Warrant Officer 1 Nicholas Seal is the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command. Born in Canterbury in 1978, and schooled in Yeovil, he joined the Royal Navy in Feb 2000 as an Artificer Apprentice. At the end of training at HMS RALEIGH he was streamed Air Engineer, and after training at HMS SULTAN and 702 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) went on to 815 NAS Front Line Lynx Flight, deploying as part of his field training in HMS SHEFFIELD, tasked as the West Indies Guard Ship.
Promotion to LAEA in 2003 on completion of Artificer Qualifying Course at HMS SULTAN saw him return to 815 NAS to complete his Certificate of Competency to Supervise Aircraft Maintenance. On promotion to POAEA in 2005, he joined 207 Flight as the L1 (electronics specialist) and deployed to the Falklands in HMS LIVERPOOL, and the Gulf in HMS SUTHERLAND as part of the sea swap trial.
In 2007 he was promoted to CPOAEA and, opting to complete a further period of front line time to achieve and use his Aircraft Charge Certificate, deployed in HMS PORTLAND and HMS IRON DUKE as well as MCT tasking across the UK as Flight Senior Maintenance Rating (SMR). A short period followed within the Lynx Technical Support Cell as Modifications Manager, dealing with the introduction of Crash Survivable Cockpit Voice Recorder and Armoured Seats. Selected for Warrant Officer 2 in 2012, he was assigned to 01 Merlin Flight as SMR on 829 NAS at RNAS Culdrose, deploying in HMS ST ALBANS and HMS ILLUSTRIOUS. From there he moved back to RNAS Yeovilton to set up the Airworthiness Review Team before moving into the Lynx Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO) WO role providing assurance to the MilCAM of the airworthiness of the Lynx fleet and setting the baseline for all modifications to allow Airworthiness Reviews to be effectively completed. 12 months into position he integrated the Lynx and Wildcat CAMOs to form one organisation before leaving to be Deputy Engineering Training Officer at the Engineering Training School, overseeing the Ph2B Lynx, Wildcat and Merlin engineering training.
Promotion to Warrant Officer 1 in 2016 saw him move to HMS SULTAN Royal Navy Air Engineering and Survival School to deliver the Applied Aircraft Management course to Chief Petty Officers, Warrant Officers and Officers. Following this he moved back to 815 NAS, this time as Warrant Officer Engineering, managing the deployment of 20 Wildcat Flights across the world. From there he moved to Wildcat Maritime Force Headquarters in 2019 as the Force Warrant Officer, acting as the principle command advisor where his focus was within the executive domain. He took up the role as RNAS Yeovilton Base Warrant Officer in 2021 following successful attendance on the Command Senior Enlisted Leaders Course at the Baltic Defence College in Estonia, where he studied strategic level leadership with representatives from 15 other countries.
He was appointed as MARCOM CSEL in November 2022. Married to Claire, a Beauty Therapist who runs her own business, they have 3 young children at local schools where they live in Somerset.