Seekadett (short SKad or SK; transl. Naval (officer) cadet,[1] lit.'sea cadet') is a military rank of the Bundeswehr and of former German-speaking naval forces.
The legal basis for the German Navy is the Presidential order of the Federal president (German: Bundespräsident) on rank insignia and uniforms of soldiers.[2]
In navy context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as Herr/ Frau Seekadett also informally / short Seekadett.
The name to the rank-equivalent persons in uniform of Heer or Luftwaffe are Fahnenjunker. Pertaining authority of command, promotion, and payment level, Seekadett compares with Fahnenjunker as well.
The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group is as follows: Unteroffizier ohne Portepee
An officer candidate's career is indicated by the enlisted rank with the golden nautical star on the shoulder strap and sleeve in the Deutsche Marine, and a thin silver cord on the shoulder strap in Heer and Luftwaffe.
The rank insignia of Seekadett consist of sleeve badge and shoulder straps. Sleeve insignia are on upper arms, and form two open opposite faced angles, showing (by points) upwards and downwards. The shoulder straps are bordered by a golden braid that is open to the sleeve seam.
Already below the lowest officer designated rank "Seekadett" any military person, assigned to an officer career, has to wear additionally to the particular rank the two capital letters “OA”, indicating to the “Officer Aspirant” career. The "nautical star" symbolises the "OA" career.
Officer cadets in the Deutsche Marine begin their training at the Naval Academy Mürwik (German: Marineschule Mürwik) in Flensburg-Mürwik holding enlisted ranks with the qualifier officer candidate (German: Offizieranwärter), abbreviated as OA.[3] After about a year, they are promoted to Seekadetten,[3] equivalent to the non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank Mate (German: Maat), and move to the University of the German Federal Armed Forces. About nine months later, they are promoted to Fähnrich zur See rank,[3] equivalent to the NCO rank Boatswain (German: Bootsmann). After 30 months of total training they are promoted to the final officer candidate rank, Oberfähnrich zur See,[3] equivalent to the NCO rank Hauptbootsmann, and after about 4 years of total training graduate with a bachelor's degree.
^ abLangenscheidt´s Encyclopaedic Dictionary of the English and German language: „Der Große Muret-Sander“, Part II German-English, Second Volume L–Z, 8th edition 1999, ISBN3-468-01126-1; p. 1.381
^The Federal president (publisher): Order of the Federal president on rank insignia and uniform of soldiers (short title: BPräsUnifAnO), ishued July 14, 1978.
^ abcdPetra Schmittberger (4 February 2009). "Offizier Marine"(PDF) (in German). German Federal Armed Forces. p. 12. Retrieved 6 November 2009.
