wehrmacht Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee (en: junior NCO grades) and Unteroffiziere mit Portepee (en: senior NCO grades) were rank insignia as follows.
Not all "Heer" NCO's in this grade 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.
Rank insignia GDR National People's Army until 1990.
In the German Democratic Republic National People's Army Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee (en: junior NCO grades) were replaced by "Unteroffiziere volunteer", and Unteroffiziere mit Portepee (en: senior NCO grades) were caled «Unteroffiziere profesional». The shoulder board Rank insignia were as follows.
German Bundeswehr.
In the modern German "Bundeswehr", "Feldwebel" is considered a Senior NCO, due in part to the large number of Corporal positions which exist as junior grades.
The modern "Bundeswehr" NCO grades are as follows:
The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group ("NCOs with portepee or Senior NCOs with portepee") is as follows:
The abbreviation "OR" stands for "Other Ranks / fr: sous-officiers et militaires du rang / ru:другие ранги, кроме офицеров"!
Austria.
Feldwebel 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 Feldwebel was equivalent to:
Then rank insignia was a gorget patch on the stand-up collar of the so-called "Waffenrock" (en: 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 (en: corps colour).
Bulgaria.
In the Bulgarian army, "фелдфебел" (pronounced "feldfebel") 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 "veebel" is derived from the name of the German rank "Feldwebel".
Finland.
The military rank of "vääpeli" was previously used by salaried NCOs. Responsibility was given for training and maintenance.
The rank of "vääpeli" is a rank of wartime formation and can be given to soldier of "ylikersantti". In peacetime, the term "yksikköupseeri", literally "officer of the unit", is used, and this position is held by a salaried officer, typically senior lieutenant. The responsibility is for the provisioning, maintenance, human resources management and generally well-being of the unit (company).
Russia.
In the Imperial Russian Army a Feldfebel held the highest Unteroffizier ("унтер-офицер"/ unter-ofitser; NCO) rank from 1722 (its introduction into Peter the Great's Table of Ranks until 1826 (the introduction of the still-higher "Unteroffizier" ranks Podpraporshchik ("подпрапорщик"; literally: Junior praporschschik) OR-7 and later Zauryad-praporshchik ("зауряд-прапорщик"; Praporshchik deputy) OR-8 in 1884). "Feldwebels", even after the introduction of these senior ranks, were usually the most senior "Unteroffiziers" in a unit and held the positions of the unit's CO senior assistant or Starshina ("старшина"; Sergeant Major). When they were promoted to "Zauryad-praporshchik" OR-8 or "Podpraporshchik" OR-7 ranks, but still held the "Feldfebel" OR-6 positions, they were authorized to still wear the Feldvebel's bands on their shoulder boards. The cavalry equivalent of this rank was the vakhtmistr or vakhmistr (вахмистр - derived from German "Wachtmeister"), also OR-6.
Switzerland.
Feldweibel is the lowest rank of "Higher Non-Commissioned Officers" in the Swiss Army. Until the "Reform XXI" agenda, there were two branches of "Feldweibels": technical and company level.
The "Feldweibel" oversees unit-level military service and operations. In 2004, the rank of "Hauptfeldweibel" was introduced. Since then, only technical specialists have remained in the rank of "Feldweibel".
On international missions they are referred to as "Sergeant Major" (NATO Code: OR-7).