Honorary Warrant Officers, along with Honorary Colonels and Sergeants Major of the Regiment, provide an invaluable link with history and traditions for today’s Soldiers. The primary mission of these special appointees is to preserve the history and foster the traditions of our Regiment, while also serving as mentors, thereby enhancing unit morale and esprit de corps. It is our honor to give thanks to Chief Warrant Officer Five (Ret.) Sam Manickam, who has been in the role since 2019, and warmly welcome Chief Warrant Officer Four (Ret.) Jeff Osler, who assumed the honorary position effective 18 September 2023.

 

     Chief Warrant Officer Five (Ret.) Sam Manickam was born in Tamil Nadu, India, where he attended Bharathidasan University, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in mathematics in 1987. He moved to the United States in 1990, joining the U.S. Army in November 1990, and serving our Nation for over 20 years. He is a graduate of the Warrant Officer Staff Course, Judge Advocate Warrant Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, and the Warrant Officer Candidate School. CW5 (Ret.) Manickam is a certified Combat Developer and graduate of the Advanced Force Management Course, as well as a certified Knowledge Management Process Integrator. Throughout his career, CW5 (Ret.) Manickam placed people first, knowing that without the people, there was no Army. He mentored countless supervisors, peers, and subordinates, extending his passion for mentorship long after his military retirement. We know that Sammy will continue to positively impact our Regiment in the future, even after passing the torch as the Honorary Warrant Officer of the Regiment. Sammy’s service as a Soldier, mentor, and as the Honorary Warrant Officer of the Regiment was so exemplary that he was recognized as a Distinguished Member of the Regiment during this year’s Worldwide Continuing Legal Education Course. Sammy, we thank you for your unending service to our Regiment.

 

     Chief Warrant Officer Four (Ret.) Jeff Osler served our nation for 30 years, with over 22 of those on active duty. He began his military career in 1989 as a 71D Paralegal Specialist, spending six years on active duty, including two deployments. CW4 (Ret.) Osler transitioned to the U.S. Army Reserve in 1995, before graduating from the Warrant Officer Candidate School in 1998. Jeff is a model of service to our Regiment and our Nation, mobilizing in 2005 to serve with the 101st Airborne Division, entering the Active Guard/Reserve in 2007, serving with the 81st Regional Readiness Division in 2010, and finishing his military career serving the Warrant Officer Career College as both an Instructor and Course Director. While serving at the Warrant Officer Career College, Jeff had the opportunity to coach, lead, and mentor every Warrant Officer that arrived to Fort Novosel, whether for Candidate School, Intermediate Level Education, or Senior Service Education. CW4 (Ret.) Osler retired from the U.S. Army in 2019, serving an additional three years of civilian service at the Fort Novosel Legal Office as a paralegal. A champion and pioneer for integration of all three components, CW4 (Ret.) Osler was a driving force in triennial training events for the U.S. Army National Guard and Army Reserve. Jeff is clearly very well suited to serve as the next Honorary Warrant Officer of the Regiment and we are all excited to watch him excel in the position.  

 

     We ask a lot of our Honorary positions, entrusting them with guiding, leading, and mentoring our judge advocates, civilian attorneys, warrant officers, paralegals and paraprofessionals. Again, we extend our most sincere thanks to Chief Warrant Officer Five (Ret.) Manickam for his selfless service and stewardship as the Honorary Warrant Officer of the Regiment. We also look forward to the extraordinary contributions Chief Warrant Officer Four (Ret.) Osler will provide during his time in the seat. We encourage everyone to extend both thanks and congratulations to each of these inspirational and devoted leaders.