Oberstabsfeldwebel

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in German. (January 2021) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the German article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing German Wikipedia article at [[:de:Oberstabsfeldwebel]]; see its history for attribution. You may also add the template {{Translated|de|Oberstabsfeldwebel}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Oberstabsfeldwebel" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Oberstabsfeldwebel
Heer and Luftwaffe shoulder insignia
Country	Germany
Service branch	German Army  German Air Force
Abbreviation	OStFw
Rank	German NCO rank
NATO rank code	OR-9
Non-NATO rank	E-9
Formation	1955
Next higher rank	Leutnant
Next lower rank	Stabsfeldwebel
Equivalent ranks	Oberstabsbootsmann

Oberstabsfeldwebel (OStFw or OSF, lit. 'Senior staff field usher') is the highest Non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in German Army and German Air Force. It is grouped as OR-9 in NATO, equivalent to a sergeant major in the United States Army and a Warrant Officer Class 1 in the British Army. Attainment of this rank requires at least sixteen years since promotion to feldwebel and at least six years since promotion to hauptfeldwebel^[1]

In army/ air force context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as Herr Oberstabsfeldwebel also informally / short Oberstaber.

The rank was introduced in the German Heer equivalent to the Marine grade Oberstabsbootsmann in 1955, and belongs to the grad group Unteroffiziere mit Portepee.