The German Heer (as the German Luftwaffe) distinguishes three career paths: officers (Offiziere), NCOs (Unteroffiziere) and enlisted men (Mannschaften). The German Army (German: Heer, [IPA: heɐ]  ) is the land component of the Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Forces) of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... The Luftwaffe (literally, air weapon, prounounced looft-vaaf-fa) is the air force of Germany. ... A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer), also known as an NCO or noncom, is a non-commissioned member of an armed force who has been given authority by a commissioned officer. ...

Rank insignia are worn on both shoulders.

Officers

Shoulder insignia	Abbr.	Rank (American Equivalent)	NATO equivalent
	G Gen Armies have military rank systems that are often used by other military services such as air forces or marines. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: General from de:Bild:Offiziersdienstgrade. ...	General	OF-9
	GL GenLt A General is an officer of high military rank. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Generalleutnant from de:Bild:Offiziersdienstgrade. ...	Generalleutnant (Lieutenant General)	OF-8
	GM GenMaj Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Generalmajor from de:Bild:Offiziersdienstgrade. ...	Generalmajor (Major General)	OF-7
	BG BrigGen Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Brigadegeneral from de:Bild:Offiziersdienstgrade. ...	Brigadegeneral (Brigadier General)	OF-6
	O Oberst A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Oberst from de:Bild:Offiziersdienstgrade. ...	Oberst (Colonel)	OF-5
	OTL OberstLt ... Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Oberstleutnant from de:Bild:Offiziersdienstgrade. ...	Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)	OF-4
	M Maj Oberstleutnant is the German Army (Bundeswehr) equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel, above Major, and below Oberst. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Major from de:Bild:Offiziersdienstgrade. ...	Major (Major)	OF-3
	SH StHptm Major is a military rank the use of which varies according to country. ... Major is a military rank the use of which varies according to country. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Stabshauptmann from de:Bild:Offiziersdienstgrade. ...	Stabshauptmann (only in specialist officer careers)	OF-2
	H Hptm Insignia of a modern day Senior Captain Senior Captain is a rare military rank which is used in some countries armed forces as a rank between a regular Captain and a Major. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Hauptmann from de:Bild:Offiziersdienstgrade. ...	Hauptmann (Captain)	OF-2
	OL OLt Hauptmann (German: ) is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officers rank in the German Army. ... Captain is a nautical term, an organizational title, and a rank in various uniformed organizations. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Oberleutnant from de:Bild:Offiziersdienstgrade. ...	Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant)	OF-1
	L Lt Oberleutnant is a rank of the German military which dates from the early 19th century. ... First Lieutenant is a military rank. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Leutnant from de:Bild:Offiziersdienstgrade. ...	Leutnant (Second Lieutenant)	OF-1
officer candidates			NCO equivalent
	OFR OFähnr Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces. ... Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Oberfähnrich Quelle de:Bild:Unteroffiziersdienstgrade. ...	Oberfähnrich	Hauptfeldwebel
	FR Fähnr Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Fähnrich Quelle de:Bild:Unteroffiziersdienstgrade. ...	Fähnrich	Feldwebel
	FJ Fhj Fähnrich (officer candidate) is a German and Austrian military rank in armed forces which has no direct comparison in the English speaking world (though the French Army has a similar position called an Aspirant). ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Fahnenjunker Quelle de:Bild:Unteroffiziersdienstgrade. ...	Fahnenjunker	Unteroffizier
	OG OA	Obergefreiter (Offizieranwärter)	OA may be combined with any enlisted rank

Unteroffizier insignia Unteroffizier is a military rank (non-commissioned officer) of the German Bundeswehr that has existed since the 19th century. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Obergefreiter (Offiziersanwärter) Quelle de:Bild:Mannschaftsdienstgrade. ... Bundeswehr Obergreiter insignia Obergefreiter is rank of the German military which dates from the 19th century. ...

Officer education

Career officers usually start as enlisted personnel. At some point during their first months of service officer candidates receive a silver string (Litze) to be worn with their rank insignia designating them officer candidates (Offizieranwärter). After successfully completing special training they are promoted Fahnenjunker after usually 12 months of service (when entering as a Schütze/ recruit equivalent) and return to their units. Another officer training program needs to be completed to be promoted Fähnrich after a minimum of 21 months of service. Usually officer candidates are promoted to Oberfähnrich after 30 months and finally Leutnant after 36 months of service. After this, young officers usually leave their units for 3.5 to 4 years of non-military education at one of the Bundeswehr universities. The Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Force,  ) is the organization that controls and administers the armed forces of Germany. ...

Field grade officers

In order to be promoted to Major (major; a rank only career officers can achieve), the officers have to complete successfully a course called Stabsoffziziergrundlehrgang (field grade officer basic course). It takes a mimimum of 10 years of officer's service to become a major. Oberstleutnant '(lt.-col.) is the standard final rank for career officers which can be awarded after 17 years of service. Oberst (colonel) is the highest field grade rank (promotion requires a minimum of 17 years of officer's service, e.g. 20 years of service overall).

Officers in General Staff Service

About 1,5 per cent of each crew re chosen to take part in the Generalstabslehrgang (general staff course) at the Führungsakademie der Budneswehr (military academy) at Hamburg. This course lasts two years after the completion of which the participants put a "i.G." after their rank, meaning im Generalstabsdienst (in general staff service). Having completed this course, the minimum rank those officers achieve is usually Oberst/ colonel. The Generalstabslehrgang is a necessary requirement for the promotion to a General's rank. Hamburg from above Hamburgs motto: May the posterity endeavour with dignity to conserve the freedom, which the forefathers acquired. ...

Non-commissioned officers

Shoulder insignia	Abbr.	Rank	NATO equivalent
	OSF OStFw Image File history File links File links The following pages link to this file: German Army rank insignia ...	Oberstabsfeldwebel	OR9
	SF StFw Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Stabsfeldwebel Quelle de:Bild:Unteroffiziersdienstgrade. ...	Stabsfeldwebel	OR8
	HF HptFw Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Hauptfeldwebel Quelle de:Bild:Unteroffiziersdienstgrade. ...	Hauptfeldwebel	OR7 / OR8
	OF OFw Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Oberfeldwebel Quelle de:Bild:Unteroffiziersdienstgrade. ...	Oberfeldwebel	OR6
	F Fw Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...	Feldwebel	OR6
	SU StUffz Feldwebel is a German military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Stabsunteroffizier Quelle de:Bild:Unteroffiziersdienstgrade. ...	Stabsunteroffizier	OR5
	U Uffz Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Unteroffizier Quelle de:Bild:Unteroffiziersdienstgrade. ...	Unteroffizier	OR4
NCO candidates
	OG UA	Obergefreiter (Unteroffizieranwärter)	OR2
	UA may be combined with any enlisted rank

NCOs (Unteroffiziere) play an important role in the Heer as they are entrusted the command of most sub-company units. They often are referred to as the backbone of the army. Especially Feldwebels and above carry similar responsibilities officers have. This is largely due to the German military doctrine of Auftragstaktik: German orders usually do not include specific instructions, but rather a task, the available time and the available means. This gives leaders of smaller units a great deal of freedom and responsibility. Unteroffizier insignia Unteroffizier is a military rank (non-commissioned officer) of the German Bundeswehr that has existed since the 19th century. ... Image File history File links Bundeswehr-Dienstgradabzeichen: Obergefreiter (Unteroffiziersanwärter) Quelle de:Bild:Mannschaftsdienstgrade. ... Bundeswehr Obergreiter insignia Obergefreiter is rank of the German military which dates from the 19th century. ... Feldwebel is a German military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. ... Mission-type tactics (German: Auftragstaktik, also known as directive control in the US), are a central component of the tactics of German armed forces since the 19th century. ...

Enlisted personnel

Shoulder insignia	Abbr.	Rank
	OSG OStGefr Image:Oberstabsgefreiter. ...	Oberstabsgefreiter
	SG StGefr Image:Stabsgefreiter. ...	Stabsgefreiter
	HG HptGefr Image:Hauptgefreiter. ...	Hauptgefreiter
	OG OGefr Image:Obergefreiter. ...	Obergefreiter
	G Gefr Image:Gefreiter. ...	Gefreiter
	S	Schütze (Trooper)

Enlisted personnel are largely made up of conscripts serving their nine months of mandatory service. Starting as Schütze or trooper a promotion to Gefreiter is mandatory after boot camp (first three months of service). After additional three months of service (usually consisting of special training required for his branch of service) any soldier is promoted to Obergefreiter unless he fails even most basic requirements. Conscripts leaving the army after nine months of service may be promoted to Hauptgefreiter der Reserve (private 1st class in reserve) effective the day of their discharge to award outstanding performance. Longer serving enlisted soldiers will recieve their Hauptgefreiter promotion after nine months to award outstanding performance or after twelve months of service. Modern German Gefreiter insignia Gefreiter is the German equivalent for Private in the armed services. ...

To be promoted Stabsgefreiter a soldier requires at least four years of enlisted service. Soldiers may opt to sign long-term contracts as enlisted soldiers, but most enlisted soldiers serving long terms in fact applied for NCO careers but failed their training requirements and opted rather to serve their term as enlisted soldiers than being released from service immediately.

The rank of Oberstabsgefreiter is being abolished (no more promotions to this rank).

The most important distinction between NCOs and enlisted men is that the latter cannot give any order even to lower-ranking soldiers unless specific circumstances apply (e.g. while on guard duty or to soldiers ordered to do so by their regular chain of command).

The rank Schütze is replaced by ranks specific to their Waffengattung (branch of service):

• Funker (Fu) Signaller
• Jäger (Jg)
• Kanonier (Kan) artillery soldier
• Pionier (Pi) Sapper
• Panzerfunker (PzFu)
• Panzergrenadier (PzGren)
• Panzerjäger (PzJg)
• Panzerkanonier (PzKan)
• Panzerpionier (PzPi)
• Panzerschütze (PzSchtz)
• Sanitätssoldat (SanSdt) medic
• Flieger (Flg) airman basic