HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Chief warrant officer is a senior
warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a Military rank, 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 ...
rank, used in many countries.


Canadian Armed Forces

In the
Canadian Armed Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...
(CAF), a chief warrant officer or CWO is the most senior non-commissioned member (NCM) rank for army and air force personnel. Its equivalent rank for navy personnel is chief petty officer 1st class (CPO1). The
French language French ( or ) is a Romance languages, Romance language of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European family. Like all other Romance languages, it descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire. French evolved from Northern Old Gallo-R ...
form of chief warrant officer is . A CWO is senior to the rank of master warrant officer (MWO) and its navy equivalent of chief petty officer 2nd class (CPO2).


Insignia

The rank insignia of the CWO is a simplified version of the 1957
coat of arms of Canada The coat of arms of Canada, also known as the Royal Coat of Arms of Canada or, formally, as the Arms of His Majesty The King in Right of Canada is the arms of dominion of the Monarchy of Canada, Canadian monarch and, thus, also the official ...
, 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 The Canadian Disruptive Pattern (CADPAT; ) is the computer-generated digital camouflage pattern developed for use by the Canadian Armed Forces. Four operational variations of CADPAT have been used by the Canadian Armed Forces: a temperate woodla ...
ranks worn in the middle of the chest, embroidered in tan (army) or blue (air force) thread; and in pearl-grey thread on blue slip-ons on both shoulders of other uniforms (air force only). The insignia lacks the annulus, from 1985 changes, behind the shield bearing the motto of the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
. It also differs from both the 1957 and 1985 versions through a lack of compartment and mantling. File:Cdn-Army-CWO(OR-9).svg, Chief warrant officer File:Cdn-Air Force-CWO(OR-9).svg, Chief warrant officer File:Cdn-Navy-CPO1(OR-9).svg, Chief petty officer first class


Forms of address

CWOs are generally initially addressed as "Chief Warrant Officer", and thereafter as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by subordinates; and as Mr. or Ms. by commissioned officers. If they hold the appointment of regimental sergeant major, they may also be addressed as "RSM" by the
commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
, other officers, or when referred to in conversation. CWOs are never addressed as "Chief", this being a form of address reserved for chief petty officers. Civilians can address them as "Chief Warrant Officer", "CWO", or "Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms" (followed by surname).


Key positions

CWO/CPO1 may fulfill roles in a number of key positions. These positions require the incumbent to act in an advisory or liaison role to a non-command position such as assistant Assistant Judge Advocate General Liaison Chief Petty Officer, Corps Sergeant-Major, or Defence Ethics Program Chief Warrant Officer, for example.


Appointments

CWOs may hold a number of appointments, some of which are: * Regimental sergeant major (RSM) the most senior NCO in a
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...
-sized army unit, including armoured,
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 warfare, tunnel and l ...
, and
signal A signal is both the process and the result of transmission of data over some media accomplished by embedding some variation. Signals are important in multiple subject fields including signal processing, information theory and biology. In ...
regiments. * Squadron warrant officer (SWO) the most senior NCO in a squadron-sized air force units and army signal units * School chief warrant officers/chief petty officers (SCWO/SCPO) the most senior NCO in air force, navy and some army schools of battalion or squadron size. * Base or wing chief warrant officer/chief petty officer the most senior NCO on a Canadian Forces base or wing establishment * Fleet chief petty officer the most senior NCO in either Atlantic Fleet, Pacific Fleet, or Naval Reserve * Ship's coxswain the most senior NCO on a Royal Canadian Navy ship (fulfilled by a chief petty officer 2nd class or petty officer 1st class for smaller vessels) Due to the unified nature of the Canadian Armed Forces, it is not unheard-of for air force CWOs or even navy CPO1s especially those of the so-called " purple trades", such as
logistics Logistics is the part of supply chain management that deals with the efficient forward and reverse flow of goods, services, and related information from the point of origin to the Consumption (economics), point of consumption according to the ...
or
military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...
to find themselves filling the appointment of RSM in what are otherwise considered
Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...
units (such as service battalions or communication regiments). Conversely, it is not impossible for an army CWO or navy CPO1 to be the squadron CWO of a
Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) 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 environmental commands within the unified Can ...
squadron.


Senior appointments

Senior appointments for chief warrant officers and chief petty officers 1st class entitle the incumbents to wear a modified rank badge or an addition to the rank badge. They are as follows:


Formation chief warrant officer

The coat of arms over the central insignia of the badge of the Canadian Armed Forces (crossed swords, an anchor and an eagle in flight). This appointment is given to CWO assigned to commanders at the base, brigade, wing, and division levels. Specific examples include base chief warrant officer, brigade sergeants-major, wing chief warrant officers, the division chief warrant officer (DCWO) of 1 Canadian Air Division and the division sergeant-major (Div SM) of
3rd Canadian Division The 3rd Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army responsible for the command and mobilization of all army units in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, as well as Northwestern Ontario including the ...
(3 Cdn Div). A formation chief warrant officer would typically be seen with a colonel or brigadier-general, but may occasionally be seen with a lieutenant-colonel or major-general. File:Cdn-Army-Fmn SgtMaj(OR-9+).svg, Formation chief warrant officer File:Cdn-Air Force-Fmn CWO(OR-9+).svg, Formation chief warrant officer


Command chief warrant officer/chief petty officer (CCWO/CCPO)

The coat of arms with a wreath of laurel wrapped around the base. This appointment is given to CWO/CPO1 assigned to commanders of commands including to the commander Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, commander Canadian Forces Intelligence Command and commander Canadian Joint Operations Command. The command chief warrant officer appointed to the commander Canadian Army is called the Canadian Army sergeant-major, while the command chief warrant officer appointed to commander RCAF is known as Chief Warrant Officer of the Air Force. The command chief warrant officer of the RCN is known as the RCN Command Chief Petty Officer. A command chief warrant officer/chief petty officer would be seen with a major-general/rear-admiral or lieutenant-general/vice-admiral. File:Cdn-Army-Comd SgtMaj(OR-9++).svg, Command chief warrant officer File:Cdn-Air Force-Comd CWO(OR-9++)-2015.svg, Command chief warrant officer


Canadian Forces chief warrant officer (CFCWO)


Messes and quarters

CWOs generally mess and billet with other
warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a Military rank, 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 ...
s and with
sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
s, and their navy equivalents, chief petty officers and petty officers. Their mess on military bases or installations are generally named the "Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess".


Uniforms

Although NCMs, CWOs generally wear the uniform accoutrements of commissioned officers; for example, officer cap badge, waistcoat instead of cummerbund with mess dress, etc.


South African Armed Forces

In 2008 the Warrant Officer ranks of the South African National Defence Force were expanded and the rank of Chief Warrant Officer was created. In the South African Navy a Chief Warrant Officer is the senior NCO in Fleet Command. In the
South African Army The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...
the equivalent is the senior NCO in an Army Formation, such as Armour, Infantry etc.


United States Armed Forces

Chief warrant officer in the United States Armed Forces refers to any warrant officer in pay grades CW2 and above. All warrant officers (WO1 to CWO5) are officers and rate a salute by all enlisted NATO other ranks personnel. The U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps use WO1/WO through CW5/CWO5 as designators and the U.S. Navy uses WO1 for one specialty (cyber warfare); all other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces use CWO2 through CWO5. The U.S. Air Force, although authorized to appoint warrant officers, does not utilize those grades in any capacity. All warrant officers dine in the officers' mess but rate just below O-1 (NATO rank code OF-1). On 4 June 2018, the Chief of Naval Operations announced the reestablishment of the rank of warrant officer one (pay grade W-1), for cyber warrant officers, and solicited applications for the rank/grade. These warrant officers will receive their appointment via warrant and not via commission. They will incur a six-year service obligation once promoted to W-1. A minimum of three-years in grade with a total service time of 12 years must be achieved before appointment and commission to chief warrant officer (W-2). However, the President also may grant appointments of warrant officers in the grade of W-1 via commission at any time as well as the Secretary of the Navy may also appoint warrant officers in that grade via commission, through additional regulations. In mid-December 2018, the Navy announced that six selectees had been named. They will wear a distinctive cap badge with two crossed anchors. Warrant officer rank insignia is the only officers' insignia that is not the same for all branches of the U.S. military, with one exception. The rank insignia for a CW5 became the only universal insignia within the warrant officer ranks when the U.S. Navy promoted its first CWO5 in 2002 and the Army adopted the emblem in 2004. Warrant officers in the United States are classified as officers and are in the "W" category (NATO "WO"); they are technical leaders and specialists. Chief warrant officers are commissioned by the president of the United States and take the same oath as regular commissioned officers do. They may be technical experts with a long service as enlisted personnel or direct entrants, most notably as U.S. Army helicopter pilots.


Notable Warrant Officers

* Brigadier General Chuck Yeager, USAF was initially a flight officer (also known as "warrant officer (air)", in the
USAAF The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
during World War II * MAJ (was CW3) Frederick Edgar Ferguson, USA (
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
recipient) * MAJ (was WO1) Hugh Thompson, Jr., USA ( Soldier's Medal recipient) * CW5 David F. Cooper, USA * CW4 Michael J. Novosel, USA (
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
recipient) * CW4 Oscar G. Johnson, USA * CW4 Michael Durant, USA * CW4 Thomas J. Hennen, USA * CW4 Keith Yoakum, USA * CW3 Ronald D. Young Jr., USA * CW2 Jason W. Myers, USA * CW2 Louis R. Rocco, USA * WO1 Robert Mason, USA * CWO2/Chief Carpenter John Arnold Austin, USN * WO1 John W. Lang, USN * WO1 Floyd Bennett, USN (
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
recipient) * CWO4 Hershel W. Williams, USMC (
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
recipient) * CWO4 John W. Frederick, Jr., USMC * CWO4 Henry Wildfang, USMC ( Gray Eagle Award recipient for longest-serving naval aviator; only chief warrant officer in the history of U.S.
Naval Aviation Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of Military aviation, military air power by Navy, navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves ''navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seab ...
so honored) * CWO5 Ralph E. Rigby, USA, last continuously serving draftee on active duty in the U.S. Army, retiring in 2014{{cite web, url=https://www.army.mil/article/137112/Last_continuously_serving_draftee_retires_after_42_years_of_service/ , title=Last continuously serving draftee retires after 42 years of service , date=2014-10-28 , access-date=2014-11-19


See also

* Chief Petty Officer 1st Class * Chief web officer * Commission (document) * Non-commissioned member * Regimental Sergeant-Major * Singapore Armed Forces ranks *
List of comparative military ranks This article is a list of various Sovereign state, nations' armed forces military rank, ranking designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy of an armed force compared to another. S ...


References


External links


thenavycwo.com
Military ranks of Canada * Military ranks of Singapore Warrant officers