Warrant Officer Class 1

The top British Army warrant rank, OR-9, holding the most senior soldier appointments such as regimental sergeant major.

Overview

Warrant Officer Class 1 wears the royal arms badge and is the most senior soldier grade in the British Army, OR-9 in NATO terms. The classic appointment is regimental sergeant major, the senior soldier of a battalion, guardian of discipline and ceremony, a figure of legendary authority. Other WO1 appointments include conductor, the most senior logistics appointment, and bandmaster. The abbreviation is spoken as its letters in the modern Army, and old slang called the classes one and two. British WO1s attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for specialist courses alongside officers in training, a mark of their standing.