Soldat (rank)


Soldat refers to the lowest rank of enlisted men in the land-based armed forces of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It is usually grouped as OR-1 within the NATO ranking system, excluding the Swiss armed services which is not part of NATO.

Germany

The German term Soldat has its roots as far back as the 16th-century, where it was a common designation for a paid or remunerated ordinary-rank member of a military infantry, especially one who was not an officer. In the German language Sold implies "pay", and as such the term Soldat designated a person in pay for providing armed service.

Bundeswehr

In the Federal armed forces of Germany it can be the collective term to any person in uniform, e.g. Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and enlisted men.
In the Bundeswehr it is used to describe conscripts, short/long term serving volunteers, and career or regular servicemen.
It is grade A3 in the pay rules of the Federal Ministry of Defence.
The sequence of ranks in that particular group is as follows:
The designation of the particular OR1-rank depends on the individual branch and career of the soldier as regulated in the Zentraler Dienstvorschrift 14/5. The sole OR1-rank designation in the Marine is Matrose, and Sanitätssoldat in the Bundeswehr medical service. Other OR1-designations are descript in the table below.
Rank
designation		Abbrev.Carrier grout
FliegerFlg
  • Luftwaffe uniformed personnel with the lowest OR1-rank, with exception of Flugabwehrraketengeschwader 1
  • soldiers of the lowest OR1-rank in the units of the Heeresfliegertruppe
FunkerFusoldiers with the lowest OR1-rank
  • in the Signal Corps, not involved to units of tactical combat forces like Armoured Corps
  • of the Heer in stationary communications centers
  • in signal units of the Electronic Warfare
  • in units of the Operational Communications
    • GrenadierGrenHeer uniformed personnel with the lowest OR1-rank serving in the Wachbataillon beim Bundesministerium der Verteidigung since 1991
    JägerJgsoldiers with the lowest OR1-rank in the units of Jägertruppe, Fallschirmjägertruppe and Gebirgsjägertruppe
    KanonierKansoldier with the lowest OR1-rank
  • of the Artillery Corps
  • in the Flugabwehrraketengeschwader 1 of the Luftwaffe
  • of the Geo-Information Service belonging to the Heer
    • MatroseMatrGerman Navy uniformed personnel with the lowest OR1-rank
    PanzerfunkerPzFusoldiers with the lowest OR1-rank of signal troops, integrated to units of the Armoured Corps
    PanzergrenadierPzGren, PG
  • soldier with the lowest OR1-rank in units of the Panzergrenadiertruppe
  • Panzergrenadier is also the collective name to all personnel of the Panzergrenadiertruppe
    • PanzerjägerPzJgThis OR1-rank was discontinued in line with the abolishment of the Panzerjägertruppe in 2006.
  • from 1955 to 2006 it was the lowest OR1-rank of the Panzerjägertruppe
  • Panzerjäger was also the collective name for all Panzerjägertruppe personnel
    • PanzerkanonierPzKansoldier with the lowest OR1-rank of Artillery Corps batteries equipped with armored self-propelled howitzers
    PanzerpionierPzPi
  • soldier with the lowest OR1-rank of Panzerpionier units
  • Panzerpionier is also the collective name to all persons in uniform of the Bundeswehr Panzerpionier companies / Panzerpionier battalions
    • PanzerschützePzSchtzsoldier with the lowest OR1-rank of units of the Panzertruppe
    PionierPi
  • soldier with the lowest OR1-rank of Pioniertruppe, with the exception of armored engineer units
  • Pionier is also the collective name for all Pioniertruppe personnel
    • SanitätssoldatSanSdt
  • soldier with the lowest OR1-rank in the Joint Medical Service or the Heer medical service
  • Sanitätssoldat is also the collective name for personnel of the Sanitätsdienst der Bundeswehr''
    • SchützeSchtzNormally all military personnel with the lower OR-1 rank serving in Heer that is not mentioned above.

    Wehrmacht until 1945