Military ranks of Switzerland

The Military ranks of Switzerland are the military insignia used by the Swiss Armed Forces. The ranks have changed little over the centuries, except for the introduction, in 2004, of a new set of warrant officers. The ranks are worn on shoulder boards with the appropriate background colour. Designations are given in the four national languages (German, French, Italian and Romansh), with an English translation which is used during overseas missions.

Enlisted ranks

Enlisted troops
Rank insignia[1] Name[1] Description
Epaulette Camouflage German French Italian Romansh
 English designation
No rank insignia Rekrut
(Rekr)		 Recrue
(recr)		 Recluta Recruit Recruit This rank is a position during the 4 months of Recruit School. A recruit gets promoted to E-1 after the Recruit School.
OR-1a - Soldat Soldat
(Sdt)		 Soldat
(Sdt)		 Soldato Schuldà Private E-1
OR-2 - Appointé Gefreiter
(Gfr)		 Appointé
(App)		 Appuntato Appuntà Private E-2 E-1 Privates can be promoted to E-2 after a minimum of 20 days' service in a refresher course, subject to good performance.[2] E-2 Privates also receive 6 CHF daily pay (as opposed to 5 CHF prior to promotion)[3]
OR-3 - Appointé-Chef Obergefreiter
(Obgfr)		 Appointé-chef
(App chef)		 Appuntato capo Primappuntà Lance Corporal The rank "Obergefreiter" was removed as of 1 January 2019 with the WEA of the Swiss Army.[4] However those soldiers previously awarded this rank are able to keep it.

Non-commissioned officers (NCO)
Rank insignia[1] Name[1] Description
Epaulette Camouflage German French Italian Romansh
 English designation
OR-4 - Caporal Korporal
(Kpl)		 Caporal
(Cpl)		 Caporale
(Cpl)		 Caporal
(Cpl)		 Corporal Soldiers in this rank serve as specialist NCOs (e.g. arms specialization, CBRN specialization, postal soldiers)
OR-5 - Sergent Wachtmeister
(Wm)		 Sergent
(Sgt)		 Sergente
(Sgt)		 Sergent
(Sgt)		 Sergeant Currently, the standard junior NCO rank
OR-6 - Sergent-Chef Oberwachtmeister
(Obwm)		 Sergent chef
(Sgt chef)		 Sergente capo
(Sgt capo)		 Caposergent
(Csgt)		 Sergeant first class This rank is awarded to Sergeants who receive very good performance assessments. Holders of this rank are appointed to be the platoon leader's replacement and serve an additional 10 days compared to the standard Sergeant rank.[2]

Higher NCOs
Rank insignia[5] Name[5] Description
Epaulette Camouflage German French Italian Romansh
 English designation
OR-6 - Sergent-Major Feldweibel
(Fw)		 Sergent-major
(Sgtm)		 Sergente maggiore
(Sgtm)		 Primsergent
(Psgt)		 Sergeant major Lowest rank of "Higher non-commissioned officers" (NCO); it used to be a higher rank than Feldweibel and to oversee unit-level military service and operations. Since the 2003 reform a specialist rank only. Nowadays, Feldweibel are mainly seen in military police, NBC and other specialist units.
OR-7a - Fourrier Fourier
(Four)		 Fourrier
(Four)		 Furiere
(Fur)		 Furier
(Fur)		 Quartermaster sergeant The higher NCO who administers a company's finances, subsistence and lodging.
OR-7b - Sergent-Major Chef Hauptfeldweibel
(Hptfw)		 Sergent-major chef
(Sgtm chef)		 Sergente maggiore capo
(sgtm capo)		 Capoprimsergent
(cpsgt)		 Chief sergeant major The Hauptfeldweibel oversees unit-level military service and operations.
OR-8 - Adjudant sous-officier Adjutant Unteroffizier
(Adj Uof)		 Adjudant sous-officier
(Adj Sof)		 Aiutante sottufficiale
(aiut suff)		 Adjutant sutuffizier
(Adj suff)		 Warrant officer
OR-9a - Adjudant d'état-major Stabsadjutant
(Stabsadj)		 Adjudant d'état-major
(Adj EM)		 Aiutante di stato maggiore
(aiut SM)		 Adjutant da stab
(Adj S)		 Staff warrant officer
OR-9b - Adjudant-major Hauptadjutant
(Hptadj)		 Adjudant-major
(Adjm)		 Aiutante maggiore
(Aiut magg)		 Adjutant principal
(Adj prin)		 Master warrant officer
OR-9c - Adjudant-Chef Chefadjutant
(Chefadj)		 Adjudant-chef
(Adj chef)		 Aiutante capo
(Aiut capo)		 Chefadjutant
(Schefadj)		 Chief warrant officer

Officers

Subaltern officers and captains
Rank insignia[6] Name[6] Description
Epaulette Camouflage German French Italian Romansh
 English designation
OF-1a - Lieutenant Leutnant
(Lt)		 Lieutenant
(Lt)		 Tenente
(Ten)		 Litenet
(Lt)		 Second lieutenant Platoon's leader. Promotion to First Lieutenant occurs after a minimum of 3 refresher courses (subject to good performance) or after 6 years' service.[2]
OF-1b - Premier-Lieutenant Oberleutnant
(Oblt)		 Premier-lieutenant
(Plt)		 Primo tenente
(I ten)		 Primlitenant
(Plt)		 First lieutenant Platoon's leader or future company commander.
OF-2 - Capitaine Hauptmann
(Hptm)		 Capitaine
(Cap)		 Capitano
(Cap)		 Chapitani
(Chap)		 Captain Company commander or officer in battalion's staff

Staff officers, specialist
Rank insignia[7] Name[7] Description
Epaulette Camouflage German French Italian Romansh
 English designation
OF-3 - Major Major
(Maj)		 Major
(Maj)		 Maggiore
(Magg)		 Maior
(Mai)		 Major Several assignments in a battalion's staff (deputy S1-7), under special circumstances appointment to battalion commander, teacher or staff officer on a military academy, commander of a HQ company, staff officer in large units (BDE).
OF-4 - Lieutenant-Colonel Oberstleutnant
(Oberstlt)		 Lieutenant-colonel
(Lt col)		 Tenente colonnello
(Ten col)		 Litinent colonel
(Lt col)		 Lieutenant colonel Battalion commander, staff officer in large units (BDE).
OF-5a - Colonel Oberst
(Oberst)		 Colonel
(Col)		 Colonnello
(Col)		 Colonel
(Col)		 Colonel Under special circumstances appointment to battalion commander, deputy commander of a brigade, staff officer in larger units (BDE).
OF1a-5 - Officier Spécialiste Fachoffizier
(FachOf)		 Officier spécialiste
(Of spéc)		 Ufficiale specialista
(Uff spec)		 Uffizier spezialist
(Uff spez)		 Specialist officer "Specialist Officer", Duties authority and pay grade vary from OF-1 to OF-5.

Higher staff officers

Higher staff officers wear black lampasses on the outside seam of dress uniform trousers.

Rank insignia[8] Name[8] Description
Epaulette Camouflage Kepi
 German French Italian Romansh
 English designation
Brigadier
(Br)		 Brigadier
(Br)		 Brigadiere Brigadier Brigadier general One-star rank, commander of a brigade, also military attaché
Divisionär
(Div)		 Divisionnaire
(div)		 Divisionario Divisionär Major general Two-star rank, commander of territorial division, also in an Army HQ or staff.
Korpskommandant
(KKdt)		 Commandant de corps
(cdt C)		 Comandante di corpo Korpskommandant Lieutenant general Three-star rank, also the rank of the Chief of the Armed Forces, highest rank in peacetime.

Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces
Rank insignia[8] Name[8] Description
Epaulette Camouflage Kepi
 German French Italian Romansh
 English designation
General
(Gen)		 Général Generale Generale General The rank is assigned only during times of war, when the Federal Assembly chooses one general to command the entire Swiss military. Otherwise the word "general" is not used.[9]

Shoulder board colour
See also: Waffenfarbe
Colour Branch[10]
Black Staff officers, engineers, intelligence, chaplaincy, sport,
Dark green Infantry, military bands
Yellow Armored Corps
Red Artillery
Dark blue Air Force
Light grey Signal and command support corps
Royal Blue Medical corps, Red Cross service
Burgundy Rescue corps
Plum Logistic corps
Terracota Territorial service
Dark grey Military police
Khaki Special Forces
Purple Armed Forces Legal Service
Khaki yellow NBC defense
Blue Peace Support Operation

References
  1. AFLO 2008, p. 32.
  2. "Swiss Army Regulations, Regellaufbahnen (Arbeitshilfe 40.100 d)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  3. "Sold und Erwerbsersatz (EO)" [Wages and income compensation]. vtg.admin.ch (in German). Swiss Armed Forces. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  4. Militärgesetz Art. 102.
  5. AFLO 2008, pp. 32–33.
  6. AFLO 2008, p. 34.
  7. AFLO 2008, pp. 34–35.
  8. AFLO 2008, p. 35.
  9. McPhee, John (31 October 1983). "La Place de la Concorde Suisse-I". The New Yorker. p. 50. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  10. AFLO 2008, pp. 36–38.
Sources

Media related to Military rank insignia of Switzerland at Wikimedia Commons

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