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, the Singapore Armed Forces. In the United States Armed Forces, chief warrant officers are commissioned officers, not non-commissioned officers (NCOs) like in other NATO forces.[1]

Canadian Armed Forces

In the Canadian Armed Forces, 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 form of chief warrant officer is adjudant-chef (adjuc).

A CWO is senior to the rank of master warrant officer[2] (MWO) and its 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.

Insignia
The slip on worn by warrant officers 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 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. It also differs from both the 1957 and 1985 versions through a lack of compartment and mantling.

  • Chief Warrant Officer
  • Chief Warrant Officer
  • 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, other officers, or when referred to in conversation. In the RCN, 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 or CWO or Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms (followed by surname).

Appointments

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

  • Regimental sergeant-major (RSM) – the most senior NCO in a battalion-sized Army unit, including armoured, combat engineer, and signal regiments.
  • Squadron warrant officer (SWO) – the most senior NCO in a squadron-sized Air Force units and army signal units
  • School chief warrant officers (SCWO) - the most senior NCO in Air Force and some Army schools of battalion or squadron size.

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 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 an army CWO or navy CPO1 to be 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]

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 (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.

  • Formation Chief Warrant Officer
  • Formation Chief Warrant Officer

Command chief warrant officer (CCWO)

The coat of arms with a wreath of laurel wrapped around the base. This appointment is given to CWO 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 the Chief Warrant Officer of the Air Force. A command chief warrant officer would be seen with a major-general or lieutenant-general.

  • Command chief warrant officer
  • Command chief warrant officer

Canadian Forces chief warrant officer (CFCWO)
Further information: Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer

Messes and quarters

CWOs generally mess and billet with other warrant officers and with sergeants, 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.

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.

Israel Defense Forces ranks : נגדים‎ nagadim - non-commissioned officers (NCO)[4]
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–6OR–7OR–8OR–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

South African Armed Forces
SANDF Chief Warrant Officer rank insignia
See also: South African military ranks

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.

United States Armed Forces
See also: Warrant officer (United States)

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; 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).

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.

Grade Rank Abbreviation Army Air Force
(discontinued)		 Navy Coast Guard Marine Corps
W-1 Warrant officer one WO-1
WO1 (Army)
U.S. Army warrant officer 1 rank insignia
U.S. Air Force warrant officer 1 rank insignia
Discontinued
1975
USMC warrant officer 1 rank insignia
W-2 Chief warrant officer two CWO-2
CW2 (Army)
U.S. Army chief warrant officer 2 rank insignia
U.S. Air Force chief warrant officer 2 rank insignia
U.S. Navy chief warrant officer 2 rank insignia
U.S. Coast Guard chief warrant officer 2 rank Insignia
USMC chief warrant officer 2 rank insignia
W-3 Chief warrant officer three CWO-3
CW3 (Army)
U.S. Army chief warrant officer 3 rank insignia
U.S. Air Force chief warrant officer 3 rank insignia
U.S. Navy chief warrant officer 3 rank insignia
U.S. Coast Guard chief warrant officer 3 rank insignia
USMC chief warrant officer 3 rank insignia
W-4 Chief warrant officer four CWO-4
CW4 (Army)
U.S. Army chief warrant officer 4 rank insignia
U.S. Air Force chief warrant officer 4 rank insignia
U.S. Navy chief warrant officer 4 rank insignia
U.S. Coast Guard chief warrant officer 4 rank insignia
USMC chief warrant officer 4 rank insignia
W-5 Chief warrant officer five CWO-5
CW5 (Army)
U.S. Army chief warrant officer 5 rank insignia
U.S. Air Force chief warrant officer 5 rank insignia

Established
1994;
not
implemented
USMC chief warrant officer 5 rank insignia

Notable Warrant Officers

See also

References
  1. http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/resourcelibrary/cyberpioneer/topics/articles/news/2012/jun/29jun12_news2.htmll%5B%5D
  2. http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/ranks/warrantofficers.htm
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-02-24. Retrieved 2009-11-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. IDF 2012 - Ranks (idf.il, english)
  5. http://www.dod.mil.za/news/news2008/sep2008/Sep2008-3.pdf
  6. David F. Cooper. "Valor awards for David F. Cooper". Projects.militarytimes.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2014-07-23.
  7. Keith Yoakum. "Valor awards for Keith Yoakum". Projects.militarytimes.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2014-07-23.
  8. Jason W. Myers. "Valor awards for Jason W. Myers". Projects.militarytimes.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2014-07-23.
  9. "TogetherWeServed - WO John LANG". Navy.togetherweserved.com. Retrieved 2014-07-23.
  10. Floyd Bennett
  11. John William Frederick , Jr. "Valor awards for John William Frederick , Jr". Projects.militarytimes.com. Archived from the original on 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2014-07-23.
  12. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-16. Retrieved 2015-06-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/books/1968/0479.cfm
  14. "Last continuously serving draftee retires after 42 years of service". 2014-10-28. Retrieved 2014-11-19.
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