Plural of fugleman; soldiers who lead or demonstrate drill formations for their units.
From German 'Fuglemann,' combining 'Fugle' (drill leader) and 'Mann' (man). Plural of the English 'fugleman.'
In 18th and 19th-century armies, fuglemen were the 'human instruction manuals'—standing at the front, they'd perform each movement perfectly so the entire regiment could mirror them flawlessly!
Plural of 'fugleman' (from German Flügelmann), a military drilling leader. The masculine form embedded historical military structures dominated by men, though women have served in drill and leadership roles historically unacknowledged in the term.
Use 'drill leaders', 'drill instructors', or 'leading soldiers' to describe the role without gendered assumptions about who performs it.
["drill leaders","drill instructors","lead soldiers"]
Women have led military drills and formations in various capacities; the term 'fugleman' historically obscured their presence in these leadership roles.
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