Chief Warrant Officer Chief warrant officer is a military rank used by the United States Armed Forces, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Pakistan Air Force, the Israel Defense Forces, the South African National Defence Force, the Lebanese Armed Forces and, since 2012, th ...

Kevin Charles West, is a

warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...

of the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

. He was the

Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer The Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer (abbreviated CFCWO) is the senior non-commissioned member appointment in the Canadian Armed Forces. The post was created in 1978 with the first appointment of Chief Warrant Officer Robert Osside. CFCWO is ...

and therefore the most senior

non-commissioned member A non-commissioned member (NCM), in the Canadian Armed Forces, is defined in the Queen's Regulations and Orders as: "... any person, other than an officer, who is enrolled in, or who pursuant to law is attached or seconded otherwise than as an offi ...

of the

Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...

. He was previously the Chief Warrant Officer of the RCAF.

Military career

In the summer of 1983, West joined the

Canadian Forces Naval Reserve The Naval Reserve (NAVRES, french: link=no, Réserve navale) is the Primary Reserve component of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The primary mission of the NAVRES is to force generate sailors and teams for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) operations, in ...

as a

signalman A signalman is a person who historically made signals using flags and light. In modern times, the role of signalmen has evolved and now usually uses electronic communication equipment. Signalmen usually work in rail transport networks, armed for ...

. In January 1985, he transferred to the Regular Force and was posted to

CFB Esquimalt Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt (CFB Esquimalt) is Canada's Pacific Coast naval base and home port to Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters. , 4,411 military personnel and 2,762 civilians work at CFB Esquima ...

. In 1987, he was promoted to

able seaman An able seaman (AB) is a seaman and member of the deck department of a merchant ship with more than two years' experience at sea and considered "well acquainted with his duty". An AB may work as a watchstander, a day worker, or a combination ...

and posted to HMCS ''Gatineau''. During his time in the Navy, he sailed in a number of ships on the East Coast of Canada. In 1990, he underwent an occupational transfer to the Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator Trade and therefore became a member of the Air Force. In the rank of

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...

he undertook basic aircrew training at

19 Wing Comox Canadian Forces Base Comox , commonly referred to as CFB Comox or 19 Wing, is a Canadian Forces Base located north northeast of Comox, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air F ...

and then Maritime Operational Aircrew Training at

404 Squadron 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest c ...

. In 1991, having received his

wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...

, he was posted to No. 415 Maritime Patrol Squadron. In 1995, he was promoted to sergeant and deployed on several operations including Op Sharp Guard in support of the United Nation sanctions in Bosnia. Promoted to Warrant Officer in 1998, he was posted to 405 MP squadron and in 2000 he was promoted to Master Warrant Officer and posted to 1 Canadian Air Division HQ. In 2006 was as promoted and posted to Canadian Forces Air Navigation School as the school CWO. In June 2007, CWO West was appointed as the first Non-Commissioned Member (NCM) Commandant of the NCM Professional Development Centre in Saint-Jean, Quebec. In 2009 he was appointed 8 Wing CWO before deploying as the Joint Task Force-Afghanistan Air Wing CWO in 2011. In 2011, CWO West was presented the CDS Commendation by General Walt Natynczk for holding "not only the base but the surrounding community together in the aftermath of the horrific murders carried out by Trenton's former commander, Russell Williams." Kevin West retired in 2018 amid controversy surrounding a "party flight" where former NHL hockey player Dave "Tiger" Williams was charged with assault and sexual assault arising from an in-flight incident (the charges were later dropped as part of a pre-trial agreement). West, who was onboard the aircraft when the incident took place, claimed: "I wish I had known. I would stopped everything right there. More action would have been taken." Shortly after his retirement Kevin was re-hired by the CAF as a civilian contractor as a sexual assault victims advocate.

Honours and decorations

West has received the following decorations during his military career:

He received the Meritorious Service Medal for his 2011 leadership efforts in Afghanistan. In addition to these medals, Kevin West has also received the following: * Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator wings * Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation * Commander of Commendation * Ship's and Shallow Water Diver badge

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:West, Kevin Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people) Royal Canadian Air Force personnel Members of the Order of Military Merit (Canada) Recipients of the Meritorious Service Decoration Royal Canadian Navy personnel