Master Warrant Officer

Master Warrant Officer or MWO is an Army and Air Force non-commissioned member rank of the Canadian Forces. It is senior to the rank of Warrant Officer and its equivalents, and junior to Chief Warrant Officer and its equivalents. Its Naval equivalent is Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class (CPO2).

The French language form is Adjutant-maître (Adjum)..

Insignia

The rank insignia of the MWO is a crown within a wreath of gold laurel, worn on both forearms of the Service Dress tunic; in gold metal and green enamel miniature pins on the collar of the Service Dress shirt and outerwear coats (Army only); on CADPAT slipons worn in the middle of the chest, embroidered in tan (Army) or dark blue (Air Force) thread; and in "old gold" thread on blue slip-ons on both shoulders of other uniforms (Air Force only).

Forms of address

MWOs are generally initially addressed as "Master Warrant Officer Bloggins", or "Sergeant-Major Bloggins" (if they hold that appointment), and therafter as "Sir" or "Ma'am".

Appointments

MWOs may hold a number of appointments appointments, including position of Sergeant-Major, or most senior NCM in a company-sized Army unit or sub-unit. Some of these appointments are listed below:
* Battery Sergeant-Major (BSM) â€" the senior NCM of an artillery battery
* Squadron Sergeant-Major (SSM) â€" the senior NCM of a cavalry, armoured, combat engineer, or communications squadron
* Company Sergeant-Major â€" the senior NCM of any other company-sized unit
* Regimantal Quartermaster Sergeant

Due to the unified nature of the CF, it is not unheard-of for Air Force MWOs - especially those of the so-called "purple trades", such as logistics or military police - to find themselves filling the appointment of Squadron or Company Sergeant-Major in what are otherwise considered "hard" army units (such as Service Battalions or Communication Squadrons).

One of the senior appointments that a MWO may hold is that of the senior NCM on a CF station, titled Station Master Warrant Officer (SMWO); the insignia is a pair of crossed crsader swords worn below their rank insignia.

Messes and quarters

MWOs generally mess and billet with other Warrant Officers and with Sergeants, and their Naval equivalents, Chief Petty Officers and Petty Officers. Their mess on military bases or installations are generally named the "Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess".

See also

* Non-commissioned member
* Chief Petty Officer
* Non-commissioned officer