Warrant Officer 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 (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 (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 (2023-04).[5][6] As of 2023, including the incumbent, there has been a total of eleven personnel in this appointment.

Warrant Officer of the
Royal Air Force
WORAF insignia
Incumbent
Murugesvaran 'Subby' Subramaniam
since April 2023
Ministry of Defence
StyleWarrant Officer
AbbreviationWORAF
Reports toChief of the Air Staff
AppointerAir Force Board
Term lengthNot fixed,
typically 2–3 years
FormationMay 1996 (1996-05)
First holderWO Greg Dutton
WebsiteOfficial website

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)
1Greg Dutton
MBE, BEM		May 1996January 19981 year, 8 monthsSir Michael Graydon
Sir Richard Johns
2Jim Andrews
MBE, BEM		January 1998January 20002 yearsSir Richard Johns
3René Michael Stuart
MBE		January 2000May 20033 years, 4 monthsSir Richard Johns
Sir Peter Squire
4Robert 'Bob' Loughlin
MBE		May 2003November 20063 years, 6 monthsSir Jock Stirrup
Sir Glenn Torpy		[9]
5Lyndsay Morgan
MBE		November 2006July 20092 years, 8 monthsSir Glenn Torpy[2]
6Gary Wilcox
MBE		July 2009February 20122 years, 7 monthsSir Stephen Dalton[2][3]
7Graeme Spark
MBE		February 2012October 20142 years, 8 monthsSir Stephen Dalton
Sir Andrew Pulford		[10]
8Clive Martland
MBE
(born 1968)		October 2014October 20162 yearsSir Andrew Pulford
Sir Stephen Hillier		[1]
9Jon CrossleyOctober 2016October 20193 yearsSir Stephen Hillier
Sir Michael Wigston		[1]
10Jake Alpert
MBE		October 2019July 20211 year, 9 monthsSir Michael Wigston[1][11]
Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force (WORAF)
10Jake Alpert
MBE		July 2021April 20231 year, 9 monthsSir Michael Wigston[1][4]
11Murugesvaran 'Subby' Subramaniam[6]April 2023incumbent6 monthsSir Michael Wigston
Sir Richard Knighton		[5]

See also

References
  1. "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)
  2. 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. "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. "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. "Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  6. 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.
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