MONS, Belgium - Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), General Tod D. Wolters announced Canadian Army Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Kevin Mathers is set to become the 7th Allied Command Operations (ACO) Command Senior Enlisted Leader (CSEL) at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), Belgium, late April 2022.
Chief Warrant Officer Mathers currently serves as the CSEL for NATO's Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) based in Izmir, Turkey and is a more than 30-year combat veteran with deployments to Cyprus, Bosnia and Golan Heights along with multiple tours in Afghanistan.
"Chief Warrant Officer Mathers is a trusted and capable leader with a breadth of NATO experience that will add tremendous value to ACO as the next Command Senior Enlisted Leader. We are confident that his time serving as the CSEL of LANDCOM has prepared him for this next step and he will bring his wealth of knowledge to the team and to the development of our Allied non-commissioned officers' corps," said General Wolters.
Chief Warrant Officer Mathers joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1985 where he was first posted as a Crewman to the Lord Strathcona's Horse (RC) in Calgary. Throughout his career and multiple deployments he served at all three Canadian Armour regiments, worked for the Directorate of Military Careers as part of the Crewman Management team, the Canadian Forces Training Development Centre, served as the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Canadian Forces Armour School and prior to his post at LANDCOM, he completed a tour as the Chief Instructor of the CWO Robert Osside Institute.
He will succeed Command Sergeant Major Siim Saliste, who has served as CSEL since April 2019.
CINCU, Romania – Allied Command Operations (ACO) Command Senior Enlisted Leader (CSEL) Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Siim Saliste, left, and Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) CSEL Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Kevin Mathers, centre, speak to a US Soldier during NATO Exercise Steadfast Defender on May 24, 2021. Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Tod D. Wolters announced on Jan. 26, 2022, that CWO Mathers will replace CSM Saliste as the 7th ACO CSEL in a change of responsibility ceremony planned for April 2022. (NATO Photo by Master Sgt Pia Dunkel)
CINCU, Romania – Allied Command Operations (ACO) Command Senior Enlisted Leader (CSEL) Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Siim Saliste and Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) CSEL Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Kevin Mathers pose for a photo with Turkish Soldiers during NATO Exercise Steadfast Defender on May 24, 2021. Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Tod D. Wolters announced on Jan. 26, 2022, that CWO Mathers will replace CSM Saliste as the 7th ACO CSEL in a change of responsibility ceremony planned for April 2022. (NATO Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brett Dodge)
CINCU, Romania –Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) Command Senior Enlisted Leader (CSEL) Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Kevin Mathers, left, and Allied Command Operations (ACO) CSEL Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Siim Saliste, centre-left, pose for a photo with US Soldiers during NATO Exercise Steadfast Defender on May 24, 2021. Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General Tod D. Wolters announced on Jan. 26, 2022, that CWO Mathers will replace CSM Saliste as the 7th ACO CSEL in a change of responsibility ceremony planned for April 2022. (NATO Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brett Dodge)
"We extend our gratitude to Command Sergeant Major 'Shorty' Saliste, for all he has done during his tenure developing our enlisted corps and supporting the ACO community. Together we have faced unprecedented challenges, and through his actions and commitment, we continue to grow and enable the most important weapon we have as an Alliance, our troops," said General Wolters.
The Command Senior Enlisted Leader serves as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe's personal adviser on matters affecting the enlisted force. CSEL is responsible for mentoring the Alliance's enlisted force and representing their needs to the leadership.
"Having worked with Kevin for many years now he has my utmost faith in his abilities to lead and improve upon the hard work those who have held the position of ACO CSEL achieved over the years," said Command Sergeant Major Saliste. "His selection is great news for the entire NATO community, and I know he will do a great job."
The CSEL ensures the NATO NCO Bi-Strategic Command Strategy and NCO Guidelines are nested with SACEUR's command priorities; establishes policies, procedures, and responsibilities for all organisations within Allied Command Operations to plan and execute NCO and junior enlisted personnel development programs; and works closely with Allied Command Transformation to ensure NATO School's distance learning courses are current, relevant, and nested with the resident curriculum.