Warrant Officer Achiever of the Year 2005

Congratulations to WO 2 Emma Lekalakala

It has been both an honour and a privilege to join you on this important occasion. My sincere congratulations go to those who received trophies this evening, and in particular to the Top Achiever of 2004, Warrant Officer Emma Lekalakala for her outstanding performance.

Cordial thanks go to the Master of Ceremonies, Chaplain Addie Burt and his team of helpers, and also to WO Charles Bronner and staff from 68 Air School who has catered so well for this occasion. The music also assisted to create an atmosphere of celebration.

The rank of Warrant Officer has a long history. The military grade of Warrant Officer is one of the oldest in the Western military systems and can be traced back to some two centuries prior to Christopher Columbus. At that time it was a practice in the fledgling British navy for members of the nobility to assume command of a ship, their ignorance of the technical aspects of operating a warship notwithstanding. The technical management of the vessel was consequently placed in the hands of an expert – the Bosun’s Mate – who inevitably became so indispensable that he was rewarded by the award of a Royal Warrant that set him apart from the other sailors but, however, did not violate the rigid class system prevalent at that time.