army recruit

thumb|270px|Seeing off a (), by Ilya Repin (1879)thumb|270px|German Rekruts on outpost

(German for 'recruit') is a military designation in German-speaking countries. It was also used historically in the 18th- and 19th-century Russian Empire (see Conscription in the Russian Empire). In Germany, it characterizes newly recruited or sought personnel during an initial period of basic military training. However, in Austria, Switzerland, and some other countries, is the lowest rank of enlisted soldier.