# Waffenfarbe (Austria)

Waffenfarbe(n) or Egalisierungsfarbe(n) are colors that communicate the rank and arm of service for members of the police force or the Federal Army of the Republic of Austria (de: Bundesheer der Republik Österreich) . They are also referred to as Kragenspiegel (English: collar patches or gorget patches).

## History

In 1920/21, the Austrian Federal Army of the First Republic adopted German Reichswehr uniforms along with their Waffenfarben, albeit with two notable exceptions: the Austrian infantry adopted grass-green, and the Austrian hunter troops adopted yellow-green (German colors were white for infantry and hunter-green for hunter troops). A new uniform was introduced in 1933 modeled on those worn by the Austro-Hungarian Land forces from 1867 to 1914. The so-called k.u.k. "Adjustierungsvorschrift" (English: service dress instruction) contains color pattern tables from the year 1912 and regulated the Egalisierungsfarben to be worn.

## Austrian Federal Army Waffenfarben

| Troops, unit, appointment | Waffenfarbe | Example (Paroli) | Rank (NATO code) | Rank (Austrian title) |
| Guards | scharlachrot mit weißem Vorstoß (English: scarlet(-red) with white edging strip) | | OR-8 | Oberstabswachtmeister |
| Jagdkommando (English: skirmishing command) Heeresportzentrum (Army Sports Center) | gelbgün (yellow-green) | | OR-3 | Korporal |
| Jäger (rifleman) | grasgrün (meadow green) | | OF-1a | Oberleutnant |
| Panzer (armour) Panzergrenadiere (panzergrenadiers) | schwarz (black) | | OF-1b | Leutnant |
| Aufklärer (reconnaissance) | gelb (yellow) | | OR-7 | Stabswachtmeister |
| Theresian Military Academy | rot (red) | | OF-D | Fähnrich |
| Artillery Air defense AD academy | rot (red) | | OR-9 | Offizierstellvertreter |
| Engineer troops | stahlgrün (steel green) | | OR-4 | Zugsführer |
| NBC-Defense | hechtgrau (pike gray) | | OR-2 | Gefreiter |
| Communicators | rostbraun (rust brown) | | OR-9 | Vizeleutnant |
| Aviators (e.g. pilots) | violett (violet) | | OR-5 | Wachtmeister |
| Technical service | braun (brown) | | OF-2 | Hauptmann |
| Higher mil. technical service | braun mit rotem Vorstoß (en: brown with red edging strip) | N/A | |
| Higher mil. expert service | rot-blau (en: red blue) | | OF-3 | Major |
| General staff service | red-black | N/A | | |
| Intendance service | green deep-red | N/A | | |
| Logistic | deep-blue | N/A | | |
| Mil. medical service (human medicine) | blue black | | OF-3 | Majorarzt |
| Mil. medical service (veterinary medicine) | deep-red black | | OF-5 | Oberstveterinär |
| Mil. medical service (pharmacology) | lilac black | N/A | | |
| Medical service | sky blue | | OR-6 | Oberwachtmeister |
| Wirtschaftsdienst (support service) | ﻿ light blue (index #007BA7) | | OF-4 | Oberstleutnant |
| General officers | gold | | OF-9 | General rank insignia on peaked cap left |
| basic uniform colors | jacket: field gray trousers: stone gray | | OR-2 | Gefreiter |

### Beret Colors

Austrian Bundesheer often wear berets. Normally, it will be worn to the dress uniform or on special occasions to the field suit. Exempted are only members of the Air Force and the Gebirgsjäger (en: mountain infantry) with an own headgear. The color of the particular beret corresponds to the appropriate branch of service and/or the particular unit or formation. The color of the Bundesadler (federal eagle) and the eagle double-wing on berets is as follows:
* Metallic gray - recruits and charges (OR-1 to OR-4)
* Silver - NCOs (OR-5 to OR-9)
* Gold - officers (OR-1 to OF-5)
* Gold on red background - general officers (OF-6 to OF-9)
| Troops, unit, appointment | Caps color | Mainly used by |
| Jägertruppe (motorized infantry) Panzergrenadiertruppe (mechanized infantry) Pioniertruppe (military engineers) | jaegergreun (rifleman-green) | Infantrymen (not: Jägerbataillon 25) members of the territorial organization military schools and academy (not: Heereslogistikschule) |
| Panzertruppe (armored corps) Panzergrenadiertruppe (mechanized infantry) Panzerartillerietruppe (self-propelled artillery) | schwarz (black) | members of the armored corps, most members of the 3rd - and 4th Mechanized infantry brigade. The image shows an armored officer's beret with golden federal eagle |
| Garde (guards) | scharlachrot (scarlet-red) | members of the Guards battalion |
| Red beret | rot (red) | members of 25th Jaegerbataillon in Klagenfurt. |
| Coral-red beret | Korallrot (coral-red) | members of the military patrols and military police |
| Rusty-brown beret | Rostbaraun (rusty-brown) | members of the combat support troops |
| Pike-gray beret | Hechtgrau (pike gray) | members of the NBC-defense school and the "Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit" |
| Dark-blue beret | Dunkelblau (dark-blue) | members of the Army logistics school, Combat support command (with all subordinate elements), and the Military Medical Center |
| Yellow-green beret | Gelbgruen (yellow-green) | Federal army's top performing athletes (German: Bundesheer-Leistungssportler) of the Army Sports Center (Heeres-Sportzentrum) |
| Olive-green beret (with federal eagle) | Olivegruen (olive-green) | members of the Skirmishing command (basic level distinguished by federal eagle) |
| Olive-green beret (with Skirmishing patrol badge) | Olivegruen (olive-green) | members of the Skirmishing command that passed the basic Skirmishing command trainings course (advanced level – the federal eagle is replaced by the Skirmishing command badge) |
| Blue UN beret | UN-blue | soldiers on duty to, contract of, or by order of the United Nations. |

## Federal police

The Bundespolizei uses corps colors on the rank insignia and Tellerkappe (English: peaked cap).
* Most police wear Krapprot (madder red)
* Higher service (police legal advisor and public health official) wear Bordeauxviolett (Bordeaux red)

## K.u.k. Egalisationfarben

The Adjustierungsvorschrift (English: service dress instruction) contains the color pattern tables from the year 1912. The name Egalisierung consists of uniform color at the one hand, and corps color, Waffenfarbe or badge color at the other hand. The system was extremely complicated and was called by slang Farbkastel (English: paintbox). Ultimately, in the k.u.k. common army it was very difficult to distinguish the 102 infantry regiments from Hussars, Lancers or Dragoons, as well as services, service branches, special services, appointments, and so on.
* Color
* table 1
* table 2
* table 3
* table 4
* table 5
* table 6