Stabsbootsmann

Stabsbootsmann
shoulder board / cuff title / mounting loop
Rank insignia	German NCO rank
Introduction	1955
Rank group	Non-commissioned officers
Navy	stabsbootsmann
Army / Air Force	Stabsfeldwebel
NATO equivalent	OR-8
Army/Navy	First Sergeant Master Sergeant
Air Force	Senior Master Sergeant

Stabsbootsmann (StBtsm or SB) is the second highest Non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in the German Navy. It is grouped as OR8 in NATO, equivalent to First Sergeant, Master Sergeant, or Senior Chief Petty Officer in the US Armed forces, and to Warrant Officer Class 2 in the British Army and Royal Navy.

In navy context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as Herr/ Frau Stabsbootsmann also informally / short Staber.

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

• OR-9: Oberstabsbootsmann / Oberstabsfeldwebel
• OR-8: Stabsbootsmann / Stabsfeldwebel
• OR-7: Hauptbootsmann / Hauptfeldwebel
• OR-6a: Oberbootsmann / Oberfeldwebel
• OR-6b: Bootsmann / Feldwebel

Remark

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

junior Rank Hauptbootsmann	Stabsbootsmann	senior Rank Oberstabsbootsmann
Oberfähnrich zur See

See also

Equivalent in other NATO countries

• – Premier-maître chef/ Eerste meesterchef
• – Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class
• – Stožerni narednik
• – Seniorsergent
• – Premier maître
• – Αρχικελευστής/ Archikelefstis
• – no equivalent
• – capo di seconda classe; capo di terza classe
• – no equivalent
• – no equivalent
• – Chorąży marynarki
• – Sargento-chefe
• – Brigada
• – Warrant Officer Class 2
• – Senior Chief Petty Officer

See also

History

In 1938 OR8-grades were introduced by the German Kriegsmarine depending on the particular career as follows:

• Boatswain (de: Bootsmann): Stabsoberbootsmann (Staff senior boatswain)
• Steersman (de: Steuermann): Stabsobersteuermann (Staff senior steersman)
• Engineman (de: Maschinist): Stabsobermaschinist (Staff senior engineman)

These grades were equivalent to the German Wehrmacht ranks Stabsfeldwebel and Stabswachmeister, or the Waffen-SS grade Stabsscharführer.

OR8-grades Stabsfeldwebel and Stabswachmeister have been used in the GDR National People's Army until 1990 as well. The equivalent in the Volksmarine was Stabsmeister.