One-year volunteer

A one-year volunteer, short EF (de: Einjährig-Freiwilliger[1]), was, in a number of national armed forces, a conscript who agreed to pay his own costs for the procurement of equipment, food and clothing, in return for spending a shorter-than-usual term on active military service and the opportunity for promotion to Reserve Officers.

In today's monetary value this cost might equate to at least 10,000 Euros, which restricted the option to members of the affluent social classes, considered to be "officer material", who hoped to pursue a Reserve-Officer career path.

On completing their primary recruit training, those aspiring to become Reserve Officers would have to qualify and demonstrate suitability for promotion to the Gefreiter ("Lance Corporal") rank, and would then continue to receive further specialized instruction until the end of their one-year term, usually attaining and leaving as überzählige Unteroffiziere ("Supernumerary Corporals") with the opportunity to advance further as Reservists.

Enlistees who did not aspire to officer grade would leave at the end of their one-year term as Gemeine[4] (Ordinary soldier) enlisted rank (for example Musketier or Infanterist) and a six-year reserve duty obligation.

[7] One-year volunteers also existed in the Imperial German Navy, their status shown by a down-turned double chevron in the national colours black, silver (instead of white) and red on the left shoulder sleeve.