Kevin C. West, MMM, MSM, CD - Biography

Chief Warrant Officer

Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Kevin West enrolled in the Naval Reserve in the summer of 1983 as a Naval Signalman. He later transferred as such, in 1985, to the Regular Force where from 1985 until 1990, he sailed in a number of ships on the East Coast, and participated in numerous Naval deployments.

In 1990, he applied and was accepted for an occupational transfer to the Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator (AES Op) Trade.  As Corporal West, in 1991, he completed his training, was awarded his Wings, and was posted to 415 MP Sqn in Greenwood, where he served as a crewmember, crew lead, AES Op Training Non-Commissioned Member (NCM) and Squadron Operations NCM.  Promoted to Sergeant during this tour, he was also deployed on several operations, including Operation Sharp Guard in support of the United Nations sanctions in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He was then posted to the Maritime Proving and Evaluation Unit (MPEU), as a Project Officer.  Promoted to Warrant Officer, he was then posted to 405 MP Sqn as the AES Op Standards Officer.

In February of 2000, he was posted to 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron in Shearwater where he served in the Helicopter Air Detachments of HMC Ships IROQUOIS and PRESERVER.  In 2001, he was posted to 406 (M) Operational Training Squadron as the AES Op Training Officer.

In June of 2004, he was promoted to Master Warrant Officer and posted to 1 Canadian Air Division HQ, in Winnipeg, as the A3 Maritime AES Op.  Later, in June 2006, CWO West was promoted to his current rank and posted to the Canadian Forces Air Navigation School (CFANS) as the school’s 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 July 2009, CWO West was posted to Trenton as the 8 Wing Chief Warrant Officer after which time, in 2011, he was deployed as the Joint Task Force-Afghanistan Air Wing CWO for Roto 11.  Upon return from Afghanistan he was posted to the RCAF Staff as the Senior Advisor to the RCAF Command CWO.  From July to September 2012, CWO West held the position of Canadian Forces Support Unit (Ottawa) CWO; in November he was appointed as the RCAF Command CWO.

CWO West was appointed to his current position as the Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer on July 5, 2013.