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| Oberstabsfeldwebel | |
|---|---|
  Heer andLuftwaffe shoulder insignia | |
| Country |  Germany |
| Service branch |  German Army German Air Force |
| Abbreviation | OStFw |
| Rank | German NCO rank |
| NATOrank code | OR-9 |
| Non-NATO rank | E-9 |
| Formation | 1955 |
| Next higher rank | Leutnant |
| Next lower rank | Stabsfeldwebel |
| Equivalent ranks | Oberstabsbootsmann |
Oberstabsfeldwebel (OStFw orOSF,lit. 'Senior staff fieldusher')[citation needed] is the highestNon-commissioned officer (NCO) rank inGerman Army andGerman Air Force. It is grouped as OR-9 inNATO, equivalent to asergeant major in theUnited States Army and aWarrant Officer Class 1 in theBritish Army. Attainment of this rank requires at least sixteen years since promotion tofeldwebel and at least six years since promotion tohauptfeldwebel[1]
In army/ air force context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed asHerr Oberstabsfeldwebel also informally / shortOberstaber.
The rank was introduced in the GermanHeer equivalent to theMarine gradeOberstabsbootsmann in 1955, and belongs to the grad groupUnteroffiziere mit Portepee.
The rank is a comparatively new rank, and had not been used by any German military prior to in 1955. TheKriegsmarine, did however have aStabsoberfeldwebel [de], used from 1939 to 1945.
The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group (Senior NCOs with portepee) is as follows: