Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force
Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force | |
---|---|
Ministry of Defence | |
Style | Warrant Officer |
Abbreviation | WORAF |
Reports to | Chief of the Air Staff |
Appointer | Air Force Board |
Term length | Not fixed, typically 2–3 years |
Formation | May 1996 |
First holder | WO |
Website | Official Website |
The Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force (WORAF) (previously known as the Chief of the Air Staff’s Warrant Officer) is the senior RAF appointment for a warrant officer (WO), and therefore the most senior non-commissioned appointment in the Royal Air Force (RAF).[1] The person holding this military appointment advises the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) on matters concerning airmen and airwomen of the RAF.[1][2] The post was created in 1996 as the Chief of the Air Staff’s Warrant Officer.[1][3] The post was re-titled Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force (WORAF) on 1 July 2021.[4]
List of holders[]
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Chief of the Air Staff | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer | |||||||
1 | MBE, BEM | May 1996 | January 1998 | 1 year, 8 months | Sir Michael Graydon Sir Richard Johns |
||
2 | Jim Andrews MBE, BEM | January 1998 | January 2000 | 2 years | Sir Richard Johns | ||
3 | MBE | January 2000 | May 2003 | 3 years, 4 months | Sir Richard Johns Sir Peter Squire |
||
4 | MBE | May 2003 | November 2006 | 3 years, 6 months | Sir Jock Stirrup Sir Glenn Torpy |
[5] | |
5 | Lyndsay Morgan MBE | November 2006 | July 2009 | 2 years, 8 months | Sir Glenn Torpy | [2] | |
6 | Gary Wilcox MBE | July 2009 | February 2012 | 2 years, 7 months | Sir Stephen Dalton | [2] | |
7 | Graeme Spark MBE | February 2012 | October 2014 | 2 years, 8 months | Sir Stephen Dalton Sir Andrew Pulford |
[6] | |
8 | Clive Martland MBE (born 1968) |
October 2014 | October 2016 | 2 years | Sir Andrew Pulford Sir Stephen Hillier |
[1] | |
9 | Jon Crossley | October 2016 | October 2019 | 3 years | Sir Stephen Hillier Sir Michael Wigston |
[1] | |
10 | Jake Alpert MBE | October 2019 | July 2021 | 1 year, 9 months | Sir Michael Wigston | [1][7] | |
Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force | |||||||
10 | Jake Alpert MBE | July 2021 | Incumbent | 7 months | Sir Michael Wigston | [1][4] |
The Royal Navy equivalent is the Warrant Officer to the Royal Navy (WORN),[8] and in the Royal Marines the Corps Regimental Sergeant Major. The British Army's recent equivalent is the Army Sergeant Major.[9]
See also[]
- Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force — United States Air Force (USAF) equivalent
- Sergeant Major of the Air Force — South African Air Force (SAAF) equivalent
- Warrant Officer of the Air Force — Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) equivalent
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g "Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer". Royal Air Force website. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
- ^ a b c Lesley Woods, ed. (27 July 2009). "Welsh Warrant Officer steps down from top job". Royal Air Force website. RAF. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ "RAF Halton Hosts the Chief of the Air Staff's Conference for Warrant Officers". RAF Halton website. RAF. 2010. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
The conference has taken place annually for the last 12 years, since the post of Chief of the Air Staff’s Warrant Officer (CASWO) was created.
- ^ a b "Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force". Royal Air Force Families Federation. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ "Bob's proud to protect the crown jewels". Ipswich Star. IpswichStar.co.uk. 4 September 2007. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ "Airing issues with the boss" (PDF). Navy News. 1 June 2013. p. 37. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ @ChiefofAirStaff (5 October 2019). "Thank you WO Jon Crossley. A brilliant 3 years as Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer. Welcome WO Jake Alpert" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Warrant Officer in a class of his own". Royal Navy website. RoyalNavy.mod.uk. 24 April 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
- ^ "Janes | Latest defence and security news".
- Royal Air Force appointments
- Warrant Officers of the Royal Air Force
- Warrant officers