Senior enlisted advisor
Armed forces position
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 Officer Andrew Bertoncin[2] OAM |
 Royal Australian Navy |
December 16, 2022 |
 |
Regimental Sergeant Major - Army | |
Warrant Officer Kim Felmingham NSC, 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 | _conference,_in_Kona,_Hawaii_on_September_19,_2024_-_14.jpg) |
Chief Warrant Officer Bob McCann MMM, MSM, CD |
14 April 2023 |  Canadian Army |
[3] |
 |
Command Chief Petty Officer of the Royal Canadian Navy | |
Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Pascal Harel |
May 2024 |  Royal Canadian Navy |
[5] |
 |
Canadian Army Sergeant-Major | |
Chief Warrant Officer J.C. Robin MMM, CD |
12 July 2024 | Canadian Army |
[6] |
 |
Chief Warrant Officer of the Air Force | |
Chief Warrant Officer W. J. Hall MMM, CD |
10 June 2021 |  Royal Canadian Air Force |
[7] |
| Senior enlisted advisors Commands | ||||||
|
Canadian Forces Intelligence Command Chief Warrant Officer | |
Chief Warrant Officer N.E. Belanger MMM, 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 1 Wiremu 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 Officer Chua Hock Guan[11] |
 Singapore Army |
March 30, 2022 | |
|
Sergeant Major of the Army | |
Chief Warrant Officer Sanjee Singh s/o Saraina[12] |
Singapore Army |
May 5, 2023 | |
 |
Master Chief Navy | |
Senior Warrant Officer Seck Wai Kong[13] |
 Republic of Singapore Navy |
August 1, 2025 | |
 |
Air Force Command Chief | |
Military Expert 6 Ng See Lye[14] |
 Republic of Singapore Air Force |
May 25, 2021 | |
|
Chief Expert, Digital and Intelligence Service | |
Military Expert 6 Noh 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 Officer Mothusi Kgaladi |
 South African Army |
October 2012 | [16] |
 |
Master at Arms of the Navy | |
Senior Chief Warrant Officer Matee Molefe |
 South African Navy |
February 1, 2018 | [17] |
|
Sergeant Major of the Army (South Africa) | _(cropped).jpg) |
Senior Chief Warrant Officer Ncedakele 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 Officer Colin Stanton-Jones |
 South African Air Force |
December 1, 2018 | [19][failed verification] |
|
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 | .jpg) |
Warrant Officer Class One Sarah Cox |
 British Army |
2025 |
 |
Warrant Officer of the Royal Navy[a] | _(Jamie_Wright_cropped).jpg) |
Warrant Officer Class One Jamie Wright[21] |
 Royal Marines |
July 2022 |
|
Army Sergeant Major | .png) |
Warrant Officer Class One John Miller[22] |
British Army |
April 2025 |
.svg) |
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 |  |
SEAC David L. Isom |
 U.S. Navy |
June 20, 2025 |
 |
Sergeant Major of the Army | .jpg) |
SMA Michael R. Weimer |
 U.S. Army |
August 4, 2023 |
 |
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps |  |
SMMC Carlos A. Ruiz |
 U.S. Marine Corps |
August 10, 2023 |
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Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy |  |
MCPON John J. Perryman IV |
U.S. Navy |
September 8, 2025 |
 |
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force | .jpg) |
CMSAF David R. Wolfe |
 U.S. Air Force |
December 8, 2025 |
 |
Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force |  |
CMSSF John F. Bentivegna |
 U.S. Space Force |
September 15, 2023 |
 |
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard |  |
MCPOCG Phillip N. Waldron |
 U.S. Coast Guard |
July 25, 2025 |
 |
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau |  |
SEA John T. Raines III |
U.S. Army |
November 8, 2024 |
| Senior enlisted advisors, Unified Combatant Commands | |||||
 |
United States Africa Command | .jpg) |
CSM Garric M. Banfield |
U.S. Army |
November 20, 2025 |
 |
United States Central Command | .jpg) |
FLTCM Lateef N. Compton |
U.S. Navy |
September 2025 |
 |
United States Cyber Command | .jpg) |
CMSgt Kenneth M. Bruce Jr. |
U.S. Air Force |
September 8, 2023 |
 |
United States European Command | .jpg) |
CSM Thomas J. Holland |
U.S. Army |
June 17, 2025 |
 |
United States Indo-Pacific Command | .jpg) |
SgtMaj Eric D. Cook |
U.S. Marine Corps |
June 26, 2025 |
 |
United States Northern Command | .jpg) |
CMSgt John G. Storms |
U.S. Air Force |
June 14, 2024 |
 |
United States Southern Command | .jpg) |
SgtMaj Rafael Rodriguez |
U.S. Marine Corps |
September 6, 2023 |
 |
United States Space Command | .jpg) |
CMSgt Jacob C. Simmons |
U.S. Space Force |
August 7, 2023 |
 |
United States Special Operations Command | .jpg) |
CSM Andrew J. Krogman |
U.S. Army |
September 6, 2025 |
 |
United States Strategic Command | .jpg) |
CSM JoAnn Naumann |
U.S. Army |
December 5, 2025 |
 |
United States Transportation Command | .jpg) |
CMSgt Brian 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 Force command chief master sergeant serves at Wing, Delta, Numbered Air Force, Field Operating Agency (FOA), Major Command, Field Command or at "Joint," DoD Agency levels.[citation needed]
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.[citation needed]