Maat (rank)

Maat is a naval rank of the German Navy equivalent to the army/ air force rank of Unteroffizier. It is grouped as OR5 in NATO, equivalent to Petty officer, second class in the US Navy.
However, Maate is also the collective name to all junior NCO-ranks (ranks: Maat, Seekadett, and Obermaat) in the modern day's "German Navy".
In navy context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as "Herr/ Frau Maat" also informally / short "Maat". The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group is as follows:
"Unteroffizier ohne Portepee"
History.
The term is derived from the low German "māt" (comrade). Via the Dutch language, the word became a nautical term and described the assistant to a deck officer. Since the second half of the 17th century "Maate" were the lowest class of non-commissioned officers aboard a warship. In the Prussian Navy and the Kaiserliche Marine "Maate" were "Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee". According to their specialization, "Maate" would be known as e.g. "Steuermannsmaat" (Coxswain's Mate), "Feuerwerksmaat" (Ordnance Mate), "Bootsmannsmaat" (Boatswain's Mate) or "Maschinistenmaat" (Machinist's Mate).
"Maate" were recruited among conscripts who volunteered to serve for a minimum of six years. After approximately four years they could expect to become "Maat". Re-enlistment was common but in most specialities the career options would end with achieving the rank of "Obermaat"; only after 18 years in service was a promotion as supernumary "Vizefeldwebel" possible, and only if there was a billet open. The 1914/15 naval budget included 7857 billets for "Maate" and 5237 for "Obermaate".