Överfurir is an obsolete Swedish military rank established 1942 and placed above furir. Before 1972 the rank was a professional rank within the underbefäls category, and from 1972 to 1983 it was the highest rank within the gruppbefäls category. The holder of the rank typically served as instructor of conscripts corresponding to the present ranks of fänrik and löjtnant. A non-professional military service furir could obtain the rank through volunteer promotional courses within Försvarsutbildarna (FBU). It was removed as a professional rank in 1983, but appointments of non-professionals to the rank continued until 1991. Prior appointees retain their rank. Temporary appointments are still made in some circumstances, primarily for the duration of international peacekeeping missions. Police officers in international operations receive this rank to distinguish them from military police trained by the army.
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Reform 1972 – Rank inflation phase I
Prior to 1972, military personnel were divided into three categories: underbefäl (non-commissioned officers), underofficerare (warrant officers), and officerare (commissioned officers). 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 furirPlutonsofficerare, to include:
sergeant – former överfurir Fanjunkare – former elderly överfurir and rustmästareThe underofficer 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 förvaltareThe officer 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 ranksReform 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 professional ranks. Holders of the rank fanjunkare were promoted to löjtnant and the rest to fänrik.