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''Unteroffizier'' is a military rank of the ''Bundeswehr'' and of former German-speaking armed forces (''Heer'' and ''Luftwaffe''). The equivalent in anglophone armed forces is sergeant or staff sergeant. However, ''Unteroffizier'' is also the collective name for all non-commissioned officers. == ''Bundeswehr''== ''Unteroffizier'' ("subordinate officer") is both a specific military rank as well as a collective term for non-commissioned officers of the German military that has existed since the 17th century.〔''Brockhaus'', encyclopedia in 24 volumes (1796–2001), Volume 22: 3-7653-3676-9, page 634〕 The term continues to be used by the modern-day German and Swiss armies. There are two classes of non-commissioned officers: *''Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee'', comprising: * *''Unteroffizier'' and ''Fahnenjunker'' * *''Stabsunteroffizier'' *''Unteroffiziere mit Portepee'', comprising: * *''Feldwebel'' and ''Fähnrich'' * *''Oberfeldwebel'' (''Oberbootsmann'') * *''Hauptfeldwebel'' and ''Oberfähnrich'' * *''Stabsfeldwebel'' * *''Oberstabsfeldwebel'' Informally, the non-commissioned officers "''mit Portepee''" are often called "''Feldwebel'' ranks", which creates confusion as the collective term ''Unteroffizier'' already exists. The word ''Unteroffizier'', in turn, is getting a third meaning, namely: non-commissioned officer ''ohne Portepee'', as opposed to "''Feldwebel'' ranks". ''Unteroffizier'' translates as "subordinate-officer" and, when meaning the specific rank, is in modern-day usage considered the equivalent to sergeant under the NATO rank scale. Historically the ''Unteroffizier'' rank was considered a corporal〔(Duden, ''Origin and meaning of "Korporal"'' ) 〕 and thus similar in duties to a British Army corporal. In peacetime an ''Unteroffizier'' was a career soldier who trained conscripts or led squads and platoons. He could rise through the ranks to become an ''Unteroffizier mit Portepee'', i.e. a ''Feldwebel'', which was the highest rank a career soldier could reach. Since the German officer corps was immensely class conscious a rise through the ranks from a NCO to become an officer was hardly possible except in times of war. The ''Unteroffizierskorps'' was made up of professional soldiers which formed the backbone of German armies. This tradition has not been changed by the ''Bundeswehr'' where all ranks of ''Unteroffizier'' and up consist only of professional soldiers who sign up for a period extending conscription. ''Unteroffizier'' is one of the few German military ranks whose insignia has remained unchanged over the past one hundred years. The shoulder boards of a modern ''Unteroffizier'' are relatively similar to the World War I and World War II designs. A modern-day German ''Bundeswehr'' ''Unteroffizier'' typically commands squad sized formations or acts as an assistant platoon NCO. The rank is also used in the modern-day German Air Force. In the ''Bundeswehr'' the grade of ''Stabsunteroffizier'' (a junior NCO) ranks between ''Unteroffizier'' and ''Feldwebel''. (詳細はウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Unteroffizier」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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