  untersturmfÃ¼hrer was a paramilitary rank of the german schutzstaffel (ss) first created in july 1934. the rank can trace its origins to the older sa rank of sturmfÃ¼hrer which had existed since the founding of the sa in 1921. the rank of untersturmfÃ¼hrer was senior to hauptscharfÃ¼hrer (or sturmscharfÃ¼hrer in the waffen-ss) and junior to the rank of obersturmfÃ¼hrer. ==overview== untersturmfÃ¼hrer was the first commissioned ss officer rank, equivalent to a second lieutenant in other military organizations. the insignia consisted of a three silver pip collar patch with the shoulder boards of an army lieutenant. because of the emphasis the ss placed on the leadership of their organization, obtaining the rank of untersturmfÃ¼hrer required a screening and training process different from the standard promotion system in the enlisted ranks. ; insignia of rank of untersturmfÃ¼hrer of the waffen-ss: shoulder-wss-ill-untersturmf.jpg|shoulder mark ss-untersturmfuehrer collar.png |gorget patches leutn-unterstf.png|military camouflage in the early days of the ss, promotion to untersturmfÃ¼hrer was simply a matter of course as an ss member rose within the enlisted ranks to a position where they were ready to assume the duties of an officer. untersturmfÃ¼hrer was also occasionally an appointed position, given to an ss member so that they would be able to immediately begin as an officer in the organization. this was typically the case in security organizations, such as the gestapo and sicherheitsdienst (sd). a typical scenario in the early ss was for a member to join as an ss-mann and the receive promotion directly to sturmfÃ¼hrer. in some cases, where an officer was being "groomed" to take up an ss leadership position, an officer could be promoted even higher. such was the situation with friedrich jecklen who was promoted directly from mann to sturmbannfÃ¼hrer as well some situations of ss officers joining the organization as an ss-oberfÃ¼hrer. by 1938, the size and logistics of the ss brought about the need for an established system of becoming an ss officer with this system different for both the waffen-ss (military ss) and the general ss formations of the allgemeine-ss. == general-ss commissions == within the allgemeine, or âgeneralâ ss, promotion to the rank of untersturmfÃ¼hrer required satisfactory servi
SS_ranks