User:SaRa1988/Gefreiter

Gefreiter(German for "Exempted", abbr. Gefr.) is a military rank in tĥe Bundeswehr("German Armed Forces"), Bundesheer("Austrian Armed Forces") and Schweizer Armee("Swiss Armed Forces"), that has existed since the 16th century. It is usually the second rank to which an enlisted soldier, airman or sailor could be promoted.

Within the NATO rank scale, the modern-day rank Gefreiter is equivalent to the NATO rank scale OR-2. The word has also been lent into the Russian language, and it is in use in several Russian and post-Soviet militaries.

Etymology
The word "Gefreiter" means "to be exempt (from service)" de:"befreit (vom Dienst) sein", or "to be free" de:"frei sein". In former times exempted from service were all soldiers with this rank in opposition to common soldiers.

Bundeswehr
The rank "Gefreiter" is arranged by the President of Germany in the order of the President about the military ranks and the soldier's uniform(de: Anordnung des Bundespräsidenten über die Dienstgradbezeichnungen und die Uniform der Soldaten), based on the "Soldatengesetz".

Military authority and position
The rank "Gefreiter" is an enlisted rank and the second rank in the group of enlisted soldiers. Due to the rank a soldier is not able to be disciplinarian as defined by §4 Vorgesetztenverordnung("order of disciplinary"). So the can't give order by their rank and also not in a emergency situation as defined in §6 Vorgesetztenverordnung. Soldiers at this grade are finished with their basic training("Grundausbildung") and they are able to handle basic military and service operations. Most of them are used to the security service and are in service at military facilities. Enlisted personnel in this rank have to do a specialist basic operation training. After this operation the soldiers serve as drivers, weapon- system- operator or as assistant in staff departments. In service the soldiers can be disciplinarian in their scope to all subordinate personnel, but often for a short and precise task.

See also: Unteroffizier vom Dienst

Promotion and Pay
The relevant law for the promotion to the rank "Gefreiter" is the "Soldatenlaufbahnverordnung"(en: order about the soldier's career) and in addition the central regulation(de: Zentrale Dienstvorschrift ZDV) 20/7. Every soldier, volunteer troopers, and ordered reservists is able to promote to this rank. After three months in service, soldiers were promoted to this rank, unless they started with a higher rank, or the promotion is refused by law.

Soldiers are paid with the step A3 mA, listet in the federal payment regulation, the Bundesbesoldungsordnung. The term "mA" means, that a additional pay to the step A3 is granted.

Rank insignia
See also: Rank insignia of the German Bundeswehr

The rank insignia of the Gefreiter shows a bias strip from left to right on both sides for all armed forces. Wearer of the marine uniform dress have an bias stripe on the sleeve. Due to the outlook, especially the gold marine ones, the bias stripes are in official called as "French fries".