Gefreiter ([ɡəˈfraɪ̯tɐ], abbr. Gefr.; plural Gefreite) is a German, Swiss and Austrian military rank that has existed since the 16th century. It is usually the second rank or grade to which an enlisted soldier, airman or sailor could be promoted. Within the combined NATO rank scale, the modern-day rank of Gefreiter is usually equivalent to the NATO-standard rank scale OR-2. The word has also been lent into the Russian language (Russian: yefreytor/ефрейтор), and is in use in several Russian and post-Soviet militaries.