Non-commissioned officer
Unteroffizier(e) mit Portepee, also Portepeeunteroffizier(e) (English: "Non-commissioned officer(s) with sword knot"), is the designation for German senior NCO in the armed forces of Germany. The name derives from earlier traditions in which senior enlisted men would carry a sword into battle. The word "portepee" derives from French "port"(e)-"épée".