Fanjunkare (OR-7) is a Swedish military rank above Översergeant and below Överfanjunkare. The word 'Fanjunkare' is derived from German '

Fahnenjunker ''Fahnenjunker'' (short Fhj or FJ, ; ) is a military rank of the Bundeswehr and of some former German armed forces. In earlier German armed forces it was also the collective name for many officer aspirant ranks. It was established by the ''Pre ...

', and denotes a standard-bearer, hence 'Colour Sergeant'.

History

''Fanjunkare'' means "noble standard bearer" and has been used as the (highest) non-commissioned officer rank from 1837, when it finally replaced the rank of '' fältväbel''. Fanjunkare was established as a

brevet rank In military terminology, a brevet ( or ) is a warrant which gives commissioned officers a higher military rank as a reward without necessarily conferring the authority and privileges granted by that rank. The promotion would be noted in the of ...

for

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...

s in 1806. In 1833 the rank became the senior non-commissioned rank in the Swedish allotment army. In 1837 the rank became the senior non-commissioned rank in the Swedish enlisted army. In 1925 ''fanjunkare'' was given relative rank above ''

fänrik ''Fänrik'' () ( in the Swedish Army/Air Force, Acting sub-lieutenant in the Navy) is a company grade officer rank. In the army/airforce, it ranks above sergeant and below lieutenant. In the navy, it ranks above sergeant and below sub-lieutenan ...

'' (second Lieutenant) and below ''

löjtnant ''Löjtnant'' ( in the Swedish Army/Air Force, Sub-lieutenant in the Navy) is a company grade officer rank. In the army/airforce, it ranks above second lieutenant and below captain. In the navy, it ranks above acting sub-lieutenant and below lie ...

'' (lieutenant) but remained in the NCO Corps. In 1960 ''fanjunkare'' began to be appointed

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

commanders in the war-time organization and the rank became a

warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a Military rank, rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ...

rank. Hence in 1972, professional ''fanjunkare'' were given the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, while '' rustmästare'' and '' överfurir'' were given the rank of ''fanjunkare'', corresponding to their duties as

first sergeant First sergeant is typically a senior non-commissioned officer rank, used in many countries. Singapore First sergeant is a Specialist (Singapore), specialist in the Singapore Armed Forces. First sergeants are the most senior of the junior spe ...

s. With the creation of a one-tier professional officer structure in 1983, promotion to ''fanjunkare'' only took place in the reserves or among National Servicemen. In 2009, the rank was reintroduced as a professional rank with the creation of the Special Officer Corps. Before 1972 the equivalent of ''fanjunkare'' in the

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

was ''styckjunkare''; a rank that goes back to the 17th century. The word comes from German ''stückjunker'', and denotes a gentleman of ordnance, hence a "master gunner".

Promotion

For promotion to ''fanjunkare'', a minimum of four years time-in-grade as ''översergeant'' is required, although six years is preferable.''Karriärvägarna för specialistofficerare.''
2020-02-15. A ''fanjunkare'' has the same relative rank as a ''

kapten ''Kapten'' ( in the Swedish Army/Swedish Air Force, Air Force, ''Lieutenant'' in the Swedish Navy, Navy) is a Company (military unit), company grade officer rank. In the army/airforce, it ranks above Löjtnant, lieutenant and below Major (Sweden), ...

''."Försvarsmaktens föreskrifter om personaltjänst. 27 November 2019." ''Försvarets författningssamling.'' FFS 2019:6, 2 § 8.

Duties

* ''Fanjunkare'' are Specialist Officers at Skill Level C (Advanced). * Functional specialists with many years of experience and in-depth knowledge; an expert in staff positions within and outside the Armed Forces within the framework of his own functional area. *

Company Sergeant Major The company sergeant major (CSM) is the senior non-commissioned soldier of a company in the armies of many Commonwealth countries, responsible for administration, standards and discipline. In combat, their prime responsibility is the supply of ...

s' supports the

company commander A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 100–250 soldiers and usually commanded by a major or a captain. Most companies are made up of three to seven platoons, although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and struc ...

s with planning, implementation, follow-up, as well as having a special responsibility for the combat value, discipline, morale and spirit, and experience based and tactical adaptations of the company. The CSM must be competent to lead combat fire exercises with the company, within the framework of the battalion.

References

The Swedish Armed Forces official website - military ranks
(accessed on July 13, 2007) (in Swedish)
USA enlisted ranksImplementation of two career path system for officers
{dead link, date=September 2017 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes
Officer Training
Military ranks of the Swedish Army

History

Promotion

Duties

See also

References