Warrant Officers

Warrant Officers are the most senior Non Commissioned Members in the Canadian Forces.

Chief Warrant Officer

The rank of Chief Warrant Officer is generally awarded to soldiers appointed to senior positions of responsibility; in an armoured or artillery regiment, or infantry battalion, this would be the Regimental Sergeant Major. The RSM appointment also exists at higher levels, such as a Base RSM or Brigade RSM. The insignia of a CWO is the coat of arms of Canada.

There is also a Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer who is the most senior NCM in the Canadian Forces; his insignia is a coat of arms surrounded by a wreath of maple leaves.

Master Warrant Officer

The rank of Master Warrant Officer is generally awarded to soldiers appointed to senior positions of responsibility; in an armoured or artillery regiment, or infantry battalion, this includes the positions of Company Sergeant Major and Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant. The insignia of rank is crown set in a laurel wreath.

Warrant Officer

The rank of Warrant Officer is generally awarded to soldiers appointed to senior positions of responsibility; in an armoured or artillery regiment, or infantry battalion, this includes the positions of Troop/Battery/Platoon second in command as well as Company Quartermaster Sergeant. Warrant Officers also fulfil a number of other roles, such as Transport WO, Training WO, etc. The insignia of rank is a "bare" crown.

The prerequisite for promotion to Warrant Officer is time in the rank of Sergeant as well as the DP3B (Infantry Platoon 2 i/c Qualification (IP2ICQ)) Course and the ILQ (Intermediate Leadership Qualification) Course.