Stabswachtmeister (short: StWm) is in the Austrian Bundesheer a NCO-rank. As lowest grade of the Staff-NCO rank group he is normally dedicated to command a platoon or to serve in a military staff appointment (assignment group M BUO 1 / professional NCO; respectively M ZUO 1 / longer-serving volunteer). However, he might also be assigned to command a military squad (assignment group M BUO 2 / longer-serving volunteer).

Stabswachtmeister in Austria
Green Anzug 75/03 insignia. Rectangular, with a stitched pentagon made of an upper triangle and three rectangular sides containing a star and two stripes. Yellow Schulterstück (Pioniertruppe) insignia. A pentagon shape, close to a diamond with the bottom side stretched to make the fifth edge, containing a star and two stripes. One stripe is wider with a zigzag pattern. Tellerkappe insignia. A black rectangle with two horizontal, gray stripes near the bottom, one wider with a zigzag pattern.
Rank insignia Austrian Bundesheer
Introduction 1913
Rank group Stabsunteroffizier
Army / Air Force Stabswachtmeister
Navy no equivalent
Lower:
Higher:
Oberwachtmeister
Oberstabswachtmeister
NATO
equivalent
OR-7[1]

During United Nations missions and in NATO Partnership for Peace the rank Stabswachtmeister will be designated in English with Staff Sergeant (SSG) and is equivalent to NATO-Rang code OR-7.

Besides Austria today, the rank was also used for example in Germany and in the k.u.k. Army.

With the foundation of the Austrian Bundesheer in March 1920 the «Stabswachtmeister» was introduced to all army branches of service. The OR7-rank Stabsfeldwebel of the generic infantry (de: Fußtruppen) was abolished.

See also

k.u.k. Austro-Hungarian Army

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The Stabswachtmeister rank was introduced in 1913 to the cavalry of the k.u.k. Army. As well as the Offiziersstellvertreter (en: officer deputy rank), this rank has been counted to the higher NCO-ranks (also: Unteroffiziere with port épée / port épée NCOs) since 1915. According to the Austria-Hungarian rank table it was equivalent to the rank class XII. However, according to the modern days NATO-Rang code system, it might have been comparable to NCO-rank OR6[1]/ 1st sergeant ranks in Anglophone armed forces.

In the k.u.k. Austro-Hungarian Army Stabswachtmeister was equivalent to:

  • Stabsfeldwebel (en: 1st sergeant) of the infantry,
  • Stabsoberjäger (en: Rifles 1st sergeant) of the mountain troops,
  • Stabsfeuerwerker (en: Artillery 1st sergeant) of the artillery,
Sequence of ranks
Junior rank
Wachtmeister
 
(Austro-Hungarian
armed forces rank)

Stabswachtmeister
Senior rank
Kadett-Offiziersstellvertreter
Kadett

Then rank insignia was a gorget patch on the stand-up collar of the so-called Waffenrock (en: uniform jacket), and consisted of three white stars on 13 mm ragged imperial-yellow silk galloon, with 2mm broad black middle strap, 3mm above a 6mm braiding (since June 1914: silver galloon with silk stars). The gorget patch and the stand-up collar showed the particular Waffenfarbe (en: corps colour).

Designation Performance 1913-1914
       
Paroli
Rank description Stabsfeldwebel Stabsfeuerwerker
Artillery
Stabswachtmeister
Dragoon
Stabsoberjaeger
Mountain infantry
(Hungarian) (Törzsőrmester)
Designation Performance 1914-1918
       
Rank insignia
collar
Rank description Stabsfeldwebel
Stabswachtmeister
Stabsfeuerwerker
Artillery
Stabsfeldwebel
Railway regiment
Stabsoberjaeger
Mountain infantry
(Hungarian) (Törzsőrmester)
Stabswachtmeister in k.u.k adjustation
see also

Germany

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In the today's German Bundeswehr there is no rank designation «Stabswachtmeister». However, the equivalent to that OR-7 rank would be Hauptfeldwebel OR7.

In the German Reichswehr as well as Wehrmacht the designation of the OR7-Stabsfeldwebel rank of Cavalry and Artillery was «Stabswachtmeister» until 1945.

«Stabswachtmeister» was also a German police rank.

Sequence of ranks
Junior Rank
Wachtmeister
(Feldwebel)

 
World War II German Army rank
Stabswachtmeister
(Stabsfeldwebel)

Senior Rank
Leutnant
(en: 2nd Lieutenant)
See also

Nationale People’s Army

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In the GDR National People's Army (NPA) the OR7-rank «Stabswachtmeister» was replaced by the universal rank designation Stabsfeldwebel. The equivalent rank of the Volksmarine (en: GDR Navy) was the Stabsobermeister of the Volksmarine.

Sequence of ranks until 1970
Junior Rank
Wachtmeister
(Feldwebel)

 
National People's Army rank
Stabswachtmeister
(Stabsfeldwebel)
Senior Rank
Unterleutnant
(en: Under lieutenant)
See also

References

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  1. ^ a b The abbreviation "OR" stands for "Other Ranks / fr: sous-officiers et militaires du rang / ru:другие ранги, кроме офицероф"
  • Die Streitkräfte der Republik Österreich, 1918-1968, Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Militärwissenschaftliches Institut, 1968.