Sergeant Major of the Air Force explained

Post:Sergeant Major
Body:the South African Air Force
Insignia:SAA-WO-4.svg
Incumbent:Matinatima Klaas Mofomme
Incumbentsince:31 May 2022
Type:Senior enlisted advisor
Reports To:Chief of the Air Force
Formation:December 1979
First:WO1 A. C. Symonds

The sergeant major of the South African Air Force is the most senior warrant officer. The post was created in 1979. It is a singular appointment, held by only one person at any time. The sergeant major of the Air Force reports to the chief of the Air Force and is responsible for maintaining discipline.

Rank and insignia

See also: South African military ranks. Before 2008, all sergeant majors of the Air Force were warrant officer class 1, with appointment to the position of sergeant major. In 2008, the SANDF expanded the warrant officer ranks and the sergeant major of the Air Force now holds the rank of senior chief warrant officer.[1]

Before 2002, the sergeant major of the Air Force had a unique rank insignia, consisting of a warrant officer class 1 insignia with the South African Air Force badge above it. Following the warrant officer rank redesign, the sergeant major of the Air Force does not have a unique rank insignia.

List of officeholders

PortraitName
Term of office
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1WO1
A. C. Symonds
December 1979September 1981[2]
2WO1
Barry Kemp
1 October 1981January 1988
3WO1
S. G. Oberholzer
February 1988October 1990
4WO1
S. J. Mountjoy
November 1990January 1994
5WO1
Cor Nortje
February 1994February 2000[3]
6WO1
Paul Nel
March 200030 October 2002
7SCWO
S. J. Du Preez
1 November 2002October 2008
8SCWO
Lefu Daniel Tshabalala
October 2008November 2018[4]
9SCWO
Colin Stanton-Jones
1 December 2018May 2022[5]
9SCWO
Matinatima Klaas Mofomme
31 May 2022Incumbent[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fact file: Comparative military and civil service grades. 15 March 2010.
  2. Book: unpublised manuscript . Kemp, Neville.
  3. SA Soldier Transformation Edition . SA Soldier . December 2014 . 21 . 11 . 30.
  4. Web site: SAAF inaugurates new SMAF . South African Air Force . January 12, 2015 . Ramaboea, Lebogang.
  5. Web site: New commander for 515 Squadron . March 12, 2020 . October 1, 2020.
  6. SA National Defence Force . SANDF_ZA . 1532373531924779009 . June 2, 2022 . Senior Chief Warrant Officer Matinatima Klaas Mofomme took over the reins as the Warrant Officer of the SA Air Force in a colourful military parade held at Swartkop West in Pretoria on 31 May 2022 . October 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220602190329/https://twitter.com/SANDF_ZA/status/1532373531924779009 . June 2, 2022.