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Warrant Officer (United States)
Encyclopedia
In the United States military, the rank of warrant officer (grade W-1 to W-5) is rated as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1 (NATO: OF-1). Warrant officers are highly skilled, single-track specialty officers, and while the ranks are authorized by Congress, each branch of the Uniformed Services
selects, manages, and utilizes warrant officers in slightly different ways. For appointment to warrant officer One (W-1), a warrant
is approved by the secretary of the respective service. For chief warrant officer ranks (W-2 to W-5), warrant officers are commissioned by the President of the United States
and take the same oath as regular commissioned officers
(O-1 to O-10).
Warrant officers can and do command detachments
, units, activities, vessels, aircraft, and armored vehicles as well as lead, coach, train, and counsel subordinates. However, the warrant officer's primary task as a leader is to serve as a technical expert, providing valuable skills, guidance, and expertise to commanders and organizations in their particular field.
in the Navy. CWOs perform duties that are directly related to their previous enlisted service and specialized training. This allows the Navy to capitalize on the experience of CWOs without having to frequently transition them to other duty assignments for advancement. With the exception of the Navy's Flying Chief Warrant Officer program, all Navy warrant officers are accessed from the Chief Petty Officer pay grades, E-7 through E-9, analogous to a senior non-commissioned officer
in the other services.
The recently implemented Flying Chief Warrant Officer program is a quasi-stand alone program that will train qualified non-college degreed sailors to become Naval Aviator
s and Naval Flight Officer
s in selected naval aircraft. Such officers will be career fliers, and while they will eventually function as aircraft commanders/mission commanders, they will not be eligible to command aviation units in the same fashion as URL officers. As opposed to the conventional Chief Warrant Officer program in the Navy which is limited to pay grades E-7 through E-9, this program is open to sailors in pay grades of E-5 and E-6 and chief petty officers in pay grade E-7.
has had warrant officers among its ranks since 23 December 1775, when John Berriman received a warrant to act as purser aboard the brigantine
, USS Andrew Doria
. That warrant was considered a patent of trust and honor but was not considered a commission to command. Since this first appointment, Navy warrant officers have held positions as surgeons, master mates, boatswains, carpenters, and chaplains. Until 1912, a Midshipman
graduating from the United States Naval Academy
was required to have two years of sea duty as a warrant officer before receiving a commission as an Ensign
. Although based on the British Royal Navy warrant ranks that were in place until 1949, the United States had never needed to address an issue of aristocracy, which resulted in warranted officers in the Royal Navy. However, the United States Navy experienced a similar issue of rank, where highly competent senior non-commissioned officers are required to report to inexperienced junior officers, giving rise to special status to the Navy's chief warrant officers.
In 1975, the Navy ceased utilizing the rank of Warrant Officer 1 (WO1), also known as pay grade W-1, because chief petty officers in pay grades E-7 and above with many years in service would lose pay when appointed to the rank of Warrant Officer. The Navy appoints their warrant officers directly to the rank of CWO2 (i.e., as chief warrant officers), considers them as "commissioned" officers, and manages all grades (CWO2 through CWO5) by billets appropriate for each rank. In past years, some CWOs resigned their warrant commission prior to retirement in order to receive greater retirement pay at their former senior enlisted rank. However, this pay disparity has effectively disappeared in recent years and all Navy CWOs now retire at the appropriate officer grade.
, the EP-3E Aries II
, the E-6 Mercury, or the MH-60 Seahawk, and will eventually qualify to fly the P-8 Poseidon. The Navy will reevaluate the program in 2011, when the last of the "flying" chief warrant officers are expected to report to their operational Fleet squadrons.
review determined that field clerks should be members of the military. Legislation in 1916 authorized those positions as military. On 9 July 1918, Congress established the rank and grade of Warrant Officer concurrent with establishing the Army Mine Planter Service
(AMPS) within the Coast Artillery Corps. Creation of the Mine Planter Service replaced an informal service crewed by civilians, replacing them with military personnel, of whom the vessel's master, mates, chief engineer, and assistant engineers were Army warrant officers. The official color of the Warrant Officer Corps was based on the brown sleeve insignia of rank for ship's officers of the Army Mine Planter (AMP).
Since that time, the position of WO in the Army has been refined. In 1941, two grades were created, Warrant Officer Junior Grade (W1) and Chief Warrant Officer (W2). In 1942, there were temporary appointments in about 40 occupational areas, then in September 1942 the grade of Flight Officer
was created in the W1 pay grade and assigned to the US Army Air Force (USAAF).
Some of the first flight officers were Americans serving as sergeant pilots in the Royal Air Force
and were transferred to the USAAF after the U.S. entered the war. Most flight officers were graduates of various USAAF flight training programs, including pilot, navigator and bombardier ratings. A portion of each graduating class were commissioned to Second Lieutenant
s, while the remainder were appointed to Flight Officer. Once reaching operational units and after gaining flying experience, many flight officers were later offered direct commissions as lieutenants.
In November 1942, the War Department defined the rank order as having warrant officers above all enlisted grades and below all commissioned grades. In 1944, women were appointed to the warrant officer grades. In 1949, the grades of W-3 and W-4 were created with Chief Warrant Officer now comprising the W-2, W-3, and W-4 grades. In 1953, the Warrant Officer Flight Program was created, which trained thousands of warrant officer pilots. At the end of 1991, the grade of W-5 was created.
, and the U.S. Army Reserve. Warrant officers command the Army's vessels and most bands and aircraft. In addition, they may be found in command of various small units and detached teams.
The Army utilizes warrant officers to serve in specific positions which require greater longevity than the billet duration of commanders and other staff officers. The duration of these assignments result in increased technical expertise as well as increased leadership and management skills.
Regardless of rank, Army warrant officers are officially addressed as Mister (Mrs., Miss, Ms.). Headquarters, Department of the Army. "Military Grade and Rank", Army Regulation 600-20; Army Command Policy. Headquarters, Department of the Army. 18 March 2008. Accessed on 23 August 2008. Unofficially, the informal title of "Chief" is often used as a familiar form of address.
(E-5) or above in a related specialty to qualify to become a Warrant Officer. The aviation field is open to all applicants, military or civilian, who meet the stringent medical and aptitude requirements. Civilian applicants to Warrant Officer Flight Training (WOFT) are occasionally referred to as going from "high school to flight school" because a college degree is only a recommended qualification, this as compared to a degree being mandatory in tandem with a commission in at least pay grade O-1 in the other U.S. military aviation programs.
After selection to the warrant officer program, candidates attend Warrant Officer Candidate School
, which is developed and administered by the Warrant Officer Career College at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Active duty Army candidates must attend the course at Fort Rucker's Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS), while Army Reserve
or National Guard
candidates can attend the course either at Fort Rucker, or one of the National Guard's Regional Training Institutes. After graduation, all candidates are promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer One (WO1). Technicians attend training at their respective branch's Warrant Officer Basic Course
(WOBC) where study advanced subjects in their technical area before moving on to their assignments in the Army. Aviation
branched warrant officers remain at Fort Rucker to complete flight training and the Aviation WOBC. Upon completion of their training, aviation warrant officers receive the Army Aviator Badge.
Special Forces Warrant Officer candidates from both the active and reserve force components attend the Special Forces Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course (SFWOTTC) at the Special Forces Warrant Officer Institute, John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg
, North Carolina
. The course includes both WOCS and WOBC, tailored to the unique training and experience of the Special Forces Sergeant. Candidates must be Staff Sergeant (E-6) and above, and have served three years on an operational detachment.
In 2008, the Army began training a limited number of warrant officers at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth
(training at the college in the past was reserved almost exclusively for majors
). The CGSC Class of 2009 included five warrant officers, and the Class of 2010 included nine warrant officers. Three warrant officers from the graduating CGSC Class of 2010 were subsequently selected as the first-ever to attend the prestigious School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) and joined the Class of 2011.
Chief Warrant Officer, Two (CW2)
Chief Warrant Officer, Three (CW3)
Chief Warrant Officer, Four (CW4)
Chief Warrant Officer, Five (CW5)
may be found in command of larger small boat stations and patrol boats, as specialists and supervisors in other technical areas, and as special agents in the Coast Guard Investigative Service
(CGIS). They wear insignia essentially like that of their Navy counterparts, but with the USCG shield between the rank insignia and the specialty mark, as Coast Guard commissioned officers do with their rank insignia. Like their Navy counterparts, candidates for the rank of Chief Warrant Officer must typically be serving in the chief petty officer grades (E-7 through E-9), however, the Coast Guard also permits selection of first class petty officers (E-6) who are in the top 50% on their advancement list to E-7. Like the Navy, the Coast Guard does not use the rank of Warrant Officer (WO-1). The Coast Guard also does not use the CWO-5 grade.
The Marine Corps
has had warranted officers since 1916 when the Commandant of the Marine Corps made a request to the Secretary of the Navy for the creation of two warrant grades, Marine Gunner and quartermaster clerk, those appointed to be selected from the non-commissioned officer ranks.
On August 26, 1916, Congress increased the Corps strength, which included adding the rank of Warrant Officer; 43 Marine Gunners and 41 quartermaster clerks would be appointed. On May 22, 1917, due to commissioned officer shortages all but three of the appointees were commissioned as temporary second lieutenants. In 1918, the grade of pay clerk was added.
In June, 1926 Congress created the commissioned warrant grades of Chief Marine Gunner, chief quartermaster clerk and chief pay clerk. Requirements for promotion to chief were six years of service as a warrant officer and an examination to qualify.
During World War II, Congress abolished the titles of Chief Marine Gunner, chief quartermaster clerk, chief pay clerk, Marine Gunner quartermaster clerk and pay clerk. Instead they would be commissioned warrant officer and warrant officer. In 1943, all Marine warrant officer ranks were aligned with the other services. They were Warrant Officer and Commissioned Warrant Officer.
Then in 1949, the pay grades of W-4, W-3 and W-2 were created for commissioned warrant officers and W-1 was created for warrant officers, and in 1954 title "chief warrant officer" replaced "commissioned warrant officer" for those in pay grades W-4, W-3 and W-2.
On February 1, 1992 the pay grade of W-5 was created, only 5 percent of chief warrant officers were to occupy this grade.
An enlisted Marine can apply for the warrant officer program after serving at least eight years of enlisted service, and reaching the grade of E-5 (Sergeant) for the administrative warrant officer program or after serving at least sixteen years of enlisted service and reaching the grade of E-7 (Gunnery Sergeant) for the weapons warrant officer program. If the Marine NCO is selected, he or she is given additional leadership and management training during the Warrant Officer Basic Course (WOBC), conducted at The Basic School in Quantico
, Virginia
.
no longer uses the warrant officer grade. The USAF inherited warrant officer ranks from the Army at its inception in 1947, but their place in the Air Force structure was never made clear. When Congress
authorized the creation of two new senior enlisted ranks in 1958, Air Force officials privately concluded that these two new "super grades" could fill all Air Force needs then performed at the warrant officer level, although this was not publicly acknowledged until years later. The Air Force stopped appointing warrant officers in 1959, the same year the first promotions were made to the new top enlisted grade, Chief Master Sergeant
. Most of the existing Air Force warrant officers entered the commissioned officer ranks during the 1960s, but tiny numbers continued to exist for the next 21 years.
The last active duty Air Force warrant officer, CWO4 James H. Long, retired in 1980. The last Air Force Reserve warrant officer, CWO4 Bob Barrow, retired in 1992. Upon his retirement, Barrow was honorarily promoted to CWO5, the only person in the Air Force ever to hold this grade. Barrow died in April 2008. Since Barrow's retirement, the Air Force warrant officer ranks, while still authorized by law, are not used.
establishes the use of warrant officers (W-1 to W-4) with specific specialties to the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps for the purpose of providing support to the health and delivery systems maintained by the service, however the grades have never been used in Public Health Service history to date.
Uniformed services of the United States
The United States has seven federal uniformed services that commission officers as defined by Title 10, and subsequently structured and organized by Title 10, Title 14, Title 33 and Title 42 of the United States Code.-Uniformed services:...
selects, manages, and utilizes warrant officers in slightly different ways. For appointment to warrant officer One (W-1), a warrant
Warrant (law)
Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is...
is approved by the secretary of the respective service. For chief warrant officer ranks (W-2 to W-5), warrant officers are commissioned by the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and take the same oath as regular commissioned officers
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
(O-1 to O-10).
Warrant officers can and do command detachments
Detachment (military)
A detachment is a military unit. It can either be detached from a larger unit for a specific function or be a permanent unit smaller than a battalion. The term is often used to refer to a unit that is assigned to a different base from the parent unit...
, units, activities, vessels, aircraft, and armored vehicles as well as lead, coach, train, and counsel subordinates. However, the warrant officer's primary task as a leader is to serve as a technical expert, providing valuable skills, guidance, and expertise to commanders and organizations in their particular field.
Navy
In the United States Navy, the Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) rank is a technical specialist who directs specific activities essential to the proper operation of the ship, which also require commissioned officer authority. Navy CWOs serve in 30 specialties covering five categories. CWO should not be confused with the Limited Duty OfficerLimited Duty Officer
A Limited Duty Officer is an officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps who was selected for commissioning based on his/her skill and expertise, and is not required to have a bachelor's degree. They are employed in situations where it is desirable to have an officer with...
in the Navy. CWOs perform duties that are directly related to their previous enlisted service and specialized training. This allows the Navy to capitalize on the experience of CWOs without having to frequently transition them to other duty assignments for advancement. With the exception of the Navy's Flying Chief Warrant Officer program, all Navy warrant officers are accessed from the Chief Petty Officer pay grades, E-7 through E-9, analogous to a senior non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
in the other services.
The recently implemented Flying Chief Warrant Officer program is a quasi-stand alone program that will train qualified non-college degreed sailors to become Naval Aviator
Naval Aviator
A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
s and Naval Flight Officer
Naval Flight Officer
A Naval Flight Officer is an aeronautically designated commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps that specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots per se, but they may perform many "co-pilot" functions, depending on the type of aircraft...
s in selected naval aircraft. Such officers will be career fliers, and while they will eventually function as aircraft commanders/mission commanders, they will not be eligible to command aviation units in the same fashion as URL officers. As opposed to the conventional Chief Warrant Officer program in the Navy which is limited to pay grades E-7 through E-9, this program is open to sailors in pay grades of E-5 and E-6 and chief petty officers in pay grade E-7.
Background
The United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
has had warrant officers among its ranks since 23 December 1775, when John Berriman received a warrant to act as purser aboard the brigantine
Brigantine
In sailing, a brigantine or hermaphrodite brig is a vessel with two masts, only the forward of which is square rigged.-Origins of the term:...
, USS Andrew Doria
USS Andrew Doria (1775)
Andrew Doria was a brig purchased by the Continental Congress in October of 1775. She is most famous for her participation in the Battle of Nassau—the first amphibious engagement by the Continental Navy and the Continental Marines—and for being the first United States vessel to receive a salute...
. That warrant was considered a patent of trust and honor but was not considered a commission to command. Since this first appointment, Navy warrant officers have held positions as surgeons, master mates, boatswains, carpenters, and chaplains. Until 1912, a Midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
graduating from the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
was required to have two years of sea duty as a warrant officer before receiving a commission as an Ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
. Although based on the British Royal Navy warrant ranks that were in place until 1949, the United States had never needed to address an issue of aristocracy, which resulted in warranted officers in the Royal Navy. However, the United States Navy experienced a similar issue of rank, where highly competent senior non-commissioned officers are required to report to inexperienced junior officers, giving rise to special status to the Navy's chief warrant officers.
In 1975, the Navy ceased utilizing the rank of Warrant Officer 1 (WO1), also known as pay grade W-1, because chief petty officers in pay grades E-7 and above with many years in service would lose pay when appointed to the rank of Warrant Officer. The Navy appoints their warrant officers directly to the rank of CWO2 (i.e., as chief warrant officers), considers them as "commissioned" officers, and manages all grades (CWO2 through CWO5) by billets appropriate for each rank. In past years, some CWOs resigned their warrant commission prior to retirement in order to receive greater retirement pay at their former senior enlisted rank. However, this pay disparity has effectively disappeared in recent years and all Navy CWOs now retire at the appropriate officer grade.
Flying Chief Warrant Officer
The Navy started a test program called the "Flying Chief Warrant Officer Program" in 2006, to acquire pilots and naval flight officers. Enlisted sailors in the grades E-5 through E-7 who have at least an associate's degree and are not currently serving in the diver, master-at-arms, nuclear, SEAL, SWCC or EOD communities are eligible to apply. Upon being commissioned as CWO2, selectees will undergo warrant officer indoctrination and then flight school for 18 to 30 months. After completion of flight school, selectees will be placed in one of four types of squadrons: anti-submarine, combat support, patrol or reconnaissance. The pilots and naval flight officers will then be trained to operate the P-3 OrionP-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
, the EP-3E Aries II
EP-3E Aries II
|-See also:-References:* Winchester, Jim, ed. Military Aircraft of the Cold War . London: Grange Books plc, 2006. ISBN 1-84013-929-3.-External links:* and * *...
, the E-6 Mercury, or the MH-60 Seahawk, and will eventually qualify to fly the P-8 Poseidon. The Navy will reevaluate the program in 2011, when the last of the "flying" chief warrant officers are expected to report to their operational Fleet squadrons.
History
The Army Warrant Officer traces lineage to the civilian Headquarters Clerk, later designated the Army Field Clerk. An Army Judge Advocate GeneralJudge Advocate General's Corps
Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, refers to the legal branch or specialty of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called Judge Advocates. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard do not maintain separate JAG Corps...
review determined that field clerks should be members of the military. Legislation in 1916 authorized those positions as military. On 9 July 1918, Congress established the rank and grade of Warrant Officer concurrent with establishing the Army Mine Planter Service
Mine Planter Service (U.S. Army)
The U.S. Army Mine Planter Service was an outgrowth of civilian crewed Army mine planter ships dating back to 1904. It was established in 1918 under the U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps to install and maintain the mine fields that were part of the principal armament of U.S...
(AMPS) within the Coast Artillery Corps. Creation of the Mine Planter Service replaced an informal service crewed by civilians, replacing them with military personnel, of whom the vessel's master, mates, chief engineer, and assistant engineers were Army warrant officers. The official color of the Warrant Officer Corps was based on the brown sleeve insignia of rank for ship's officers of the Army Mine Planter (AMP).
Since that time, the position of WO in the Army has been refined. In 1941, two grades were created, Warrant Officer Junior Grade (W1) and Chief Warrant Officer (W2). In 1942, there were temporary appointments in about 40 occupational areas, then in September 1942 the grade of Flight Officer
Flight officer
The title flight officer was a military rank used by the United States Armed Forces where it was an air force warrant officer rank. It was also an air force rank in several Commonwealth nations where it was used for female officers and was equivalent to the rank of flight lieutenant...
was created in the W1 pay grade and assigned to the US Army Air Force (USAAF).
Some of the first flight officers were Americans serving as sergeant pilots in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and were transferred to the USAAF after the U.S. entered the war. Most flight officers were graduates of various USAAF flight training programs, including pilot, navigator and bombardier ratings. A portion of each graduating class were commissioned to Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
s, while the remainder were appointed to Flight Officer. Once reaching operational units and after gaining flying experience, many flight officers were later offered direct commissions as lieutenants.
In November 1942, the War Department defined the rank order as having warrant officers above all enlisted grades and below all commissioned grades. In 1944, women were appointed to the warrant officer grades. In 1949, the grades of W-3 and W-4 were created with Chief Warrant Officer now comprising the W-2, W-3, and W-4 grades. In 1953, the Warrant Officer Flight Program was created, which trained thousands of warrant officer pilots. At the end of 1991, the grade of W-5 was created.
Mission and utilization
The Army warrant officer is a technical expert, combat leader, trainer, and advisor in 45 basic Military Occupational Specialties. They serve in 15 branches of the service, spanning the Active service, the Army National GuardArmy National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
, and the U.S. Army Reserve. Warrant officers command the Army's vessels and most bands and aircraft. In addition, they may be found in command of various small units and detached teams.
The Army utilizes warrant officers to serve in specific positions which require greater longevity than the billet duration of commanders and other staff officers. The duration of these assignments result in increased technical expertise as well as increased leadership and management skills.
Regardless of rank, Army warrant officers are officially addressed as Mister (Mrs., Miss, Ms.). Headquarters, Department of the Army. "Military Grade and Rank", Army Regulation 600-20; Army Command Policy. Headquarters, Department of the Army. 18 March 2008. Accessed on 23 August 2008. Unofficially, the informal title of "Chief" is often used as a familiar form of address.
Training
The body of warrant officers in the Army comprises two communities: technicians and aviators. Technicians typically must be enlisted in the rank of SergeantSergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
(E-5) or above in a related specialty to qualify to become a Warrant Officer. The aviation field is open to all applicants, military or civilian, who meet the stringent medical and aptitude requirements. Civilian applicants to Warrant Officer Flight Training (WOFT) are occasionally referred to as going from "high school to flight school" because a college degree is only a recommended qualification, this as compared to a degree being mandatory in tandem with a commission in at least pay grade O-1 in the other U.S. military aviation programs.
After selection to the warrant officer program, candidates attend Warrant Officer Candidate School
Warrant Officer Candidate School (U.S. Army)
The United States Army's Warrant Officer Candidate School , located at Fort Rucker, Alabama, provides training to become a commissioned warrant officer in the U.S. Army. Warrant officer candidates are typically drawn from enlisted members and inter-service transfers. In this case, Inter-Service...
, which is developed and administered by the Warrant Officer Career College at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Active duty Army candidates must attend the course at Fort Rucker's Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS), while Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
or National Guard
Army National Guard
Established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
candidates can attend the course either at Fort Rucker, or one of the National Guard's Regional Training Institutes. After graduation, all candidates are promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer One (WO1). Technicians attend training at their respective branch's Warrant Officer Basic Course
Warrant Officer Basic Course
Warrant Officer Basic Course is the technical training program a newly commissioned U.S. Army Warrant Officer receives after attending Warrant Officer Candidate School. WOBC is designed to certify warrant officers as technically and tactically competent to serve in a designated military cccupation...
(WOBC) where study advanced subjects in their technical area before moving on to their assignments in the Army. Aviation
United States Army Aviation Branch
The Aviation Branch of the United States Army is the administrative organization within the Army responsible for doctrine, manning and configuration for all aviation units....
branched warrant officers remain at Fort Rucker to complete flight training and the Aviation WOBC. Upon completion of their training, aviation warrant officers receive the Army Aviator Badge.
Special Forces Warrant Officer candidates from both the active and reserve force components attend the Special Forces Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course (SFWOTTC) at the Special Forces Warrant Officer Institute, John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The course includes both WOCS and WOBC, tailored to the unique training and experience of the Special Forces Sergeant. Candidates must be Staff Sergeant (E-6) and above, and have served three years on an operational detachment.
In 2008, the Army began training a limited number of warrant officers at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
(training at the college in the past was reserved almost exclusively for majors
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
). The CGSC Class of 2009 included five warrant officers, and the Class of 2010 included nine warrant officers. Three warrant officers from the graduating CGSC Class of 2010 were subsequently selected as the first-ever to attend the prestigious School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) and joined the Class of 2011.
Ranks
Warrant Officer, One (WO1)- Appointed by warrant from the Secretary of the Army, WO1s are technically and tactically focused officers who perform the primary duties of technical leader, trainer, operator, manager, maintainer, sustainer, and advisor.
Chief Warrant Officer, Two (CW2)
- CW2s become commissioned officers by the President of the United States. They are intermediate-level technical and tactical experts who perform increased duties and responsibilities at the detachment through battalion levels.
Chief Warrant Officer, Three (CW3)
- CW3s are advanced-level experts who perform the primary duties of a technical and tactical leader. They provide direction, guidance, resources, assistance, and supervision necessary for subordinates to perform their duties. They primarily support operations levels from team or detachment through brigade.
Chief Warrant Officer, Four (CW4)
- CW4s are senior-level experts in their chosen field, primarily supporting battalion, brigade, division, corps, and echelons above corps operations. They typically have special mentorship responsibilities for other WOs and provide essential advice to commanders on WO issues.
Chief Warrant Officer, Five (CW5)
- CW5s are master-level experts that support brigade, division, corps, echelons above corps, and major command operations. They provide leader development, mentorship, advice, and counsel to Warrant Officers and branch officers. CW5s have special Warrant Officer leadership and representation responsibilities within their respective commands.
Coast Guard
Chief warrant officers in the Coast GuardUnited States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
may be found in command of larger small boat stations and patrol boats, as specialists and supervisors in other technical areas, and as special agents in the Coast Guard Investigative Service
Coast Guard Investigative Service
The Coast Guard Investigative Service is a division of the United States Coast Guard that investigates crimes where the Coast Guard has an interest...
(CGIS). They wear insignia essentially like that of their Navy counterparts, but with the USCG shield between the rank insignia and the specialty mark, as Coast Guard commissioned officers do with their rank insignia. Like their Navy counterparts, candidates for the rank of Chief Warrant Officer must typically be serving in the chief petty officer grades (E-7 through E-9), however, the Coast Guard also permits selection of first class petty officers (E-6) who are in the top 50% on their advancement list to E-7. Like the Navy, the Coast Guard does not use the rank of Warrant Officer (WO-1). The Coast Guard also does not use the CWO-5 grade.
History
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
has had warranted officers since 1916 when the Commandant of the Marine Corps made a request to the Secretary of the Navy for the creation of two warrant grades, Marine Gunner and quartermaster clerk, those appointed to be selected from the non-commissioned officer ranks.
On August 26, 1916, Congress increased the Corps strength, which included adding the rank of Warrant Officer; 43 Marine Gunners and 41 quartermaster clerks would be appointed. On May 22, 1917, due to commissioned officer shortages all but three of the appointees were commissioned as temporary second lieutenants. In 1918, the grade of pay clerk was added.
In June, 1926 Congress created the commissioned warrant grades of Chief Marine Gunner, chief quartermaster clerk and chief pay clerk. Requirements for promotion to chief were six years of service as a warrant officer and an examination to qualify.
During World War II, Congress abolished the titles of Chief Marine Gunner, chief quartermaster clerk, chief pay clerk, Marine Gunner quartermaster clerk and pay clerk. Instead they would be commissioned warrant officer and warrant officer. In 1943, all Marine warrant officer ranks were aligned with the other services. They were Warrant Officer and Commissioned Warrant Officer.
Then in 1949, the pay grades of W-4, W-3 and W-2 were created for commissioned warrant officers and W-1 was created for warrant officers, and in 1954 title "chief warrant officer" replaced "commissioned warrant officer" for those in pay grades W-4, W-3 and W-2.
On February 1, 1992 the pay grade of W-5 was created, only 5 percent of chief warrant officers were to occupy this grade.
Today
The duties Marine warrant officers typically fulfill are those that would normally call for the authority of a commissioned officer, however, require an additional level of technical proficiency and practical experience that a commissioned officer would not have had the opportunity to achieve.An enlisted Marine can apply for the warrant officer program after serving at least eight years of enlisted service, and reaching the grade of E-5 (Sergeant) for the administrative warrant officer program or after serving at least sixteen years of enlisted service and reaching the grade of E-7 (Gunnery Sergeant) for the weapons warrant officer program. If the Marine NCO is selected, he or she is given additional leadership and management training during the Warrant Officer Basic Course (WOBC), conducted at The Basic School in Quantico
Quantico
Quantico may refer to:* Quantico , a 2005 science fiction/thriller novel by Greg Bear* Quantico, Maryland, an unincorporated community in Wicomico County, Maryland, United States...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
Air Force
The United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
no longer uses the warrant officer grade. The USAF inherited warrant officer ranks from the Army at its inception in 1947, but their place in the Air Force structure was never made clear. When Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
authorized the creation of two new senior enlisted ranks in 1958, Air Force officials privately concluded that these two new "super grades" could fill all Air Force needs then performed at the warrant officer level, although this was not publicly acknowledged until years later. The Air Force stopped appointing warrant officers in 1959, the same year the first promotions were made to the new top enlisted grade, Chief Master Sergeant
Chief Master Sergeant
CMSgt ChevronChief Master Sergeant is the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, just above Senior Master Sergeant, and is a senior non-commissioned officer. The official term of address is "Chief Master Sergeant" or "Chief".Attaining the rank of Chief Master Sergeant is the...
. Most of the existing Air Force warrant officers entered the commissioned officer ranks during the 1960s, but tiny numbers continued to exist for the next 21 years.
The last active duty Air Force warrant officer, CWO4 James H. Long, retired in 1980. The last Air Force Reserve warrant officer, CWO4 Bob Barrow, retired in 1992. Upon his retirement, Barrow was honorarily promoted to CWO5, the only person in the Air Force ever to hold this grade. Barrow died in April 2008. Since Barrow's retirement, the Air Force warrant officer ranks, while still authorized by law, are not used.
Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
, and of the U.S. Code of lawUnited States Code
The Code of Laws of the United States of America is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal laws of the United States...
establishes the use of warrant officers (W-1 to W-4) with specific specialties to the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps for the purpose of providing support to the health and delivery systems maintained by the service, however the grades have never been used in Public Health Service history to date.
Modern insignia and grades
| Grade | Rank | Abbreviation | Army | Air Force (discontinued) |
Navy | Coast Guard | Marine Corps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W-1 | Warrant Officer One | WO-1 WO1 (Army) |
1975 |
1975 |
 |
||
| W-2 | Chief Warrant Officer Two | CWO-2 CW2 (Army) |
 |
||||
| W-3 | Chief Warrant Officer Three | CWO-3 CW3 (Army) |
 |
||||
| W-4 | Chief Warrant Officer Four | CWO-4 CW4 (Army) |
 |
||||
| W-5 | Chief Warrant Officer Five | CWO-5 CW5 (Army) |
 1992 |
2002 |
Established |
 1992 |
Notable warrant officers
- CW4 Michael J. NovoselMichael J. NovoselMichael J. Novosel, Sr. of Enterprise, Alabama was a recipient of the United States' highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor — and a retired Chief Warrant Officer .-Biography:...
- CW4 Michael DurantMichael DurantMichael J. "Mike" Durant is an American pilot and author who was held prisoner for eleven days in 1993 after a raid in Mogadishu, Somalia. He was a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as a Chief Warrant Officer 3...
- MAJ (then WO1) Hugh Thompson, Jr.Hugh Thompson, Jr.Hugh Clowers Thompson, Jr., DFC, BSM, PH, AM was a United States Army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. He is most well known for his role in stopping the My Lai Massacre, in which a group of US Army soldiers tortured and killed several hundred unarmed Vietnamese civilians, mutilating their...
Further reading
- United States Congressional Budget Office study on Warrant and Limited Duty Officers http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=3287&sequence=0&from=0#anchor PDF version
External links
- DoD Almanac. The United States Military Officer Rank Insignia. United States Department of Defense.
- US Army Institute of Heraldry Warrant Officer Insignia History
- United States Warrant Officer Association (USAWOA)
- United States Coast Guard Chief Warrant and Warrant Officers Association (CWOA)
- U.S. Navy Flying Chief Warrant Officers (unofficial)
- U.S. Navy Flying Chief Warrant Officers (official)
- Navy Pay Clerks