"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)

Warrant Officer (United States)

In the United States military, the rank of warrant officer is rated as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1...

.

Chief warrant officer is a military rank used by the Canadian Forces

Canadian Forces

The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...

 and the Israel Defence Forces.

Canada

In the Canadian Forces

Canadian Forces

The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...

, a chief warrant officer or CWO is the most senior non-commissioned member

Non-commissioned member

A non-commissioned member , in the Canadian Forces, is defined in the Queen's Regulations and Orders as:"… any person, other than an officer, who is enrolled in, or who pursuant to law is attached or seconded otherwise than as an officer to, the Canadian Forces…" Thus, an NCM is any member who is...

 (NCM) rank in the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force

Royal Canadian Air Force

The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...

. Its equivalent rank in the Royal Canadian Navy

Royal Canadian Navy

The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...

 is chief petty officer 1st class

Chief Petty Officer 1st Class

Chief petty officer, 1st class, CPO1, is the most senior non-commissioned member rank of the Royal Canadian Navy. It is equivalent to a chief warrant officer in the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force...

 (CPO1).

A CWO is senior to the rank of master warrant officer

Master Warrant Officer

Master warrant officer is a senior military rank in the Canadian Forces, Singapore Armed Forces and the Israel Defense Forces.-Canadian Forces:...

 (MWO) and its Royal Canadian Navy

Royal Canadian Navy

The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...

 equivalent of chief petty officer 2nd class

Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class

Chief petty officer, 2nd class, CPO2, is a Naval non-commissioned member rank of the Canadian Forces. It is senior to the rank of petty officer 1st-class and its equivalents, and junior to chief petty officer 1st-class and its equivalents...

 (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

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 form is adjudant-chef (adjuc).

Insignia

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

CADPAT

Canadian Disruptive Pattern is the computer-generated digital camouflage pattern currently used by the Canadian Forces . CADPAT is designed to reduce the likelihood of detection by night vision devices. The basic uniform consists of a wide brim combat hat, helmet cover, shirt, jacket, trousers,...

 slipons 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

Commanding officer

The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...

. CWOs are never addressed as "Chief", this being a form of addressed reserved for Chief Petty Officer

Chief Petty Officer

A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...

s. 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
  Battalion
  A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
  
  -sized Army unit, including armoured
  Armoured warfare
  Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....
  
  , combat engineer, and signal regiments.
• Squadron Chief Warrant Officer (Sqn CWO) – the most senior NCM in a squadron
  Squadron (aviation)
  A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
  
  -sized Air Force unit

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:

• Base Chief Warrant Officer (BCWO) and Wing Chief Warrant Officer (WCWO) - the Coat of Arms over crossed swords.
• Higher 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 includes, for example, the Division Chief Warrant Officer (DCWO) of 1 Canadian Air Division
  1 Canadian Air Division
  1 Canadian Air Division is the operational-level command and control formation of the Royal Canadian Air Force...
  
   and the Area Sergeant-Major (Area SM) of Land Force Western Area
  Land Force Western Area
  Land Force Western Area is one of four operational commands of the Canadian Army. LFWA is responsible for all Canadian Army administration and operations in western Canada from the Pacific Ocean to Thunder Bay, Ontario...
  
   (LFWA)
• Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO) – the Coat of Arms with a wreath of laurel wrapped around the base
• Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer
  Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer
  The Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer or CFCWO is the senior non-commissioned member appointment in the Canadian Forces.The CFCWO holds the substantive rank of Chief Warrant Officer or Chief Petty Officer 1st Class...
  
   (CFCWO) – the Coat of Arms with a wreath of twenty-eight 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

Purple trades

In the armed forces of Canada, the purple trades are occupations and careers – typically related to logistics or other support – that are not strongly linked to one of the Canadian Forces' three major 'environments' or 'elements': sea, land, or air....

", such as logistics

Logistics Branch (Canadian Forces)

The Logistics Branch is a personnel branch of the Canadian Forces . In April 2007, the CF Armed Forces Council decided to incorporate the Personnel Selection Branch into the Logistics branch.-Unification:...

 or military police

Canadian Forces Military Police

The Canadian Forces Military Police provide military police services to the Canadian Forces.Canadian Military Police are unusual in that they are classified as Peace Officers in the Criminal Code of Canada, which gives them the same powers as civilian law enforcement personnel to enforce Acts of...

 – 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

Mess

A mess is the place where military personnel socialise, eat, and live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" A mess (also called a...

 and billet with other Warrant Officer

Warrant Officer

A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...

s and with Sergeant

Sergeant

Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....

s, and their Royal Canadian Navy equivalents, Chief Petty Officer

Chief Petty Officer

A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...

s and Petty Officer

Petty Officer

A petty officer is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotion OR-6. They are equal in rank to sergeant, British Army and Royal Air Force. A Petty Officer is superior in rank to Leading Rate and subordinate to Chief Petty Officer, in the case of the British Armed...

s. 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

Israel Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...