Ensign - from old word"ensign" - banner. In Russia, this title appeared under Alexei Mikhailovich, who began to appoint the best fighters as standard bearers as a reward for bravery. Under Peter I, junior officers of the infantry and cavalry began to be called ensigns. What was the status of a warrant officer in the Soviet army?
When did the rank of ensign appear?
In 1917, as you know, officer ranks in the Russian army were abolished. Along with other ranks, the rank of ensign was also abolished. Then officer ranks appeared in the Red Army, but the ensign was never returned. The rank of "ensign" reappeared in the Soviet army in 1972. The Ministry of Defense has come to the conclusion that the positions occupied by petty officers and junior lieutenants will be occupied by a separate category of military personnel - warrant officers (midshipmen in the navy). Thus, it turned out that an ensign in the Soviet army is separate species military personnel who are neither soldiers nor officers, but at the same time clearly delineating the boundary between them.
How to become warrant officers
The military rank of ensign was awarded to a person after graduating from special ensign schools. They taught the cadets the basics martial art, military psychology and pedagogy and necessary subjects in military disciplines. Military rank was awarded only after graduation. People with higher education could study in these schools.
What were the responsibilities of warrant officers
The figure of the ensign entered army folklore as the image of a boring and arrogant character, located exclusively somewhere in a warehouse and engaged in speculation in army property. Of course, this also happened. However, this type has little to do with the vast majority of warrant officers in the Soviet army. Warrant officers held many different positions in the army. They could indeed manage warehouses, but in addition, they could also be clerks at the headquarters, and served in the medical unit as paramedics. There were warrant officers and company foremen.
The responsibilities of a company sergeant major are known to be very diverse. The person holding this position oversees the performance of service by ordinary soldiers and sergeants, controls order and discipline in the company, is responsible for the safety of property, including the personal belongings of soldiers, which are stored in the storeroom until demobilization, and so on. When emergency situation When there is no officer, the sergeant major must take over his duties. The sergeant major is responsible to the company commander for order and discipline in the unit. He is the direct organizer of the internal routine. The sergeant major has the right to assign punishment to soldiers and demand its implementation. Thus, the warrant officer, who is the foreman of the company, is, in essence, “ right hand“an officer, a person who at any moment must be ready to take on command functions.
Actually, that’s what happened. In terms of their official position, duties and rights, warrant officers occupied a place close to junior officers; they were their closest assistants and superiors for soldiers and sergeants (foremen) of the same unit. In this period, the status of an ensign was higher than that of a sergeant major and lower than that of a junior lieutenant. Since 1981, the higher rank of “senior warrant officer” was introduced, corresponding to the pre-revolutionary “ordinary warrant officer.” In the navy, the rank of warrant officer corresponded to the rank of midshipman.
Current situation
In 2008, the rank of “ensign” was abolished by the Minister of Defense. Apparently, the image of a thieving warehouse manager in warrant officer's uniform still played a role, overshadowing all the undoubted benefits that smart warrant officers brought to the Armed Forces. However, at present they are going to return this rank to the army, excluding, however, the management of warehouses and bases from the staffing table.
Feb. 27th, 2013 | 04:31 pm
55 thousand warrant officers and midshipmen will be returned to the Russian army. Alexei Zhuravlev, a member of the State Duma Committee on Defense, comments on this news: “Schools for warrant officers provided the army with a category of specialists - both logistics specialists and specialists who could work on highly complex equipment. There is a catastrophic shortage of such specialists now.”
By reducing warrant officers, the ministry was counting on an increase in conscripts with higher education. There are now about 20% of such conscripts, but few of them remain to serve under contract.
The ranks of warrant officers and midshipmen were abolished in 2009 during the military reform of Anatoly Serdyukov, who served as head of the Ministry of Defense. Then more than 140 thousand warrant officers and midshipmen were laid off, transferred to the reserve or transferred to other positions.
Military Internet information analyst Oleg Pavlov learned everything about the rank of warrant officer.
Look at his certificate
The rank of ensign in the Russian army
The rank of ensign in the Russian army was introduced in 1630 as the primary chief officer rank for foreign regiments, and then enshrined in the Charter of 1647. The status of an ensign was higher than a corporal and lower than a lieutenant. Since 1680, by Decree of Fyodor Alekseevich, the rank was extended to all regiments, including Streltsy (where before that there was no equivalent rank), the rank became higher in status than lieutenant and lower than lieutenant.
In 1722, with the introduction of the Table of Ranks, Peter I tried to replace the rank of ensign with the rank of fendrik, but it did not take root; the rank of ensign disappeared only in the artillery and pioneer troops, where the rank of bayonet-cadet was introduced, which was listed a grade higher. Ensigns of all other branches of the military belonged to the XIV class of the Table, ensigns of the guard - to the XII class, and were titled “Your Honor.”
Until 1845, the rank of ensign was given by hereditary nobility, then until 1856 - only personal, then only hereditary honorary citizenship.
From January 1, 1827, the insignia of an ensign was one star on the chief officer's epaulette, and from April 28, 1854, an ensign's shoulder strap appeared - with one gap and one star on it.
Wartime ensign, First World War
After the reform of 1884, the rank of ensign became an optional wartime rank for the army and guard.
Since 1886, all warrant officers at the end of hostilities had to either be promoted to second lieutenants (midshipmen in the navy) or be transferred to the reserve. Mass production of warrant officers took place with the beginning of the First World War to cover the loss of senior officer personnel in front-line units, and they were both trained in special schools (warrant officer schools) and were produced in an accelerated manner from volunteers and non-commissioned officers, the latter for production it was enough to have two military awards(medal or cross) and education of at least four classes.
Since 1907, and due to the introduction of the rank of ordinary warrant officer, warrant officers have become higher in status than ordinary warrant officers and lower than second lieutenants.
Usually warrant officers were appointed as platoon commanders and to positions equal to them. Ensign awarded for battle honor order or award weapon, was subject to promotion to second lieutenant (ensign in the Admiralty of the ship - to midshipman), but during the First World War this rule was sometimes violated, as a rule, in relation to warrant officers who had been promoted from non-commissioned officers and had no education at all.
Civil War
The junior lieutenant of the Red Army corresponded in rank to the pre-revolutionary ensign.
In the white armies, the rank was abolished in 1919. Ensigns were subject to recertification as cornets and second lieutenants, but newly recruited volunteer ensigns remained in this rank for some time.
In the Red Army, the rank of ensign corresponded to the rank of junior lieutenant, introduced in 1937 on August 5, 1937 as an addition to the resolution of the Central Executive Committee and Council of People's Commissars of the USSR dated September 22, 1935 on the introduction military ranks.
The rank of ensign in the Soviet and Russian armies
In 1917-1972 in Krasnaya, then Soviet army Until 1972, the rank called ensign did not exist. It was introduced on January 1, 1972. At the same time, the rank of midshipman was equated to him, which previously corresponded to a land sergeant major and had the corresponding shoulder strap. The former midshipman began to be called the chief ship's foreman. In terms of their official position, duties and rights, warrant officers occupied a place close to junior officers, being their closest assistants and superiors for soldiers (sailors) and sergeants (foremen) of the same unit. In this period, the status of an ensign was higher than that of a sergeant major and lower than that of a junior lieutenant. Since 1981, the higher rank of senior warrant officer was introduced, corresponding to the pre-revolutionary mediocre warrant officer. The military rank of ensign was awarded, as a rule, upon completion of ensign schools.
Since the beginning of 2009, the elimination of the regular category of warrant officers and midshipmen in armed forces Russian Federation. It was assumed that warrant officers and midshipmen would be replaced by professional contract sergeants. At that time, 140 thousand warrant officers and midshipmen were serving in the army and navy. By the end of 2009, all of them were transferred to other positions, laid off or transferred to the reserve.
Photos from open sources
IN Ancient Rus' There were no military ranks, and commanders were named according to the number of soldiers under their command - foreman, centurion, thousand. We found out when and how majors, captains and generalissimos appeared in the Russian and other armies.
1. Ensign
Ensigns in the Russian army were originally called standard bearers. From the Church Slavonic language "prapor" is a banner. The title was first introduced in 1649 by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich.
Russian soldiers had to earn the high rank of ensign with their courage and military valor. Alexei Mikhailovich's son, Peter I, when creating a regular army in 1712, introduced the military rank of ensign as the first (junior) rank of chief officer in the infantry and cavalry.
Since 1884, the first officer rank after leaving the military academy was second lieutenant (for cavalrymen - cornet), while the rank of ensign was retained by reserve officers, in the Caucasian militia and for wartime. In addition, soldiers who distinguished themselves during battle could receive the rank of ensign. Since 1886, lower ranks could take the ensign exam.
Candidates who passed the exam were in the reserve for 12 years and annually had to undergo six weeks of military training. In the fall of 1912, Nicholas II approved the Regulations on accelerated graduation during the mobilization of the army from His Imperial Majesty's Corps of Pages, military and special schools. Now you could become a warrant officer after 8 months of training.
Thus, warrant officers became, as it were, “precocious officers,” which affected the attitude towards them in the Russian Imperial Army. From 1917 to January 1, 1972, the rank of warrant officer did not exist. In terms of status, the “new warrant officers” were higher than the sergeant major and lower than the junior lieutenant. In comparison with pre-revolutionary ranks, the Soviet ensign was equal to the sub-ensign tsarist army. Since 2009, the institution of warrant officers has been liquidated, but in February 2013, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the return of the institutions of warrant officers and midshipmen to the army and navy. Elistratov’s “Dictionary of Russian Argot” notes that in army jargon, warrant officers are called “pieces.”
2. Sergeant
The word "sergeant" came into Russian from French (sergent), and into French from Latin (serviens). Translated as "employee". The first sergeants appeared in the 11th century in England. Only then they called it not the military, but the landowners who carried out various assignments for the king. In the 12th century, sergeants in England were also called employees who performed police functions. As a military rank, "sergeant" appeared only in the 15th century, in the French army. After this, it passed into the German and English armies, and in the 17th century - into the Russian one. The rank was in use from 1716 to 1798, when Paul the First replaced the ranks of sergeant and senior sergeant with non-commissioned officer and sergeant major, respectively. In the Red Army, the rank of "sergeant" appeared on November 2, 1940.
The peculiarity of the Soviet sergeant corps was that sergeants were not career military personnel, but conscripts, which, according to the plan of the Soviet military leadership, increased the mobilization qualities of the army. This approach paid off - in December 1979, in 2 weeks, a large group of troops was formed to enter Afghanistan (50 thousand soldiers, sergeants and officers). Absolutely excellent sergeant system in the US Army. According to 2010 data, sergeants there make up about 40% of the total number of the Armed Forces. Of the more than 1,371,000 members of the US Army, 547 thousand are American sergeants. Of these: 241,500 are sergeants, 168,000 are staff sergeants, 100,000 are 1st class sergeants, 26,900 are master sergeants, 10,600 are sergeant majors. A sergeant in the US Army is first after God for soldiers and second lieutenants. Sergeants train them and take charge of them.
3. Lieutenant
The word "lieutenant" comes from the French lieutenant, which translates as "deputy". At the beginning of the 15th century in France, this was the name given to the commanding officers who held the positions of deputy chiefs of detachments, then - deputy commanders of companies; in the navy, this was the name given to deputy captains of ships. From the second half of the 17th century, “lieutenant” became a military rank.
In Spain of the 15th-16th centuries, the same position was called "lugar teniente" or simply "teniente". In Russia, from 1701 to 1917, the rank of lieutenant was only in the imperial fleet. In the USSR, the rank of lieutenant was introduced on September 22, 1935 as the primary officer rank received upon graduation from a military school or upon completion of a military department in civilian universities. Junior lieutenants are awarded the rank of lieutenant upon expiration of the established period of service upon positive certification.
4. Captain
“Captain” and “kaput” are words with the same root. In Latin caput means head. Captain is translated as "military leader". For the first time, the title “captain” began to be used again in France; in the Middle Ages, this was the name given to the heads of military districts. Since 1558, company commanders began to be called captains, and the heads of military districts began to be called captains general.
In Russia, the rank of captain appeared in the 16th century. This is how company commanders began to be called. In the cavalry and dragoon regiments and gendarme corps since 1882, the captain was called a captain, and in the Cossack regiments - an esaul. Until 1917, the rank of army infantry captain was equal to the rank of a modern army major, and the rank of guard captain was equal to the rank of army lieutenant colonel. In the Red Army, the rank of captain was introduced on September 22, 1935. At the same time, the ranks of captain of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rank and captain-lieutenant (the latter corresponds to the rank of captain) were introduced for the naval personnel of the Navy. In artillery, the rank of captain corresponds to the position of battery commander (battler commander).
5. Major
Major is translated as "senior". Che Guevara is also a major, since in Spanish-speaking countries the rank of comandante is equal to major. The title appeared in the 17th century. This was the name given to the assistant regiment commanders responsible for food and guard duty. When regiments were divided into battalions, majors became battalion commanders. In the Russian army, the rank of major was introduced by Peter I in 1698. By analogy with major generals of that time, majors received not one star, as now, but two. The difference between the ranks was the fringe on the epaulettes.
For major generals it was a general's one, twisted, for majors it was a staff officer's one, made of thin threads. From 1716 to 1797, the Russian army also had the ranks of prime major and second major. The division was abolished by Paul the First. IN Cossack troops The rank of major corresponded to the rank of “military sergeant major,” and in civil ranks it corresponded to “collegiate assessor.”
In 1884, the rank of major was abolished, and majors became lieutenant colonels. In the Red Army, the rank of major was introduced in 1935; in the navy it corresponded to the ship rank of captain of the 3rd rank. Interesting fact: Yuri Gagarin became the first senior lieutenant to become a major.
6. General and above
“General” means “chief,” but “marshal” translates as “groom” (the French maréchal still means “horseshoe blacksmith”). However, marshal until 1917 was the highest military rank in Russian army, and after that - from the same 1935. But besides marshals and generals, there are also generalissimos. For the first time in Russian history, the title “Generalissimo” was granted on June 28, 1696 by Peter I to Voivode A.S. Shein for successful actions near Azov (we are not talking about “amusing generalissimos”).
Officially, the military rank of generalissimo was introduced in Russia by the Military Regulations of 1716.
The generalissimos in Russian history were: Prince Alexander Menshikov (1727), Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick (1740), Alexander Suvorov (1799). After the Great Patriotic War, on June 26, 1945, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the highest military rank of “Generalissimo” was introduced Soviet Union". The next day, Joseph Stalin received this title. According to Rokossovsky’s memoirs, he personally persuaded Stalin to accept the title, saying that “there are many marshals, but there is only one generalissimo.” During the Brezhnev rule, there was talk about Leonid Ilyich receiving this too high rank, but... it didn’t work out.
7. Wash the stars
It is customary to wash the receipt of stars. And not only in Russia. It is difficult to establish where exactly this tradition came from today, but it is known that titles were washed during the Great Patriotic War, washed away promotions in military service and in the army Russian Empire. The tradition is well known.
The stars are placed in a glass, it is filled with vodka, after which it is drunk, and the stars are caught with the teeth and placed on the shoulder straps.
How to obtain the rank of ensign in the army of the Russian Federation
In order to receive the rank of ensign in the army of the Russian Federation, you must pass special school warrant officers. There are currently thirteen such schools in the Russian Federation. However, this will be possible to do only if he undergoes military service in the ranks of the armed forces of the Russian Federation. There you need to show yourself with positive side, and then contact the command military unit with a report on the issuance of a referral to the school of warrant officers. But there is one nuance here, which lies in the fact that in the overwhelming majority of cases it considers reports on the assignment of warrant officers to the school only from soldiers who have served at least half of their allotted term.
If a person has already completed military service in the ranks of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and he has a desire to join the army again, but on a contract basis, then he can enter the school of warrant officers immediately, that is, without receiving a referral from a specific unit.
Positions for warrant officers provided for in the Russian Federation
All positions for warrant officers that exist in the armed forces of the Russian Federation can be divided into the following groups:
- 1) command positions;
- 2) technical positions.
The command positions that are provided for warrant officers in the armed forces of the Russian Federation, in particular, include the position of platoon commander, the position of commander of a combat group, the position of commander of a combat post, as well as the position of vehicle commander.
As for the technical positions that are provided for warrant officers in the armed forces of the Russian Federation, these include the position of an electrician, the position of a radio station manager, the position of a repair shop manager, the position of a technical unit manager, as well as the position of a weapons warehouse manager.
Ranks and responsibilities of a warrant officer
The ranks and responsibilities of a warrant officer in the armed forces of the Russian Federation are generally not numerous. There are only two warrant officer ranks: simply warrant officer and senior warrant officer. Accordingly, a warrant officer is not particularly interested in promoting his rank to senior warrant officer. Length of service does not matter much to him either.
As for the duties of warrant officers in the armed forces of the Russian Federation, there are only five of them:
- 1) unquestioning adherence to absolutely all instructions of the junior officers of the armed forces of the Russian Federation;
- 2) providing assistance to junior officers of the armed forces of the Russian Federation;
- 3) participation in liquidation various kinds emergency situations;
- 4) providing assistance to colleagues who are junior in position;
- 5) preparation for the transition to junior officers of the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
Law on warrant officers
The law on warrant officers is as follows regulations Russian Federation:
- 1) Regulations “On the procedure for military service,” which was adopted on September sixteen, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine;
- 2) the federal law Russian Federation “On Education”;
- 3) Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On Military Duty and Military Service”, which was adopted on March twenty-eighth, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight;
- 4) Federal Law of the Russian Federation “On the Status of Military Personnel”.
Ensign as a person
An ensign in the armed forces of the Russian Federation as a person is much more humane compared to an officer. This is explained, first of all, by the fact that he lives a civilian life, and for him the army, unlike officers, is not a service, but a job. In addition, almost every warrant officer in the armed forces of the Russian Federation is actually subordinate to either the deputy commander for logistics or the deputy commander for weapons. Warrant officers practically do not fall under the jurisdiction of the main command of a military unit.
Warrant officers in the armed forces of the Russian Federation also, by and large, don’t give a damn about ordinary officers. Although not in all cases. But in any case, the subordination of warrant officers to officers is only formal.
In any specialized forces of the Russian Federation, a warrant officer may also be an instructor in any specific area military training. For example, a hand-to-hand combat instructor, a swimming instructor. But even in this case, the main qualities social behavior the ensign and his character traits continue to retain their strength. However, they can also be supplemented by such a quality as ideological fanaticism, which is explained by the specific nature of the work performed by the ensign. This makes the ensign even less sensitive to his social position.
Thus, a warrant officer in the armed forces of the Russian Federation feels very at ease. That is, he is his own commander. One could even say that, as a person, the warrant officer represents a separate psychological and social type of serviceman.
Important! For all questions about warrant officers in the ranks of the Russian armed forces, if you don’t know what to do and where to contact:
Call 8-800-777-32-63.
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Lawyers and advocates who are registered on Russian Legal Portal, will try to help you from a practical point of view in this matter and advise you on all issues of interest.
Those who have expressed a desire to become a warrant officer should know that the largest number of specialized schools for warrant officers train specialists for the strategic missile forces, aerospace forces, border service and logistics support units. At the same time, the training of warrant officers for positions related to material and food support has been stopped. These positions in the Russian Army are now occupied by civilian personnel who are not in military service. For persons who have not served in military service, or who have retired to the reserve after completing it, but wish to continue serving under a contract, selection is made by the military commissariats at the candidate’s place of residence on the basis of an application submitted to the military commissar. For persons undergoing military service or service under a contract - on the basis of a report addressed to the unit commander.
How to become a warrant officer in the army 2018
Control of acquired knowledge and skills, as well as compliance with the level of training for the position held, is verified by passing tests in various subjects by the officer corps personnel. An officer is a military serviceman who has military and military-special training, education and a personally assigned officer rank. In the army, officers are the main organizers and direct executors of the tasks of ensuring the defense and security of the country.
Instruction 1 Usually, serving in the army or navy is the most common dream of many boys and teenagers. If the desire to make a military career has taken shape since childhood or a young man has decided to continue the family dynasty of military officers, they begin to prepare for this in advance. 2 If you are still in school, but have already seriously decided to prepare yourself for military service, instead of a regular school, enter the cadet corps.
Become a warrant officer in Russia or study to become a warrant officer
The law allows for contract service without compulsory military service. Instead of annual conscription service, contract service lasts for two years, but with accrued monetary allowance. Those under contract, having graduated from college, begin ordinary positions, and when the command takes notice leadership skills for a recruit, he can become a sergeant or warrant officer. Military service under a contract with higher education The second option, when the university did not have a military department. When the institute does not have a military department, and it is impossible to obtain a military specialty and rank, but there is a desire to undergo military service, you should perform the necessary actions: come to the military registration and enlistment office with registration; learn about specialties for contract military personnel; make a choice of the specialty for which you can go to serve under a contract; signing a contract.
Russian warrant officer schools: how to apply
Having served conscription and shown yourself on the positive side, you can contact the main unit with a request to be sent to a specialized school for warrant officers. After completing your military service, report to the military registration and enlistment office with an application for admission to contract service. In this case, the contract soldier can be sent directly to the warrant officer school (at the request of the soldier). Submit an application for contract service and after a month of service, submit a request to the command to be sent to the warrant officer school. In a unit where there is a vacancy for a warrant officer, enroll in the service at the same time apply for training for this position. There are academies that allow guys who have not served in military service to train. So, for example, the Strategic Missile Forces of the Russian Federation offers its students to receive either higher education or secondary education, and after that - the rank of ensign, and work in this direction.
Receiving the rank of warrant officer
Attention
At the commissariat you present this letter with your passport and are given a form to write your application. Then the application will be reviewed and a review time will be determined to determine readiness for contract service. The application is registered with the military commission, a personal file is opened with an appointment, based on the results of selection activities, including medical examinations.
Rejection of an application for a contract instead of military service occurs in the event of an age discrepancy, if a criminal case has been opened, if you had to be in prison, if your criminal record has not been expunged, due to administrative penalties for the detection of narcotic and psychotropic drugs in the blood. If the indicators match, a military ID will be issued. Then the contract will be concluded.
Contract service without fixed-term service
The name was derived from the word "prapor", meaning banner. This title was awarded to the physically strongest people who carried the military banner. Over the course of more than 250 years, the meaning of this title has been changed many times.
But in any case, the persons awarded this title stood out from the sailors, sergeants and foremen. However, they did not have any special privileges. The largest number of such specialists in the Russian army was during the First World War. Ensigns at this time were people who graduated from secondary technical schools or universities and have undergone an accelerated program of specialization training.
In 1911, there were 11 schools in Russia, after training in which graduates were awarded the rank of ensign. Such schools accepted soldiers who distinguished themselves at the front, as well as people with secondary education. The duration of training in these years ranged from 3 to 4 months.
How can a contract soldier become an officer and vice versa?
Important
Orenburg. In these schools you can get education in various specializations. For example, in Ryazan they train in the specialty “automotive service.” The existing schools prepare specialists for service in the strategic missile forces, in the aerospace forces, and in logistics support units. Such educational institutions do not provide training for positions related to food supply.
Now these positions are occupied by persons who do not serve in the military. Who can undergo training Until 2015 in Russia, only those who had completed military service either under a contract or by conscription were able to enroll in warrant officer schools. Last year, this rule was changed, allowing anyone who graduated from high school to enroll in warrant officer schools. Some of them educational institutions They accept not only boys but also girls.
In the presence of higher education in the relevant specialty, but without an officer rank, additional training will not be required. As a rule, in this case it is enough to conclude a contract for service. The list of required documents for admission must be obtained from the school or its adjacent military unit.
