( in Swedish) is a Finnish and former Swedish

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...

military rank above () and below (). The rank is derived from the German rank and was used as a rank in the

Landsknecht The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were German mercenaries used in pike and shot formations during the early modern period. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front line was ...

(15th and 16th century) for the one who was responsible for aligning troops during battle. s were trained at the Maanpuolustusopisto, a military junior college, and were usually salaried staff NCOs, as opposed to conscripts or officers.

may also refer to a position – rather than a rank – of (' of the unit'), commonly or (' of the company', ' of the battery'), which is a position similar to

first sergeant First sergeant is typically a senior non-commissioned officer rank, used in many countries. Singapore First sergeant is a Specialist (Singapore), specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First sergeants are the most senior of the junior spe ...

in the

US Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. U.S. federal law names six armed forces: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and the Coast Guard. Since 1949, all of the armed forces, except ...

company sergeant major The company sergeant major (CSM) is the senior non-commissioned soldier of a company in the armies of many Commonwealth countries, responsible for administration, standards and discipline. In combat, their prime responsibility is the supply of ...

of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

Armed Forces with the exception that in the Finnish Defence Force this position may be held by either a commissioned or a non-commissioned officer while in the US, UK and Commonwealth militaries the equivalent position is always held by an NCO. In the chain of command of a company (or an artillery battery) the is second only to the

company commander A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 100–250 soldiers and usually commanded by a major or a captain. Most companies are made up of three to seven platoons, although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and struc ...

and therefore may be in command of technically higher-ranking officers. Usually the position is held by a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

or an ('' senior lieutenant''), but it is not unheard of for it to be held by a sergeant. The tern ('officer of the unit'), although officially discontinued since July 2009, may regardless unofficially be used of the position. In the artillery, the equivalent was ('officer of the battery') which continues to be unofficially used in a similar fashion.

History and related ranks

Sweden

''Fältväbel'' has been used as the designation for the highest non-commissioned officer rank in the infantry since the 16th century. It was replaced in 1837 with the rank of ''

fanjunkare Fanjunkare (OR-7) is a Swedish military rank above Översergeant and below Överfanjunkare. The word 'Fanjunkare' is derived from German 'Fahnenjunker', and denotes a standard-bearer, hence 'Colour Sergeant'. History ''Fanjunkare'' means "nob ...

''. During the 1940s, the rank was used within the youth organization of the Swedish Central Federation for Voluntary Military Training.

Finland

The rank was established as the highest non-commissioned officer rank in the 16th century. s were traditionally responsible for much of the practical tasks in training conscripts and keeping them in line (often literally), in a manner similar to

drill sergeant A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors. Australia Aust ...

. They were the lowest rank of permanent salaried NCO and thus to a conscript, they were the first and most often encountered of career personnel. (In regular units, lower ranks were either conscripts or temporarily employed.) Obtaining the rank of ' required completion of a degree from ''Päällystöopisto'', a military junior college. s were career NCOs and could be promoted to and , but not to commissioned officers; this would require attending the Finnish National Defence University.

References

Military ranks of Finland Military insignia Military ranks of Sweden {{mil-rank-stub

History and related ranks

Sweden

Finland

See also

References