Chief Warrant Officer R.J. Clarke, CD

Regimental Sergeant Major, 2016-2019

CWO Clarke was born in Middleton, Nova Scotia and enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in Aug of 1989.  Upon completion of his Basic Armoured Crewman training and subsequent Recce Crewman PCF, he was posted to Calgary, AB in March of 1990; where he was employed as a Lynx driver in 3^rd Tp Recce Sqn LdSH(RC).

After a year in 3^rd Tp, and another in SHQ, he moved to HQ Sqn in 1992 where he spent time in both SHQ and Regimental Transport Tp.  In 1994, after obtaining his Assault Trooper’s Course, he returned to Recce Sqn and deployed to Visoko, Bosnia with the Battle Group Recce Tp as a C9 Gunner during Op CAVALIER.  Upon return, he remained in Assault Tp until deploying to Drvar, Croatia in 1997 as part of the B Coy Hvy Wpns Det during Op PALLADIUM.

In 1998, CWO Clarke moved into the Recce Sqn Quartermaster Stores where he deployed to Kosovo during Op KINETIC in 1999.  In early 2000, he was employed as a Coyote Crew Commander (CC) in 2^nd Tp; then moved to RHQ in 2001 as the Commanding Officer’s driver before being promoted to MCpl and selected to the Cambrian Patrol Team as the Primary Navigator.  Post competition, he returned to 2^nd Tp as a Coyote CC and deployed to Afghanistan in Feb 2002 for Op APOLLO.

Upon return from Afghanistan, and after instructing on several PLQ Courses and instructing the final Assault Trooper’s Course in 2003, CWO Clarke was posted to the Central Area Training Centre in Meaford, Ontario where he completed his Coyote/Leopard 6A and instructed Soldier Qualification Courses.  After a promotion to Sgt in 2004, and completion of the Close Quarter Combat Instructor Course (CQCI), he instructed and supervised all CQC training for Infantry DP1, trained as an ERYX Gunner/ Instructor, a Rappel Master and a Small Arms Coach.

Posted back to Edmonton in 2005, CWO Clarke returned to 2^nd Tp Recce Sqn as a Patrol Commander, and in 2006, moved to A Sqn as a Tp WO.  As the first few tank Sqns deployed to Afghanistan, he completed 6B, was promoted to Warrant Officer and deployed to Afghanistan a second time in the summer of 2007 as the C Sqn 1^st Tp WO and Leopard C2/ Leo 2A6M CC for Op ATHENA - TF 3-07.

Back from Afghanistan in March of 2008, CWO Clarke completed the TUA Gunner’s Course and second language training before returning to Recce Sqn as the SQMS in the summer of 2009.  In early 2010, he deployed to Vancouver for Op PODIUM as both the SQ and the Camp Cypress Bowl Sergeant Major and then moved to RHQ as the Regimental Operations WO that same summer.  CWO Clarke was then promoted to Master Warrant Officer in June 2011 and employed as the Recce Sqn Sergeant Major.

In the summer of 2012, CWO Clarke was appointed the C Army HQ Sergeant Major and posted to Ottawa.  There, in addition to the day-to-day functioning of the Army HQ, CWO Clarke coordinated all logistical support for the Canada Army Run and substituted for the Army Sergeant Major when required.  CWO Clarke was posted back to Edmonton in 2015 and into the role of Technical Quartermaster Sergeant (TQMS).  He was promoted to his current rank June 2016 and appointed RSM LdSH(RC) on 23 June.

CWO Clarke is an avid fisherman who enjoys camping, riding his motorcycle and has been married to Kim, his understanding wife, for just over 24 years.  He has one son (Brandon), who serves with 1 CER as a Cbt Engineer, and a daughter (Melissa) who’s attending Concordia University in Edmonton.