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Military rank of non commissioned officers in Austria and Switzerland

Wachtmeister (Wm; German for 'master sentinel' or 'watch master') is a military rank of non commissioned officers (NCO) in Austria and Switzerland. It is also used in civil authorities in German speaking countries (police, judiciary, customs service, border protection). The Wachtmeister was initially responsible for the guard duty of the army. Later, it became the Feldwebel equivalent NCO grade of the cavalry and artillery. Besides Austria and Switzerland today, the rank was also used elsewhere, for example in Germany, Russia, and Poland (wachmistrz). In the German police service, Wachtmeister denoted the lowest rank; it was abolished in the 1980s, but is still the colloquial term referring to police patrolling in uniform.

The Wachtmeister was in the beginning responsible guard, sentry, or sentinel, responsible for the armies' guard duty. Later he became the Feldwebel equivalent NCO grade of the cavalry and artillery. In the Landsknecht armies and in the town of the 16th century, Wachtmeister was the official title to a «war experienced, skilful, and honest fellow», which was – in line to the order of his superior – responsible for the security of the military compound, or/and had to take care for the marching troops. He organized and controlled the guards, was responsible for discipline and attention, and took care for knowing the watchword. The watch service was provided almost by the cavalry, and often the mounted troops were responsible to guard the whole army, what was the case for instance in Brandenburg about 1620. With the formation of standing armies, the designation Wachtmeister became of universally valid for the Feldwebel of the cavalry, later also of the artillery and other armed service branches. As regards to the three Feldwebel ranks until 1945 there were the equivalent ranks Unterwachtmeister, Wachtmeister and Oberwachtmeister. Until 1970 in the GDR NPA the Feldwebel of the artillery was designated Wachtmeister.

In Poland, "Wachmistrz" was a sergeant serving in cavalry.

In the Military of Switzerland the Wachtmeister (abbr. Wm, French: sergent, Italian: sergente) is a non commissioned officer rank. The rank is higher than a Korporal, and lower than an Oberwachtmeister. Until the so called Army reform XXI (in effect from 1 January 2004), the rank was regularly assigned to a Zugführer Stellvertreter (deputy platoon leader). However, in 2014, a newly appointed Wachtmeister was to be a squad leader or vehicle leader (Gruppenführer, Wagenkommandant), e. g. a gun commander (Geschützführer). In United Nations missions and in NATO Partnership for Peace, the rank Wachtmeister will be designated in English with Sergeant (Sgt).