Chief warrant officer

"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 Armed Forces, the Israel Defense Forces, the South African National Defence Force and since 2012, the Singapore Armed Forces.[1]

Canada

In the Canadian Armed 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 Armed 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 a simplified version of the 1957 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).

The insignia lacks the annulus, from 1985 changes, behind the shield bearing the motto of the Order of Canada. It also differs from both the 1957 and 1985 versions through a lack of Compartment and Mantling.

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 Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms (followed by Surname).

Appointments

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

Due to the unified nature of the Canadian Armed 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.

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:[3]

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


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-5OR-6 OR-7 OR-8 OR-9
Abbreviationרס"ל
Rasal		רס"ר
Rasar		רס"מ
Rasam		רס"ב
Rasab		רנ"מ
Ranam		רנ"ג
Ranag
Corresponding
rank		Sergeant first classMaster sergeantSergeant majorCommand sergeant majorWarrant officerChief warrant officer
Insignia
More details at Israel Defense Forces ranks & IDF 2012 - Ranks (idf.il, english)

South Africa

In 2008[5] 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 equivalent is the senior NCO in an Army Formation, such as Armour, Infantry etc.

Chief Warrant Officer rank insignia in the SANDF

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/resourcelibrary/cyberpioneer/topics/articles/news/2012/jun/29jun12_news2.htmll
  2. ↑ http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/ranks/warrantofficers.htm
  3. ↑ http://www.dnd.ca/site/acf-apfc/Insig/index-eng.asp
  4. ↑ "Israel Defense Forces ranks". wikipedia.org. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  5. ↑ http://www.dod.mil.za/news/news2008/sep2008/Sep2008-3.pdf