Fahnenjunker

Fahnenjunker (short Fhj or FJ, ; ) is a military rank of the Bundeswehr and of some former German armed forces. In earlier German armed forces it was also the collective name for many officer aspirant ranks. It was established by the Presidential order of the Federal president on rank insignia and uniforms of soldiers. Rank Fahnenjunker is the entrance rank to an officer aspirant career. According to the salary class, it is equivalent to the Unteroffizier ohne Portepee ranks Unteroffizier of the army or air force, and Maat of the Deutsche Marine. It is also grouped as OR-5 in NATO, equivalent to Sergeant, Staff Sergeant in the US Armed forces. In the army context, NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as Herr/ Frau Fahnenjunker also informally / short Fahnenjunker. The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group is as follows: Unteroffizier ohne Portepee