Master warrant officer (MWO) is a senior military rank in the Bangladesh Armed Forces, the

Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Forc ...

Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MIND ...

, the

South African National Defence Force The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comprises the armed forces of South Africa. The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services. They are in turn accountable to the Minister ...

and the Israel Defense Forces.

Bangladesh Armed Forces

Bangladesh-army-WO-3.svg, Master Warrant Officer Bangladesh-Navy-OR-9.svg, Master Chief Petty Officer 08.BAF-CWO.svg, Master warrant officer Master warrant officer is the highest junior-commissioned officer rank in

Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy ( bn, বাংলাদেশ নৌবাহিনী, Bangladesh Nou Bahini) is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area, and the defence of imp ...

above

Senior chief petty officer Senior Chief Petty Officer ''(SCPO)'' is an enlisted rank in the navies of some countries. United States U.S. Coast Guardsenior chiefpetty officercollar device U.S. Coast Guardsenior chiefpetty officerinsignia Senior chiefpetty officer ...

. Master warrant officer is a junior-commissioned officer rank in the

Bangladesh Army The Bangladesh Army is the land warfare branch and the largest component of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities to deliver the Bangladeshi government's security and defe ...

, falling between Senior warrant officer and Honorary

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

. Master warrant officer is the highest airman rank in the

Bangladesh Air Force The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী, Bangladesh Biman Bahini) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The Air Force is primarily responsible for air defence of ...

above Senior warrant officer.

Canadian Armed Forces

Master warrant officer is an

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

and

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

non-commissioned member A non-commissioned member (NCM), in the Canadian Armed Forces, is defined in the Queen's Regulations and Orders as: "... any person, other than an officer, who is enrolled in, or who pursuant to law is attached or seconded otherwise than as an offi ...

rank of the

. It is senior to the rank of

warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...

and its equivalents, and junior to

chief warrant officer Chief warrant officer is a military rank used by the United States Armed Forces, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Pakistan Air Force, the Israel Defense Forces, the South African National Defence Force, the Lebanese Armed Forces and, since 2012, th ...

and its equivalents. Its Naval equivalent is

chief petty officer 2nd class Chief petty officer, 2nd class, {{sc} CPO2, is a Naval non-commissioned member rank of the Canadian Forces. It is senior to the rank of petty officer 1st-class and its equivalents, and junior to chief petty officer 1st-class and its equivalents. ...

. The French language form is ''adjudant-maître''.

Insignia

Canadian RCN OR-8.svg, Royal Canadian Navy Canadian Army OR-8.svg, Canadian Army Canadian RCAF OR-8.svg, Royal Canadian Air Force The rank insignia of the MWO is a crown within a wreath of gold laurel, worn on both forearms of the service dress tunic; in gold metal and green enamel miniature pins on the collar of the service dress shirt and outerwear coats (army only); on

CADPAT Canadian Disruptive Pattern (CADPAT; french: links=no, dessin de camouflage canadien, DcamC) is the computer-generated digital camouflage pattern developed for use by the Canadian Armed Forces. Four operational variations of CADPAT have been use ...

slipons worn in the middle of the chest, embroidered in high vis thread (army) or dark blue (air force) thread; and in "pearl grey" thread on blue slip-ons on both shoulders of other uniforms (air force only).

Forms of address

MWOs are generally initially addressed as "Master Warrant Officer", or "Sergeant-Major" (if they hold that appointment), and thereafter as "Sir" or "Ma'am".

Appointments

MWOs may hold a number of appointments, including the position of

sergeant-major Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in the ...

, the most senior NCM in a company-sized Army unit or sub-unit. Some of these appointments are listed below: *

Battery sergeant-major Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source * Automotive battery, a device to provide power ...

(BSM) — the senior NCM of an

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

battery *

Squadron sergeant-major Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

(SSM) — the senior NCM of a cavalry,

armoured Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...

combat engineer A combat engineer (also called pioneer or sapper) is a type of soldier who performs military engineering tasks in support of land forces combat operations. Combat engineers perform a variety of military engineering, tunnel and mine warfare tas ...

, or

communications Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

* Company sergeant-major (CSM) — the senior NCO of any other company-sized unit * Quartermaster sergeant instructor (QMSI) - the senior MWO in a

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry * Drill sergeant-major (DSM) - the senior MWO in an infantry

other than those of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry *

Regimental quartermaster sergeant Regimental quartermaster sergeant (RQMS) is a military rank in some militaries, and an appointment in others. Irish Defence Forces Battalion quartermaster sergeant (BQMS, ''ceathrúsháirsint cathláin'' in Irish) is a rank in the Irish Army an ...

(RQMS) - the senior MWO in a battalion sized unit in charge of supply and technical items. * Equipment Technical Sergeant Major (ETSM) - the senior RCEME MWO of a Division size formation. In the

RCAF The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

the ETSM is usually a CWO. *

Equipment Technical quartermaster Sergeant Equipment most commonly refers to a set of tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, onl ...

(ETQMS) - the senior RCEME MWO of a Regiment or Battalion. Due to the unified nature of the CF, it is not unheard-of for Air Force MWOs — especially those of the so-called "

purple trades {{unreferenced, date=June 2010 In the Canadian Armed Forces, the purple trades are occupations and careers that are not strongly linked to one of the three major 'environments' or 'elements': sea, land, or air. Purple trades include – but ar ...

", such as logistics or military police — to find themselves filling the appointment of squadron or company sergeant-major in what are otherwise considered "hard" army units (such as service battalions or communication squadrons).

Messes and quarters

MWOs generally mess and billet with other warrant officers and with sergeants, and their naval equivalents,

chief petty officer A chief petty officer (CPO) is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards. Canada "Chief petty officer" refers to two ranks in the Royal Canadian Navy. A chief petty officer 2nd class (CPO2) (''premier maître de deuxi ...

s and

petty officer A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotation OR-5 or OR-6. In many nations, they are typically equal to a sergeant in comparison to other military branches. Often they may be super ...

s. Their mess on military bases or installations are generally named the "Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess".

Singapore

Master warrant officer is a senior warrant officer rank in the

. Master warrant officers often hold senior leadership roles such as school sergeant majors, regimental sergeant majors of

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...

-sized units, and divisional operations warrant officers. The school sergeant major of

Officer Cadet School An officer candidate school (OCS) is a military school which trains civilians and enlisted personnel in order for them to gain a commission as officers in the armed forces of a country. How OCS is run differs between countries and services. Typ ...

is a master warrant officer. He is in charge of the discipline of more than 800 officer cadets, in addition to the specialists and more junior warrant officers there.

South Africa

In 2008, the warrant officer ranks of the

were expanded and the rank of master warrant officer was created.

References

{{Reflist