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In the
United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...
, the ranks of warrant officer (
grade Grade most commonly refers to: * Grading in education, a measurement of a student's performance by educational assessment (e.g. A, pass, etc.) * A designation for students, classes and curricula indicating the number of the year a student has reach ...
W‑1) and chief warrant officer (
grades Grade most commonly refers to: * Grading in education, a measurement of a student's performance by educational assessment (e.g. A, pass, etc.) * A designation for students, classes and curricula indicating the number of the year a student has reach ...
CW-2 to CW‑5)— NATO: WO1–CWO5—are rated as officers above all
non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...
s,
candidates A candidate, or nominee, is a prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position. For example, one can be a candidate for membership in a group or election to an office, in which case a ...
,
cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...
s, and
midshipmen A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afric ...
, but subordinate to the lowest officer grade of O‑1 (NATO: OF‑1). This application differs from the
Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...
and other militaries, where warrant officers are the most senior of the
other ranks Other ranks (ORs) in the Royal Marines (RM), the British Army, and the Royal Air Force (RAF), along with the navies, armies, and air forces of many other Commonwealth countries and Ireland, are those personnel who are not commissioned officers, bu ...
(NATO: OR‑8 and OR‑9), equivalent to the U.S. Armed Forces grades of E‑8 and E‑9. Warrant officers are highly skilled, single-track specialty officers. While the ranks are authorized by Congress, each branch of the
uniformed services Uniformed services is an abstract term that are generally bodies of people in employment of a state who wear a distinct uniform that differentiates them from the public and private sector. Their purpose is to foster the equality, security, saf ...
selects, manages, and uses warrant officers in slightly different ways. For appointment to the rank of warrant officer one (W‑1), normally a warrant is approved by the secretary of the respective service. However, appointment to this rank can come via commission by the service secretary, the
department secretary In Australia, a departmental secretary is the most senior public servant of an Australian Government or state government department. They are typically responsible for the day-to-day actions of a department. Role A departmental secretary ...
, or the
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
, but this is less common. For the chief warrant officer ranks (CW‑2 to CW‑5), these warrant officers are commissioned by the president. Both warrant officers and chief warrant officers take the same oath as other
commissioned officers An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent c ...
(O‑1 to O‑10). Warrant officers can and do command detachments,
unit Unit may refer to: General measurement * Unit of measurement, a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law **International System of Units (SI), modern form of the metric system **English units, histo ...
s, 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.


Rank insignia


Army


History


Early years of creation

The Army warrant officer traces lineage to 1896 with the War Department's creation of civilian headquarters clerks and pay clerks. In 1916, an Army Judge Advocate General review determined that field clerks should be members of the military. Legislation in 1916 authorized those positions as military rather than civilian and created the ranks of Army field clerk (the former rank of headquarters clerk) and Quarter Master Corps field clerk (the former rank of pay clerk). In July 1917, all Field Clerks were considered enlisted and were assigned an enlisted uniform. Their branch insignia was two crossed quill pens (worn on a disk pin on the left side of the standing collar and a firework insignia on the visored cap). On 19 December 1917, ''Special Regulation 41'' stated that the Army Field Clerk and Quarter Master Corps Field Clerk ranks were authorized the same uniform as an officer. Their rank insignia was now a framework pin of crossed quill pens on either side of the framework "U.S." pins worn on the standing collar of the M1909 tunic. They were not permitted the brown mohair cuff braid band of an Army officer, but were authorized a silver-and-black braid
hat cord A hatcord or hat cord is a circular cord around a hat at the junction of the crown and the brim. It originally served to stabilize and hold the hat on the head and to prevent the hat material separating. A hat band fulfils a similar function. Hatc ...
for wear with the M1911 Campaign Hat and the officer's "G.I. Eagle" on the M1902 peaked cap. 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 The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an Corps#Administrative corps, administrative corps responsible for coastal defence and fortification, coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft Seacoast defense in the United States, defense of the United ...
. 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. Warrant officer rank was indicated by rings of brown cord worn on the lower sleeve of the uniform jacket: two for 2nd Mate and 2nd Assistant Engineer, three for 1st Mate and Assistant Engineer, and four for Ship's Master and Chief Engineer.


Refinement of grading

Since that time, the position of warrant officer in the Army has been refined. On 21 August 1941, under , Congress authorized two grades: warrant officer (junior grade) and chief warrant officer. In 1942, temporary appointments in about 40 occupational areas were made. The insignia for warrant officer (junior grade) was a gold bar wide and long, rounded at the ends with brown enamel on top and a latitudinal center of gold wide. The insignia for chief warrant officer was a gold bar in width and in length with rounded ends, brown enamel on top with a longitudinal center stripe of gold wide. The brown enamel backing of the warrant officer insignia was based on the color of the sleeve insignia of rank for ship's officers of the AMPS. On 18 July 1942, , the Flight Officer Act, was enacted, creating the rank of
flight officer The title flight officer was a military rank used by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, and also an air force rank in several Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, where it was used for female officers and was equiv ...
, equivalent to warrant officer (junior grade) and assigned to the
U.S. Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
(USAAF). Insignia was the same as for a warrant officer (junior grade), except the backing was in blue enamel rather than brown. Most flight officers were graduates of various USAAF flight-training programs, including power and glider pilots, and navigator and bombardier ratings. Graduates were appointed to the rating of flight officer, but some of each graduating class were commissioned as second lieutenants. Once reaching operational units and after gaining flying experience, flight officers were later offered direct commissions as lieutenants. Flight sergeants, who were assigned as transport and glider pilots, were appointed as flight officers when the new rank was created. Some of the first eligible flight officers were Americans who had served as sergeant pilots in the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...
and who transferred to the USAAF after the U.S. entered the war. In November 1942, the War Department defined the rank order as having warrant officers above all enlisted grades and below all commissioned grades. In March 1944, the first six women were appointed to the warrant officer grades as Band Leaders and administrative specialists. In 1947, legislation was sought to introduce four grades of warrant officers. Proposed rank titles were: chief warrant officer, senior warrant officer, warrant officer first class, and warrant officer. In 1949, , the Career Compensation Act, created four pay grades, W-1 through W-4, for all the armed services. The two warrant ranks were unchanged, but warrant officer (junior grade) was pay grade W-1, while the chief warrant officer started at W-2 and could advance to W-3 and W-4. In late 1949, the Warrant Officer Flight Program was created, which trained thousands of warrant officer pilots. The personnel were to be trained by the US Air Force, but controlled by the US Army Transportation Corps. The first helicopter pilot class was 51A (April 1951 to December 1951), which was trained to fly H-19 Chickasaws. The program was temporarily cancelled in 1959 due to military budget cuts, but was reinstated in 1963 to meet the increased demand. In 1954, the Warrant Officer Act, , created separate ranks for each pay grade, W-1 through W-4. On 10 September 1956, AR 670-5 authorized the approved insignia for the new ranks that consisted of a metal frame around a brown enamel bar. The insignia for warrant officer 1 (Grade W-1) and chief warrant officer 2 (Grade W-2) was a gold metal frame with one or two horizontal metal bands across it. Chief warrant officer 3 and chief warrant officer 4 had a silver frame with one or two horizontal bands across it. Due to the demand for helicopter pilots in Vietnam, the number of warrant officer pilots grew from about 2,960 in 1966 to more than 12,000 by 1970. In 1973, a reduction in force began and chief warrant officer helicopter pilots were offered promotion to the rank of first lieutenant to retain combat veterans. On 10 June 1970, the Army adopted a redesigned warrant officer insignia that was easier to identify. It was a silver bar with one to four black enamel squares on it (one per level of rank). "In July 1972, Army Warrant Officers began wearing the newly designed silver rank insignia, with black squares ..." (Although wear of the new grade of rank insignia was not mandatory until August 1973.) Beginning in 1977, the Army began commissioning "chief warrant officers" (CWOs) upon appointment/promotion to the grade of "chief warrant officer two" (W-2) and above. This brought Army CWOs in-line with those of the "Sea Services" (i.e., Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard) who had always been "commissioned warrant officers." On 8 April 1988, the rank of master warrant officer (MW4) was created in the grade of W-4. Candidates were drawn from chief warrant officer 4s (CW4) who had attended a special course at the warrant officer school at Fort Rucker. The first class graduated on 8 December 1988. The Warrant Officer Management Act of 5 December 1991 created the paygrade of W5 and the separate rank of master warrant officer (CW5), since renamed as chief warrant officer five. On 9 July 2004, the warrant officer branch insignia (also known as the "Eagle Rising" or "Squashed Bug") was discontinued. The warrant officer's branch of assignment will now be worn instead.


Mission and use

Army warrant officers are technical experts, combat leaders, trainers, and advisors. They serve in 17 branches and 67 warrant officer specialties, spanning the Active Component (i.e.,
Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a ...
), the
Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG) is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Army. It is simultaneously part of two differen ...
, and the U.S. Army Reserve. Warrant officers command the Army's waterborne and seagoing vessels, most Army bands, and as aircraft commanders of most Army Aviation aircraft. In addition, they may be found in command of various small units and detached teams. The Army uses warrant officers to serve in specific positions. Army warrant officers are officially addressed as Mister or Miss/Misses and warrant officers of grades CW2-CW5 can also be referred to as "Chief".


Training

The body of warrant officers in the Army is composed of two communities: technicians and aviators. Technicians typically must be
sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
s (E-5, NATO: OR-5) or above in a related specialty to qualify to become a warrant officer. A waiver may be granted on a case-by-case basis if the applicant has comparable experience in the government service or the civilian sector. The aviation field is open to all applicants, military or civilian, who meet the stringent medical and aptitude requirements. The aviation warrant officer route from the civilian sector is called the High School to Flight School Program, also known as "Street to Seat", where high school graduates or those actively serving that have a high school diploma are able to undergo Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS) and then proceed to aviation training at
Fort Novosel Fort Rucker is a United States Army post located primarily in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was formerly named in honor of Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel, an Army aviator and Medal of Honor recipient. It was previously name ...
, Alabama, to commit ten years of military service as a U.S. Army aviator. After selection to the warrant officer program, candidates attend WOCS, which is developed and administered by the Warrant Officer Career College (USAWOCC) at
Fort Novosel Fort Rucker is a United States Army post located primarily in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was formerly named in honor of Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel, an Army aviator and Medal of Honor recipient. It was previously name ...
. Army candidates on active duty must attend the course at
Fort Novosel Fort Rucker is a United States Army post located primarily in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was formerly named in honor of Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel, an Army aviator and Medal of Honor recipient. It was previously name ...
. Candidates in the United States
National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...
attend the course either at Fort Novosel or one of the National Guard's Regional Training Institutes. After graduation, all candidates are promoted to warrant officers (WO1). Technicians attend training at their respective branch's Warrant Officer Basic Course (WOBC) before moving on to their assignments in the Army.
Aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...
-branched warrant officers remain at Fort Novosel to complete flight training and the aviation WOBC.
Special Forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
warrant officer candidates from both the active and national guard 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 North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. The course includes both WOCS and WOBC, tailored to the experience of the Special Forces Sergeant. Candidates must be a
staff sergeant Staff sergeant is a Military rank, rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. History of title In origin, certain senior sergeants were assigned to administr ...
(E-6, NATO: OR-6) and above, and have served three years on an operational detachment. In 2008, the Army tested limited training of warrant officers at the
United States Army Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...
at
Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...
, a course normally reserved exclusively for majors. The CGSC Class of 2009 included five warrant officers, and the Class of 2010 included nine warrant officers. Three 2010 graduates continued on to higher-level training at the
School of Advanced Military Studies A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of ...
(SAMS) in 2011.


Ranks

The Army warrant officerWarrant officer definitions pe
Army Pamphlet DA PAM 600-3 Commissioned Officer Professional Development and Career Management
paragraph 3–9, 3 December 2014.
administers, manages, and operates Army systems and equipment of Army operations. The following are specific characteristics and responsibilities of the separate, successive warrant officer grades: * A warrant officer one (WO1): Appointed by warrant with the requisite authority pursuant to assignment level and position given by the Secretary of the Army. CW2s and above are commissioned officers with the requisite authority pursuant to assignment level and position as given by the President of the United States. WO1's and CW2's primary focus is working on the enlisted rank's
military occupational specialty A United States military occupation code, or a military occupational specialty code (MOS code), is a nine-character code used in the United States Army and United States Marine Corps to identify a specific job. In the United States Air Force, a sy ...
(MOS). Warrant officers are classified by warrant officer military occupational specialty, or WOMOS. * Chief warrant officer three (CW3): perform the primary duties of trainer, operator, manager, maintainer, integrator, and advisor. They also perform any other branch-related duties assigned to them. Chief warrant officer four also perform the duties of the CW3. * Chief warrant officer five (CW5): perform the primary duties and serve at
brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
and higher levels. They also serve as Command Chief Warrant Officers (CCWO) for large commands at the brigade level and higher. Chief warrant officer six was approved by the Army Chief of Staff in 1970 with the anticipation of Congress approving two new grades, W-5 and W-6. However, Congress did not authorize W-5 until 1991 and has still not approved W-6. The original W-5 insignia consisted of a single silver bar superimposed with four equally spaced silver squares with each square bordered in black. In 2004, this insignia was changed to a single silver bar surmounted by a single, narrow, vertical, black stripe, in harmony with the Navy and Marine Corps. The proposed CW6 insignia had two narrow, vertical, parallel, black stripes.


Marine Corps


History

The
Marine Corps Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included raiding ashore (often in supp ...
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 would be selected from the non-commissioned officer ranks. On 26 August 1916, Congress increased the Marine Corps strength, which included adding the rank of warrant officer; 43 marine gunners and 41 quartermaster clerks would be appointed. The first marine gunner is believed to have been Henry L. Hulbert. On 22 May 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 warrant officers were six years of service as a warrant officer and an examination to qualify. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Congress abolished the titles of marine gunner, chief marine gunner, quartermaster clerk, chief quartermaster clerk, pay clerk, and chief pay clerk. Instead, they would be designated warrant officers or commissioned warrant officers. In 1943, all Marine warrant officer ranks were aligned with the other services. They were warrant officers and commissioned warrant officers. In 1949, the grade of WO (paygrade W-1) was created for warrant officers and CWO-2, CWO-3, and CWO-4 (paygrades W-2, W-3, and W-4) were created for commissioned warrant officers. In 1954, the title "chief warrant officer" replaced "commissioned warrant officer" for those in grades CWO-2, CWO-3 and CWO-4. On 1 February 1992, the grade of CWO-5 (paygrade W-5) was created, and those who are appointed serve on the highest unit echelon levels. An appointment to W-⁠5 has been written to be limited to only 5 percent of the warrant officers of that armed force on active duty.


Current requirements and duties

The present role of a chief warrant officer in the United States Marine Corps is to fulfill the responsibilities as a high-rank "subject matter expert" within their chosen
military occupation specialty A United States military occupation code, or a military occupational specialty code (MOS code), is a nine-character code used in the United States Army and United States Marine Corps to identify a specific job. In the United States Air Force, a sy ...
, with the additional authority of a commissioned officer. The chief warrant officers commonly provide their respective Marine units and sections. Currently, there are three selection program distinctions, with each having its own separate qualifications: infantry, recruiter and regular warrant officer. Both active-duty and reserve enlisted (non-commissioned officers) are accepted into the regular program, but infantry weapons officers—commonly known as Marine Gunners—and recruiters are only selected from the active-duty component. The regular Warrant Officer Selection Program requires a minimum of eight years of enlistment upon date of appointment (not commissioned), proof and/or demonstration of their 'exceedingly technical proficiency' within their MOS field, and achieved the rank and pay grade of sergeant (E-5) or above. The recruiter's selection is that they must be a minimum rank of staff sergeant (E-6) and hold the MOS 8412, career recruiter, as well as have served a successful recruiting tour as an 8412. Staff sergeants will be appointed to the rank of WO, while the gunnery sergeants will commissioned as CWO2. The time in service requirements remain the same of 8 years. However, an
infantry weapons officer The United States Marine Corps United_States_military_occupation_code, MOS 0306, infantry weapons officers, commonly referred to as "the Gunner" or "Marine gunner" are non-technical Warrant officer (United States)#Marine Corps, chief warrant off ...
requires a minimum of sixteen years in MOS 0300 (Infantry) and has achieved at least the rank and grade of gunnery sergeant (E-7). These gunners are commissioned as a chief warrant officer 2 directly from enlisted and wear the Bursting Bomb on their left collar. When the Marines are selected for the program, they are given additional leadership and management training during the Warrant Officer Basic Course (WOBC), conducted at
The Basic School The Basic School (TBS) is where all newly commissioned and appointed (for warrant officers) United States Marine Corps officers are taught the basics of being an "Officer of Marines." The Basic School is located in Stafford County, Virginia to ...
in
Quantico, Virginia Quantico (; formerly Potomac) is a town in southeastern Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 578 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., bound ...
."General Emphasizes Leadership at Warrant Officer Commissioning"
2nd Lt. Patrick Boyce, 8 February 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2011.


Navy

In the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
, the warrant and chief warrant officer ranks are held by technical specialists who direct specific activities related to the operation of the ship, which also require commissioned officer authority. Navy warrant officers serve in 30 specialties covering five categories. Warrant officers perform duties that are directly related to their previous enlisted service and specialized training. With the exception of the Navy's short-lived flying chief warrant officer program, all Navy warrant officers are accessed from the
chief petty officer A chief petty officer (CPO) is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards, usually above petty officer. By country Australia "Chief Petty Officer" is the second highest non-commissioned rank in the Royal Australian Navy ...
pay grades, E-7 through E-9, and must have a minimum of 14 years of service.


Background

The Navy has had warrant officers among its ranks since 23 December 1775, when John Berriman received a warrant to act as
purser A purser is the person on a ship principally responsible for the handling of money on board. On modern merchant ships, the purser is the officer responsible for all administration (including the ship's cargo and passenger manifests) and supply. ...
aboard the
brigantine A brigantine is a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast and at least two sails on the main mast: a square topsail and a gaff sail mainsail (behind the mast). The main mast is the second and taller of the two masts. Ol ...
, 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 masters, masters' mates, boatswains, gunners, carpenters, surgeons, and chaplains. Until 1912, a
midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...
graduating from the
United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...
was required to have two years of sea duty as a warrant officer before receiving a commission as an
ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...
. Although based on the British
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
warrant officer ranks that were in place until 1949, the United States had never needed to address an issue of social class, which resulted in warranted officers in the Royal Navy.The Naval Officers Guide, 12th ed., L. McComas, US Naval Institute, Annapolis, Maryland, c2011 However, the United States Navy experienced a similar issue of rank, where senior non-commissioned officers are required to report to junior officers, giving rise to special status to the Navy's chief warrant officers. In 1995, the Navy ceased using the rank of warrant officer 1 (WO-1), also known as pay grade W-1. The Navy appoints their warrant officers directly to the rank of CWO2 (i.e., as chief warrant officers), and are "commissioned" officers, with the Navy Personnel Command/Bureau of Personnel (NAVPERSCOM/BUPERS) managing all grades (CWO2 through CWO5) by
billet In European militaries, a billet is a living-quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. In American usage, it refers to a specific personnel position, assignment, or duty station to which a soldier can be assigned. Historically, a billet w ...
s appropriate for each rank. In past years, some CWOs resigned their warrant commission prior to retirement to receive greater retirement pay at their former senior enlisted rank.


Flying chief warrant officer

The Navy started a Flying Chief Warrant Officer Program in 2006 to acquire additional
naval aviator Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves '' navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seaborne aviation encompas ...
s (pilots) and naval flight officers (NFOs), who would fly naval aircraft, but who would not compete with traditional unrestricted line (URL) officers in
naval aviation Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of Military aviation, military air power by Navy, navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves ''navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seab ...
for eventual command of squadrons, air wings, air stations, etc., the numbers of such commands which had been greatly reduced in the post-
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
era, thereby limiting the command opportunity for URL pilots and NFOs. Upon being commissioned as CWO2, selectees underwent warrant officer indoctrination and then flight school for 18 to 30 months. After completion of flight school, selectees were placed in one of four types of squadrons: ship-based Helicopter Maritime Strike (HSM) or Helicopter Sea Combat (HSC) squadrons, and land-based fixed-wing maritime patrol and reconnaissance (VP) and fleet air reconnaissance (VQ). These pilots and NFOs were then trained to operate the
P-3 Orion The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engined, turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. It is based on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner by Lockheed; it is e ...
, the EP-3E Aries II, the
E-6 Mercury The Boeing E-6 Mercury (formerly E-6 Hermes) is an airborne command post and communications relay based on the Boeing 707-300. The original E-6A manufactured by Boeing's defense division entered service with the United States Navy in July 19 ...
, or variants of the
MH-60 Seahawk The Sikorsky SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk (or Sea Hawk) is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family. The most significant modificati ...
. Those in the VP community would also eventually qualify to fly the
P-8 Poseidon The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is an American maritime patrol aircraft, maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft developed and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security. It was developed for the United States Navy as a derivative of the civilian ...
once that aircraft began replacing the P-3 in 2012. The Navy re-evaluated the program in 2011, when the last of the "flying" chief warrant officers reported to their operational fleet squadrons and opted to subsequently terminate the program. Enlisted sailors in the grades E-5 through E-7 who had at least an associate degree and were not currently serving in the diver, master-at-arms, nuclear, SEAL, SWCC, or EOD communities were eligible to apply.


Reestablishment of warrant officer one

On 4 June 2018, the
chief of naval operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...
announced the reestablishment of the rank of warrant officer one (pay grade W-1), for cyber warrant officers, and solicited applications for the rank/grade. These warrant officers will receive their appointment via warrant and not via
commission In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...
. They will incur a six-year service obligation once promoted to W-1. A minimum of three-years in grade with a total service time of 12 years must be achieved before appointment and commission to chief warrant officer (W-2). However, the
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
also may grant appointments of warrant officers in the grade of W-1 via commission at any time, and the
secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...
may also appoint warrant officers in that grade via commission, through additional regulations. In mid-December 2018, the Navy announced that six selectees had been named. They will wear a distinctive cap badge with two crossed anchors.Mark D. Faram (13 December 2018)
"Navy appoints first W-1 officers in four decades. What's next?"
''Navy Times''


Air Force

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 each of the five services in 1958 (implementing them in 1959–1960), Air Force officials privately concluded that these two new "super grades" of senior master sergeant and
chief master sergeant A chief master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries. Philippines Philippine armed forces Since 2004, as part of the ongoing modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippi ...
(styling the incumbents as " superintendents" vice senior or staff NCOICs as does the and USMC) could fill all Air Force needs then performed at the warrant officer level. This was not publicly acknowledged until years later. The Air Force stopped appointing warrant officers in 1959. The last active-duty Air Force chief warrant officer, CWO4 James H. Long, retired in 1980. The last
Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commis ...
chief 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. On February 17, 2024, the Air Force announced that they will bring back warrant officers after over 30 years of hiatus. As the service evaluates the outcomes of the program, these ranks will initially be limited to Airmen in the information technology and cyber career fields. The Air Force initially wanted a class of 30 warrant officers that would begin training by the summer of 2024. By the end of July 2024, 78 Airmen were selected to be among the first Air Force warrant officers in over 66 years, more than double than originally estimated. The 78 Airmen will be spread out across three training classes, with the first starting in October 2024. Per Defense Logistics Agency documents MIL-DTL-14639/69 and MIL-DTL-14639/53E, the new 2024 warrant officer insignia will follow the Army pattern, but will have oriental blue enamel in lieu of black. On December 6, 2024, 30 airmen graduated from the Air Force's Warrant Officer Training School located at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. These are the first warrant officers to serve in the U.S. Air Force since 1992. The warrant officer candidates graduated as either Warrant Officer 1 or Chief Warrant Officer 2.


Coast Guard

Due to the small size and decentralized organizational structure of the Coast Guard, commissioned warrant officers often fill command roles. Warrant officers frequently serve as commanding officers of Coast Guard stations and patrol boats but also fill a variety of
billets In European militaries, a billet is a living-quarters to which a soldier is assigned to sleep. In American usage, it refers to a specific personnel position, assignment, or duty station to which a soldier can be assigned. Historically, a billet w ...
as specialists and supervisors in other technical areas, and serve as special agents in the
Coast Guard Investigative Service The Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) is a division of the United States Coast Guard that investigates crimes where the U.S. Coast Guard has an interest. It is composed of civilian ( GS-1811), active duty, reserve enlisted, and warrant o ...
. 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 chief petty officer selectees and who are in the top 50% on their advancement list to E-7. The Coast Guard does not use the rank of warrant officer (WO-1). Although authorized in 1994, the Coast Guard has not promoted any of its warrant officers to CWO5.


Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

, and establish the use of warrant officers (W-1 to W-4) with specific specialties to the
Public Health Service Commissioned Corps The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHSCC; also referred to as the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service) is the Uniformed services, uniformed service branch of the United States Public Health S ...
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.


United States Maritime Service

The
U.S. Maritime Service The United States Maritime Service (USMS) was established in 1938 under the provisions of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936 as voluntary training organization to train individuals to become officers and crewmembers on merchant ships that form the ...
(USMS), established at 46 U.S. Code § 51701, falls under the authority of the Maritime Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation and is authorized to appoint warrant officers, although none have been so appointed. In accordance with the law, the USMS rank structure must be the same as that of the U.S. Coast Guard, while uniforms worn are those of the U.S. Navy, with distinctive USMS insignia and devices.


Notable warrant officers

* CWO2/Chief Carpenter John Arnold Austin, USN * FO
Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American actor, musician, singer, composer, rodeo performer, and baseball team owner, who largely gained fame by singing in a Crooner ...
, USAAF (Equivalent of WO1). (flew C-109 in C-B-I, TV and Radio star) * WO1
Floyd Bennett Floyd Bennett (October 25, 1890 – April 25, 1928) was a United States Naval Aviator who, along with then USN Commander Richard E. Byrd, made the first flight to the North Pole in May 1926. However, their claim to have reached the pole is dispu ...
, USN (
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...
) * FO
Jackie Coogan John Leslie Coogan (October 26, 1914 – March 1, 1984) was an American actor and comedian who began his film career as a child actor in silent films. Coogan's role in Charlie Chaplin's film ''The Kid (1921 film), The Kid'' (1921) made him one o ...
, USAAF (Equivalent of WO1) (Distinguished Flying Cross) (Glider Pilot in C-B-I, TV and Movie Star) * CW5 David F. Cooper, USA ( Distinguished Service Cross) * CW4 Michael Durant, USA ('' Black Hawk Down'') * MAJ (was CW3) Frederick Edgar Ferguson, USA (Medal of Honor) * CWO4 John W. Frederick, Jr., USMC (
Navy Cross The Navy Cross is the United States Naval Service's second-highest military decoration awarded for sailors and marines who distinguish themselves for extraordinary heroism in combat with an armed enemy force. The medal is equivalent to the Army ...
) * James W. Hall, III, USA (convicted of espionage and stripped of rank) * CW4 Thomas J. Hennen, USA (
astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a List of human spaceflight programs, human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member of a spa ...
) * WO1 Olive Hoskins, USA (the first female warrant officer) * CW4 Oscar G. Johnson, USA (Medal of Honor) * WO1 John W. Lang, USN (Navy Cross) * WO1 Robert Mason, USA (best-selling author) * CW2 Jason W. Myers, USA (Distinguished Service Cross) * CW4 Michael J. Novosel, USA (Medal of Honor) * CW5 Ralph E. Rigby, USA (last continuously serving draftee on active duty in the U.S. Army, retired in 2014) * CW2 Louis R. Rocco, USA (Medal of Honor) * Captain (was WO Machinist) Donald K. Ross, USN, awarded the first Medal of Honor of World War II * MAJ (was WO1) Hugh Thompson, Jr., USA (
Soldier's Medal The Soldier's Medal is an individual decoration of the United States Army. It was introduced as Section 11 of the Air Corps Act, passed by the Congress of the United States on July 2, 1926., Appendix 5, p. 126. The Soldier's Medal is equivalent ...
recipient) * CW4
Brad R. Torgersen Brad R. Torgersen (born April 6, 1974) is an American science fiction author whose short stories regularly appear in various anthologies and magazines, including ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' and '' Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine ...
, USAR, multi-award-winning science fiction author * WO1
Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal ( ; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his acerbic epigrammatic wit. His novels and essays interrogated the Social norm, social and sexual ...
, USA * John Anthony Walker, Jr., USN (convicted of espionage and stripped of rank) * CWO4 Henry Wildfang, USMC (
Gray Eagle Award The Gray Eagle Award is presented to the Naval Aviator on continuous active duty in United States Navy or United States Marine Corps who has held that designation for the longest period of time. A similar trophy, the Gray Owl Award, is also presen ...
recipient for longest-serving naval aviator; only chief warrant officer in the history of U.S.
Naval Aviation Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of Military aviation, military air power by Navy, navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves ''navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seab ...
to receive this honor) * CWO4 Hershel W. Williams, USMC (Medal of Honor) * Brig Gen
Chuck Yeager Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General Charles Elwood Yeager ( , February 13, 1923December 7, 2020) was a United States Air Force officer, flying ace, and record-setting test pilot who in October 1947 became the first pilot in his ...
, USAF (World War II
USAAF The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
flight officer The title flight officer was a military rank used by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, and also an air force rank in several Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries, where it was used for female officers and was equiv ...
, equivalent to WO-1) * CW4 Keith Yoakum, USA (Distinguished Service Cross) * CW3 Ronald D. Young Jr., USA (POW, game show contestant) * CWO5 Bobby Frank "Mister" Barrow, USAFR (the last warrant officer to serve within the
Department of the Air Force The United States Department of the Air Force (DAF) is one of the three military departments within the United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Air Force was formed on Sep ...
until 2025)


See also

*
Aviation Cadet Training Program (USAAF) The Flying/Aviation Cadet Pilot Training Program was originally created by the U.S. Army to train its pilots. Originally created in 1907 by the U.S. Army Signal Corps, it expanded as the Army's air assets increased. Requirements Candidates orig ...
*
List of comparative military ranks This article is a list of various Sovereign state, nations' armed forces military rank, ranking designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy of an armed force compared to another. S ...
*
Ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers Commissioned officers' rank comparison chart of all land forces of NATO member states. Officers (OF 1–10) * Warrant officers (WO1–5) Warrant officers (WOs) and chief warrant officers (CWOs) in the US military rank below officers bu ...
*
List of United States Navy ratings United States Navy ratings are general enlisted occupations used by the U.S. Navy since the 18th century, which denote the specific skills and abilities of the sailor. Each naval rating has its own specialty badge, which is worn on the left s ...
*
List of United States Coast Guard ratings The United States Coast Guard's ratings are general occupations that consist of specific skills and abilities. Each naval rating, rating has its own specialty badge, which is typically worn on the left sleeve of their service dress uniform by enli ...
* Army Staff Senior Warrant Officer *
Chief Warrant Officer of the Army The Chief Warrant Officer of the Army (CWA) is the most senior Warrant officer (United States), warrant officer position in the United States Department of the Army and serves as a key advisor within the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Unite ...


Notes


References


Further reading


United States Congressional Budget Office study: "The Warrant Officer Ranks: Adding Flexibility to Military Personnel Management"
*
direct link to the PDF


External links

* DoD Almanac

''United States Department of Defense''.

* ttp://www.usawoa.org/ 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)



theNavyCWO.com
{{Military ranks by country Military ranks of the United States Army Military ranks of the United States Marine Corps Military ranks of the United States Navy Military ranks of the United States Air Force Military ranks of the United States Coast Guard Warrant officers Military ranks of the United States it:Warrant officer