Warrant Officer Class One Bradley Bargenquast OAM

Warrant Officer Bradley Bargenquast was born in Bundaberg, Queensland, completing his secondary school education in Katherine in the Northern Territory. Warrant Officer Bargenquast enlisted into the Australian Regular Army on 27 January 1993 as an Army Apprentice. Since then, his service has been spent in the Corps of the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

On completion of his apprenticeship as a Vehicle Mechanic, Warrant Officer Bargenquast was posted to the 2nd Field Logistic Battalion where he completed his on-the-Job training. After 12 months of on-the-Job training, he was subsequently posted to the 3rd Brigade Administrative Support Battalion where he served for 4 years. During his tenure at the 3rd Brigade Administrative Support Battalion, he was deployed on Operation BEL ISI in Bougainville. On return from deployment Warrant Officer Bargenquast was posted to the 1st Field Regiment on promotion to Corporal. In January 2002, Warrant Officer Bargenquast was posted to 17 Construction Squadron where he continued to serve as a Corporal Vehicle Mechanic deploying to Papua New Guinea on Exercise PUK PUK.

In January 2004, Warrant Officer Bargenquast was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and posted to the Regional Training Centre – New South Wales where he was employed as an instructor on the Subject One Sergeant Courses.

After completing a 2 year posting tenure at the Regional Training Centre, Warrant Officer Bargenquast was posted to the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment where he assumed the position as the Platoon Sergeant for the Technical Support Platoon. During his tenure at the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, Warrant Officer Bargenquast deployed on Operation ASTUTE as the Artificer Sergeant Major as a part of the Timor-Leste Battle Group.

In September 2008, Warrant Officer Bargenquast was promoted to the rank Warrant Class Two where he subsequently held two appointments as a Company Sergeant Major at 101 Workshop Company and 102 Workshop Company. In 2011, he deployed on Operation SLIPPER to Afghanistan as the Company Sergeant Major for the Force Support Unit – Tarin Kot. After completing his tenure at 102 Workshop Company, Warrant Officer Bargenquast was subsequently posted to the Warrant Officer and Non Commissioned Officer Academy as an instructor and Course Manager for the Junior Leader Course.

Warrant Officer Bargenquast has held appointments as the Regimental Sergeant Major at the 11th Combat Service Support Battalion, the 1st Combat Signal Regiment, the Royal Military College - Duntroon and the 16th Aviation Brigade. In 2019, Warrant Officer Bargenquast studied at the Australian Command and Staff College where he attained a Masters of Defence Studies. In 2024, Warrant Officer Bargenquast undertook a secondment at the Broken Hill Proprietary Company and subsequently assumed the appointment as the Command Sergeant Major, Aviation Command in January 2025.

For his service, Warrant Officer Bargenquast has been awarded the Order of Australia Medal, a Chief of Army Commendation, a Deputy Chief of Joint Operations Commendation, and a Soldiers Medallion for Exemplary Service.

Warrant Officer Bargenquast and his wife Cindy, have two children and in his spare time he enjoys motorcycle riding and camping.