Master warrant officer (MWO) is a senior military rank in the

Bangladesh Armed Forces The Bangladesh Armed Forces () is the Armed forces, military force of Bangladesh. It consists of three uniformed organizations, they are the Bangladesh Army, the Bangladesh Navy, and the Bangladesh Air Force. The Armed Forces is under the juri ...

, the

Canadian 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 ...

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

, the South African National Defence Force and the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...

Bangladesh Armed Forces

File:Bangladesh-Navy-OR-9.svg, Master Chief Petty Officer File:Bangladesh-army-WO-3.svg, Master Warrant Officer File:08.BAF-CWO.svg, Master Warrant Officer Master warrant officer is the highest junior-commissioned officer rank in Bangladesh Navy above Senior chief petty officer. Master Warrant Officer is a junior-commissioned officer rank in the Bangladesh Army, falling between Senior warrant officer and Honorary

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

. ''Master Warrant Officer'' is the highest airman rank in the Bangladesh Air Force above Senior warrant officer.

Canadian Armed Forces

Master warrant officer is an

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

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 army aviati ...

non-commissioned member rank of the

. It is senior to the rank of

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 ...

and its equivalents, and junior to chief warrant officer and its equivalents. Its

Naval A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operatio ...

equivalent is chief petty officer 2nd class. 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 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 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, the most senior NCM in a

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

-sized Army unit or sub-unit. Some of these appointments are listed below: * Battery sergeant-major (BSM) — the senior NCM of an

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

battery * Squadron sergeant-major (SSM) — the senior NCM of a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

, 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 ...

, or

communications Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...

squadron * 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 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), ...

of the

Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI, generally referred to as the Patricias) is one of the three Regular Force infantry regiments of the Canadian Army of the Canadian Armed Forces. Formed in 1914, it is named for Princess Patrici ...

* Drill sergeant-major (DSM) - the senior MWO in an infantry

other than those of the

* Regimental quartermaster sergeant (RQMS) - the senior MWO in a battalion sized unit in charge of supply and technical items. * Equipment Technical Sergeant Major (ETSM) - the senior

RCEME The Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME) () is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CF) that provides army engineering maintenance support. All members of the corps wear army uniform. From the 1980s to ...

MWO of a Division size formation. In the RCAF the ETSM is usually a CWO. * Equipment Technical quartermaster Sergeant (ETQMS) - the senior

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", 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

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 naval equivalents, chief petty officers and petty officers. 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 and regimental sergeant majors of

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, 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 ...

-sized units. The school sergeant major of Officer Cadet School 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 South African National Defence Force were expanded and the rank of master warrant officer was created.

References

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