Most senior enlisted rank appointment of the Royal Air Force
The Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force (WORAF ), previously known as the Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer (CASWO ), is the senior Royal Air Force (RAF) appointment for a warrant officer (WO), and therefore the most senior non-commissioned appointment in the 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 May 1996; 28 years ago (1996-05 ) , 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; 3 years ago (2021-07-01 ) , and whilst continuing to report directly to the Chief of the Air Staff, the scope of the WORAF was widened to 'work for the entirety of the RAF'.[ 4] The current WORAF is WO Murugesvaran 'Subby' Subramaniam , who was appointed in April 2023; 1 year ago (2023-04 ) .[ 5] [ 6] As of 2023[update] , including the incumbent, there has been a total of eleven personnel in this appointment.
The Royal Navy equivalent is the Warrant Officer to the Royal Navy (WORN, previously Warrant Officer of the Naval Service, WONS),[ 7] and in the Royal Marines the Corps Regimental Sergeant Major . The British Army 's recent equivalent is the Army Sergeant Major (previously known as Sergeant Major of the Army).[ 8]
List of holders
no.
portrait
post holder(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 (CASWO)
1
Greg Dutton 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
René Michael Stuart MBE
January 2000
May 2003
3 years, 4 months
Sir Richard JohnsSir Peter Squire
4
Robert 'Bob' Loughlin MBE
May 2003
November 2006
3 years, 6 months
Sir Jock Stirrup Sir Glenn Torpy
[ 9]
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] [ 3]
7
Graeme Spark MBE
February 2012
October 2014
2 years, 8 months
Sir Stephen DaltonSir Andrew Pulford
[ 10]
8
Clive Martland MBE (born 1968)
October 2014
October 2016
2 years
Sir Andrew PulfordSir Stephen Hillier
[ 1]
9
Jon Crossley
October 2016
October 2019
3 years
Sir Stephen HillierSir Michael Wigston
[ 1]
10
Jake Alpert MBE
October 2019
July 2021
1 year, 9 months
Sir Michael Wigston
[ 1] [ 11]
Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force (WORAF)
10
Jake Alpert MBE
July 2021
April 2023
1 year, 9 months
Sir Michael Wigston
[ 1] [ 4]
11
Murugesvaran 'Subby' Subramaniam [ 6]
April 2023
incumbent
1 year, 7 months
Sir Michael WigstonSir Richard Knighton
[ 5]
See also
References
^ a b c d e f g "Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer" . RAF.MoD.uk . Royal Air Force . 2018. Archived from the original on 13 April 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2019 .{{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link )
^ a b c Woods, Lesley, ed. (27 July 2009). "Welsh Warrant Officer steps down from top job" . RAF.MoD.uk . Royal Air Force . Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016 .
^ a b "RAF Halton hosts the Chief of the Air Staff's conference for Warrant Officers" . RAF.MoD.uk . RAF Halton . 2010. Archived from the original on 13 October 2011. 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" . RAF-FF.org.uk . Royal Air Force Families Federation. RAF.MoD.uk. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2023 .
^ a b "Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force" . RAF.MoD.uk . Royal Air Force . 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023 .
^ a b 1st Lt. Charles Rivezzo (24 January 2023). Readout of STARCOM Senior Leaders' travel to the United Kingdom (JPG) (photograph-description). RAF High Wycombe : United States Air Force . 230125-F-OR751-0003. Retrieved 31 August 2023 . Warrant Officer Subby Subramaniam, command warrant officer of U.K. Space Command, ... pose for a photo during a visit to Headquarters, U.K. Space Command at RAF High Wycombe
^ "Warrant Officer in a class of his own" . RoyalNavy.MoD.uk . Royal Navy . 24 April 2013. Archived from the original on 27 April 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2016 .
^ Jones, Bruce (1 February 2015). "CGS outlines new British Army senior posts amid culling of generals" . Janes.com . IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015.
^ "Bob's proud to protect the crown jewels" . IpswichStar.co.uk . Ipswich Star, Archant Community Media Ltd. 4 September 2007. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2016 .
^ Gray, Mike, ed. (1 June 2013). "Airing issues with the boss" (PDF) . Navy News . No. 707. HMS Nelson , Portsmouth: RoyalNavy.MoD.uk, Royal Navy . p. 37. Retrieved 31 August 2023 .
^ @ChiefofAirStaff (4 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 .
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