Wikipedia
Stabsarzt (short: StArzt or SA), literally meaning "staff physician," is a military commissioned officer rank in German speaking armed forces. In the German Bundeswehr and the former Wehrmacht and Reichswehr, it describes a qualified or licensed surgeon or dentist who practises military medicine, with a rank equal to captain (German: Hauptmann) in the army or air force or lieutenant (German: Kapitänleutnant) in the navy. This rank corresponds to NATO code OF2, and is known in English as captain (Dr.) for army or air force officers or lieutenant (Dr.) for naval officers. The rank was historically also used in the Austro-Hungarian Common Army and corresponded to major or the NATO code OF-3, known as major (Dr.) in English.
While holders of this rank are commissioned officers, their authority is usually limited to medical matters and medical staff (such as other doctors, nurses and other medics working under their supervision), and they are regarded as neutral non-combatants and accorded the status of " protected persons" under international humanitarian law (specifically the First and Second Geneva Conventions) when participating in humanitarian work during armed conflicts, such as caring for the sick or wounded. They may wear the red cross as a protective sign. As such, they may not be attacked, harmed or taken as prisoners of war (attacking medical personnel is a war crime), and are entitled under the Geneva Conventions to carry out their work without being inhibited. They may be armed, usually with service pistols, for the purpose of self defense or the defense of patients.
|-----bgcolor="#efefef" colspan=2 align="center"|Stabsarzt |-----
align="center" colspan=2 style="border-bottom:2px solid gray;font-size:smaller" |
HD H 43b Stabsarzt San HM L.svg
HD H 43b Stabsarzt Jg HM L.svg
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Rank insignia
German medical service ranks |-----
Introduction
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Rank group
Commissioned officers |-----
Heer/Luftwaffe
Marine
- Stabsarzt
*Stabsapotheker
*Stabsveterinär
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short (in lists)
- StArzt (SA)
*StApotheker (SAP)
*StVeterinär (SV)
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NATOequivalent
OF-2 |-----