WARRANT OFFICER CLASS ONE JOHN A. CRAIG
REGIMENTAL SERGEANT MAJOR
7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment
Warrant Officer Class One John Craig was born and raised in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia. In January 1998 he enlisted in the Australian Regular Army and was allocated to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps.
Warrant Officer Class One Craig has served in the 2nd Battalion, the 6th Battalion, and the 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and the 10th/27th Battalion, Royal South Australia Regiment. Throughout his career he has also had a number of instructional postings, these include the School of Infantry where he was a section commander / instructor, the Royal Military College – Duntroon, where he instructed on Specialist Service Officer and Single Service Training courses, the Combat Training Centre – Jungle Training Wing, where he was appointed as a team leader and the Wing Sergeant Major and on a two year exchange with the United States Army and was assigned as the Sergeant Major at the Command and Tactics Directorate, at the Manoeuvre Centre of Excellence, at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Warrant Officer Class One Craig has deployed on a number of operations including Operation WARDEN in East Timor 1999 – 2000; Operation TANAGER with the United Nations in East Timor 2001- 2001; Operation FALCONER / CATALYST in Iraq 2003; Operation ASTUTE in East Timor 2006; Operation SLIPPER in Afghanistan 2010; Operation QLD FLOOD ASSIST in South East Queensland 2011; Operation OKRA in Iraq 2015 – 2016 and on Operation BUSHFIRE ASSIST on Kangaroo Island in 2020.
Warrant Officer Class One Craig’s honours and awards include the Australian Active Service Medal, International Force East Timor Medal, Afghanistan Medal, Iraq Medal, Australian Service Medal, Operational Service Medal, Defence Long Serve Medal with Clasp, Australian Defence Medal, United Nations Service Medal East Timor, Timor Leste Solidarity Medal, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Medal, two United States Army Achievement Medals and the United States Army Meritorious Service Medal. He has also been awarded Chief of the Australian Defence Force Commendation, Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force Commendation, the Soldiers Medallion, and the Meritorious Unit Citation.
Warrant Officer Class One Craig is currently the Regimental Sergeant Major of the 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment. Warrant Officer Class One Craig has been married to Joelene for 18 years and they have three children, Emily (16), Luke (14) and Adam (11). His interest include supporting the North Queensland Cowboys, fishing, playing golf and keeping up with his young family.