Ranks of the Bundesheer

The Ranks of the Bundesheer are the military insignia used by the Austrian Armed Forces. Austria is a landlocked country and has no navy.

Military ranks

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General/flag officers					Field/senior officers			Junior officers			Officer cadet
Cap^[1]
Service uniform^[1]
Field uniform^[1]
		General	Generalleutnant	Generalmajor	Brigadier	Oberst	Oberstleutnant	Major	Hauptmann	Oberleutnant	Leutnant	Fähnrich

Official translation^[1]		General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	First lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Officer cadet
Equivalent NATO code^[a]	OF-9		OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1		OF(D)

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Non-commissioned officer						Enlisted
Cap^[1]
Service uniform^[1]
Field uniform^[1]
	Vizeleutnant	Offiziersstellvertreter	Oberstabswachtmeister	Stabswachtmeister	Oberwachtmeister	Wachtmeister	Zugsführer	Korporal	Gefreiter	Rekrut

Official translation^[1]	Warrant officer I	Warrant officer II	Warrant officer III	Staff sergeant	Master sergeant	Sergeant	Master corporal	Corporal	Lance corporal	Private
Equivalent NATO code^[a]	OR-9		OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1

Special case military gymnasium

Pupils (German: Zöglinge) of the Military gymnasium wear black shoulder rank insignias on their dress uniform. On the duty suits black mounting loops have to be worn. However, the particular insignia has to be in line with actual school level. The appropriate school year is symbolised by a small golden strip.

Possible appointments in correlation to rank or grade

Rank group	Military rank	Possible appointments/ assignments
Military staff (without any rank or grade)	Rekrut (Wehrmann until 1998)^[2]	Generic infantryman
Charges	Gefreiter	Generic infantryman
	Korporal	Squad leader dep.
	Zugsführer	Squad leader dep.
Unteroffiziere	Wachtmeister	Squad leader
Unteroffiziere	Oberwachtmeister	Squad leader
Stabsunteroffiziere	Stabswachtmeister	Leader of a squad (on technical corps) Platoon leader Clerk in a staff
	Oberstabswachtmeister
	Offiziersstellvertreter	Platoon leader Clerk in a staff
	Vizeleutnant	Platoon leader Clerk in a staff
Officers	Fähnrich	Military university graduate and Officer Aspirant (OA)
	Leutnant	Platoon leader
	Oberleutnant	Company commander (CO CDR) dep.
	Hauptmann	CO CDR
	Major	Battalion commander (BN CDR) CDR of a (headquarters-)company
	Oberstleutnant	BN CDR CDR of a (headquarters-)company on technical corps or a school Appointment to a staff or to the (federal) Ministry Of Defence (MOD) Austria
	Oberst	CDR of a brigade (BDE) CDR of a regiment (REGT) Appointment to a staff and to MOD and Sports Austria Defence attaché
General officers	Brigadier	Head of a grout on central point in MOD Austria CDR of the Command Support Center Head of the Office for Armament and Procurement Head of the Office for Armament and Military Technology Head of the Military Real Estate Management Center CDR of the Heeres–Unterofficers–Academy Division Chief on central point of MOD and Sports Austria Chairman of the Disciplinary Commission to Soldiers CDR of the Military Medical Center CDR of the Heeres-Hospital CDR of the Air Surveillance Command Military CDR CDR BDE CDR of a Heeres-Branch-School CDR of an Air Force School and Air Defence School CDR of an ABC-Defence School CDR of a Heeres-Logistics School CDR of a (military) Medical School Head of the (military) Counter-espionage Office Deputy (DEP) Director Security Policy on central point of MOD and Sports Austria DEP CDR of the (Austrian) Defence College DEP CDR of the Theresianic Defence College DEP CDR of the Command and Control Support Center DEP CDR of the Combat Service Support Command DEP Chief of the Office of Armament and Military Technology DEP Chief of the Military Real Estate Management Center DEP Chief of the Heeres-Intelligence-Office DEP Chief of the (military) Counter-espionage Office Division Chief "weapon systems and ammunition", "vehicles, device, and personal equipment", and "aircraft". Division Chief "purchase"and "IT- and communications technology systems" of the institute of military geography, as well as branch Chief management "IT- and communications technology systems" of the Command Support Center. Chief of the Air Force Material Staff Chief of the institute to the (Austrian) Defence Academy Defence attaché
	Generalmajor (formerly Divisionär)	Adjutant of the Federal Presidente Chief of Staff (COS) MOD and Sports Austria Chief of the Planning Staff on central point of MOD and Sports Austria Chief Armed Forces Staff on central point of MOD and Sports Austria Chief of Armament Staff on central point of MOD and Sports Austria Commanding general Air Force Commanding general International Commitments CDR of the Theresianic Defence College CDR of the Combat Service Support Command DEP CDR of the Task Force Command COS Armed Forces Control Command Chief of the Heeres-Intelligence Office DEP Chief of a Division on central point of MOD and Sports Austria
	Generalleutnant (formerly Korpskommandant)	DEP Chief of the General Staff on central point of MOD and Sports Austria Chiefs of Division on central point of MOD and Sports Austria Commanding general of the Armed Forces CDR of the (Austrian) Defence College
	General	Chief of the General Staff of the Austrian Bundesheer on central point of MOD Austria

Additions

To the rank or grade might be (among others) added addendums as follows.

Abbreviation	Long version
A	Arzt (en: physician)
aD	außer Dienst (off duty)
dG	des Generalstabsdienstes (of the general staff service)
dhmfD	des höheren militärfachlichen Dienstes (of the higher military specialised service)
dhmtD	des höheren militärtechnischen Dienstes (of the higher military technical service)
dIntD	des Intendanzdienstes (of the commissariat service)
dRes	der Reserve (of the reserve)
iR	in Ruhe (retired)

e.g.: MjrA (major physician), Lt aD (lieutenant off duty), ObstdG (colonel of the general staff service), HptmdhmtD (captain of the higher military technical service), ObstltdIntD (lieutenant colonel of the commissariat service), Olt dRes (first lieutenant of the reserve), Bgdr iR (general brigadier retired).

Notes

^ ^a ^b While Austria is not a member of NATO, it does have an official conversion.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ bundesheer.
^ "915 der Beilagen zu den Stenographischen Protokollen des Nationalrates XX. GP" (PDF). Österreichisches Parlament. 10 December 1997. p. 51. Retrieved 19 November 2010. Im Hinblick auf die geplante Öffnung des Bundesheeres für freiwillige militärische Dienstleistungen von Frauen soll der niederste militärische Dienstgrad statt derzeit "Wehrmann" künftig einheitlich für beide Geschlechter mit dem Begriff "Rekrut" bezeichnet werden.

External links

"Rank Insignias". bundesheer.at. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
"Dienstgrade des Österreichischen Bundesheeres" (PDF). bundesheer.at (in German). Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
"Laufbahn und Ausbildung - Offizier" [Career and Training - Officer]. bundesheer.at (in German). Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
"Laufbahn und Ausbildung - Unteroffizier" [Career and Training - NCOs]. bundesheer.at (in German). Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 19 November 2021.

[NATO-2] While Austria is not a member of NATO, it does have an official conversion.^[1]

[FOOTNOTEbundesheer-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ bundesheer.

[Beilage915-3] "915 der Beilagen zu den Stenographischen Protokollen des Nationalrates XX. GP" (PDF). Österreichisches Parlament. 10 December 1997. p. 51. Retrieved 19 November 2010. Im Hinblick auf die geplante Öffnung des Bundesheeres für freiwillige militärische Dienstleistungen von Frauen soll der niederste militärische Dienstgrad statt derzeit "Wehrmann" künftig einheitlich für beide Geschlechter mit dem Begriff "Rekrut" bezeichnet werden.

[1]

[a]

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