Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force

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Warrant Officer of the
Royal Air Force
British Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer.svg
WORAF insignia
Warrant Officer Murugesvaran Subramaniam.jpg
since April 2023
Ministry of Defence
Style Warrant Officer
AbbreviationWORAF
Reports to Chief of the Air Staff
Appointer Air Force Board
Term length Not fixed,
typically 2–3 years
FormationMay 1996;28 years ago (1996-05)
First holderWO Greg Dutton
Website Official website

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, 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, 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. [5] [6] As of 2023 including the incumbent, there has been a total of eleven personnel in this appointment.

Contents

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.PortraitName
(born–died)
Term of office Chief of the Air Staff Ref.
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer (CASWO)
1 No image.png Greg Dutton
MBE , BEM
May 1996January 19981 year, 8 months Sir Michael Graydon
Sir Richard Johns
2 No image.png Jim Andrews
MBE , BEM
January 1998January 20002 yearsSir Richard Johns
3 No image.png René Michael Stuart
MBE
January 2000May 20033 years, 4 monthsSir Richard Johns
Sir Peter Squire
4 No image.png Robert 'Bob' Loughlin
MBE
May 2003November 20063 years, 6 months Sir Jock Stirrup
Sir Glenn Torpy
[9]
5 Warrant Officer Lindsey Morgan (cropped).jpg Lyndsay Morgan
MBE
November 2006July 20092 years, 8 monthsSir Glenn Torpy [2]
6 No image.png Gary Wilcox
MBE
July 2009February 20122 years, 7 months Sir Stephen Dalton [2] [3]
7 No image.png Graeme Spark
MBE
February 2012October 20142 years, 8 monthsSir Stephen Dalton
Sir Andrew Pulford
[10]
8 UK military London Pride (Clive Martland cropped) (cropped).jpg Clive Martland
MBE
(born 1968)
October 2014October 20162 yearsSir Andrew Pulford
Sir Stephen Hillier
[1]
9 CASWO Jon Crossley (cropped).jpg Jon Crossley October 2016October 20193 yearsSir Stephen Hillier
Sir Michael Wigston
[1]
10 CASWO Jake Alpert.jpg Jake Alpert
MBE
October 2019July 20211 year, 9 monthsSir Michael Wigston [1] [11]
Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force (WORAF)
10 CASWO Jake Alpert.jpg Jake Alpert
MBE
July 2021April 20231 year, 9 months Sir Michael Wigston [1] [4]
11 WORAF Murugesvaran Subramaniam.jpg Murugesvaran 'Subby' Subramaniam April 2023Incumbent1 year, 10 monthsSir Michael Wigston
Sir Richard Knighton
[6] [5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "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.
  2. 1 2 3 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.
  3. 1 2 "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.
  4. 1 2 "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.
  5. 1 2 "Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  6. 1 2 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
  7. "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.
  8. 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.
  9. "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.
  10. 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.
  11. @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.