Chief Warrant Officer Jeff Johnston, CD comes from a family with a long history of military service to Canada, going back to his Great-Uncle who fought at Vimy Ridge. CWO Johnston joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1987 with the Calgary Highlanders, and completed his Infantry training where he was awarded Top Candidate.

After graduating from the University of Calgary, he deployed to the former Yugoslavia in 1994 as a Reconnaissance detachment commander with the 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, where he received a Sector Commander’s Commendation for protecting a supply convoy that had been cut off.

Since joining The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada in 2000, he has completed the Basic Mountain Operations, Basic Parachutist, Rappel Master, Landing Zone/Drop Zone Controller, and Helicopter Operations courses. He has taught on numerous other courses, including Machine Gunner, Infantry, Reconnaissance Patrolman, Basic Mountain Ops, Rappel Master, Basic Comms and Driver Wheeled.

Within the QOR of C, he has served as Platoon Warrant Officer for Recce and Para Platoons, Company Quartermaster Sergeant, as well as Company Sergeant-Major 60th Company, CSM Victoria Company, and Quartermaster Sergeant Instructor. In addition, he has taken active roles in teaching the unit’s junior leaders as well as the Regiment’s recruiting efforts.

Most recently, he was the CSM for 32 Brigade’s Domestic Response Company during Op LASER, and CSM for D-Coy, 32 Summer Training Battalion, where he organized the Battalion’s training and skills competition.

Concurrent to his work with the QOR of C and his civilian career in finance, CWO Johnston has taken part in numerous exchange and foreign courses, including the US Army Mountain Warfare School, the 26th Airborne Brigade in Germany, the INLEAD International Senior NCO Course in the UK, and twice with the 6th Airborne Brigade in Poland. CWO Johnston had the honour of completing the Nijmegen March in in 2010, and again in 2017.

CWO Johnston holds a Bachelors of Arts from the University of Calgary, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario, and the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Jeff was appointed as the Regimental Sergeant Major of The Queen’s Own Rifles on 20 September 2020.