Fanjunkare

All you want to know about Fanjunkare

Fänrik
Förvaltare

Fanjunkare ("Styckjunkare" in the Artillery), is a now obsolete Swedish military rank above Sergeant. Holders of the rank used to serve as company adjutants or senior instructors of conscripts.

History

1806

The establishment of the rank

1833

Became the highest petty officers' rank in the Swedish allotment system

1837

Became the highest petty officers' rank in the conscription Army

1925

The holder of the rank was positioned between Fänrik and Löjtnant but remained in the petty officers corps.

1960

The rise of the status of the professional rank: Holders of the rank served as platoon and company leaders in the war-time organization and as deputy leaders or leaders of conscript training platoons during peace time, thus having the same positions as comany grade officers. However other non-professional holders of the rank kept their much lower positions as company adjutants, etc. This major discrepancy cased a great deal of confusion.

Reform 1972

The holder of the following ranks were elevatd to Fanjunkare

Rustmästare
Överfurir with more than 5.5 years of service

Holders of the rank Fanjukare were elevated to

Kapten with more than 7 years of service
Löjtnant with 3-7 years of service
Fänrik with less than 3 years of service

Reform 1972 - Rank inflation phase I

Prior 1972, military personnel were divided into three categories Underbefäl, Underofficerare and Officerare. The reform established a four-career-path system with four categories as described below and carried out major promotions of most personnel below the rank Överstelöjtnant.

The underbefäl category was split into two categories

Gruppbefäl to include

Korpral - former Vicekorpral

Furir - former Korpral

Överfurir - former Furir

Plutonsofficerare to include

Sergeant - former Överfurir

Fanjunkare - former elderly Överfurir and Rustmästare

The "Underofficer"s category was renamed Kompaniofficerare to include

Fänrik - former Sergeant and Fanjunkare with less than 3 years of service

Löjtnant - former Sergeant and Fanjunkare with 3-7 years of service

Kapten - former Sergeant, Fanjunkare with a minimum of 7 years of serviceand and Förvaltare

The Officers category was renamed Regementsofficerare to include

Löjtnant - Löjtnant with less than 3 years of service and former Fänrik

Kapten - Kapten with less than 11 years of service and former Löjtnant with 3-11 years of service

Major - former Kapten and Löjtnant with a minimum of 11 years of service

Överstelöjtnant - Överstelöjtnant and former Major

higher ranks

Reform 1983 - Rank inflation phase II

All categories were merged into one professional officer category with the lowest rank set to Fänrik. Furir, Överfurir, Sergeant and Fanjunkare were removed as a professional ranks. Holders of the rank Fanjunkare were promoted to Löjtnant and the rest to Fänrik.

New two-career-path system

After the implementation of two-career-paths systems for officers 2008, this rank may again become a professional rank within the newly created “specialist officer” category. The intention of the new system is to better align Swedish military forces with that of Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Britton as well as increasing the skills of leaders of team, squad, platoon level units. It is a partly rollback to the system that existed prior the implementation of the one career path system 1983.