Stabsfähnrich (East Germany) Explained

See main article: Ranks of the National People's Army.

Stabsfähnrich
Rank insignia	NPA Fänrich rank
Utilisation	1979-1990
Rank group	Fähnrich
Army, Air Force, Navy	Stabsfähnrich
	WO-3

Stabsfähnrich (short: StFähnr / in lists: SFR; en: Staff-fähnrich) was a military rank in the Army of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1979 to 1990.

Stabsfähnrich did belong to the autonomous "Fähnrich rank group" between commissioned officer (CO) and non-commissioned officer (NCO) ranks.^[1] The position of the "Fähnrich rank group" might have been compared to the Warrant Officer (WO) rank group in Anglophone armed forces.

The bottom up approach in that rank group was as follows:

• Fähnrich WO-1,^[2] (en: Fähnrich)
• Oberfähnrich (WO-2), (Senior-fähnrich)
• Stabsfähnrich WO-3, (Staff-fähnrich)
• Stabsoberfähnrich WO-4, (Staff-senior-fähnrich)

junior rank Oberfähnrich

(NPA rank) Stabsfähnrich

senior rank Stabsoberfähnrich

References

1. Dictionary to the German military history, 1st edition (Liz.5, P189/84, LSV:0547, B-Nr. 746 635 0), military publishing house of the GDR (VEB) – Berlin, 1985, Volume 1, page 190, definition: Oberfähnrich.
2. The abbreviation "WO/W" stands for " Warrant Officer, also warrant-officer ranks / de: ermächtigter Vorgesetzter / ru: уорент-офицер, между сержантами и младшими офицерами" between the rank groups CO and NCO

• Glossary of German military terms