Senior enlisted advisor

U.S. SEAs from each branch at the 2009 Commander in Chief's Ball

A senior enlisted advisor (SEA) is the most senior enlisted service member in a unit, and acts as an advisor to the commanding officer.

Australia

In Australia the equivalent positions within the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) are Warrant Officer of the Navy (WO-N), Regimental Sergeant Major-Army (RSM-A) and Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF) respectively. On 20 June 2023 the Chief of the Defence Force General Angus Campbell announced the creation of the position of Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Force (SEAC) and that the outgoing Joint Operations Warrant Officer, Warrant Officer Ken Robertson would assume the position effective 1 July 2023.

Service senior enlisted advisors
Rank insignia	Position	Photo	Incumbent	Service branch	Start date
	Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Force		Warrant Officer Ken Robertson[1]	Royal Australian Air Force	July 1, 2023
	Warrant Officer of the Navy		Warrant OfficerAndrew Bertoncin[2]OAM	Royal Australian Navy	December 16, 2022
	Regimental Sergeant Major - Army		Warrant OfficerKim FelminghamNSC, OAM	Australian Army	July 1, 2022
	Warrant Officer of the Air Force		Warrant Officer Ralph Clifton	Royal Australian Air Force	December 1, 2022

Canada

The Senior Enlisted advisor of the Canadian Forces is the Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer. The Army, Navy and Air Force each have their own Chief Warrant Officer acting as Senior Enlisted advisor.

Service senior enlisted advisors
Rank insignia	Position	Photo	Incumbent	Start date	Service branch	Ref.
	Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer		Chief Warrant OfficerBob McCannMMM, MSM, CD	14 April 2023	Canadian Army	[3]
	Command Chief Petty Officer of the Royal Canadian Navy		Chief Petty Officer 1st ClassPascal Harel MMM, CD[4]	May 2024	Royal Canadian Navy	[5]
	Canadian Army Sergeant-Major		Chief Warrant OfficerJ.C. RobinMMM, CD	12 July 2024	Canadian Army	[6]
	Chief Warrant Officer of the Air Force		Chief Warrant OfficerW. J. HallMMM, CD	10 June 2021	Royal Canadian Air Force	[7]
Senior enlisted advisors Commands
	Canadian Forces Intelligence Command Chief Warrant Officer		Chief Warrant OfficerN.E. BelangerMMM, CD	2019	Royal Canadian Air Force	[8]

NATO

NATO also has a number of Senior Enlisted Advisors taken from NATO members for various posts, including Senior Enlisted Advisor - NATO Allied Command Transformation

New Zealand

In New Zealand the equivalent positions within the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), New Zealand Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) are Warrant officer of the Navy (New Zealand) (WON), Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) and Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOAF) respectively. there is also the Senior position within HQNZDF of the Warrant Officer of the Defence Force (WODF) WODR

Service senior enlisted advisors
Rank insignia	Position	Photo	Incumbent	Service branch	Start date
	Warrant Officer of the Defence Force (New Zealand)		Warrant Officer class 1Wiremu Moffitt[9]	New Zealand Army	May 22, 2024
	Warrant officer of the Navy (New Zealand)		Warrant Officer Diver Lance Graham	Royal New Zealand Navy	January 29, 2021
	Sergeant Major of the Army (New Zealand)		Warrant Officer class 1	New Zealand Army	-
	Warrant Officer of the Air Force (New Zealand)		Warrant Officer Kerry Williams[10]	Royal New Zealand Air Force

Singapore

Singapore has a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Sergeant Major (SAFSM), as well as Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA), Master Chief Navy (MCN), Air Force Command Chief (AFCC) and Chief Expert, Digital and Intelligence Service (CXDI).

Service senior enlisted advisors
Rank insignia	Position	Photo	Incumbent	Service branch	Start date
	SAF Sergeant Major		Chief Warrant OfficerChua Hock Guan[11]	Singapore Army	March 30, 2022
	Sergeant Major of the Army		Chief Warrant OfficerSanjee Singh s/o Saraina[12]	Singapore Army	May 5, 2023
	Master Chief Navy		Senior Warrant OfficerSeck Wai Kong[13]	Republic of Singapore Navy	August 1, 2025
	Air Force Command Chief		Military Expert 6Ng See Lye[14]	Republic of Singapore Air Force	May 25, 2021
	Chief Expert, Digital and Intelligence Service		Military Expert 6Noh Kok Tiong[15]	Digital and Intelligence Service	October 28, 2022

South Africa

South Africa has a Warrant officer of the Defence Force, as well as Sergeant Majors of the Army, Air Force and Medical Services. The Navy equivalent is the Master at Arms of the Navy

Service senior enlisted advisors
Rank insignia	Position	Photo	Incumbent	Service branch	Start date	Reference
	Warrant Officer of the South African National Defence Force		Master Chief Warrant OfficerMothusi Kgaladi	South African Army	October 2012	[16]
	Master at Arms of the Navy		Senior Chief Warrant OfficerMatee Molefe	South African Navy	February 1, 2018	[17]
	Sergeant Major of the Army (South Africa)		Senior Chief Warrant OfficerNcedakele Mtshatsheni	South African Army	February 1, 2017(Acting from October 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017)	[18]
	Sergeant Major of the Air Force		Senior Chief Warrant OfficerColin Stanton-Jones	South African Air Force	December 1, 2018	[19]
	Warrant Officer of the South African Military Health Services		Senior Chief Warrant Officer	South African Military Health Service

United Kingdom

The Royal Navy has the Warrant Officer to the Royal Navy, the British Army has the Army Sergeant Major, the Royal Air Force has the Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer and the Royal Marines the Corps Regimental Sergeant Major. In 2018, the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chiefs of Staff Committee was introduced.^[20]

Service senior enlisted advisors
Rank insignia	Position	Photo	Incumbent	Service branch	Start date
	Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chiefs of Staff Committee		Warrant Officer Class One Sarah Cox	British Army	2025
	Warrant Officer of the Royal Navy[a]		Warrant Officer Class One Jamie Wright[21]	Royal Marines	July 2022
	Army Sergeant Major		Warrant Officer Class One John Miller[22]	British Army	April 2025
	Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force[b]		Warrant Officer Murugesvaran Subramaniam[23][24]	Royal Air Force	April 2023
	Corps Regimental Sergeant Major		Warrant Officer Class One Tim Jukes[25]	Royal Marines	June 2024

United States

In the United States Armed Forces E-9 billets for the senior enlisted advisor are established at service unit (e.g., battalion, wing, or higher), command, major command, force, or fleet levels to the SEAs/CSELs of DoD Agencies and the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. SEAs are also known as command senior enlisted leaders (CSEL). Always a non-commissioned officer, the SEA is the main link between the commanding officer and the enlisted service members under his or her charge.

Service senior enlisted advisors
Position insignia	Position	Photo	Incumbent	Service branch	Start date
	Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman		SEACDavid L. Isom	U.S. Navy	June 20, 2025
	Sergeant Major of the Army		SMAMichael R. Weimer	U.S. Army	August 4, 2023
	Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps		SMMCCarlos A. Ruiz	U.S. Marine Corps	August 10, 2023
	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy		MCPONJohn J. Perryman IV	U.S. Navy	September 8, 2025
	Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force		CMSAFDavid R. Wolfe	U.S. Air Force	December 8, 2025
	Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force		CMSSFJohn F. Bentivegna	U.S. Space Force	September 15, 2023
	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard		MCPOCGPhillip N. Waldron	U.S. Coast Guard	July 25, 2025
	Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau		SEAJohn T. Raines III	U.S. Army	November 8, 2024
Senior enlisted advisors, Unified Combatant Commands
U.S. Africa Command	United States Africa Command		CSMGarric M. Banfield	U.S. Army	November 20, 2025
U.S. Central Command	United States Central Command		FLTCMLateef N. Compton	U.S. Navy	September 2025
U.S. Cyber Command	United States Cyber Command		CMSgtKenneth M. Bruce Jr.	U.S. Air Force	September 8, 2023
U.S. European Command	United States European Command		CSMThomas J. Holland	U.S. Army	June 17, 2025
	United States Indo-Pacific Command		SgtMajEric D. Cook	U.S. Marine Corps	June 26, 2025
U.S. Northern Command	United States Northern Command		CMSgtJohn G. Storms	U.S. Air Force	June 14, 2024
U.S. Southern Command	United States Southern Command		SgtMajRafael Rodriguez	U.S. Marine Corps	September 6, 2023
U.S. Space Command	United States Space Command		CMSgtJacob C. Simmons	U.S. Space Force	August 7, 2023
U.S. Special Operations Command	United States Special Operations Command		CSMAndrew J. Krogman	U.S. Army	September 6, 2025
U.S. Strategic Command	United States Strategic Command		CSMJoAnn Naumann	U.S. Army	December 5, 2025
U.S. Transportation Command	United States Transportation Command		CMSgtBrian P. Kruzelnick	U.S. Air Force	June 7, 2023

In the United States Army, the SEA for a battalion or larger-sized unit is usually a Command Sergeant Major. For Marine battalions and larger, a sergeant major typically takes the role. Navy ships and other commands will usually have a command, fleet, or force master chief petty officer (known as the Chief of the Boat on a submarine), while an Air Force or Space Forcecommand chief master sergeant serves at Wing, Delta, Numbered Air Force, Field Operating Agency (FOA), Major Command, Field Command or at "Joint," DoD Agency levels.

In the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps, the senior enlisted advisor at the company or battery level (or other unit at similar echelon) is a first sergeant. In the Air Force and Space Force, the senior enlisted member of units smaller than those listed above for command chief master sergeant is either a chief master sergeant or a senior master sergeant and may also include a separate first sergeant authorization. In the Air Force a first sergeant can be an E7, E8 or E9, depending on size and mission of the unit, and is a temporary, special duty assignment.

See also

• Praefectus castrorum

Notes

1. Formerly called Warrant Officer of the Naval Service
2. Formerly called Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer

References

1. "New Role Gives Personnel Direct Line to Chief". Royal Australian Defence Organisation. 3 July 2023. Archived from the original on 30 November 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
2. "Warrant Officer Andrew Bertoncin, Warrant Officer of the Navy". Royal Australian Navy. n.d. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
3. "Canadian Armed Forces Chief Warrant Officer – Biography". Canadian Government. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
4. https://www.cmfmag.ca/policy/22nd-royal-canadian-navy-command-chief-petty-officer-announced/
5. "Chief Petty Officer of the Navy". navy-marine.forces.gc.ca. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
6. "Chief Warrant Officer J.C. Robin, MMM, CD". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
7. "Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Royal Canadian Air Force". rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
8. "Chief Warrant Officer N.E. Belanger, MMM, CD". Government of Canada. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
9. https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/nzdf/structure-and-leadership/warrant-officer-class-one-wiremu-moffitt-2/
10. https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/nzdf/structure-and-leadership/warrant-officer-kerry-williams/
11. "Chief Warrant Officer Chua Hock Guan". Ministry of Defence (Singapore).
12. "National Awards Recipients from 1998". Ministry of Defence (Singapore).
13. "Senior Warrant Officer Seck Wai Kong". Ministry of Defence (Singapore).
14. "Military Expert 6 Ng See Lye". Ministry of Defence (Singapore).
15. "Military Expert 6 Noh Kok Tiong". Ministry of Defence (Singapore).
16. "Mothusi Victor Kgaladi new WO SANDF". DefenceWeb.
17. Wingrin, Dean (February 2, 2018). "New Master-At-Arms for the Navy". Defenceweb. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
18. "Mtshatsheni is new SA Army sergeant major". Defenceweb. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
19. "New commander for 515 Squadron". March 12, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
20. "WO1 Glenn Haughton OBE has been appointed as the first Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chiefs of Staff Committee (SEAC)". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
21. "Warrant Officer Class 1 Jamie Wright RM | the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity". Archived from the original on 2023-02-06. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
22. "Sergeant Major Swap: Signaller WO1 John Miller takes top Army job". Soldier Magazine. No. April 2025. April 2025. p. 10. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
23. "Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force". RAF.MoD.uk. Royal Air Force. 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
24. 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
25. "WO1 (CRSM) Tim Jukes RM". The Royal Marines Charity. Retrieved 16 September 2025. In June 2024 he was honoured to be appointed as the seventeenth Royal Marines Corps Regimental Sergeant Major, the senior enlisted serving Royal Marine.

External links

• Senior Enlisted Advisor on the Dictionary of Occupational Titles
• Senior Enlisted Advisor on TheFreeDictionary.com