Stabsunteroffizier

Stabsunteroffizier is a military rank of the German Bundeswehr. It should not be mixed up to the rank Unterfeldwebel that was used until 1945 in the Nazi-Wehrmacht, respectively until 1990 in the GDR National People's Army. In the Austrian Armed Forces Stabsunteroffizier is the collective name to all higher Non-commissioned officers.

Bundeswehr
Stabsunteroffizier (short StUffz or SU) is a military rank of the Deutsche Bundeswehr to persons in uniform of the Heer and Luftwaffe. Legal basis is the Presidential order of the Federal president (de: Bundespräsident) on rank insignia and uniforms of soldiers

Rank
Stabsunteroffizier is the highest NCO-grade oft rank group Unteroffizier ohne Portepee.

According to the salary class (A 6-7) it is equivalent to the Obermaat of Deutsche Marine. It is also grouped as OR-5 in NATO, equivalent to Sergeant, Staff Sergeant in the US Armed forces.

In army context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as Herr/ Frau Stabsunteroffizier also informally / short StUffz.

The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group is as follows:

Unteroffizier ohne Portepee


 * OR-5a: Stabunteroffizier / (Marine) Obermaat
 * OR-5b: Fahnenjunker / Seekadett
 * OR-5c: Unteroffizier / Maat

The abbreviation "OR" stands for "Other Ranks / fr: sous-officiers et militaires du rang / ru:другие ранги, кроме офицероф"!

Austria
Stabsunteroffizier(e), also Stabsunteroffizier corps, is the collective name to all senior NCO-ranks in the modern day´s Austrian Bundesheer. It comprises the ranks of the assignment group M ZUO 1 (longer-serving NCO 1; de: Unteroffiziere auf Zeit 1) with the ranks Stabswachtmeister, Oberstabswachtmeister, and Offiziersstellvertreter. The assignment group M BUO 1 (professional NCOs 1; de: Berufsunteroffiziere 1) comprises additionally the highest NCO-rank Vizeleutnant.

Training and education of the Stabsunteroffizier corps was reformed in 1995 and until 2000 finally introduced to the armed forces. First effected were professional NCOs of the assignment group M BUO 1. The number of trainees was limited to 150 persons in uniform, with a service time of at least four years, with the rank Wachtmeister upward and very good level at English language.

In the result of a positive entrance examination aspirants attended the Staff-NCO trainings course (new) on the Heeresunteroffiziersakademie (HUAk) in Enns. The one year study is divided in two semesters. The first semester (sex moth course) is provided by the HUAk, and the second semester (an other sex moth course) has to be offered by the appropriate service branch (de: Waffengattung) or technical college (de: Fachschule). After positive HUAk-graduation regular assignments to a Stabsunteroffizier might be platoon commander (de: Zugführer), or service in a military staff or headquarters.