Oberfähnrich
Oberfähnrich designates in the Heer of the Bundeswehr a military person or member of the armed forces with the last or highest Officer Aspirant rank. According to the salary class it is equivalent to the Portepeeunteroffizier ranks Hauptfeldwebel of Heer or German Air Force, and Hauptbootsmann of German Navy.
It is also grouped as OR-7 in NATO, equivalent to Sergeant 1st Class, Master Sergeant, or Chief Petty Officer in the US Armed forces, and to Warrant Officer Class 2 in the British Army and Royal Navy.
In navy context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as Herr Oberfähnrich also informally / short Oberfähnrich.
The sequence of ranks in that particular group is as follows:
- OR-9: Oberstabsfeldwebel / Oberstabsbootsmann
- OR-8: Stabsfeldwebel / Stabsbootsmann
- OFD: Oberfähnrich and Hauptfeldwebel / Oberfähnrich zur See and Hauptbootsmann
- OR-6a: Oberfeldwebel / Oberbootsmann
- OR-6b: Fähnrich and Feldwebel / Fähnrich zur See and Bootsmann