Feldwebel Feldwebel is a German military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages . The word " Feldwebel " is usually translated as sergeant being rated OR - 6 in the NATO rank comparison scale , equivalent to the British Army Sergeant and the US Army Staff Sergeant . The rank of Feldwebel also exists in a number of higher grades , such as " Hauptfeldwebel " , " Stabsfeldwebel " and " Oberstabsfeldwebel " . These are rated OR - 7 to OR – 9 , equivalent to the higher grades of Sergeant ( US ) and of Sergeants - Major ( British ) . The rank has also been borrowed by several other militaries , namely Swedish fältväbel , Russian фельдфебель ( " fel ' dfebel < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > " ) , Bulgarian фелдфебел ( " feldfebel " ) , Finnish vääpeli and Estonian veebel . The German word Feldwebel derives from the old German term ' waibel ' , a part of a loom to bring all strings on a line . The Landsknecht regiments first installed " Feldwaibel " to keep the men at line at the battlefield . In the Swiss Army , the rank is still today called Feldweibel . Germany . 19th century and German Kaiserreich . " Feldwebel " gained its widest usage under the German military beginning from the early 19th century . The highest ranking Non - Commissioned Officer until 1918 , the Feldwebel acted as Company Sergeant Major . By contrast with some other countries , the position and duty of Regimental Sergeant Major never existed in Germany . From 1877 veteran NCOs could be promoted to the rank of " Feldwebel - Leutnant " . This Army Reserve officer ranked with the Commissioned Officer s , but was always inferior to the lowest " Leutnant " . From 1887 the " Offizierstellvertreter " ( Deputy Officer ) ranked as a kind of Warrant Officer ( more NCO than officer ) between " Feldwebel " and the commissioned officers . There were three further NCO ranks : " Vizefeldwebel " ( Vice " Feldwebel " , senior NCO ) , " Sergeant " ( junior NCO ) and " Unteroffizier " ( Lance Sergeant or Corporal , junior NCO ) . The " Gefreiter " was not an NCO as he had no powers of authority , and was a higher grade of private soldier . Reichswehr and Wehrmacht . After World War I , in the German " Reichswehr " and " Wehrmacht " , the " Feldwebel " grade was divided into several ranks : " Feldwebel " and above were " Unteroffiziere mit Portepee " ( Senior NCOs ) ; " Unterfeldwebel " and " Unteroffiziere " were " Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee " ( Junior NCOs ) . In 1921 , the rank of " Sergeant " was renamed " Unterfeldwebel " . " Unterfeldwebels " did duty as squad / section leaders . The " Stabsfeldwebel " rank was reserved for those who had enlisted for 25 year terms of service in the pre - war German military and those who were enlisted for shorter terms were not eligible to hold this rank . The appointment of " Hauptfeldwebel " ( Company Sergeant Major / First Sergeant ) could be held by " Stabsfeldwebels " or " Oberfeldwebels " only . NCOs of a lower rank ( " Feldwebel " , " Unterfeldwebel " , " Unteroffizier " ) holding this position were titled " Hauptfeldwebeldiensttuer " ( i . e . acting Hauptfeldwebel ) . Not all " Heer " NCO ' s in this grade were called " Feldwebel , " which was a rank in the infantry tradition . In the cavalry and artillery , for example , the equivalent rank was " Wachtmeister , " in the signals " Funkmeister , " in the ordnance branch " Feuerwerker . " In the " Waffen - SS " the " Oberscharführer " was the equivalent of Feldwebel in World War II . Bundeswehr . In the modern German " Bundeswehr " , " Feldwebel " is considered a Senior NCO , due in part to the large number of Corporal positions which exist as junior grades . The modern " Bundeswehr " NCO ranks are as follows : ( " Fahnenjunker " ( OR 5b ) , " Fähnrich " ( OR 6b ) and " Oberfähnrich " ( OR 7 / OR 8 ) are ranks only held by officers candidates . ) In the " Bundeswehr " , " Hauptfeldwebel " is no longer an appointment , but a rank . " Hauptfeldwebels " and above may hold the equivalents of the appointment of Company Sergeant Major [ US Army , " First Sergeant " ] in the different branches of the army : " Kompaniefeldwebel " ( infantry company ) , " Batteriefeldwebel " ( artillery battery ) or " Staffelfeldwebel " ( air force wing ) . In the " Deutsche Marine " ( German Navy , as part of the " Bundeswehr " ) , the equivalent to " Feldwebel " is the rank of " Bootsmann " ( " boatswain " ) . Switzerland . " Feldweibel " is the lowest rank of " Higher Non - Commissioned Officers " in the Swiss Army . Until the " Reform XXI " agenda , there were two branches of " Feldweibels " : technical and company level . The " Feldweibel " oversees unit - level military service and operations . In 2004 , the rank of " Hauptfeldweibel " was introduced . Since then , only technical specialists have remained in the rank of " Feldweibel " . On international missions , they are referred to as " Sergeant Major " , NATO Code : OR - 7 . Finland . The military rank of " vääpeli " was previously used by salaried NCOs . Responsibility was given for training and maintenance . It is being currently phased out , and conscript officers , salaried sergeants and commissioned officers have taken over the tasks . The position of " vääpeli " in wartime formations still exists , but it can be given to soldier of any rank , typically sergeant or corporal . In peacetime , the term " yksikköupseeri " , literally " officer of the unit " , is used , and this position is held by a salaried officer , typically senior lieutenant . The responsibility is for the provisioning , maintenance , human resources management and generally well - being of the unit ( company ) . Bulgaria . In the Bulgarian army , " фелдфебел " ( pronounced " feldfebel " ) existed from the late 19th century to the late 1940s , when the German - type military organization was phased out in favor of a new doctrine , identical to the Soviet one . Russia . See History of Russian military ranks .