Stabsoberfähnrich (East Germany) Explained

Stabsoberfähnrich
Rank insignia	NPA Fänrich rank
Utilisation	1979-1990
Rank group	Fähnrich
Army, Air Force, Navy	Stabsoberfähnrich
	WO-4

Stabsoberfähnrich (short: StOFähnr / in lists: SOFR; en: Staff-senior-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 official manner, in line to NPA Handboock, of formal addressing of military people with the rank Stabsoberfähnrich was Genosse/Genossin Stabsoberfähnrich (en: comrade Stabsoberfähnrich).^[2]

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

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

⇒ see main article Ranks of the National People's Army

junior rank Stabsfähnrich

(NPA rank) Stabsoberfähnrich

senior rank Unterleutnant

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: Fähnrich.
2. “Handbook basic military knowledge” (of the National People´s Army), part B: “The military discipline”, section 7: The military addressing, quote - Genosse Stabsoberfähnrich (en: comrade Stabsoberfähnrich) – end of quotation.
3. 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