Chief warrant officer

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"Chief Warrant Officer" in the United States Armed Forces refers to any warrant officer W-2 and above. For the US rank, see warrant officer (United States).

Chief Warrant Officer is a military rank used by the Canadian Forces, the Israel Defense Forces, the South African National Defence Force and since 2012, the Singapore Armed Forces.^[1]

Canada

In the Canadian Forces, a Chief Warrant Officer or CWO is the most senior non-commissioned member (NCM) rank in the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Its equivalent rank in the Royal Canadian Navy is Chief Petty Officer 1st Class (CPO1).

A CWO is senior to the rank of Master Warrant Officer^[2] (MWO) and its Royal Canadian Navy equivalent of Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class (CPO2).

Cadets Canada uses the ranks of Chief Petty Officer 1st Class, Chief Warrant Officer, and Warrant Officer 1st Class respectively. This organization's uniforms use a similar Coat of Arms insignia as the Canadian Forces.

The French language form is adjudant-chef (adjuc).

Insignia

The slip on worn on a Warrant Officer 1st Class in the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. This is signified by the word "cadet". In the Canadian Forces, "Canada" would be printed in its place.

The rank insignia of the CWO is similar to the Coat of Arms of Canada, 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 slip-ons worn in the middle of the chest, embroidered in tan (Army) or blue (Air Force) thread; and in gold thread on blue slip-ons on both shoulders of other uniforms (Air Force only). For whatever reason, the Canadian Forces did not update the CWO/CPO1 insignia to reflect the 1985 changes to the Coat of Arms of Canada, specifically the addition of an annulus behind the shield bearing the motto of the Order of Canada. (This would make the insignia technically incorrect.)

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. CWOs are never addressed as "Chief", this being a form of addressed reserved for Chief Petty Officers. Civilians can address them as Chief Warrant Officer or CWO or as Mr. or Ms.

Appointments

CWOs may hold a number of appointments, some of which are listed below:

Regimental Sergeant-Major (RSM) – the most senior NCM in a battalion-sized Army unit, including armoured, combat engineer, and signal regiments.
Squadron Warrant Officer (SWO) – the most senior NCM in a squadron-sized Air Force units and army signal units

Special appointments or 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:^[3]

Base Chief Warrant Officer (BCWO) and Wing Chief Warrant Officer (WCWO) - 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). Would be seen with a LCol-Col
Formation Chief Warrant Officer/Area 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 includes, for example, the Division Chief Warrant Officer (DCWO) of 1 Canadian Air Division and the Area Sergeant-Major (Area SM) of Land Force Western Area (LFWA). Would be seen with a Col-BGen Area Chief with a MGen
Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO) – the Coat of Arms with a wreath of laurel wrapped around the base. Would be seen with a LGen
Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer (CFCWO) – the Coat of Arms with a wreath of twenty maple leaves wrapped around the base and sides. The CFCWO is not classified as a Sergeant-Major, even if the appointee is an Army CWO.

Due to the unified nature of the Canadian Forces, it is not unheard-of for Royal Canadian Air Force CWOs or even Royal Canadian Navy CPO1s – especially those of the so-called "purple trades", such as logistics or military police – to find themselves filling the appointment of RSM in what are otherwise considered Canadian Army units (such as Service Battalions or Communication Regiments). Conversely, it is not impossible for a Canadian Army CWO or Royal Canadian Navy CPO1 to find themselves as the Squadron CWO of a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron.

Messes and quarters

CWOs generally mess and billet with other Warrant Officers and with Sergeants, and their Royal Canadian 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 kit, Sam Browne belt instead of sash for infantry, etc.

Israel Defense Forces

Main article: Israel Defense Forces ranks

Rav nagad
insignia
IDF

The רב-נגד Rav nagad, a Chief Warrant Officer is the most senior non-commissioned officers rank in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Because the IDF is an integrated force, they have a unique rank structure. IDF ranks are the same in all services (army, navy, air force, etc.). The ranks are derived from those of the paramilitary Haganah developed in the British Mandate of Palestine period to protect the Yishuv. This origin is reflected in the slightly-compacted IDF rank structure.^[4]

Israel Defense Forces ranks : נגדים nagadim - non-commissioned officers (NCO)
IDF NCO rank	רב-סמל Rav samal	רב-סמל ראשון Rav samal rishon	רב-סמל מתקדם Rav samal mitkadem	רב-סמל בכיר Rav samal bakhír	רב-נגד משנה Rav nagad mishne	רב-נגד Rav nagad
NATO	OR-5	OR-6	OR-7	OR-8	OR-9
Abbreviation	רס"ל Rasal	רס"ר Rasar	רס"מ Rasam	רס"ב Rasab	רנ"מ Ranam	רנ"ג Ranag
Corresponding rank	Sergeant first class	Master sergeant	Sergeant major	Command sergeant major	Warrant officer	Chief warrant officer
Insignia
More details at Israel Defense Forces ranks & IDF 2012 - Ranks (idf.il, english)

South Africa

References

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