''Soldat'' ( short: ''S'', plural ''Soldaten'') is the lowest rank of
enlisted men in the land-based armed forces of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It is usually grouped as OR-1 within the
NATO ranking system, excluding the Swiss armed services which is not part of NATO.
[Official Website (Bundeswehr): Dienstgrade und Uniformen der Bundeswehr (Service Ranks and Uniforms of the German Federal Defence Forces), in German]
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Germany
The German term ''Soldat'' (equivalent to '' Soldier#Etymology, Soldier'' in English) has its roots as far back as the 16th-century, where it was a common designation for a paid or remunerated ''ordinary-rank'' member of a military infantry, especially one who was not an officer. In the German language ''Sold'' implies "pay", and as such the term ''Soldat'' designated a person in pay (being paid) for providing armed service.
Bundeswehr
In the Federal armed forces of Germany ('' Bundeswehr'') it can be the collective term to any person in uniform, e.g. Officers (de: Offiziere), Non-Commissioned Officers (de: Unteroffiziere), and enlisted men (de: Mannschaften).
In the Bundeswehr it is used to describe conscripts (de: Wehrpflichtiger), short/long term serving volunteers (de: Zeitsoldat, or Soldat auf Zeit), and career or regular servicemen (de: Berufssoldat).[BROCKHAUS, The encyclopedia in 24 volumes (1796–2001), Volume 20: 3-7653-3680-7, page 396; definition «Soldat».]
It is grade A3 in the pay rules of the Federal Ministry of Defence.
The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group is as follows:
*OR-4a: Oberstabsgefreiter
(abbreviated OStGefr, on lists OSG; "Senior Staff Gefreiter") was the highest enlisted rank in the German Bundeswehr before the new ranks Korporal and Stabskorporal were introduced in October 2021. The rank can be comparable to corporal
Cor ...
*OR-4b: Stabsgefreiter
*OR-3a: Hauptgefreiter
Gefreiter (, abbr. Gefr.; plural ''Gefreite'') is a German, Swiss and Austrian military rank that has existed since the 16th century. It is usually the second rank or grade to which an enlisted soldier, airman or sailor could be promoted.Duden; D ...
*OR-3b: Obergefreiter
*OR-2: Gefreiter
*OR-1: Soldat (Army, Air Force, Navy)
Designation
The designation of the particular OR1-rank depends on the individual branch and career of the soldier as regulated in the Zentrale Dienstvorschrift 14/5. The sole OR1-rank designation in the Marine is Matrose, and ''Sanitätssoldat'' in the ''Bundeswehr medical service''. Other OR1-designations are descript in the table below.
Wehrmacht until 1945
See also
* Soldat (Romania)
Soldat (''soldier'') is the lowest rank in the Romanian Land Forces. It is the equivalent of jandarm ( en, gendarme) in the Romanian Gendarmerie.
In day-to-day usage, the term ''soldat'' denotes every man or woman enrolled in the Romanian Armed ...
* Ranks of the German Bundeswehr
* Rank insignia of the German Bundeswehr
The rank insignia of the federal armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany indicate rank and branch of service in the German Army (), German Air Force (), or the German Navy ().
They are regulated by the "presidential order on rank designat ...
* Ranks and insignia of NATO armies enlisted
* Ranks and insignia of enlisted personnel in NATO air forces The following are the ranks and insignia of NATO Air Forces Enlisted personnel for each member nation.
Other Ranks (OR 1–9)
See also
* NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlanti ...
References
{{Authority control
Military ranks of Germany
Military ranks of Switzerland