Stabsarzt (short: StArzt or SA), in English ''Staff Surgeon'', is a military
commissioned officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...
rank in
German speaking armed forces
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
. In the German
Bundeswehr
The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
and the former
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
and
Reichswehr
''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...
, it describes a qualified or licensed
surgeon
In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...
or
dentist
A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry (the diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the mouth, oral cavity and other aspects of the craniofaci ...
who practises
military medicine
The term military medicine has a number of potential connotations. It may mean:
*A medical specialty, specifically a branch of occupational medicine attending to the medical risks and needs (both preventive and interventional) of sold ...
, with a rank equal to
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
(German: Hauptmann) in the army and the air force or
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
(German: Kapitänleutnant) in the navy. In the
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
and
Swiss
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internation ...
armies, the rank is ''Hauptmann''.
This rank corresponds to
NATO code
This is the list of NATO country codes. Up to and including the seventh edition of STANAG 1059, these were two-letter codes (digrams). The eighth edition, promulgated February 19, 2004, and effective April 1, 2004, replaced all codes with new ones ...
OF2, and is known in English as captain (Dr.) for army or air force officers or lieutenant (Dr.) for naval officers. The rank was historically also used in the
Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
Common Army
The Common Army (german: Gemeinsame Armee, hu, Közös Hadsereg) as it was officially designated by the Imperial and Royal Military Administration, was the largest part of the Austro-Hungarian land forces from 1867 to 1914, the other two eleme ...
and corresponded to
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
or the NATO code
OF-3
Ranks and insignia of NATO are combined military insignia used by the member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The rank scale is used for specifying posts within NATO.
Definitions
NATO maintains a "standard rank scale" in ...
, known as major (Dr.) in English.
The German word ''Arzt'' is the general term for a medical practitioner in German. In English the word surgeon in a military context is applied to any medical practitioner, due to the historical evolution of the term, and does not refer exclusively to the modern specialty of
surgery
Surgery ''cheirourgikē'' (composed of χείρ, "hand", and ἔργον, "work"), via la, chirurgiae, meaning "hand work". is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a person to investigate or treat a pat ...
. Thus the title is translated as Staff Surgeon in English. The rank of Staff Surgeon has also existed in English-speaking countries; it was used in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom until 1918.
Holders of this rank are commissioned officers; in practice their authority is often limited to medical matters and medical staff (such as other doctors,
nurse
Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...
s and other
medic
A medic is a person involved in medicine such as a medical doctor, medical student, paramedic or an emergency medical responder.
Among physicians in the UK, the term "medic" indicates someone who has followed a "medical" career path in postgra ...
s working under their supervision). Under
international humanitarian law
International humanitarian law (IHL), also referred to as the laws of armed conflict, is the law that regulates the conduct of war (''jus in bello''). It is a branch of international law that seeks to limit the effects of armed conflict by prot ...
(specifically the
First
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
and
Second Geneva Convention
The Second Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. The Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condit ...
s) they are regarded as neutral
non-combatants
Non-combatant is a term of art in the law of war and international humanitarian law to refer to civilians who are not taking a direct part in hostilities; persons, such as combat medics and military chaplains, who are members of the belligeren ...
and accorded the status of "
protected persons
Protected persons is a legal term under international humanitarian law and refers to persons who are under specific protection of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, their 1977 Additional Protocols, and customary international humanitarian law during an ...
" when participating in
humanitarian
Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...
work during
armed conflict
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular ...
s, such as caring for the sick or wounded. They may wear the
red cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
as a
protective sign Protective signs are symbols to be used during an armed conflict to mark persons and objects under the protection of various treaties of international humanitarian law (IHL). While their essential meaning can be summarized as "Don't shoot" or "Don't ...
. As such, they may not be attacked, harmed or taken as
prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
(attacking medical personnel is a
war crime), and are entitled under the Geneva Conventions to carry out their work without being inhibited. They may be armed, usually with
service pistol
A service pistol, also known as a personal weapon or an ordnance weapon, is any handgun issued to regular military personnel or law enforcement officers. Typically, service pistols are revolvers or semi-automatic pistols issued to Officer (armed ...
s, strictly for defensive purposes, including
self defense
Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...
and the defense of patients.
Germany
Bundeswehr
In the
Joint Medical Service of the German
Bundeswehr
The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
Stabsarzt (en: Staff surgeon), Stabsapotheker (en: Staff pharmacist), and Stabsveterinär (en: Staff veterinary) are comparable in
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
to the
OF-2
Ranks and insignia of NATO are combined military insignia used by the member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The rank scale is used for specifying posts within NATO.
Definitions
NATO maintains a "standard rank scale" in ...
ranks ''
Hauptmann
is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literally ...
'', and ''
Kapitänleutnant
''Kapitänleutnant'', short: KptLt/in lists: KL, ( en, captain lieutenant) is an officer grade of the captains' military hierarchy group () of the German Bundeswehr. The rank is rated OF-2 in NATO, and equivalent to Hauptmann in the Heer an ...
''. The grades belong to the captain rank group (de: Hauptleute).
Address
The manner of formal addressing of military surgeons/dentists with the rank ''Stabsarzt'' is, "''Herr/Frau Stabsarzt''"; with the rank ''Stabsapotheker'', "''Herr/Frau Stabsapotheker''"; with the rank ''Stabsveterinär'', "''Herr/Frau Stabsveterinär''". Although the
grammatically female form of ''Arzt'' is ''Ärztin'', the military does not have separate gendered ranks, so the correct form of address for a female doctor is "''Frau Stabsarzt''" and not "''Frau Stabsärztin''".
Rank insignias
On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there are three silver stars and the career insignia (de: Laufbahnabzeichen) as symbol of the medical standing, or course of studies. The piping on shoulder straps shows the
Waffenfarbe
In the German military, ''Waffenfarbe'' (German: "branch-of-service colors" or "corps colors") is a visual method that the armed forces use to distinguish between different corps or troop functions in its armed services. The ''Waffenfarbe'' it ...
(en: corps- or troop-function colour), corresponding to the appropriate military service, branch, or special force. The corps colour of the "Bundeswehr Joint Medical Service" is dark blue.
In the Marines, the career insignia is in the middle of both sleeves, 3 cm above the cuff strips, and on the shoulder straps between strips and button.
Wehrmacht
''Stabsarzt'' of the
German Wehrmacht was comparable to the
Hauptmann
is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literally ...
/
Kapitänleutnant
''Kapitänleutnant'', short: KptLt/in lists: KL, ( en, captain lieutenant) is an officer grade of the captains' military hierarchy group () of the German Bundeswehr. The rank is rated OF-2 in NATO, and equivalent to Hauptmann in the Heer an ...
(
OF-2
Ranks and insignia of NATO are combined military insignia used by the member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The rank scale is used for specifying posts within NATO.
Definitions
NATO maintains a "standard rank scale" in ...
), as well as to the
Hauptsturmführer and Hauptmann of the Waffen-SS.
During wartime, the regular assignment of a ''Stabsarzt'' was the management of a ''main dressing station'' (German: ''Hauptverbandsplatz''), maintained by the 2nd platoon of the medical company, and supported by first lieutenants (Dr.), second lieutenants (Dr.), and help surgeons (German: ''Ober-'', ''Assistenz-'', and ''Hilfsärzte''). A ''Stabsarzt'' also could serve in a variety of other roles.
In line to the so-called
Reichsbesoldungsordnung (en: Reich's salary order), appendixes to the Salary law of the German Empire (de: Besoldungsgesetz des Deutschen Reiches) of 1927 (changes 1937 – 1940), the comparative ranks were as follows: C 7
*Hauptmann (Heer and Luftwaffe)
*Kapitänleutnant (Kriegsmarine)
*Stabsarzt (medical service of the Wehrmacht)
*Marinestabsarzt, introduced June 26, 1935 (medical service of the Kriegsmarine)
*Stabsveterinär (veterinarian service of the Wehrmacht)
The ''corps colour'' of the military Health Service Support (HSS) in German armed forces was traditional ''dark blue'', and of the veterinarian service .
[“War and victory 1870-71”, culture history, published by Julius von Pflugk-Harttung. (Original title: Krieg und Sieg 1870-71, Kulturgeschichte, Herausgeber Julius von Pflugk-Harttung.)] This tradition was continued by the medical service corps in Heer and Luftwaffe of the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht. However, the ''corps colour'' of the ''Waffen-SS'' and ''Kriegsmarine'' HSS was .
Kriegsmarine
Rank designations of the Kriegsmarine as to Match 30, 1934, are contained in the table below.
Austria-Hungary
![Josef Hauer Litho](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Josef_Hauer_Litho.jpg)
In the
Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
Common Army
The Common Army (german: Gemeinsame Armee, hu, Közös Hadsereg) as it was officially designated by the Imperial and Royal Military Administration, was the largest part of the Austro-Hungarian land forces from 1867 to 1914, the other two eleme ...
(de: Gemeinsame Armee or k.u.k. Armee) there were the OF2-ranks ''Regimentsarzt I. Klasse'' and ''Regimentsarzt II. Klasse'' (en: Regiment surgeon 1st class / – 2nd class) until 1918, equivalent to the OF2-rank ''Stabsarzt'' in Germany. That particular rank was comparable to the ''Hauptmann/Captain'' OF2-rank as well.
References
{{Military ranks by country
Military ranks of Germany
Military ranks of Austria
Austro-Hungarian Army
Military medicine