Military ranks of Austria

The Austrian army of the Second Republic has 21 military ranks. Gorget patches generally show corps colors (Waffenfarbe), as is presented below.

Military ranks

Generals

Rank group	Generals
Field suit
Suit 75/03
Jacket gorget
Flat cap
Rank	General* (Gen)	Generalleutnant (GenLt)	Generalmajor (GenMjr)	Brigadier (Bgdr)

NATO equivalent	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general
rank	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6
*The federal-eagle on the flat cap is underlaid in red colour .

Officers

Rank group	Officers
Field suit
Suit 75/03
Jacket gorget
Corps colour	Military medicine	Support service	Advanced	Technical service	Jäger Military police	Armour Panzergrenadiers	Theresianische Militärakademie
Corps colour	Veterinarian service	Support service	mil-specialized service	Technical service	Jäger Military police	Armour Panzergrenadiers	Theresianische Militärakademie
Flat cap
Rank	Oberst (Obst)	Oberstleutnant (Obstlt)	Major (Mjr)	Hauptmann (Hptm)	Oberleutnant (Olt)	Leutnant (Lt)	Fähnrich (Austria) (Fhr)

NATO equivalent	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	1st Lieutenant	2nd Lieutenant	Officer Cadet
rank	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	a	b	c
rank	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1

See also main article: Waffenfarbe (Austria)

Non-commissioned officers

Rank group	Staff NCOs (de: Stabsunteroffiziere)				NCOs (de: Unteroffiziere)
Field suit
Suit 75/03
Jacket gorget
Corps colour	Signals	Artillery, Air defence	Guard	Reconnaissance	Medical service	Aviator
Corps colour	Signals	Artillery, Air defence		Reconnaissance	Medical service	Aviator
Flat cap
Rank	Vizeleutnant (Vzlt)	Offiziersstellvertreter (OStv)	Oberstabswachtmeister (OStWm)	Stabswachtmeister (StWm)	Oberwachtmeister (OWm)	Wachtmeister (Wm)

NATO equivalent	Command Sergeant Major (CSM)	Sergeant Major (SGM)	1st Sergeant (1SG)	Sergeant 1st Class (SFC)	Staff Sergeant (SSG)	Sergeant (SGT)
rank	a	b	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5
rank	OR-9		OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5

Charges and recruits

Rank group	Charges (de: Chargen)			Recruits (de: Rekruten)
Field suit
Anzug 75/03
Jacket gorget
Corps colour	Engineers	Special Forces, Army sports	NBC-Defence	Jäger, Military police
Peaked cap
Rank	Zugsführer (Zgf)	Korporal (Kpl)	Gefreiter (Gfr)	Rekrut (Rek)

NATO equivalent	Corporal	Private 1st Class	Private	no insignia Private
rank	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1

Special case military gymnasium

Pupils (de: 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)^[1]	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) and Sports 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 and Sports 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 and Sports 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).

References

^ "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

Bundesheer ranks (in German)
AusFileung und Beförderung der Offiziere (Milizstand)
AusFileung und Beförderung der Unteroffiziere (Milizstand)
Die Dienstgrade im internationalen Vergleich (NATO rank class system) (Internet page of "MOD Austria", engl.)

[Beilage915-1] "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.

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