Bundeswehr In the
Joint Medical Service of the German
Bundeswehr '
, Oberstapotheker, and Oberstveterinär are comparable in NATO to the OF-5 rank Oberst; Flottenarzt, and Flottenapotheker' are equivalent to
Kapitän zur See, OF-5 as well.
Address The manner of formal addressing of military surgeons/dentists with the rank is "Herr/Frau Oberstarzt"; with the rank
Oberstapotheker, "Herr/Frau Oberstapotheker". Military surgeons/dentists with the rank
Flottenarzt are addressed "Herr/Frau Flottenarzt"; with the rank
Flottenapotheker, "Herr/Frau Flottenapotheker". The "Inspector of veterinary medicine of the Bundeswehr" (de: Inspizient Veterinärmedizin der Bundeswehr) holds the rank
Oberstveterinär.
Rank insignias On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there are three silver stars in silver oak leaves and the career insignia (de: Laufbahnabzeichen) as symbol of the medical standing, or course of studies. The piping on shoulder straps shows the
Waffenfarbe (en: corps- or troop-function colour), corresponding to the appropriate military service, branch, or special force. The corps colour of the Joint Medical Service is dark blue. In the Marines, the career insignia is in the middle of both sleeves, 3 cm above the cuff strips, and on the shoulder straps between strips and button.
Wehrmacht of the
German Wehrmacht was comparable to the
Oberst (
OF-5), as well as to the
Standartenführer and Oberst of the Waffen-SS. In line to the so-called
Reichsbesoldungsordnung (en: Reich's salary order), appendixes to the Salary law of the German Empire (de: Besoldungsgesetz des Deutschen Reiches) of 1927 (changes 1937 – 1940), the comparative ranks were as follows: C 4 • Oberst (Heer and Luftwaffe) • Kapitän zur See (Kriegsmarine) • Oberstarzt from 1934 (medical service of the Wehrmacht) • Flottenarzt, introduced June 26, 1935 (medical service of the Kriegsmarine) • Oberstveterinär from 1934 (veterinarian service of the Wehrmacht) During wartime, regular assignments of was
Division surgeon – IVb (de: Divisionsarzt – IVb). The
corps colour of the military Health Service Support (HSS) in German armed forces was traditional
dark blue, and of the veterinarian service . This tradition was continued by the medical service corps in Heer and Luftwaffe of the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht. However, the
corps colour of the
Waffen-SS and
Kriegsmarine HSS was . ; Rank insignias: == Address ==