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A foreman of signals is a highly qualified senior NCO or warrant officer signals engineering manager in the Royal Corps of Signals of the British Army and other Commonwealth armies. They undertake the role of equipment care specialist, with additional responsibilities for engineering and technical project management sometimes. [1]
A soldier from the Royal Corps of Signals selected for foreman of signals training must hold a minimum qualification of class 1 communications systems engineer, have served a minimum of ten years within the Army and hold the rank of corporal or above. To be accepted onto the foreman of signals course, each individual candidate must follow a strict selection process that starts 15 months before the course start date. From May to December, the candidates must complete tutor marked assessments (TMAs) which are submitted monthly. In January, the candidates sit two three-hour exams, which are co-ordinated to start concurrently around the world. Successful candidates then attend a one-week selection board where different management and technical tasks are used to assess the candidates' suitability to the task of becoming a foreman of signals.
There are usually close to a hundred eligible candidates every year. However, the board only selects between 8 and 20 students for each course, which typically commences in the first week of September each year and lasts 20 months. During the course, they are given the rank of acting sergeant.
On completion of the course, the soldier is promoted to staff sergeant if the rank is not already held, and assumes the appointment of foreman of signals. They work as part of a unit operations team with a yeoman of signals, who is a communications technical specialist. The holder of the appointment can be promoted through the ranks from staff sergeant, to warrant officer class 2, then warrant officer class 1. To distinguish the appointment, the suffix of FofS is used (i.e. SSgt(FofS), WO2(FofS), WO1(FofS)).
The title has definitely existed since the formation of the Royal Corps of Signals and may have been used previously in the Royal Engineers Signal Service. Formerly, staff sergeants and warrant officers class 2 held the appointment of foreman of signals quartermaster sergeant (FoSQMS) and warrant officers class 1 held the appointment of foreman of signals sergeant major (FoSSM).
The first foreman of signals course was held in 1951 and the current courses (as of March 2017 [update] ) are the 86th and 87th running of the course.
In the Indian Army Corps of Signals, a foreman of signals holds junior commissioned officer rank and must have had a minimum of ten years' service. Training courses are conducted at the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering at Mhow.
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned officer ranks, the most senior of the non-commissioned officer (NCO) ranks, or in a separate category of their own. Warrant officer ranks are especially prominent in the militaries of Commonwealth nations and the United States.
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who does not hold a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. In contrast, commissioned officers usually enter directly from a military academy, officer training corps (OTC) or reserve officer training corps (ROTC), or officer candidate school (OCS) or officer training school (OTS), after receiving a post-secondary degree.
Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
Conductor (Cdr) is an appointment held by a few selected warrant officers class 1 in the Royal Logistic Corps and is one of the most senior appointments that can be held by a warrant officer in the British Army. Previously conductor was the most senior warrant officer appointment, but it was outranked with the creation of the Army Sergeant Major appointment in 2015 following Army reforms. The appointment was also reintroduced into the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps for selected warrant officers class 1 in 2005.
Chief warrant officer is a senior warrant officer rank, used in many countries.
Under officer is an appointment held by the most senior cadets at some Commonwealth officer training establishments and in University Officers' Training Corps in the United Kingdom, and also a rank used in some Commonwealth cadet forces.
Officer Cadet is a rank held by military cadets during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by members of University Royal Naval Units, University Officer Training Corps and University Air Squadron; however, these are not trainee officers with many not choosing a career in the armed forces.
"Other ranks" is the term used to refer to all ranks below officers in the British Army and the Royal Marines. It includes warrant officers, non-commissioned officers ("NCOs") and ordinary soldiers with the rank of private or regimental equivalent. Officers may, in speaking, distinguish themselves from those "in the ranks".
Sergeant major instructor (SMI) is a British Army appointment held by warrant officers class 1 in the Small Arms School Corps and the Army Physical Training Corps and by some WO1s in the Royal Engineers.
Like the British Army, the Australian Army does not use the term 'enlisted' to describe its non-commissioned ranks. Instead, personnel who are not commissioned officers are referred to as other ranks. These are soldiers, non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and warrant officers (WOs). Warrant officers are appointed by a warrant which is signed by the Chief of the Army. The insignia for non-commissioned ranks are identical to the British Army up to the rank of warrant officer class two. Since 1976, WO1s and the WO in the Australian Army wear insignia using the Australian Coat of Arms.
An ammunition technician (AT) is a British Army soldier, formerly of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps but since 1993 of the Royal Logistic Corps, trained to inspect, repair, test, store, and modify all ammunition, guided missiles, and explosives used by the British Army. These technicians are also trained to use demolition to safely dispose of individual items of ammunition and explosives (EODs) or to conduct logistics disposal of bulk stocks of multi items. After gaining sufficient experience, those who show the appropriate qualities are given extra training to render safe improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by a process called improvised explosive device disposal. Experienced ATs may be called to give evidence as expert witnesses in criminal or coroner's courts in relation to ammunition or explosives or to EOD and IEDD duties.
In the United States Armed Forces, the ranks of warrant officer are rated as officers above all non-commissioned officers, candidates, cadets, and midshipmen, but subordinate to the lowest officer grade of O‑1. This application differs from the Commonwealth of Nations and other militaries, where warrant officers are the most senior of the other ranks, equivalent to the U.S. Armed Forces grades of E‑8 and E‑9.
A bandmaster is the leader and conductor of a band, usually a concert band, military band, brass band or a marching band.
Artificer sergeant major (ASM) is a senior warrant officer appointment in the technical branches of the British and Australian Armies.
The Royal Signals trades are the employment specialisations of the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. Every soldier in the Corps is trained both as a field soldier and a tradesman. There are currently six different trades, all of which is open to both men and women:
Within the British Army, Royal Corps of Signals, a soldier selected for Foreman of Signals training must be a SNCO Class 1 Communications Systems Engineer. They will normally hold a foundation degree Military Information Systems. On completion of the course, the soldier is promoted to Staff Sergeant if the rank is not already held, and assumes the appointment of Foreman of Signals and be awarded a BSc(Hons) in Management Information Systems. The holder of the appointment can be promoted through the ranks in line with current military policy from Staff Sergeant, to Warrant Officer Class 2, then Warrant Officer Class 1. To distinguish the appointment, a suffix of is used (i.e. SSgt WO2, WO1.
A warrant officer (WO) in the British Armed Forces is a member of the highest group of non-commissioned ranks, holding the King's warrant, which is signed by the Secretary of State for Defence. Warrant officers are not saluted, because they do not hold the King's Commission, but they are addressed as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by subordinates. Commissioned officers may address warrant officers either by their appointment or as "Mister", "Mrs" or "Ms", and then their last name, e.g. "Mr Smith". Although often referred to along with non-commissioned officers (NCOs), they are not NCOs, but members of a separate group, although all have been promoted from NCO rank.
An Artificer is an appointment held by a member of an armed forces service who is skilled at working on electronic, electrical, electro-mechanical and/or mechanical devices. The specific term "artificer" for this function is typical of the armed forces of countries that are or have been in the British Commonwealth and refers to a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer. Artificer is a job title and not a rank.
A yeoman of signals is a signals petty officer in the British Royal Navy and other Commonwealth navies. The term has been in use since 1816. The designation is also used for a communications technical specialist with the rank of staff sergeant or warrant officer in the Royal Corps of Signals of the British Army.
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