History
This History is dedicated to Chief Warrant Officer Four Donald E. Hess, United States Army Retired, to commemorate his twenty-five years of continuous and selfless service to the U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association (USAWOA) during his tenure as Founder, first President, and later Executive Vice President. In October 1997 he was designated as USAWOA President Emeritus and in July 2007 he was designated as Historian Emeritus of the Warrant Officer Historical Foundation (formerly the Warrant Officers Heritage Foundation). In 2013 Director Hess was elected to the position as Corporate Vice President.
Our history is best viewed on a computer or tablet.
- Introduction
- Birth of the Corps
- 1936 - 1949
- 1950 - 1974
- 1975 - 1983
- 1984 - 1988
- 1989 - 1991
- 1992 - 1996
- 1997 - 2004
- 2005 - 2007
- 2008 - 2009
- 2010 - 2014
- 2015 - 2018
- 2019 - 2022
- Woman's History
- Summary
- Credits
- Grants
Introduction
The rank of Warrant Officer has a long history. There is some evidence to suggest that Napoleon used Warrant Officers as communications links between his commissioned officers and the rank-and-file soldiers.
The military grade of Warrant Officer is one of the oldest in Western military systems dating back two centuries prior to Columbus, during the fledgling years of the British Navy. At that time, Nobles assumed command of the new Navy adopting the Army ranks of Lieutenant and Captain. These royal blood officers often times had no knowledge of life on board a ship, let alone how to navigate such a vessel or operate the guns. They would often rely on the technical expertise and cooperation of a senior sailor who tended to the technical aspects of running the ship and operating the cannons. These sailors, some times referred to as ‘Boat Mates’ or ‘Bosun’s Mates’ became indispensable to less experienced officers and were subsequently rewarded with a Royal Warrant. This Royal Warrant was a special designation, designed to set them apart from other sailors, but not violate the strict class system that was so prevalent during the time.
Based on the British Royal Navy warrant ranks that were in place until 1949, the U. S. Navy has had warrant officers among its ranks, in some form or another, since 23 December 1775, when John Berriman received a warrant to act as purser aboard the brigantine, the USS Andrea Doria. The rank was considered one of trust and honor but was not considered a commission to command. Since this first appointment, Navy and Coast Guard Warrant Officers have held positions as surgeons, master mates, boatswains, carpenters, and chaplains. In the U.S. Navy, Warrant Officers have traditionally been the technical experts whose skills and knowledge were an essential part of the proper operation of the ship.
As early as 1882 the need for heavy fixed artillery for seacoast defense was noted in Chester A. Arthur‘s Second Annual Message to Congress where he noted:
Army leaders realized that heavy fixed artillery required different training programs and tactics than mobile field artillery. The Artillery Corps was divided into two types: field artillery and coast artillery. This process began in February 1901 with the authorization of 30 numbered companies of field artillery (commonly called batteries) and 126 numbered companies of coast artillery. 82 existing heavy batteries were designated coast artillery companies, and 44 new CA companies were created by splitting existing units and filling their ranks with recruits. The head of the Artillery Corps became the Chief of Artillery in the rank of brigadier general with jurisdiction over both types of artillery.
The coast artillery became responsible for the installation and operation of the controlled minefields that were planted to be under observation, fired electrically and protected by fixed guns With that responsibility the Corps began to acquire the vessels required to plant and maintain the minefields and cables connecting the mines to the mine casemate ashore organized as a “Submarine Mine Battery” within the installation command The larger vessels, mine planters, were civilian-crewed until the creation of the U.S. Army Mine Planter Service (AMPS) and Warrant Officer Corps to provide officers and engineers for the ships designated as mine planters. The mine component was considered to be among the principal armament of coastal defense works.
In the U.S. Army, the Warrant Officer can be traced back to 1896, specifically to the headquarters clerk.
During World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars between 1914 and 1918, saw positions of Pay Clerk and Headquarters Clerk in use. The Act of August 1916 authorized the Army Field Clerk (formerly Headquarters Clerk) and the Field Clerk, Quartermaster Corps (formerly Pay Clerk). These are believed to be a predecessor of the Warrant Officer. See insignia at the left. Although initially considered civilians, the Judge Advocate General eventually determined that they held military status.
(Also in 1916, congressional action established Marine Corps grades of Warrant Officer Gunner, Quartermaster Clerk and Pay Clerk.)
The Adventures of a Warrant Officer of the A. M. P. S.
The following true story well exemplifies the deplorable ignorance in the service as to what the Army Mine Planter Service is, and as to the status of its warrant officers.
One of our warrant officers, an old-time skipper of a Mine Planter, walked into the Quartermaster’s Office of one of our larger cities, and being in civilian clothing, introduced himself as a warrant officer, Army Mine Planter Service, and stated that he would like to draw his pay. He was promptly asked by the Quartermaster Colonel why he was not in uniform and he replied that the Quartermaster Department had not yet furnished the uniforms, although more than a reasonable length of time had elapsed since the orders and measurements for the same had been taken.
He then proceeded to the ‘‘Major Paymaster’’ for his pay and was by him informed that being a non- commissioned officer he should have gone to the enlisted men’s desk for his pay. To relate the deplorable affair as told by the culprit himself, we will quote:
‘‘Pardon me, Major, but I rank with, but after, commissioned officers. I took the oath of a commissioned officer and I am paid like a commissioned officer.’’
“The H— you are,” replied the Major, as he rose from his chair.‘ ‘ On what grounds do you make such a statement?”
“Sir, the authority is an Act of Congress,’’ said I, producing my credentials. The Major looked them over, and remarked:
“Well, I’ll be d—-d ’’ and called in all the Colonels and one General to gaze on this rare bird. All admitted that they had never heard of such a thing as a Warrant Officer, Army Mine Planter Service.
The Major then proceeded to figure out my pay and allowances, and upon conclusion remarked: “Why, you get more than a 2nd Lieutenant!
“Yes,” I said, “I should get much more than a 2nd Lieutenant; my license is the highest obtainable; I have been going to sea for twenty years and have obtained my license at the cost of much effort and privation. During the Emergency, (Ed. note: refers to WW1). the Navy offered me a commission as Lieutenant Commander. The Shipping Board has offered me two of their largest ships, and if it were not for the fact that I have nearly eighteen years’ service, with only twelve years to go for retirement, I would not be here today, looking for pay.”
Birth of the Army Warrant Officer Corps
July 9, 1918
The official birthday of the Army Warrant Officer Corps is July 9, 1918, when an act of Congress established the Army Mine Planter Service as part of the Coast Artillery Corps. Implementation of the Act by the Army was published in War Department Bulletin 43, dated 22 July 1918 – see extract of the Bulletin.
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A total of 40 Warrant Officers were authorized to serve as masters, mates, chief engineers, and assistant engineers on each mine planting vessel. Although only one rank of Warrant Officer was authorized by Congress, in effect, three grades were created because of the varying levels of pay authorized for masters, 1st mates, 2nd mates, and corresponding levels of marine engineer personnel.
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This is also when the official color of the Army Warrant Officer Corps came to be brown. It emanated from the brown strands from burlap bags that the Mine Planter Service personnel wore as their insignia of rank. Also, in 1918 the Army opened a school to train their mariners at Fort Monroe, VA, commanded by an officer who had graduated for the Naval Academy. See also “Fort Monroe’s little-known history: Birthplace of the Army Warrant Officer,” by Chief Warrant Officer 5 Dennis Erickson, Chief of Warrant Officer Leader Development at Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), published in the July 25, 2008 edition of the Fort Monroe (VA) CASEMATE newspaper.
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In World War I, the Coast Artillery Corps was responsible for mine defenses in major ports. Vessels ranging in size from small motorboats to 1,000-tom ocean-going ships were used to lay and maintain minefields. Conflict between Soldiers and civilian employees who manned these vessels revealed the need to ensure that the vessels were manned by military personnel.
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See ARMY SHIPS — The Ghost Fleet – Coast Artillery Corps, Army Mine Planter Service and information about the Forts associated with these mine-planters.
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See U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
- See Mine Planter Service (U.S. Army) (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Coast Artillery Mine Planter Device. The Army Mine Planter Service was authorized this insignia with a mine case below the insignia by War Department Circular 25, dated 17 January 1920.
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- Description- A Gold color metal and enamel device 1 inch (2.54 cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned: Per fess wavy Gules and Azure in chief on an oval escutcheon of the first (Gules) in front of the cannon saltirewise Or an Artillery projectile paleways within a bordure of the last (Or) in base a submarine mine of the like (Or).
- Background – The distinctive unit insignia was approved on 16 October 1929.
- Device
- Blazon
- Shield – Per fess wavy Gules and Azure in chief on an oval escutcheon of the first (Gules) in front of the cannon saltirewise. Or an Artillery projectile paleways within a bordure of the last (Or) in base a submarine mine of the like (Or).
- Supporters – Two cannons paleways Or.
- Motto: “Defendimus” (We Defend).
- Symbolism
- Shield
The design was used by the Coast Artillery School for many years but was never recorded by the War Department. It is a shield of red and blue parted horizontally by a wavy line; on the upper red portion of the shield is the insignia of the Coast Artillery, and on the lower blue portion a submarine mine in gold. A scroll bearing the words “Coast Artillery School” may be added to the device.
The National Defense Act of 1920 provided for Warrant Officers to serve in clerical, administrative and bandleader positions. This act also authorized 1,120 Warrant Officers to be on active duty. During this time Warrant Officers were excluded from performing duties from which enlisted personnel were also excluded.
In 1921, Warrant Officer Francis Leigh organized and led the band that was created for the 1921 internment of the World War I Unknown Soldier. He was known as a highly respected and competent musician within the Army music system. He was also the first musical leader of the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” from January 26 – September 6, 1922. He led the band in its first public appearance on April 27, 1922. Unfortunately, he fell out of favor with General Pershing and was soon replaced. In 1938 a building at Fort Leavenworth, KS was named for WO Francis Leigh and dedicated by Brig. Gen. Lesley McNair, the general for whom Fort Lesley McNair in Washington D.C. is named for.
On May 12, 1921, a distinctive insignia was approved for Warrant Officers.
It consisted of an eagle rising with wings displayed, adapted from the great seal of the United States. The eagle is standing on two arrows, which symbolize the military arts and sciences. The eagle rising is enclosed within a wreath. Warrant Officers of the Tank Corps were the first to wear this new insignia. ( See more )
Eight of the original 40 Army Mine Planter Warrant Officers Appointed in 1922 and pictured at Fort McPherson, Georgia
In 1922, Warrant Officer strength authorization was reduced from 1,120 to 600, exclusive of the number of Army Mine Planter Service Warrant Officers and Army Bandmasters. No Warrant Officer appointments other than bandleaders and the Mine Planter Service were made between 1922 and 1935. Despite the authorized strength remaining at 600, subsequent laws authorized the appointment of additional classes of certain personnel with specific qualifications to exceed authorized Warrant Officer strength.
In 1926, the first two female field clerks became the first female Warrants. They were Jen Doble, on duty at IX Area in San Francisco and Olive Hoskins, on duty at the VII Corps Area headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. Both women then had about 20 years service and there were no more female warrants after they retired. Not until WWII did the Army again appoint women as warrants. [Source: “Encyclopedia of US Army Insignia and Uniforms” (Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1996) by Bill Emerson].
In 1934 at Fort Monroe, Virginia, “Music Under The Stars” Concerts were initiated by Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Michael A, Quinto, the Bandleader of the 2nd Coast Artillery Regiment Band from 1932-1938. CWO Quinto was appointed a Warrant Officer in 1921, and Bandleaders were some of the earliest Warrant Officers in the U. S. Army. At Fort Monroe, the Headquarters building of The United States Continental Army Band (TUSCAB) was named Quinto Hall until 2011 when Fort Monroe was deactivated. TUSCAB was renamed the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Band after relocating to Fort Eustis, Virginia, and into a new building. In 2011, the new building was dedicated in honor of the distinguished soldier-musician, who served in Army bands in the United States, Cuba, and along the Mexican border. CWO Quinto retired after 42 years on active duty, and later founded the Hampton Community Band in 1950, which is still in existence today, now the Peninsula Concert Band. CWO Quinto died in 1962 at the age of 80. A room in Quinto Hall at Fort Eustis contains a display and biography of CWO Quinto’s service in the Army.
WO Michael A. Quinto, 1921 MUTS, Ft. Monroe, VA, 1934 CWO Michael A. Qunito, 1935
1936 – 1949
In 1936, the Army was uncertain about what an Army Warrant Officer was and whether there was a place for Warrant Officers in the Army’s personnel structure. although it had give the rank to such specialties as band leaders, marine engineers, field clerks, and pay clerks, it had also used the rank and the Corps as a reward for former commissioned officers who no longer met the officer educational requirements, and as a reward for outstanding enlisted personnel who were too old to be commissioned and who otherwise could look to no further advancement.
Also, in 1936, the Army held competitive examinations to replenish lists of eligible’s for Regular Army appointment. The Army appointed Warrant Officers against vacancies from this 1936 list until the beginning of World War II.
In 1939, Warrant Officers who were qualified pilots were declared eligible for direct appointment to lieutenants in the Army Air Corps. This action caused a serious decline in the Warrant Officer corps. As of 30 June 1939 there were 775 Warrant Officers serving on active duty. Also in 1939 a memorandum from the Army G-1 to the Chief of Staff stated “The Warrant Officer grade continued to be used as a reward to enlisted men of long service and special qualifications rather than to fill essential military requirements.”
[During World War II, prior to becoming an independent service in 1947, the US Army Air Force created the rank of Flight Officer, equivalent in rank and in the pay grade of “Warrant Officer Junior Grade” (today’s WO1). Some of the first men who held this rank were Americans serving as Sergeant Pilots in the British Royal Air Force and were transferred to the US Army Air Force after the US entered the war. Most were later graduates of various US Army Air Force flight training programs, including pilot, navigator and bombardier ratings. A portion of each graduating class were appointed as Flight Officers while others were commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants. Once reaching operational units and after gaining flying experience, many Flight Officers were later offered direct commissions as officers. With the end of WW 2 in 1945, creation of Flight Officers ceased.] (Source: Wikipedia)
During World War II, among the first members of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) to be promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer was Miss Vashti R. Rutledge, Long Island, N.Y., who performed administrative work at the Army-Navy Staff College in Washington, DC. (Source: Fort Des Moines (IA) Museum web site and her son Hamilton Fish, MD.)
In 1940, Warrant Officers began serving as disbursing agents. Warrant Officer appointments began to occur in larger numbers for the first time since 1922. However, overall strength declined due to a significant number were transferred to active duty as regular commissioned officers.
As early as 1941, with the activation of the 99th Pursuit Squadron (March 15, 1941) and with the forming of the 66th Army Air Forces Flight Training Detachment (July 1941), African American Warrant Officers performed in key positions, contributing to the success of their organizations, and making a significant impact on the heritage and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen – see more.
Sometime in 1941, additional Army Mine-Planter Boats were built for use during Word War II. Among those were L61, L80, L88, and L89 pictured below left. These vessels were built at the Luders Yard in Stamford, CT and ultimately based on the New England coast. In 1975, L80 was donated by the General Services Administration to the Mobile Alabama Fire Department. It was outfitted and put into service as the Fire Boat Ramona Doyle (pictured below center). After decommissioning some of the mine planter boats were sold. Pictured below right is the Christy Marie owned by an individual in Pennsylvania. The picture was taken while it was docked in Mobile Alabama prior to it proceeding to the Tenn-Tom Waterway and the Ohio River system enroute to Pennsylvania. We understand the Christy Marie underwent a name change upon arrival in Pennsylvania.
Army Mine Planters L61, 80 & 89 | Fire Boat Ramona Doyle (L80) | Christy Marie (L89) |
(Courtesy of Retired Mobile (AL) Fire Captain Greg Foster and Bob Wallstrom of Delta Marine Small Craft Design & Survey, Inc., Brownfield, ME)
In 1941, Public Law 230 authorized appointments up to one percent of the total Regular Army enlisted strength. This law also established two pay rates for Warrant Officers, Warrant Officer Junior Grade (W-1) and Chief Warrant Officer (W-2). One other benefit of Public Law 230 was the authorization of flight pay for those involved in aerial duties. In November of 1941, an executive order further extended the Warrant Officer positions and provided the following additions:
1. Warrant Officers can be assigned as prescribed by the Secretary of the Army.
2. When such duties included those normally performed by commissioned officer, the Warrant Officer would be vested with all the powers usually exercised by commissioned officers in the performance of those duties.
On January 8, 1942, the 98-foot Army mine-planter General Richard Arnold sprang a leak and sank about 20-miles southeast of the Isle of Shoals of the Maine coast. Ten of the crew drowned. Saved was William H. Chasteen of Waterford, Conn., commanding the Arnold, who jumped from the bridge as the ship went under and was picked up by another disabled mine-planter the L-88 – see more.
(Courtesy of the Portsmouth Herald (Kittery Maine). Pictured left is a reproduction of the early Mine-Planter insignia.)
In November of 1942, the position of Warrant Officer was defined by the War Department in the rank order as being above all enlisted personnel and immediately below all commissioned officers. January 1944 saw the authorization of appointment of women as Warrant Officers and by the end of WW II, forty-two female Warrant Officers were serving on active duty. Warrant Officers were filling 40 different occupational specialties by early 1946 and approximately 60 specialties by 1951.
From 1942 to 1945, Flight officer was a United States Army Air Forces rank used by the Army Air Forces during World War II.The rank is equivalent to warrant officer junior grade which is today’s Warrant Officer (NATO grade: W-1). Enlisted and aviation cadet trainees who successfully passed air qualification training were appointed as flight officers and served as rated pilots, navigators, flight engineers, bombardiers and glider pilots. At the end of World War II, the Army Air Forces discontinued the use of the rank of flight officer. All of the service’s flight officers had either been promoted to commissioned officer ranks during the course of the war or discharged. Pictured right, U.S. Army Air Force Flight officer rank insignia as used during World War II. Source of this information and the Flight Officer Insignia: Wikipedia, seehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_officer#United_States_Army for more information.
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In January 1944, the appointment of women as Warrant Officers was authorized.
In March 1944, the first six (or seven) female Warrant Officers were appointed. Several were band leaders, but others were administrative specialists. One was Nana Rae, General Eisenhower’s secretary. At the conclusion of World War II, there were 42 female Warrant Officers serving on active duty.
In May 1945, when peak personnel strength was reached during World War II, almost 57,000 Warrant Officers were serving including flight officers in the Army Air Force.
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On July 19, 1945, CW4 Oscar G. Johnson, Jr., was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism. He joined the Army in October 1942, and by September 16, 1944, was serving as a private first class in Company B, 363rd Infantry Regiment, 91st Infantry Division. On that day and the following two days, near Scarperia, Italy, he single-handedly held his position at his unit’s left flank after all other members of his squad had been killed or wounded. He was subsequently promoted to Sergeant and, on July 19, 1945, awarded the Medal of Honor. Johnson later joined the Michigan Army National Guard in July 1959 and reached the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Four before his retirement in April 1964. He died at age 77 and was buried in DeWitt Cemetery, De Witt, Michigan. (See picture and MOH Citation) The Warrant Officer Historical Foundation has purchased an engraved paver brick for the walkway to the entrance of the planned National Museum of the U.S. Army to join those of the other Warrant Officer Medal of Honor recipients; Major(Ret) (then CW2) Frederick E. Ferguson, CW4 (Ret) (then CW3) Michael J. Novosel (deceased), and CW2 (Ret) (then SFC) Louis R. Rocco (deceased).
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After World War II appointments of Warrant Officers virtually ceased because of the Army downsizing, dissatisfaction
with the decentralized appointment system, and confusion about the purpose of Warrant Officers.
By Early 1946, Warrant Officers were filling some 40 different military occupational specialties.
During 1948 and 1949, competitive examinations were once again held to appoint or select for appointment approximately 6,000 regular Army Warrant Officers.
In 1949, the Career Compensation Act brought about two new pay rates for Warrant Officers. The designations of Warrant Officer Junior Grade (WOJG) and Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) were retained, the grade of Chief Warrant Officer was expanded with the addition of pay grades of W3 and W4.
1950 – 1974
During the 1950s, studies determined there was a vital need for Warrant Officers and proposed that appointment to Warrant Officer should be based on the needs of the Army and not simply a reward for long and faithful service. During 1950, approximately 900 Warrant Officer appointments were made using the 1948 and 1949 lists from competitive examinations.
In 1951. Major Commanders were once again authorized to tender temporary Warrant Officer appointments. Some 1,400 temporary appointments were tendered in some 60 occupational specialties under this authority.
In March 1952, termination of Warrant Officer appointments occurred due to budgetary considerations.
In 1953, the inception of the Warrant Officer Flight Program leads to the training of thousands who later became helicopter pilots during the Vietnam War.
In 1954, The Warrant Officer Personnel Act of that year established Warrant Officer grades W1 through W4 and officially eliminated the Mine Planter Service.
In April 1955, the 1st Aviation Class at then Camp Rucker, Alabama graduated. Pictured above is Class ACHPC 55-F on April 30, 1955. (Picture contributed by CW4 (Ret) Don Joyce, a class graduate)
In July 1956, Camp Wolters Texas was transferred back to the Army from the Air Force and became the U.S. Army Primary Helicopter Center and School. Camp Wolters later became Fort Wolters and Aviation Warrant Officer Candidates were trained at this post from November 1956 until 1973. For more about the school and post, visit the History page of the Fort Wolters Chapter, Viet Nam Helicopter Pilots Association).
On 21 January 1957, a new Warrant Officer concept, resulting from a Department of the Army study, was announced and provided the following guidelines:
1. The need for Warrant Officers
2. The Warrant Officer category would not be considered a reward or incentive.
3. The first published definition for Army Warrant Officers was established in AR 611-112 and defined the Warrant Officer as follows:
“The Warrant Officer is a highly skilled technician who is provided to fill those positions above the enlisted level which are too specialized in scope to permit effective development and continued utilization of broadly trained, branch qualified commissioned officers.”
In 1958, the U. S. Air Force discontinued its Warrant Officer program following the passage of legislation (Military Pay Act of 1958) which created the grades of E8 and E9. After careful review of the duties performed by their Warrant Officers, Air Force leaders decided to restructure the Warrant Officer authorizations into the senior enlisted grades (E7/E8/E9). In the eyes of the Air Force leadership, loss of the Warrant Officers cut out an additional management layer and a separate personnel management system and additionally created increased promotion opportunity for the senior enlisted force. The last active duty Air Force warrant officer, CWO-4 James H. Long, retired in 1980 and the last Air Force Reserve warrant officer, CWO-4 Bob Barrow, retired in 1992. Since then, the Air Force warrant officer ranks, while still authorized by law, are not used(Source Wikipedia). See also “The In-Betweens” by Bruce D. Callander, published in November 1991 edition of the AIR FORCE MAGAZINE of the Air Force Association.
In April 1960, the Warrant Officer Program was outlined in Department of the Army Circular 611-7. This document covered utilization policies, criteria for selection, and instruction for conversion to the then new Warrant Officer Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) system.
In 1966, the Army conducted a review of Warrant Officer career progression and the first Warrant Officer Professional Development Program was published in the Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-11.
In 1967, early selection for promotion (below the zone) promotions was authorized for a limited number of Chief Warrant Officer W3 and W4.
In 1968, the Regular Army Program was reopened to Warrant Officer applicants after having been closed for 20 years. Additionally, service requirements were reduced and application procedures were simplified.
Between January 1968 and May 1970, three Warrant Officers received the Congressional Medal of Honor (MOH) for their heroic actions in combat in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN). All three are enrolled in the Aviation Hall of Fame at the Army Aviation Museum, Fort Rucker, Alabama. For more information about the Congressional Medal of Honor and a listing of recipients visit the Congressional Medal of Honor Society web site.
Frederick E. Ferguson, Aviator | Michael J. Novosel, Aviator | Louis R. Rocco, Physicians Assistant |
Then a CW2, for heroic actions on 31 JAN 1968, Hue, RVN. (Retired as a MAJ) |
Then a CW3, for heroic actions on 2 OCT 1969, Kien Province, RVN. (Retired as a CW4, now deceased) |
Then an SFC, for heroic actions on 24 MAY 1970, N.E. of Katum, RVN. (Retired as a CW2, now deceased) |
In July 1972, Army Warrant Officers began wearing newly designed silver rank insignia with black squares, where one black square signified WO1 and two through four black squares signified CW2 through CW4. Also in 1972, a tri-level education system had been established and provided formal training at the basic or entry level for Warrant Officers in fifty-nine occupational specialties. The educational system further provided intermediate level formal training in fifty-three specialties and formal training for twenty-seven specialties at the advanced level.
In 1973, the levels of the Warrant Officer Education were redesignated as entry, advanced, and senior level respectively. Because these courses were so successful the Warrant Officer Senior Course was established to provide Warrant Officers with access to the highest level of professional education.
In 1973, an Aviation training for women was authorized based on an Army Chief of Staff decision. The women followed the same academic, flight, and physical training programs as the men except that push-ups were substituted for pull-ups required for males. Initially, women did not participate in the survival and POW exercises, but that practice was changed late in 1974. The women pilots were assigned to general support, noncombat units, where they evacuated medical patients and transported routine passengers such as inspection teams. The first female Warrant Officer candidate entered this training program in the fiscal year 1974 and the first completed the training and was appointed as a Warrant Officer in the fiscal year 1975. The first female warrant officer aviator was Jennie A. Vallance.
In 1974, a Military Occupational Specialty Immaterial Warrant Officer Senior Course was instituted to give mid-grade and senior Warrant Officers background on “how the Army runs.”
1975-1983
In 1975, a Warrant Officer Division at the then Military Personnel Center (MILPERCEN) [later the Total Army Personnel Command (PERSCOM), then Total Army Personnel Command (TAPC), and now Human Resources Command – Alexandria (HRC-Alexandria)] was established to provide a centralized career management center for all Army Warrant Officers (excluding the Judge Advocate General and Medical Corps). 1975 also saw the Warrant Officer Civilian Education and Degree Completion Program authorized and established by the Department of the Army.
In 1978, Army National Guard & Army Reserve Warrant Officers were integrated into the Army Professional Development System. This satisfied the need for qualified, highly trained Warrant Officers the ability to access into the active Army rapidly in times of emergency.
In 1982, the Warrant Officer Training System (WOTS) was established by the U. S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). WOTS consisted of three levels “Entry”, “Advanced”, and “Senior”.
In 1983, Lt. Gen. Maxwell Thurman, Department of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, approved Special Forces Warrant Officer Military Occupational Specialty 180A. Prior to this milestone, Warrant Officers were recruited into Special Forces following the activation of the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in June 1952. It is possible that some of these Warrant Officers were associated with the various Special Operations units during the Korean War, i.e. United Nations Partisan Infantry, Korea as well as the multitude of Special Operations project elements during the Vietnam War. (Source: CW5 Tom Biddle of USASFC(A), Fort Bragg, NC, Nov. 16, 2010.)
1984-1988
In 1984, an entire new era for Warrant Officers began when the Army Chief of Staff chartered The Army Total Warrant Officer Study (TWOS). This was the first Department of the Army level comprehensive study of Warrant Officer management across the total Army. View the Cover Letter and Executive Summary of the final TWOS Report.
On 1 October 1984, all direct appointments of Army Warrant Officers ceased by direction of the Army Vice Chief of Staff. A Warrant Officer Entry Course was established at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In the mid-1980s a Warrant Officer Entry Course-Reserve Components was established in the Warrant Officer Training Branch at the Army Reserve Readiness Training Center at Fort Mc Coy, WI. This course evolved into Warrant Officer Candidate School-Reserve Components and it was conducted until September 1994 when all Warrant Officer Candidate School courses were consolidated and transferred to the Warrant Officer Career Center, Fort Rucker, AL.
In 1985, the Army developed a clear and concise definition of the Warrant Officer that encompassed all Warrant Officer specialties.
“An officer appointed by warrant by the Secretary of the Army, based upon a sound level of technical and tactical competence. The Warrant Officer is the highly specialized expert and trainer who, by gaining progressive levels of expertise and leadership, operates, maintains, administers, and manages the Army’s equipment, support activities, or technical systems for an entire career.”
(Para 1-7 DA Pamphlet 600-11)
In October 1985, Direct Appointments officially ceased when the Warrant Officer Training System (WOTS) was approved. All those, except prior warrant officers or commissioned officers, selected to become warrants were required to attend the Warrant Officer Entry Course (WOEC) prior to appointment. For all warrant officers appointed prior to October 1, 1987, there was no requirement for WOEC, therefore they were considered educationally qualified for appointment and promotion to Chief Warrant Officer Two (CW2).
Also in 1985, Active Guard-Reserve (full-time Title 10 active duty) positions were established in the Personnel Directorate in the Office of the Director of the Army National Guard and in the Personnel Division of the Office of the Chief Army Reserve. These positions were the result of an approved recommendation in the Total Warrant Officer Study (TWOS). This resulted in the active Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve each having a Warrant Officer Program Manager, later renamed a Warrant Officer Policy Integrator in line with having the Total Warrant Officer System (TWOS), and the only singular personnel management system in The Army.
The Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1986 amended Title 10 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) to provide that “Army Chief Warrant Officers shall be appointed by Commission.” The primary purpose of the legislation was to equalize appointment procedures among the services. Chief Warrant Officers of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard had been commissioned for many years. Contrary to popular belief, the commissioning legislation was not a Total Warrant Officer Study (TWOS) recommendation but a separate Army proposal. Further clarification of the role of an Army Warrant Officer, including the commissioned aspect, is found in Field Manual 22-100. (See also “When and why were warrant officers commissioned?”)
“Warrant Officers are highly specialized, single-track specialty officers who receive their authority from the Secretary of the Army upon their initial appointment. However, Title 10 U.S.C. authorizes the commissioning of Warrant Officers (WO1) upon promotion to Chief Warrant Officer (CW2). These commissioned Warrant Officers are direct representatives of the president of the United States. They derive their authority from the same source as commissioned officers but remain specialists, in contrast to commissioned officers, who are generalists. Warrant Officers can and do command detachments, units, activities, and vessels as well as lead, coach, train, and counsel subordinates. As leaders and technical experts, they provide valuable skills, guidance, and expertise to commanders and organizations in their particular field.”
(Para A-3, Field Manual 22-100)
In a 1988 message, the Army established that, pending submission and approval of the new rank of CW5, that Warrant Officers selected by a Department of the Army board and designated as Master Warrant Officer (MW4) would be senior to all Warrant Officers in the grade of CW4. The MW4 continued to be paid at the W-4 pay grade. In December 1988 the first Master Warrant Officer Training Course graduated and the first thirty CW4s were designated as Master Warrant Officers. (See below regarding the Warrant Officer Management Act and the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 5 (W-5).
In December 1988, the first Master Warrant Officer Training Course (MWOTC) graduated from the then U. S. Army Warrant Officer Career Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Pictured below are the graduates and their names.
1989-1991
In 1989, A Warrant Officer Management Act (WOMA) proposal was submitted by the U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association on behalf of the Army to the Congress. Then Congressman Charles Bennett of Florida submitted the proposed legislation to the House. Upon review, the Senate Armed Services Committee Report on the FY 1990/1991 Defense Authorization Bill referred the package to the Department of Defense (DoD) to evaluate the proposal for consideration in the 1991 bill. The Army was requested by the Defense Department to chair a special ad hoc committee to research and prepare the requested report for the Congress. The committee initiated deliberations on September 22, 1989. Committee participants included representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Force Management) and from the personnel departments of each of the military services, the Reserve components, and the Coast Guard. The Committee’s report was issued on 30 November 1989. The Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Management & Personnel) forwarded the Defense Report to the Chairmen of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees on 9 March 1990. See the Executive Summary.
In 1991 the Warrant Officer Management Act (WOMA) proposal was considered by the Congress and it was incorporated into the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 1992. Six key provisions were enacted based on the Warrant Officer Management Act as signed by the President in December of 1991, these were as follows:
- A single promotion system for Warrant Officers.
- Tenure requirements based on years of Warrant Officer service.
- Establishment of the grade of CW5 with a 5% cap on the number of Warrant Officers on each service’s active duty list at any one time.
- Selective mandatory retirement boards for retirement eligible WO.
View House Resolution 36, the actual bill as enacted into law.
Also in 1991, two more Total Army Warrant Officer Study (TWOS) recommendations were implemented. Also, contrary to popular belief, the following resulted from TWOS recommendations and not WOMA provisions. They were:
- Coding of authorized positions by rank grouping of Warrant Officer (WO) [W1 or W2 authorized], senior Warrant Officer (SW) [W3 or W4 authorized], and master Warrant Officer (MW) [CW4 or MW4 authorized]
- Automatic Regular Army Integration upon selection and promotion to CW3.
In May 1991, the Warrant Officer Leader Development Network was activated by the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) to produce a coordinated Warrant Officer Leader Development Action Plan (WOLDAP) to address the three pillars of Leader Development. The WOLDAP was charged to be applicable to both the active and reserve components in line with TWOS concepts.
From November 24 to December 1, 1991, Then CW3 Thomas J. Hennen made history as the first and only Warrant Officer Astronaut. He flew aboard NASA’s Orbiter Atlantis, STS-44, as a Payload Specialist, completing 109 orbits of the Earth and traveling 2.9 million miles. He served over 24 years in the imagery intelligence field. From 1988 to 1990 he underwent Terra Scout payload operations training at Fort Huachuca, AZ. In 1990 he began his Astronaut and Space Shuttle Crewmember Training at NASA. He retired as a CW4 in December 1995. He is co-founder and currently serves as Executive Director of the non-profit Atlantis Foundation, Seabrook, TX, which is both an advocate and a service provider for people with various developmental disabilities. Tom, who after viewing our planet from a totally different perspective, has rededicated his life to helping people, especially children who can not help themselves. |
1992-1996
In February 1992, the Warrant Officer Management Act (WOMA) provisions went into effect.
In February 1992, the Army began appointing Physicians Assistants as regular commissioned officers. In the mid-1980s the Office of the Army Surgeon General proposed to convert Warrant Officer Physician Assistants to regular commissioned officers. This would bring the Physician Assistants program of the Army in line with the other services, all of which required a Baccalaureate. It had been recognized that Warrant Officer Physicians sometimes suffered a credibility gap with commissioned nurses and some other commissioned officer non-medical professionals who were regular commissioned officers. The Army submitted legislation to the Congress which was passed and signed into law by the President. The physician assistants in the active Army were conditionally appointed to commissioned officer grades with five-years to medical the BA and other certifications. Reserve component physician assistants were conditionally appointed and allowed 10-years to complete the education and credentialing requirements.
On February 27, 1992, the Warrant Officer Leader Development Action Plan (WOLDAP) was approved by the Chief of Staff, Army. The purpose was to incorporate a smooth transition of the Total Army Warrant Officer System and the Warranty Officer Management Act into a seamless personnel management system for the Army Warrant Officers. It is a total Army plan designed to ensure that active and reserve component Warrant Officers are appointed, trained, and utilized to a single standard. See approved WOLDAP.
In March 1992, the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel recommended that the Master Warrant Officer rank insignia be approved for wear by both Master Warrant 4s (MW4) and Chief Warrant Officer 5s (CW5). This was in light of the fact that MW4 selection boards would be replaced by CW5 selection boards in accordance with the Warrant Officer Management Act. It was also felt that the CW5 insignia proposed Institute of Heraldry might not be recognizable as a Warrant Officer rank. On March 28, 1992, the Chief of Staff, Army approved the recommendation. On the other hand, the U.S. Marine Corps did adopt the Institute of Heraldry proposed CW5 insignia upon implementation of that rank. That insignia is a silver bar with a red enamel strip in the center down the length of the bar. See also the Evolution of Current Army CW5 Insignia – by CW5 (Ret) Don Howerton with Addendum by CW5 Ed German and CW5 Dave Welsh.
On October 1, 1992, Master Warrant Officer 4 Ted Reno, Warrant Officer Proponent at the Army Ordnance Center and School became the first active Army Chief Warrant Officer 5. Among the first Reserve Component Warrant Officers to be promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 5 were Master Warrant Officer 4 John F. “Jack” Lynch, Warrant Officer Policy Integrator in the Personnel Directorate in the Office of the Director Army National Guard; Master Warrant Officer 4 David P. “Dave” Welsh, Warrant Officer Policy Integrator in the Personnel Division of the Office of the Chief of the Army Reserve; and the first female Warrant Officer was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 5. Master Warrant Officer 4 Donna L. Foli, then serving as Chief, Technical Warrant Officer Recruiting for the Army Reserve at the U.S. Army Recruiting Command was the first female to be promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 5. All the foregoing officers are now retired.
On October 1, 1992, the appointment of Army Warrant Officer Candidates (WOC) to WO1 was established as the graduation date from Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS). Prior to that date, WOC were not appointed until completion of the then Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course (WOTTCC) for their military occupation specialty (MOS). Since WOTTCC for various MOS were of various lengths, the length of time spent as a WOC varied greatly. Also, Army policy was changed effective October 1, 1992, to require all warrant officers be appointed in the grade of WO1 upon completion of WOCS.
Between October 1992 and September 1993, twenty-two (22) Warrant Officers were erroneously appointed to CW2. Prior to the October 1992 change, appointment took place upon completion of the then Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course (WOTTCC), except that enlisted personnel serving in grades E-8 and E-9 could be appointed in the grade of CW2 provided they accepted a 6 year service obligation, or in the grade of WO1 and accept a 5 year obligation. (see ratification below)
On October 3 and 4, 1993, street and air support battles in Mogadishu, Somalia took place. These battles, the atrocities and the heroics on the ground and in the air resulted in the book Blackhawk Down by Mark Bowden, and later the movie by the same name. See Nightstalker Pilot’s Account of 03/04 Oct 1993 by Capt. Gerry Izzo (Super65) for a detailed account of the battle with the names of the Warrant Officer involved. The death of CW4 Ray Frank in the battle resulted in the coining of the term “The Quiet Professional” by then Major General Jack Keane, Commander, 101st Division (Air Assault), delivered an address to assembled warrant officers at Fort Campbell. General Keane used the words “quiet professional” as he talked about warrant officers, and specifically applied that title to a warrant officer with whom he was personally acquainted. The Warrant Officer, of whom General Keane spoke, served as a pilot in command of an MH-60 on October 3, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia. In the performance of the mission and his duties, that warrant officer was shot down and killed, paying the ultimate price in service to the Nation. The name of this warrant officer was CW4 Raymond A. Frank, U.S. Army; “The Quiet Professional.” See also CW4 (Ret) Michael J. Durant in this history.
In October 1993, a new Warrant Officer Education System (WOES) went into effect. Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS) retained that name. Warrant Officer Technical Training Certification became the Warrant Officer Basic Course (WOBC). Senior Warrant Officer Training became the Warrant Officer Advance Course (WOAC). The Warrant Officer Staff Course (WOSC) was added by reduction in length of MWOTC. The Master Warrant Officer Training Course was renamed the Warrant Officer Senior Staff Course (WOSSC).
In 1993, consolidation of Warrant Officer Candidate schooling at the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career Center (WOCC), Fort Rucker, Alabama was directed by the Chief of Staff, Army. Class 345-95 was the last Reserve Component class conducted for Army National Guard and Army Reserve candidates at the Army Reserve Readiness Training Center at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. This class graduated on 30 September 1994 and the guidons of the Warrant Officer Candidate Company were furled for the last time. Since October 1, 1994, the WOCC is responsible for conducting a six-week version of WOCS for active Army and all aviation candidates, and a four-week version for RC candidates in the technical Warrant Officer specialties.
On January 1, 1994, the Warrant Officer Advance Course (WOAC) or equivalent became a requirement for selection to CW4 in the Army Reserve.
On September 21, 1994, the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) ratified the erroneous Chief Warrant Officer 2 appointments made between October 1992 and September 1993 by granting a retroactive exception to policy – see erroneous CW2 appointments above.
In 1995, the U. S. Army Warrant Officer Association commissioned the painting of “The Quiet Professional” by noted military artist Don Stivers. The print commemorates the 75th Anniversary of the Army Warrant Officer Corps. The setting is historic Fort Myer, Virginia and features early period uniforms and the Caisson Platoon horses and equipment of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, “The Old Guard”. The Warrant Officer that the title refers to served as a pilot in command of an MH-60 on October 3, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia. In the performance of the mission and his duties, that warrant officer was shot down and killed, paying the ultimate price in service to the Nation. The name of this warrant officer was CW4 Raymond A. Frank, U.S. Army; “The Quiet Professional.” See the origin of the title.
In 1996, the U. S. Army Warrant Officer Career Center accepted full responsibility for the Warrant Officer Candidate Museum at Fort Rucker, AL. Since then, the museum has been moved from a WW II Building to a two-story brick building housing Headquarters Company of the Warrant Officer Career Center. The museum has subsequently closed and the artifacts placed in storage.
Also in 1996, a U.S. Army Warrant Officers History Book was undertaken by the U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association to tell the story of the Corps.
(This History Book is now sold out)
1997-2004
In December 1997, the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) signed a memorandum changing the policy for release from active duty for Active Guard Reserve (AGR) Warrant Officers of the Army National Guard and Army Reserve to exclude enlisted active service when computing Active Federal Service for AGR Warrant Officers. The enlisted service continues to be creditable for retirement purposes. See Army message announcing this change effective 1 January 1998.
In 1988 and 1989, initial Army Reserve position rank coding resulted in 145 WO positions being rank coded for CW5s – Master Warrant Officer (MWO) fill. CW5 positions were placed at the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve; U.S. Army Reserve Command; Army Reserve Personnel Command, Army Reserve Commands; and a few other Tables of Authorization organizations.
On January 4, 1999, the Chief of Staff, Army, chartered the Warrant Officer Leader Development Council with the mission to serve as a continuing body to introduce, review and address potential issues concerning Army systems, policies, and programs designed to produce ready and relevant warrant officers who are capable of supporting the Army mission in their roles as soldiers, officers, leaders, and technicians across the full spectrum of operational environments.
In September 1999, General Eric K. Shinseki, the Chief of Staff, Army, chartered the Army Development System (ADS) XXI Task Force to examine the enlisted and Warrant Officer personnel management systems.
Also in September 1999, and article entitled Warrant Officers have been the Experts in Service since our country’s beginning by Shelly Davis, was published in The RETIRED OFFICER magazine of then The Retired Officer Association (TROA).
In the late 1990s, CW5 Antonio B. Eclavea served as Assistant Executive Officer to the Chief of Staff, Army in the Pentagon. In 2010 Eclavea was inducted into the Adjutant Generals Corps Hall of Fame – see more.
Also in 1999, a Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO) program was approved for implementation by the National Guard Bureau (NGB). CW5 CCWO positions were added to each State Area Command Headquarter (STARC). These CW5 positions were in addition to the existing 3 to 5 CW5s authorized in each State or Territory. The duties of the CCWO were: to address WO strength problems and WO recruiting; establish a mentor program for warrant officer candidates (WOC) and junior WO; and to serve as a technical advisor to the State Adjutant General on WO management and career development.
In 2000, an Active Guard Reserve CW5 CCWO position was added at NGB Headquarters. CW5 Robert J. Wharton was appointed as the first Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army National Guard.
In December 2000, the Chief, Army Reserve authorized adding a CW5 Command Chief Warrant Officer position at each Regional Support Command.
In May 2001, the Army moved on Warrant Officer Personnel Management Changes – with 23 of 24 ADS XXI initiatives approved by the Army Chief of Staff, the Army is moved to refine its personnel management systems.
In May 2001, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nicholas L. Punimata became a part of Warrant Officer History by being the first Warrant Officer to be presented the prestigious General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award. His award was presented on May 23, 2001 in the Pentagon byGeneral Eric K. Shinseki, Chief of Staff, Army and Mr. William Sherman Hull from the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation. During the ceremony, in addition to CW2 Punimata, 23 company grade award nominees of Major Army Commands (MACOM), Army National Guard, and Army Reserve level competitions were also honored as MacArthur Leadership Awardees. CW2 Punimata was assigned as Commander, Special Forces Operational Detachment Alpha 151, Fort Lewis when selected. His hometown is Utile, American Samoa. (Pictured (l to r): GEN Eric Shinseki, then Chief of Staff, Army, presents a General Douglas MacArthur Bust to CW2 Punimata while Mr. Hull from the MacArthur Foundation looks on.)
Also in 2001, Warrant Officer 1 Angela Lowe was the first female Field Artillery Warrant Officer to graduate from Warrant Officer Candidate School.
Further, in 2001, the then Warrant Officer Career Center (WOCC) issued a set of “Warrant Officer Values Posters” following the“Army Values Theme of Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage” – see the 2001 posters. In 2006 a revised set of posters was issued by the now Warrant Officer Career College – see more.
On February 1, 2002, CW5 Rhea R. Pruett was selected as the first female Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO) in the Army. She was the was the second CCWO for the Michigan Army National Guard. See picture and biography.
In February 2002, “The Warrant Officer Ranks: Adding Flexibility to Military Personnel Management,” a report released by the Congressional Budget Office of the U.S. Congress in February 2002 (applies to all services) – see Fact Sheet. To view the Report go to www.cbo.gov, click on “Publications”, then click on “Search” and enter “warrant” in the “word/Phrase” block. The Report will appear in the right hand panel. Click “More” to view the report or you may download the file.
On May 17, 2002, the Ninth Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation Report was released. Warrant Officer compensation is covered in the Executive Summary and in the body of the report.
On July 18, 2002, the Army Training and Leader Development Panel Reports on the Warrant Officer Study – The Report and recommendations were released on August 22, 2002 after briefing to and approval by the Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Army. The Final Report is available to be viewed, printed or downloaded.
On August 29, 2002, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Daniel J. Logan, Jr., was appointed as the first Warrant Officer Advisor to the Chief of Staff, Army – see CSA Sends message.
In October 2002, the Navy Secretary Authorized Pay Grade W5 beginning in Fiscal Year 2004 – The Navy announced that the 2004 Promotion Selection Board will include CWO4 selection for CWO5. Over a five year period some 84 CWO5 billets (5% authorized by WOMA) of the Navy Warrant Officer Corps may serve in the grade of Chief Warrant Officer Five. See Navy BUPERS Message.
In January 2003, “In the Company of Heroes” was authored by Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Ret) Michael J. Durant with Steven Hartov. Durant was one of the pilots several injured in the battle of October 3 and 4, 1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia who survived. (See also Blackhawk Down in this history)
In March 2003, Three Female Army Warrant Officers were Featured in the National Media:
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Chief Warrant Officer 4 Concetta Hassan, a CH-47 Chinook pilot, “Is very much the 60-year-old grandmother she appears to be, boasting about her family and looking forward to retirement” – see the USA Today story. CW4 Hassan was also featured on the NBC Today Show during the week of March 17th.
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Chief Warrant Officer Charisma Henzie also a CH-47 Chinook pilot – “Perched on her cot, Charisma Henzie rips open a box sent through military mail and pulls out a white stuffed cat. Press here, reads the instructions on the belly and she does. “Happy 26th Birthday!” croaks a baritone, a recording of her father’s voice. “A cat for Kuwait!” – see the Washington Post story.
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Warrant Officer 1 Laquitta Joseph, a Maintenance Technician, “The first thing Warrant Officer Laquitta Joseph did the other day was find the private who inadvertently — and foolishly — had dirtied up her truck with a broken oil-leaking transmission differential.” – see the Wall Street Journal story.
On 27 August 2003, the Chief of Staff, Army announced the second Warrant Officer Advisor. An Army message announcedChief Warrant Officer 5 Jerry L. Dillard as the second Warrant Officer Advisor to the CSA – see CSA Sends message.
In September 2003, the second Don Stivers’ Warrant Officer Limited Edition Serial Numbered Print “LET GO!” was commissioned by the U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association. The artwork commemorates the birth of the Army Warrant Officer Corps: that being the July 1918 act of Congress founding the Army Mine Planter Service as part of the Coast Artillery Corps. The act designated Warrant Officers to serve as masters, mates, chief engineers and assistant engineers of mine-planting vessels. (This print is now sold out)
In January 2004, Lieutenant General Roger Schultz, Director of the Army National Guard, announced the selection of Chief Warrant Officer 5 Poyas Haynes as the new Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army National Guard. CCWO Haynes has served in a long and distinguished career with the Army and the South Carolina Army National Guard.
In April 2004, Chief Warrant Officer 5 David Koch became the new Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army Reserve.
In April 2004, the Army Reserve Instituted New Warrant Officer Military Professional Development Education Requirements – Warrant Officers with an effective date of rank (DOR) of January 1, 2005 and after require the following minimum military professional development education. Warrant Officer Advance Course (WOAC) will be provided earlier in the career to enhance the technical readiness capabilities of the force. The WOAC will now be required for all Warrant Officers between the sixth and eight year of Warrant Officer service or before selection to Chief Warrant Officer 3. The Warrant Officer Staff Course (WOSC) will now be provided to all Warrant Officers between their 12th and 14th year of Warrant Officer service or before selection to Chief Warrant Officer 4. In the case of selection to Chief Warrant Officer 5, the WOSC must be completed for selection and the Warrant Officer Senior Staff Course (WOSSC) must be completed for promotion pin-on. CW2, CW3, and CW4 with a DOR earlier than January 1, 2005 must meet the military Professional Development Education (PDE) requirements currently listed in Table 2-3, AR 135-155. However, it does not preclude educational requirements from being completed for future promotion consideration. Effective April 9, 2004 the education requirements list above were authorized and fully funded. See Memorandum.
In the Spring of 2004, the Commandant and Staff at the Warrant Officer Career Center, Fort Rucker, AL established “The Order of the Eagle Rising Society” as a joint venture with the Military Officers Association (MOAA) as sponsor. The Bylaws of the Society show the purpose as “Recognition of exceptional individuals who have contributed significantly to the promotion of the Warrant Officer Community in ways that stand out in the eyes of the recipient’s superiors, subordinates, and peers. These individuals must have demonstrated the highest standards of integrity and moral character, displayed a high degree of professional competence, and have served the United States Army Community with distinction.” Nominees for the order of the Eagle Rising must have served as a member of the U.S. Military or as a civilian working with the military community and meet the foregoing criteria.
On 9 July 2004, new Chief Warrant Officer Five (ICW5) insignia and wear of Army Officer Branch insignia & branch colors were announced as uniform changes for Army Warrant Officers – see message. The new CW5 insignia is a silver-colored bar, 3/8 inches in width and 1-1/8 inches in length, with a black line in the center of the bar (pictured to the left). This aligned the Army CW5 Insignia with that of the Navy and the Marine Corps, particularly it makes the rank more readily recognizable in joint operations. Ceremonial Warrant Officer Insignia Change and Flag Ceremonies were held at various locations on 9 July and other dates. This change in effect relegated the brass Eagle Rising insignia into Warrant Officer Corps history. Ceremonies were held at many units, organizations, installations, and command around the world where Warrant Officers were pinned with their Officer Branch insignia, CW5s were pinned with the new insignia and Warrant Officers were welcomed into their individual officer branch.
From July 13 to 15, 2004, a Senior Warrant Officer Conference was hosted by the Warrant Officer Career Center, Fort Rucker, Alabama – U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association National President CW5 Franklin D. Meeks and Warrant Officer Heritage Foundation President CW5 (Ret) David P. Welsh both attended the three-days of event
In a ceremony on July 14, 2004, the main Warrant Officer Career Center Building was dedicated in Honor of CW5 Sharon T. Swartworth – Building 5302, home of the Army Warrant Officer Career Center at Fort Rucker, AL was dedicated as “Swartworth Hall.” The memorial is in memory of CW5 Swartworth who was killed in action in Iraq on November 7, 2003. CW5 Swartworth was performing duties as the Judge Advocate General’s Regimental Chief Warrant Officer in a support mission to visit soldiers of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps who were stationed in Iraq, when the UH-60 Black Hawk that she was aboard was shot down near Tikrit. During the course of the dedication ceremony, USAWOA President CW5 Frank Meeks presented a painting of Sharon for display. Pictured left – Building 5302 dedication plaque — Pictured right – COL Enderle, then WOCC Commandant and CW5 Meeks, then U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association National (USAWOA) President unveil the portrait. (Pictures by CW5 (Ret) Dave Welsh)
Also on July 14, 2004, another of the many events included the 86th Anniversary of the Warrant Officer Corps Ball on July 14, 2004. General Richard A. Cody, Vice Chief of Staff, Army, was the guest speaker.
Pictured left are USAWOA National President
CW5 Frank Meeks and
Gen. Richard A. Cody, Vice Chief of Staff, Army.
Pictured right are CW5 Meeks and Medal of Honor
recipient CW4 (Ret) Michael Novosel
who was one of the first inductees into
The Order of the Rising Eagle Society.
Also inducted into The Order of the Eagle Rising Society was Medal of Honor recipient and former Warrant Officer MAJ (Ret) Frederick Ferguson, also one of the first inductees. (Pictures courtesy CW5 Daniel R. Curry)
Also in 2004, CW5 Poyas M. Haynes was appointed Chief Warrant Officer of the Army National Guard replacing CW5 Robert Wharton.
2005 – 2007
On February 1, 2005, the Army Remembered Women Judge Advocate General Corps (JAGC) Pioneers – the ribbon was cut on a JAGC Exhibit at the Army Women’s Museum at Fort Lee, VA. The exhibit includes a highlight on the career of Chief Warrant Officer Five Sharon Swartworth the first active Army CW5 and the first female Regimental Warrant Officer of the JAGC. She was killed in November 2003 when the Blackhawk helicopter she was riding in was shot down near Tikrit, Iraq. See Army News Service story
February through August of 2005 saw many changes introduced as the Army Warrant Officer Corps underwent Army Transformation:
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In February, the Chief of Staff, Army sent a message on Warrant Officer Recruiting to the Commanders of all Army activities – see Message for details.
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Warrant Officer Military Occupational Specialties Reclassification Actions for FY2006 – see message for details.
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Warrant Officer Bonuses —
— $6K bonus aims to cut Reserve Component officer shortage – Affiliation bonus of $6,000 available to officers and warrant officers leaving active duty and signing up for service with National Guard or Army Reserve units – see News Release.
— Special Forces Warrant Officer Accession Bonus – MILPER Message 05-127 announced a $20,000 special accession bonus for NCOs in specified enlisted MOS who are selected for training as Special Forces Warrant Officers. Soldiers who received an SRB/CSRB who are selected and appointed as an SF Warrant Officer will not be required to repay the previously awarded SRB/CSRB disbursement but will be required to sign a service agreement. See MILPER Message for details.
— Critical Skills Retention Bonus for Special Forces Warrant Officers – MILPER Message 05-126. This CSRB is targeted to retirement-eligible career Warrant Officers in MOS 180A with between 19 – 25 years of active federal service who are eligible for continued service.
— Critical Skills Retention Bonus for Military Intelligence Warrant Officers. This CSRB is targeted to retirement-eligible MI Warrant Officers in specific MOS – see MILPER Message 05-105 for MOS and details.
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Officer and Warrant Officer Active Duty Programs – information on possibilities for active duty programs for officers and warrant officers provided by the Chief, Officer Accessions, Retirements and Separations Branch, US Army Human Resources Command-Alexandria.
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Army Physical Fitness Test Standards Message Regarding Enrollment in Warrant Officer and Officer Candidate Schools – Army also issues Change 1 to the Policy.
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Guidance issued for Army Reserve Warrant Officers serving as Commanders that are not Warrant Officer Billets.
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“Warrant Officer Recruiting and Retention Plan” a “must read” article on new initiatives to fill Warrant Officer positions in the active Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve force structure. Read it now.
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De-Linking of Warrant Officer training and education from promotion effective immediately and applies to active Duty List, Army National Guard and Army Reserve Warrant Officers.
On March 24, 2005, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Douglas D. Frank became the Chief Warrant Officer of the Special Forces Branch, MOS 180A Proponent Manager, and Senior Warrant Officer Advisor to the Commanding General, United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School – see Biography and picture.
In July 2005, CW4 (Ret) Donald E. Hess and CW4 (Ret) Willie Ruff (deceased) were inducted into the Order of the “Eagle Rising Society” at the 87th Anniversary of the Warrant Officer Corps Ball at Fort Rucker, AL.
On 14 October 2005, New Army Warrant Officer Definitions were published in Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-3. This Pamphlet includes the career development of Warrant Officers, thus superseding Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-11. See new definitions.
On November 1, 2005, the Army Vice Chief of Staff (VCSA) issued a Charter establishing the Senior Warrant Officer Advisory Council (SWOAC) with the mission to serve as a continuing body to introduce, review and address potential issues concerning Army systems, policies, and programs designed to produce ready and relevant warrant officers who are capable of supporting the Army mission in their roles as soldiers, officers, leaders, and technicians across the full spectrum of operational environments. See current SWOAC Charter. See also “SWOAC, What it is, What it is not.“
On November 7, 2005, Warrant Officer Division in the Army Human Resources Command, Alexandria, VA ceased to exist. All warrant officer career managers now come under the direct supervision of the proponent branch within the Officer Personnel Management Directorate. Although warrant officer career managers are aligning Warrant Officers with the branch to more effectively manage the officer Corps, procedures with the field are not changed. The current phone numbers and email addresses remain the same for each Warrant Officer Assignment officer. The web-page for each warrant officer assignment officer will migrate to the appropriate assignment division web site. This change was announced in MILPER Message 05-277 on November 4, 2005.
In February 2006, the Warrant Officer Advisor to the Chief of Staff Army provided an update on Warrant Officer Issues – see complete text of the update.
In March 2006, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Carl Jenkins was selected and assigned as the third Assistant Executive Officer and Warrant Officer Advisor to the 35th Chief of Staff, Army, General Peter J. Schoomaker and continued to serve in the same capacity for the 36th Chief of Staff, Army, General George W. Casey, Jr. – see Biography and picture.
In April 2006, the Army National Guard was authorized to undertake Reserve Component Warrant Officer Candidate School training for the Army National Guard and Army Reserve. U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and the Warrants Officer Career Center (WOCC) approved the conduct of a pilot program with Warrant Officer Candidates enrolled in a Distance Learning Course (Phase 1) conducted by the WOCC) via the web. Phase 2, consisting of five Inactive Duty Training weekends, was conducted by 13 State Regional Training Institutes between April and August 2006. States participating in the Phase 2 training were Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas. Phase 3, a two-week Annual Training period, was conducted at the 138th Regiment Regional Training Institute at Camp Atterbury, Indiana from September 15 to 30, 2006. Phase 3 graduated 119 Candidates with 116 from the Army National Guard and 3 from the Army Reserve.
July 12, 2006, the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) approved a policy change to create separate competitive categories of Active Guard-Reserve and Non-Active Guard-Reserve for all Army Reserve warrant officers that are considered by mandatory promotion selection boards, effective Calendar Year 2007.
In July 2006, CW5 David Williams and CW5 Dean Stoops were inducted into the Order of the “Eagle Rising Society” at the 88th Anniversary of the Warrant Officer Corps Ball at Fort Rucker, AL.
In October 2006, Army Field Manual, FM 6-22, Army Leadership, was published. There had been a lot of discussion about Warrant Officers roles and responsibilities as leaders and officers. FM 6-22 seems to remove all doubt as to how the Army views Warrant Officers as leaders and officers. See extract of Chapter 3, FM 6-22.
In November 2006, Warrant Officer Military Occupational Specialty 150A, Air Traffic and Air Space Management Technician, reopened. The MOS, formerly know as just Air Traffic Control Technician had been closed for many years.
Also in 2006, the now Warrant Officer Career College issued a revised set of “Warrant Officer Values Posters” again following the Army Values Theme of Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. This version contains inserts with the corresponding Army Value poster – see revised 2006 posters and/or the original 2001 posters.
On January 11, 2007, the time in service policy changed for Regular Army Warrant Officers – RA Warrant Officers of any grade are authorized to serve until the completion of 30 years of active service as a WO. Previously the statute authorized RA Warrant Officers in the grade of Chief Warrant Officer 5 only to serve until the completion of 30 years of active service as a WO – see Memo.
In January 2007, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Randall G. Gant became the third Chief Warrant Officer of Aviation Branch – see biography and picture.
Also in January 2007, announcement of an Interim Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army National Guard was made. Lieutenant General Clyde A. Vaughn, Director, Army National Guard (DARNG) announced during his welcoming comments at a meeting of ARNG Senior Warrant Officers, that he selected an “interim” Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army National Guard. The announcement came after the recent tour completion of Chief Warrant Officer 5 Poyas Haynes. Chief Warrant Officer 5 Sal Green is the Command Chief Warrant Officer for the State of Florida. CW5 Green started his duties as CCWO ARNG on 1 March and will serve until the DARNG has an opportunity to select a permanent NGB CCWO.
On February 21, 2007, CW4 Scott Upton, a Black Hawk pilot saved lives, earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. It was at about 11 a.m. Feb. 21 in Iraq when Black Hawk helicopter pilot Scott Upton earned his Distinguished Flying Cross while possibly saving nine lives, including his own, in what the 22-year military veteran called a “controlled crash.” Upton, 42, a Chief Warrant Officer in the Utah Army National Guard, called his wife, Barbie, and four children on the same day. He wanted to tell his wife everything, but he wasn’t sure how much he should say. “I just told her, ‘I got shot down,”‘ he said. “She goes, ‘What?”‘ – seemore. (Courtesy Desert Morning News, Salt Lake City, Utah)
On March 28, 2007, one of 10 Last Army Draftees Retired. Chief Warrant Officer 5 Robert Rangel stands in front of a HAWK surface-to-air missile battery at Fort Bliss, Texas. Rangel was one of just 10 draftees still in the Army when he retired on March 28, 2007, according to Fort Bliss officials. Maj. Gen. Robert Lennox, Fort Bliss’ commanding general, described Rangel as the “foremost expert” on air defense systems at the West Texas post – see more.
On 4 June 2007, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ronald Galloway became the 3d Chief Warrant Officer of the Adjutant General Corps, replacing Chief Warrant Officer 5 Gerald Sims – see picture and biography.
On June 22, 2007, Colonel Mark T. Jones became the new commandant of the Warrant Officer Career Center during a change of command ceremony held at Fort Rucker’s U.S. Army Aviation Museum. COL Jones replaced Colonel Glenwood Norris Jr., who is now the inspector general for Space and Missile Defense Command, Redstone Arsenal. Prior to assuming command of WOCC, COL Jones was the Aviation Branch Personnel Proponency Director, Fort Rucker – see picture and biography.
On July 1, 2007, just past midnight, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Kevin Purtee, of Houston, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Allen Crist used their Apache to evacuate a badly wounded 3rd Infantry Division Soldier from the middle of a heavy firefight. CW2 Crist received the Distinguished Flying Cross for a heroic act in which he gave up his seat in an Apache helicopter for a wounded foot Soldier during a battle in Iraq – see the full story and a picture of CW2 Crist.
In July 2007, the Army announced one new Accession Bonus and one new Retention Bonus for Warrant Officers:
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- The Criminal Investigator Warrant Officer Accession Bonus Program: MILPER Message 07-169 announced that effective June 15, 2007, enlisted Soldiers accessing into warrant officer MOS 311A will be paid a lump sum amount of $20,000 upon successful completion of the Warrant Officer Basic Course for MOS 311A. Warrant officers will be obligated to serve on active duty in MOS 311A for a period of six years. Officers/warrant officers who reclassify into MOS 311A are not eligible to receive this bonus.
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The Critical Skills Retention Bonus (CSRB) Program for Field Artillery Warrant Officers: MILPER Message 07-170 announced the CSRB program for specified Field Artillery warrant officer MOS 131A. The effective date for this program was June 28, 2007. This CSRB is targeted to retirement-eligible career warrant officers in MOS 131A with between 19 – 23 years active federal service, and who are fully eligible for continued service. Warrant officers in MOS 131A may request CSRB entitlement up to 25 years active federal service.
- On 1 July 2007, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael G. Anderson assumed duties as the Chairman of the Senior Warrant Officer Advisory Council and the Senior Warrant Officer Advisor to the Combined Arms Center Commanding General. He also served as the Center for Army Leadership Warrant Officer Leader Development Officer, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas – see Biography.
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In July 2007, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Matthew Anderson Sr. assumed the duties as Quartermaster Regimental Chief Warrant Officer, Quartermaster Center and School, Fort Lee Virginia – see his Quartermaster Professional Bulletin Article, picture, and biography.
Also in July 2007, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Paul O’Meara assumed the duties as the Chief Warrant Officer of the Military Intelligence Corps and Military Intelligence Warrant Officer Proponent Manager – see biography and picture.
Also in July 2007, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rick Johnson assumed the duties Chief Warrant Officer of the Judge Advocate General Corps replacing Chief Warrant Officer 4 Carol Hauck serving in Iraq – see biography and picture.
Also in July 2007, CW5 (Ret) Donald R. Howerton and CW5 Sharon T. Swarthworth (deceased) were inducted into the “Eagle Rising Society” at the 89th Anniversary of the Warrant Officer Corps Ball.
In late July 2007, Warrant Officer in the Horse Cavalry – Pictured right, Honorary Capt. Rodney T. Preuss is ready to relinquish command of the B Troop, 4th U. S. Cavalry Regiment during a change-of-command ceremony at Fort Huachuca, AZ. The position was taken over by Jay D. Hizer, left, a retired chief warrant officer. Outgoing commander Preuss is an active duty Chief Warrant Officer 4. (Courtesy Ed Honda-Herald/Review)
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2008 – 2009
In January, 2008, formal MOS qualification of the Air Traffic Services Warrant Officer began. The formal Technical Phase Training course is 6-weeks long and began in January 2008 at Fort Rucker, Ala. a> – see more.
On January 11, 2008 – The Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower & Reserve Affairs) issued a memorandum authorizing 30 years of active service for all Regular Army Warrant Officers of any grade. Previously only Regular Army Chief Warrant Officer’s Five (CW5) were allowed 30 years of active service – see the Memorandum.
On January 28, 2008, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Zachary Johnson (right), a pilot with 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, gets pinned with the Distinguished Flying Cross by Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil, Jr., 1st Cavalry Division’s commander, at the Fort Hood Catering and Conference Center. Johnson, a Nampa, Idaho, native, was rewarded for his leadership and skills during a large battle in Najaf, Iraq, Jan. 28, 2007. (Photo and story by Sgt. Nicole Kojetin, USA)
On April 2, 2008, the article entitled “A breed apart: Warrant Officers mark 90 years with the Army” by Fred L. Borch and Robert F. Door, was published in the ARMY TIMES. The article is a short history lesson commemorating the 90th birthday of the Army Warrant Officer.
On April 15, 2008, a Warrant Officer Conference with the theme “The Future of the Warrant Officer” was held in the Al Faw Palace Main Ballroom in Iraq. It included a Senior Warrant Officer Meeting, a Warrant Officer Recruiting Briefing open to all soldiers, and a Warrant Officer Professional Development session. The points of contact for this conference were Chief Warrant Officer 5 David Williams and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Curtis Newkirk.
In April 2008, five Warrant Officers were selected for Intermediate Level Education (ILE) Pilot Program – selected were Chief Warrant Officer 4 Percy Alexander (Quartermaster), Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Promotable) Timothy Feathers (Aviation), Chief Warrant Officer 4 Nathaniel Jones (Air Defense), Chief Warrant Officer 4 Richard Myers (Ordnance), and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Russell (Ordnance). These officers will attend ILE (formerly Command & General Staff Course) at Fort Leavenworth, KS in the summer of 2008. The intent of this program is not for all Warrant Officers to attend, but for a select few who are the best candidates for strategic level positions within the Army.
On April 24, 2008, a memorandum, Subject: Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC) Policy and Guidance, was signed by the Deputy Commanding General for Initial Military Training. BOLC is designed to ensure tough, standardized, small-unit leadership experience that flows progressively from the per-commissioning/appointment phase (BOLC 1) through the initial-entry field leadership phase (BOLC II) to the branch technical phase (BOLC III)- see the memo. Over time Warrant Officer training will be phased out of the Warrant Officer Education System (WOES) and into the Officer Education System (OES).
On May 6, 2008, the Warrant Officers Heritage Foundation published a short Warrant Officer History entitled “WARRANT The Legacy of Leadership as a Warrant Officer: 90 Years of Technical Expertise in the Army” by Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Retired) David P. Welsh. The article commemorates the 90th Birthday of the Army Warrant Officer in July 2008 – see the article.
On May 7, 2008, the Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G3/5/7 signed a memorandum, Subject: Request for Delay of Warrant Officer Integration into Phase III of the Basic Officer Leader Course. The memorandum approves the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) to delay Warrant Officer Integration in BOLC II until the third quarter FY 2009 – <see the memo.
On June 6, 2008, The National Adjutant General’s Corps Regimental Ball was held at Fort Jackson, SC. The AG Corps is the second oldest branch of our Army. After dinner Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Retired) Daniel J. Logan was installed as the new “Honorary Warrant Officer of the Regiment” by Colonel Richard P. Mustion, Commandant of the Adjutant General’s School and President of the AG Corps Regiment. CW5 Logan’s last assignment on active duty was as Assistant Executive Officer and Warrant Officer Advisor to the Army Chief of Staff. He is currently the Chief of the Secretary of the Army’s Military Personnel Office. The outgoing Honorary Warrant Officer of the Regiment was Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Retired) Arbie ‘Mac’ McInnis who had served for nine active and dedicated years. (Pictured l-r: CW5 (Ret) Logan, COL Mustion, and CW5 (Ret) McInnis)
On July 9, 2008, the 90th Birthday of the Army Warrant Officer Corps in the Mine Planter Service of the Coast Artillery was celebrated. Several military-related magazines recognized the occasion. “WARRANT The legacy of Leadership as a Warrant Officer – 90 Years of Technical Expertise in the Army,” by Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Retired) David P. Welsh on behalf of the Warrant Officers Heritage Foundation, was published in the Summer 2008 ON POINT The Journal of Army History of the Army Historical Foundation. Shorter versions were published in ARMY AVIATION magazine of the Army Aviation Association of America, THE OFFICER magazine of the Reserve Officers Association, and the NEWSLINER of the U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association. Also, “Fort Monroe’s little-known history: Birthplace of the Army Warrant Officer,” by Chief Warrant Officer 5 Dennis Erickson, Chief of Warrant Officer Leader Development at Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), was published in the July 25, 2008 edition of the Fort Monroe CASEMATE newspaper.
Also, on July 9, 2008, the U. S. Army Warrant Officer Career College (WOCC) at Fort Rucker, Alabama, celebrated the 90th Anniversary of Army Warrant Officer Service. Pictured are Colonel Mark Jones, WOCC Commandant and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Johnnie Schmitt cutting the cake.
Also In July 2008, CW5 (Ret) Thomas M. O’Sullivan and CW5 (Ret) William R. Walton were inducted into the Order of the “Eagle Rising Society” at the 89th Anniversary of the Warrant Officer Corps Ball at Fort Rucker, AL.
On July 11, 2008, Chief Warrant Officer 5 David F. Cooper was presented the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) from Admiral Eric T. Olson, commander of United States Special Operations Command, during a ceremony at Fort Campbell, Ky., on July 11, 2008. He acted with complete disregard for his own safety as he single handedly took aerial action against an armed and numerically superior enemy during a combat engagement in central Iraq in 2006. The DSC is the Army’s second highest award for combat valor and is awarded for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States during military operations. This is the eleventh DSC to be awarded for actions in Iraq since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. To date, Cooper is the only aviator to receive the DSC non-posthumously for actions in support of the War on Terror – see News Release. (160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment Photo)
On July 17, 2008, the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing from the Vietnam War, had been identified. They were Chief Warrant Officer Bobby L. McKain, of Garden City, KS.; and Warrant Officer Arthur F. Chaney, of Vienna, VA, both U.S. Army. McKain was buried with full military honors on August 11, 2008 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C., and Chaney was buried with full military honors on September 16, 2008 in Arlington. On May 3, 1968, these men flew an AH-1G Cobra gunship on an armed escort mission to support a reconnaissance team operating west of Khe Sanh, in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. Their helicopter was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire, exploded in mid-air and crashed west of Khe Sanh near the Laos-Vietnam border. The crew of other U.S. aircraft flying over the area immediately after the crash reported no survivors, and heavy enemy activity prevented attempts to recover the men’s bodies.
In August 2008, a new Warrant Officer Military Occupational Specialty was established – The Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff G-1 at Department of the Army approved a proposal from the U.S. Army Chemical School to establish MOS 740A with Additional Skill Identifier L3 (Technical Escort) and Special Qualifications Indicator R (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Responder). Positions to support the establishment will transfer from Officer Area of Concentration 74A (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN)) and will be phased in over five years beginning in FY2011 and continuing through FY2015 – see more.
On August 28, 2008, five chief warrant officers were the first to enter the Intermediate Level Education program at the Command and General Staff College (C&GSC), Fort Leavenworth, KS. It is a pilot program to offer a broadening experience to a different category of Army leaders that normally wouldn’t have that opportunity. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Percy Alexander (Quartermaster), Chief Warrant Officer 4 Tim Feathers (Aviation), Chief Warrant Officer 4 Richard Myers (Ordnance), Chief Warrant Officer 4 Nathaniel Jones (Air Defense), and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Russell (Ordnance) are the first warrant officers admitted to the C&GSC. (Pictured right: C&GSC Commandant Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV talks with CW3 Robert Russell, CW4 Percy Alexander, CW4 Richard Myers, CW5 Timothy Feathers and CW4 Nathaniel Jones about their participation in C&GSC Aug. 27 in the Lewis and Clark Center’s main conference room. The Soldiers are the first warrant officers to attend C&GSC. Lamp photo by Prudence Siebert.) (See article published in The Fort Leavenworth LAMP.)
Also in August 2008, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jeffrey A Reichard assumed the duties as Chief Warrant Officer of the Aviation Branch (AV CWOB) – see photo and biography.
From September 9-11, 2008, the Senior Warrant Officer Advisory Council (SWOAC) to the Army Vice Chief of Staff (VCSA) Met at Fort Lee, Virginia to discuss issues impacting on the Corps and the individual branches. See the After Action report.
In September 2008, The U. S. Army Warrant Officer Career College’s (USAWOCC) new shoulder sleeve insignia, distinctive unit insignia (DUI), and unit colors, were approved by the Army’s Institute, clearly indicating the level of excellence the College is striving to reach as it continues the greatest transformation in its history. In fact, it would have been extremely difficult to have developed something to better communicate the end stage the College is striving to reach during this transformation. The USAWOCC, currently located at Fort Rucker, Alabama, is a subordinate element of the Combined Arms Command located at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
USAWOCC Shoulder Patch |
USAWOCC Unit Crest |
USAWOCC Unit Colors |
In September 2008, the Army kicked off the Military Aviation Centennial. With some 35% (almost 8,000) of the Warrant Officer Corps consisting of Aviation Warrant Officers this is a significant commemoration in the Corps History – see more.
Also in September 2008, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jeffie Moore (pictured left) was appointed Senior Chief Warrant Officer and Training with Industry Program Manager for Quartermaster/ Ordnance/Transportation Officer, Warrant Officer, and Noncommissioned Officers at the Combined Arms Support Command (CASCOM), Fort Lee. VA. CW5 Moore holds a 922A Food Service MOS in the Quarter Master Corps and has extensive military and civilian education – see biography. Also Chief Warrant Officer 5 Arthur G. Dahl, IV, (pictured right) was appointed as the 6th Chief Warrant Officer of the Ordnance Branch at the Ordnance Center and School, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD – see biography.
On November 17, 2008, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Roy Tolbert, outgoing U.S. Army Special Forces Command (Airborne) command chief warrant officer, received his relief of orders from Brig. Gen. Michael S. Repass, USASFC(A) commanding general, during a ceremony at Kennedy Hall, Fort Bragg, NC. Tolbert, who joined Special Forces in 1972, retired after more than 39 years of service. CW5 Tolbert retired after passing responsibility to Chief Warrant Officer 5 Bruce Watts. (See complete story)
In November 2008, the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), the Army Engineer Association (AEA) and the Battelle Memorial Institute added the Outstanding Engineer Warrant Officer Award – Each year the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), the Army Engineer Association (AEA) and the Battelle Memorial Institute sponsor four awards to recognize the most outstanding contributions from the U.S. Army Engineer community (Active, National Guard, and Reserve). For 2008, the number of awards has increased to five with the addition of the Outstanding Engineer Warrant Officer Award sponsored by AEA. The award will be presented annually to honor an engineer warrant officer in the Active Army, National Guard, and Reserve in recognition of outstanding contributions to military engineering by demonstrated technical and leadership ability.- see FLW Pam 672-1, 14 Nov 08.
On November 28, 2008, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Harris, a Blackhawk pilot who withstood enemy fire to save Brig. Gen. Steve Townsend, left, pins the silver star on the lapel of retired Staff Sgt. Gary Harris, 60, Friday, Nov.28, 2008, at Fort Campbell,Ky. Harris and his son, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Harris, 35, were presented the Silver Star simultaneously Friday. Gary Harris earned the medal almost 40 years ago in Vietnam and Jonathan Harris earned the medal July 2 in Afghanistan.The elder Harris was mailed his award in 1969, but never received a ceremony. The father and son were able to watch each other’s ceremonies by video teleconference along with family and friends. (AP Photo/Jake Lowary,The Leaf-Chronicle)[/caption] Fort Campbell,Ky. Harris and his son, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Harris, 35, were presented the Silver Star simultaneously Friday. Gary Harris earned the medal almost 40 years ago in Vietnam and Jonathan Harris earned the medal July 2 in Afghanistan.The elder Harris was mailed his award in 1969, but never received a ceremony. The father and son were able to watch each other’s ceremonies by video teleconference along with family and friends. (AP Photo/Jake Lowary,The Leaf-Chronicle)[/caption]Fort Campbell,Ky. Harris and his son, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan Harris, 35, were presented the Silver Star simultaneously Friday. Gary Harris earned the medal almost 40 years ago in Vietnam and Jonathan Harris earned the medal July 2 in Afghanistan.The elder Harris was mailed his award in 1969, but never received a ceremony. The father and son were able to watch each other’s ceremonies by video teleconference along with family and friends. (AP Photo/Jake Lowary,The Leaf-Chronicle)[/caption] wounded crewmember in Afghanistan, was awarded a Silver Star. Not to be outdone, his 60-year-old father retired Staff Sgt. Gary Harris was awarded a Silver Star and a Bronze Star in a simultaneous ceremony honoring his bravery in Vietnam. The two generations watched each other through a video teleconference between Fort Campbell, KY where the elder Harris was honored, and Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, where Jonathan is completing a tour. Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, told the elder Harris via video that he hoped the special ceremonies repaid the Army’s failure to give him an official ceremony nearly 40 years ago. He was officially pinned with a Silver Star and Bronze Star by the Brig. Gen. Steve Towsend, Deputy Commanding General-rear, 101st Airborne Division, for gallantry in action against an armed hostile force in Vietnam. Pictured left Maj. Gen. Schloesser shakes the hand of CW2 Harris. Pictured right Brig. Gen. Townsend, Pins the Silver Star on SSG (Ret) Harris. (Courtesy Associated Press and the American Forces News Service)
In December 2008, Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Promotable) T. L.. Williams assumed the duties of Military Police Regimental Chief Warrant Officer – view her biography. CW4 Williams replaced Chief Warrant Officer 5 Phillip Tackett who is retired after a long and distinguished career.
On January 20, 2009 the 257th Army Band, “The Band of the Nation’s Capital”, commanded by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Sheila Klotz, took the stage one of the Inaugural Balls, marking the first time a National Guard band had the honor. The band played Ruffles and Flourishes, Hail to the Chief and the first dance for the new President and the First Lady, which is ‘At Last’ by Etta James at the Southern States Inaugural Ball at the District of Columbia National Guard Armory. For Klotz it was the realization of eight years of hard work building a band that was in danger of being shut down as she took command in 2001. Klotz said she was given six months to show marked improvement, or the band could be deactivated. After seven years of hard work, the bandsmen find themselves enjoying what is a highlight of their military music careers. See complete article.
Also on January 20, 2009, The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, commanded by Chief Warrant Officer 4 Gregory S. Balvanz, had the privilege and honor of leading President Barack Obama in the 56th Presidential Inaugural Parade. The Corps has marched in every Inaugural Parade since John F. Kennedy’s Inauguration in 1961. CW4 Balvanz has been the Commander of The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps since August 2004. January’s Inaugural Parade was his second time marching alongside the Corps for an Inauguration. “It’s an honor to participate in an Inauguration once in your lifetime, but I have had the fortunate pleasure to participate in it twice,” he said.
In January 2009, the Army announced approval for establishing new Electronic Warfare (EW) military career fields for officers, warrant officers, and enlisted personnel. The reason for creating the new EW career fields came initially from the Army’s perceived need to increase EW capabilities required to defend against insurgent use of radio controlled improvised explosive devices in Iraq and Afghanistan with electromagnetic countermeasures. Approval of the new career field will result in adding approximately 1,600 EW personnel to the Army. Initial reclassification and accession will occur in fiscal year 2010 (FY10) to prepare for filling positions in FY11. Human Resource Command and DA G1 will fill EW positions over a three year period FY11-13, providing a robust EW capability to the Army. EW warrant officer and enlisted pilot courses will begin during FY09.
Also in January 2009, in an interview, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Richard “Monty” Gonzales never fancied a Hollywood career. But now, he can add “movie consultant” to his resume. Gonzales worked with director Paul Greengrass and actor Matt Damon in the upcoming action thriller “Green Zone.” The film, which portrays the 2003 search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, is based loosely on Gonzales and his team’s experience. Gonzales led Mobile Exploitation Team Alpha, a crew of 15 to 22 people, depending on their task. (See article)
February 19, 2009 – CAMP STRIKER, Iraq, Two deployed soldiers who served in the Vietnam War are serve again — this time in Iraq. Staff Sgt. Louis J. Swift and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Steven M. Derry (pictured right) serve here with the 3-142nd Assault Helicopter Battalion, a National Guard unit from Ronkonkoma, N.Y. “I enlisted for Vietnam from 1967 to 1973,” Swift, a Detroit native, said. “Then, I enlisted for a one-year term for Desert Storm in 1991.” Swift serves as a crew chief and door gunner, jobs he has performed for the past 24 years. This is Derry’s second tour in Iraq. serves as the officer in charge of the battalion’s air movement request section. His job includes viewing flight schedules for battalion soldiers and ensuring they have adequate fuel and time to execute missions. See complete story.
In February 2009, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Melissa Farmer was selected as the Training and Doctrine Command Warrant Officer Instructor of the Year for 2008. During her assignment at Fort Jackson, South Carolina she was also selected as the Soldier Support Institute Instructor of the Year. Last year she was also selected as the 2008 Adjutant General Warrant Officer of the Year. In 2009 her book titled “Army Strong Women” will be published through Dorrance Publishing Company. At the time of announcement of the award CW3 Farmer was serving at Fort Knox, Kentucky as a Warrant Officer Recruiter.
On February 26, 2009 – Soldier Becomes First Amputee Accepted to Warrant Officer School – The U.S. Army Warrant Officer School soon will welcome a new accession of warrant officers this spring, and one will bring with him a new perspective to the Army officer corps. Staff Sgt. Jonathan Holsey is the first amputee accepted into the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Candidate School. Holsey, who lost his leg following a roadside bomb explosion in Iraq, is to report to the school at Fort Rucker, Ala., in April 2009 – see more. See also WO1 Holsey below.
In February 2009, the Army announced approval for the establishment of a new Electronic Warfare 29-series career field for officers, warrant Officers, and enlisted personnell. To develop EW, Fort Sill is conducting a series of pilot EW Courses. Warrant Officer and enlisted pilot courses were expected to begin in the spring of 2009. The career management field identifie\\rs will be Functional Area 29 for officers, Military Occupational Specialty 290A for warrant officers, and Military Occupational Specialty 29E for enlisted. (see more)
From March 17-19, 2009, the semi-annual Senior Warrant Officer Advisory Council (SWOAC) conference was held at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. During this three-day period, the following occurred: scheduled briefs and discussion of issues occurred and an open discussion period was conducted which allowed bringing undeveloped or unstaffed issues to the council’s attention. Additionally, one day prior to this conference, the Branch/Regimental Chief Warrant Officers met together to discuss Branch specific issues in an open forum. All members felt that this was very successful and expressed a desire to continue this is the future. See After Action Report.
On March 26, 2009, All Army Activities Message 057/2009 announced the Calendar Year 2008 General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award Winners. An award ceremony and associated events will take place in Washington, DC during 7 – 8 May 09. Among the 28 officers selected for this prestigious award were Chief Warrant Officer 2 Alan R. Hamilton, Active Army, U. S. Army Special Operations Command; Chief Warrant Officer 2 David J. Storer, Army National Guard, Utah; and Warrant Officer 1 Jose D. Ahumada, Army Reserve, U.S. Army Central Command.
On April 3, 2009, the Chief of the Army Reserve delegated management responsibility for USAR Active Guard Reserve Warrant Officers to the Command Chief Warrant Officer – Army Reserve. For specifics see the HQDA-OCAR Memo.
In April 2009, during a visit to Camp Endeavor, Iraq now Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel T. Wilson Sr. was working on a Command Post Node with the 146th ESB where he came across one of the Free-Iraqi-Forces (FIF) Soldiers that he served with in 2003. Hakim Kawy now works for the United States Embassy – Iraq as the Provincial Program Manager. Back in April of 2003, during the beginning of the Iraq War, then SSG Dan Wilson with the Florida Army National Guard, was assigned to oversee Iraqi FIF Soldiers. The 2 enjoyed having discussions on their experience back in 2003 during the beginning of the War, as well as, discussing how small of a world it is that 2 people could met 6 years later.
On May 7, 2009, the 2009 Army Posture Statement. An Information Paper covers the evolving “Officer Education System – Warrant Officers (OES-W)” which when fully implemented will replace the Warrant Officer Education System (WOES) of the past.
In May 2009, The Chief of the Adjutant General’s Corps, Colonel Robert L. Manning, announced the winners Adjutant General’s Corps Officer, Warrant Officer, Noncommissioned Officer, Soldier, and Civilian of the Year. The Warrant Officer of the Year winners are: 1st – Chief Warrant Officer 2 Qasim Sattar, Warrant Officer Career College, Ft Rucker, AL; 2nd – Chief Warrant Officer 3 Aner Henriquez, Jr., 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Ft Bragg, NC; and 3rd – Chief Warrant Officer 2 (Promotable) Anthony Cavalieri, IV, Joint Special Operations Command, Ft Bragg, NC – see more.
Effective May 12, 2009, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Richard Ernest was appointed by the Director Army National Guard as Command Chief Warrant Officer in the National Guard Bureau – see Memo. Ernest replaced Chief Warrant Officer 5 Thomas M. O’Sullivan pending selection of a permanent NGB CCWO.
In June 2009, a Warrant Officer Leader Development Overview Briefing was released by the Army Leader Development Office, Fort Leavenworth, KS. The briefing provides updates on the status of the five active WO-specific leader development initiatives included in the program: Warrant Officer Senior Staff Course Redesign; Transform Warrant Officer Education; Include Warrant Officers in Army Research Institute Survey of Officer Careers; Warrant Officer Professional Military Education Course Completion Requirement; and Warrant Officer 1 Commissioning. The Army is now in the process of moving forward leader development initiatives across all components, cohorts, and domains – see briefing.
In June, Warrant Officer 1 Jonathan Holsey, the first Army amputee to attend warrant officer school, has his new rank pinned by his sons at his graduation ceremony. Holsey, an Army human resources technician, made Army history as the first Army amputee to attend Warrant Officer School and to pin on warrant officer bars. He was injured in Iraq in 2004 by an improvised explosive device, and had his left leg amputated below the knee – see more.
On June 15, 2009, Major General James E. Chambers, Commanding General U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command and Fort Lee Sustainment Center of Excellence (SCoE), presided at a Change of Responsibility ceremony from Chief Warrant Officer Five Jeffie L. Moore to Chief Warrant Officer Five Michael J. Wichterman at The Logistics Memorial SCoE Headquarters Fort Lee, Virginia.
On June 18, 2009, Chief Warrant Officer Five Scott B. Hagar assumed the position of Chief Warrant Officer of the Adjutant General’s Corps from Chief Warrant Five Ronald Galloway in the Change of Responsibility ceremony conducted by the AG School Commandant Colonel Robert Manning. Pictured from left to right are the four Chief Warrant Officers of the Adjutant General’s Corps, CW5 Charlie Wigglesworth 2003-2005, CW5 (Ret) Gerald Sims 2005-2007, CW5 Ron Galloway 2007-2009, and CW5 Scott B. Hagar 2009-present.
On June 19, 2009, the U.S. Army Combined Arms Command (CAC) and Fort Leavenworth celebrated the achievements and legacy of Chief Warrant Officer (Retired) Harry Hollowell with a road dedication. CWO Hollowell began his career at Fort Leavenworth in the 1930s as an enlisted Buffalo Soldier and during his 30-year career became the first African-American bandmaster and reached the rank of Chief Warrant Office 4. The site of the new Hollowell Drive is one block west of Hancock Ave. off of Hunt Road (the housing road nearest the Hancock Gate).
Also on June 15, 2009, Weeks of planning and hard work came to fruition as the Basra Education Center officially opened here June 15. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert L. Meeks, left, discusses education center programs with soldiers at Contingency Operating Base Basra, Iraq – see complete story. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Derek M. Smith)
On June 22, 2009, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Dennis Oglesby (pictured left) and former Army Master Sgt. Martin Griffith (pictured right) didn’t realize right away that a Metrorail train had smashed into the rear of the train they had just boarded. “I heard a loud noise from the rear of the car … what the [expletive] was that?” Griffith recalled saying. No one was hurt in their car, the fifth on the six-car train, so Oglesby said “let’s go.” Griffith followed. “We took off and ran for the rear of our car and opened up the emergency doors between that car and our car,” Griffith said. “The people in that car were all lying on the floor in various states of picking themselves up.” Griffith and Oglesby, who both work at the Pentagon in the Army’s Personnel Recovery Branch, had no way of knowing it at the time, but they were in the middle of the worst Metrorail train crash in the Washington, D.C., subway system’s 33-year history. When it was over, nine people would be dead and more than 70 injured. Oglesby, who has served 25 years in the Army and is a veteran of the first Gulf War and Somalia, has been recommended for the Soldier‟s Medal, he said. Griffith has been recommended for the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service, the highest award granted by Army secretary to Army civilian personnel, he said. Griffith said he credits the training he received in the Army for helping him cope that day. “I couldn’t leave someone calling for help,” he said. (See complete story courtesy Army Times, Aug. 24, 2009)
Also in June 2009, The 4th Combat Aviation Brigade came home from a year in Iraq with every one of its 113 helicopters and 2,800 soldiers. The brigade logged 92,000 flight hours, transported 3,500 patients, did 22,000 troop movements and ferried countless numbers of people to locations in and around Baghdad with no accidents, no injuries and no fatalities, Colonel Pat Tierney, the commander said. He credited the safety record not only to luck and hard work, but also to giving the chief warrant officers an elevated status on par with battalion and brigade commanders and command sergeants major, and giving them a “somewhat unorthodox” title. “We called them ‘command chief warrant officers,’ ” Tierney said. The brigade was “really fortunate” to deploy with several senior warrant officers, he said. Their expertise, and their command status, may have helped save lives, he said. He made the unusual move of placing chief warrant officers 5 in each of his five battalions and kept one in particular at the top of the brigade with him and his command sergeant major. That one was Chief Warrant Officer 5 Lance McElhiney, a 62-year-old with 41 years flying Army helicopters. See complete article – courtesy ArmyTimes.com.
July 9, 2009 – 91st Birthday of the Army Warrant Officer Corps
On July 9, 2009, the Adjutant General’s School commemorated the Army Warrant Officer Corps’ 91st Birthday at the Soldier Support Institute, Fort Jackson, SC. Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jeanne Pace (left) and Warrant Officer 1 Nandi Branford had the honor of cutting the cake. Colonel Robert Manning, Commandant, Adjutant General’s School and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Scott Hagar provided opening remarks and toasted the momentous occasion. The birthday commemoration was attended by over fifty active duty and retired Adjutant General warrant officers and other personnel from throughout the Soldier Support Institute.
On 9 July 2009, at Camp Phoenix, Kabul, Afghanistan, left to right, Warrant Officer 1 Charles Preble, SC Army National Guard attached to 48th IBCT; Chief Warrant Officer 5 Paul Huber, Deputy J1, Combined Joint Task Force-Phoenix IX; and Warrant Officer 1 Gary Smith, Hq. Co., 148th BSB, 48th IBCT.
On July 9, 2009, the Kandahar Provisional Chapter of USAWOA commemorated the 91st Birthday of the Army Warrant Officer with Warrant Officer Professional Development Seminar, a BBQ, a Chapter Meeting, and Group photo (see below). Pictured right are Chief Warrant Officer 4 Randy Galbraith (Retiree recall), Chief Warrant Officer 5 David N. Conrad 33 years and Chief Warrant Officer 4 James Carr (Retiree recall) celebrate “Over 100 years of Warrant Officer service!” Conrad is the Chapter President and Command Chief Warrant Officer of 143rd ESC MRB.
Also In July 2009, CW5 (Ret) Robert L. Huffman and CW4 (Ret) Robert D. Scott were inducted into the Order of the “Eagle Rising Society” at the 991st Anniversary of the Warrant Officer Corps Ball at Fort Rucker, AL.
July 15, 2009 – History is changing fast for tomorrow’s Army warrant officers. For the first time, U.S. Army warrant officers have been assigned as instructors for the Intermediate Level Education course at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Chief Warrant Officers 4 Darren Lester, Ronnie Patrick, Brian Edwards and Anthony Williams are currently assigned to the College’s Department of Logistics and Resource Operations. They will present and facilitate graduate-level course material in multi-functional logistics at the tactical, operational and strategic levels of war for active duty, army reserve, national guard, sister-service, international and interagency students. Pictured left are CW4 Anthony Williams and Darren Lester (Ordnance) and pictured right CW4 Brain Edwards and Ronnie Patrick (Quartermaster).
On July 25, 2009, about 50 wounded warriors, some from Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and others from the Heidelberg and Mannheim Warrior Transition Units we treated by the USAWOA Rhein-Neckar Silver Chapter to a barbecue and riverboat cruise to Neckarsteinac for the annual four-castle illumination. This was all in cooperation with the Wounded Warrior Program, a on-man volunteer program started and run by retired Marine Chief Warrant Officer 3 Bill Black. The Rhein-Neckar Chapter (and formerly the Heidelberg Chapter) have been doing riverboat rides since 1992. See Herald Post article. Pictured to the right are (l to r) Mr. Mike Hurley from USAA, a sponsor and CW4 Tom Fisk, USAWOA Rhein-Neckar Chapter President)
On 30 July 2009, Defense Information Systems Agency Director Lt. Gen. Carroll F. Pollett presented the Army’s Soldiers Medal to Army Reserve Chief Warrant Officer 3 (Promotable) Walter B. Harris at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. Harris on December 2, 2006 was in a life-or-death race to save the lives of two people at the risk of his own life. He was awarded the prestigious Soldier’s Medal – the Army’s highest award for heroism not involving combat – for risking his life to safely drag his unconscious father-in-law out of a poisonous house that had eight times the lethal limit carbon-monoxide in Harris’ hometown of Glen Carbon, Ill., and for attempting to save his mother-in-law from the deadly effects of the poisonous gas. Harris is a civilian Technical Support and System Administrator Chief with the Procurement Directorate at the Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. He commands a detachment of U.S. Army Reserve Element-DISA at the base. Pictured left: Lt. Gen. Pollett pins the medal on CW3 Harris. Pictured right: CW5 James Thompson, Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army Reserve and CW3 Harris.
In August 2009, due to the affiliation of the USAWOA Redstone Arsenal Chapter and endorsement of the North Alabama Veterans and Fraternal Organizations Coalition and the Madison County (AL) Coroner, the Chapter was notified by the Veterans Administration that a U. S. Army Veteran, Private David Leroy Hill, had died in June 2009 and was being held in a Huntsville, AL Funeral Home with no family or friends to see him off. Chapter President Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Retired) Max Bennett coordinated transportation with Serra Toyota of Decatur, AL, who lent a van for transportation of the remains. The Huntsville Times sent a reporter to cover the event. Mr. Bennett drove two hours to the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo, AL with the remains with about 6 Patriot Guard Riders. Waiting at the Cemetery were many more (about 25 total). Mr. Bennett gave the Eulogy and Chaplain Jim Henderson, the AUSA Chaplain, performed the service. Private Hill was given a beautiful military funeral, complete with a bugler playing TAPS, and was laid to rest next to other Veterans, as he deserved. As there was no family, the Flag was presented to Mr. Bennett on behalf of the family of the deceased. Mr. Bennett then donated the Flag to the Alabama National Cemetery who will fly this flag, and other donated flags, at the cemetery. See the article published in The Huntsville Times. Pictured left: Mr. Bennett drives the van containing the remains of Private Hill to the Alabama National Cemetery.
<strong)From September 15 – 17, 2009, Army’s Senior Warrant Officer Advisory Council (SWOAC) met at Fort Huachuca, AZ to serve as a continuing body to introduce, review and address potential issues concerning Army systems, policies, and programs designed to produce ready and relevant warrant officers who are capable of supporting the Army mission in their roles as Soldiers, officers, leaders, and technicians across the full spectrum of operational environments. – see After Action Report.
On September 17, 2009, the Army Reserve G-1 issued a Memorandum issuing guidance for appointing Army Reserve commissioned officers approaching mandatory removal or removed from the active status for maximum years of commissioned service to be eligible to become Army Reserve warrant officers as an exception to Army Regulation (AR) 135-100. Authority for this exception was granted by the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Manpower and Reserve Affairs on July 28, 2009- see memos.
On September 24, 2009, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Richard Myers, Chief of Warrant Officer Proponency, Warrant Officer Career College provided an overview of the Warrant Officer Staff Course and Warrant Officer Senior Staff Course redesign – see overview.
On September 26, 2009, newly appointed Warrant Officer 1 Mickey Dickerson (center) receives a decorative saber from CW5 Paul Parker (left), president of the Rising Eagle Chapter of the Warrant Officer Association in Alabama, and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Tommy Gilbert (right), Command Chief Warrant Officer for Alabama, during a graduation ceremony held in Anniston, AL. Dickerson was awarded the saber for receiving the Distinguished Honor Graduate Award at the Alabama Army National Guard’s Warrant Officer Candidate School, Fort McClellan, AL. Dickerson is the first female candidate to receive a top leadership award at the school. She received both the Distinguished Honor Graduate Award and the Leadership Award. The Leadership Award recipient is chosen by vote from the entire class, a true honor to receive such an award from one’s peers.
In September 2009, on behalf of the Above the Best chapter of the U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association, chapter president Chief Warrant Officer 5 Julia Mosman, right, presented retired Colonel Bob Bunting with a donation to help defray the cost of the upcoming World War II Veterans Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. The September 26 flight will transport about 100 veterans and their guardians to the nation’s capital to see the monument built in their honor. Veterans travel free because of the financial support of area cities and organizations.
Also in September 2009, Passengers on a Tuesday afternoon’s United Airlines flight from Denver to Boise refrained from the typical chaos of getting off a long flight and instead sat quietly in their seats while two somber passengers deplaned. The crowd was hushed until it gave a standing ovation to Ron and Jeff Phelps, and their precious cargo. The Phelps brothers were bringing their father home. Chief Warrant Officer Don Phelps, a decorated helicopter pilot, was killed in 1965 during the Vietnam War. His aircraft, his body and the bodies of three crewmates were missing for nearly 44 years until the crash site was uncovered earlier this year. (See complete story and, obituary)
Additionally in September 2009, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Thomas J Wilson replaced Chief Warrant Officer 5 Michael Wichterman as the Transportation Corps Warrant Officer Proponent – see CW4 Wilson’s biography.
On November 3, 2009, Warrant Officers Heritage Foundation (WOHF) Chairman of the Board CW5 (Ret) Richard Markle visited the Army Historical Foundation (AHF). During the visit the WOHF proposal was presented for approval to place six granite benches funded by the Warrant Officers Heritage Foundation in the Memorial Garden of the National Museum of the U. S. Army (NMUSA) engraved in memory of our Fallen Warrant Officer Comrades. The theme is “SOME GAVE ALL – ALL GAVE SOME” with each bench engraved to cover a period of conflict, i.e. ‘THE WORLD WARS”, “KOREA”, “VIETNAM”, “PANAMA – SOMALIA – HAITI”, “PERSIAN GULF” and “GLOBAL WAR ON TERROR”. The design and proposal to fund and install the benched is pending approval by the Army. Also during the visit, Markle presented a $5,000 Grant to the National Museum Capital Fund Raiser on behalf of the Warrant Officers Heritage Foundation and the U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association (USAWOA). Also presented were two copies of WARRANT The Legacy of Leadership as a Warrant Officer history book, one for the NMUSA Research Library and the other as a desk reference for the AHF Historian. Also, on November 6th USAWOA National President CW5 Gary Nisker announced the Memorial Bench design and the $5,000 donation to the NMUSA Fund Raiser to the attendees at the USAWOA 37th AMM in Salt Lake City. CW5 Nisker also announced a campaign to raise $100,000 toward construction of a proposed Warrant Officer Historical Exhibit commemorating the 100th Birthday of the Army Warrant Officer Corps in July 2018 – see more. Pictured at the top center is a sample of a Memorial Bench. Pictured above left, CW5 (Ret) Markle presenting the $5K grant check to Maj. Gen. (Ret) John P. Herrling, Campaign Executive Director, of The Army Historical Foundation. The grant is to be used toward the construction of the National Museum of the United States Army (NMUSA). Pictured above right, CW5 (Ret) Markle presenting a leather bound copy of “WARRANT The Legacy of Leadership as a Warrant Officer” to Mr. Matt Seelinger, Chief Historian of The Army Historical Foundation, and editor of “On Point: The Journal of Army History,” for the reference library of the NMUSA. The presentations took place on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at The Army Historical Foundation headquarters in Arlington, VA.
Also 2009, CW5 Gary R. Nisker assumed the position of Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army National Guard at the National Guard Bureau.
2010 – 2014
In January 11, 2010, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Gary Nisker assumed the office of Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army National Guard with duty in the Office of the Director Army National Guard in the National Guard Bureau.
On January 29, 2010, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Todd M. Boudreau became the third Regimental Chief Warrant Officer of the Signal Regiment assuming the position at Fort Gordon, Georgia. See biography and photo.
Also in January 2010, an article was published about Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ronald Galloway. As a Military Assistant to The Secretary of The Army, CW5 Galloway provides Warrant Officer Representation at the most senior level of our Army. By working at the senior levels within the Army he has an opportunity to educate others on what warrants are and how we represent 15 branches within the Army. Having adequate representation at Department of the Army level and above is extremely important for us as warrant officers. See the article that provides a deeper look into who it is that represents the Army Warrant Officer to the Secretary of the Army.
On February 13, 2010, the National Guard Association of Kentucky (NGAKY) presented Chief Warrant Officer Five Dean E. Stoops with its most significant recognition, the prestigious “Billy G. Wellman Award”, for his contributions to the Kentucky National Guard, the NGAKY, and the Kentucky National Guard Historical Foundation. CW5 Stoops is the Army National Guard Aviation Standardization Officer assigned to the National Guard Bureau Aviation and Safety Division, Safety and Standardization Branch and is the former Aviation Standardization Officer for the Kentucky Army National Guard and 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade. In addition to the National Guard Association of Kentucky Billy G. Wellman Award, CW5 Stoops is a recipient of the prestigious National Guard Association of the United States Patrick Henry Award and the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College Honorable Order of the Eagle Rising Society Award for Distinguished Service. Other honors include the Army Aviation Association of America’s Honorable Order of St. Michael – Silver Award, Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels, Honorable Order of Kentucky Admirals, Honorable Order of Kentucky Aces, and the National Guard Bureau Minuteman Award.
On March 9, 2010, the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award Winners for CY 2009 were announced – The twenty-eight Officers selected epitomize the ideals for which for which General MacArthur stood for: Duty, Honor, and Country. Among these selected officers were three Warrant Officers: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ricky W. Fowler, active Army, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mark J. Simon, Army National Guard; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Thomas A. Yelito, Army Reserve. Award activities, an Award Ceremony, and associated events will take place in Washington, DC during 5 – 6 May 2010.
On April 5, 2010, the Senior Warrant Officer Advisory Council (SWOAC) briefed General Chiarelli, Vice Chief of Staff, Army, on four warrant officer issues brought to his attention at the February 2010 SWOAC meeting. See SWOAC Update.
On April 17, 2010, Pictured left: Brig. Gen. Steve Huxtable, Assistant Adjutant General of Virginia – Army, cuts the ribbon on the new Warrant Officer Candidate School dedication building at Fort Pickett. (Photo by Capt. Matt Nowak, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)
Pictured right: The Virginia National Guard Warrant Officer Candidate School from the Blackstone-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute conducted a building dedication ceremony April 17 at Fort Pickett to officially open its new home in Building 1694. The building will be used to house offices for the WOCS cadre and also has student classrooms and overnight quarters for twenty male and six female warrant officer candidates. (Photo by Maj. Cotton Puryear, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)
In April 2010, Chief Warrant 5 Wade H. Lovorn III replaced Chief Warrant 5 Michael Anderson as the Chairman of the Senior Warrant Officer Advisory Council (SOAK), Senior Warrant Officer Advisor to the Commanding General and Combined Arms Command, Center for Army Leadership as a Leader Development Officer. CW5 Anderson is being reassigned to U. S. Pacific Command Headquarters. See CW5 Lovorn’s biography.
On April 23, 2010, Over two dozen newly appointed warrant officers graduated the Special Forces Warrant Officer Tactical and Technical Certification Course during a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Auditorium on Fort Bragg. This class of warrant officers graduating from the certification course will be the last to do so under the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School’s temporary appointment authority. After three years of trial periods managing its own warrant officer training program, the Center and School has been authorized the ability to permanently appoint its warrant officers, making it the only organization in the Army to receive this authority aside from the Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Ala. The class graduating May 18 will be the first to do so under permanent appointment authority. (see News Release)
On April, 24, 2010, the Board of Directors of the U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association joined in issuing a Joint Resolution together with the Warrant Officers Heritage Foundation to support an initiative that the Casemate Museum at Fort Monroe, Virginia remain as an active Army Museum in the United States Army Museum System – see the Resolution. (See also “Fort Monroe’s Little Known History: Birthplace of the U. S. Army Warrant Officer.”)
On April 26, 2010, H.R. 5136, National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2011, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Section 507 of the bill would amend Section 571(b) of Title 10, United States Code to provide that appointments in the grade of regular warrant officer, W-1, be made by the regulation issued by the Secretary of the Military Department and that these appointments shall be made by the President except that appointments in that grade in the Coast Guard shall be made by the Secretary concerned. Section 507 further amends Title 10 so that appointments in permanent reserve warrant officer grades shall be in the same manner as prescribed for regular warrant officers grades. The prognosis for retention of these changes in the final NDAA is good because there is no cost involved.
On April 28, 2010, after 16 weeks of advanced training at Fort Bragg, Special Forces Soldiers who left their battalions wearing the chevrons of noncommissioned officers return to those same battalions as warrant officers, ready to command or help command Special Forces operational detachments. This class of warrant officers graduating from the certification course will be the last to do so under the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School’s temporary appointment authority. This class of warrant officers graduating from the certification course will be the last to do so under the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center & School’s temporary appointment authority – see more.
In May 2010, the Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear School (CBRN) at Fort Leonard Wood, MO started new Warrant Officer program. Implementing the CBRN warrant officer program requires the Chemical officer branch to convert 13 percent of its positions to warrant officer positions, ultimately decreasing the number of Branch Detail officers accessed by 30-50 percent. These officer conversions apply to all three components: Active Army, National Guard and Army Reserve. The adjustment provides an increased opportunity for many CBRN lieutenants to serve in platoon leader positions that previously were filled by branch detail officers – see the article published in the March 2010 NEWSLINER of the U. S. Army Warrant Officer Association.
On May 12, 2010, Fourteen U.S. service members have received Germany’s Gold Cross Medal for their bravery in extracting wounded German soldiers from a firefight in northeast Afghanistan — the first time the award has been given to troops from another nation. The Americans, all members of the U.S. Army’s 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, received the medals, one of Germany’s highest awards for valor, at a German base in Kunduz province. The U.S. crewmen were honored for risking their lives to rescue German soldiers ambushed by more than 200 Taliban fighters during a patrol April 2nd near the provincial capital of Kunduz. Eleven German soldiers were critically wounded, and the battle was still active when U.S. Black Hawk evacuation helicopters arrived. “We came under very heavy fire,” said Jason LaCrosse, chief warrant officer three. “We couldn’t land at first, but we came back in a second time and loaded two casualties, brought them back to the hospital, then we went back to get more.” Three of the German soldiers died of their wounds. “We’ve had a strong partnership with the German soldiers,” said Sgt. Antonio Gattis. “These guys are like family to us, so we took it personally when they got injured and just went out there and did what we had to do.” In addition to LaCrosse and Gattis, the medal recipients were Capt. Robert McDonough, Chief Warrant Officers 3 Steven Husted and Nelson Visaya, Chief Warrant Officers 2 Jason Brown, Sean Johnson, and Eric Wells, Staff Sgt. Travis Brown, Sergeants William Ebel and Steven Shumaker, and Specialists. Matthew Baker, Todd Marches and Gregory Martinez. (Courtesy Associated Press, May 13, 2010 and Yahoo! News)
From June 7 to 11, 2010, the first Warrant Officer Summit was held at the U. S. Army Warrant Officer Career College (WOCC), Fort Rucker, Alabama. Invitations were limited to the most senior leaders of the Warrant Officer Corps. The purpose of the Summit was to aggressively seek issues that will promote improvement of the Warrant Officer Corps. The theme for this event was “Learn from the past, focus on the future.” U. S. Army Warrant Officers Association National President CW5 Gary Nisker reported on the highlights of the summit in the Association’s July NEWSLINER.
On June 9, 2010 CW5 (Ret) Robert L. Huffman and CW4 (Ret) Robert D. Scott were inducted into the Eagle Rising Society. The Eagle Rising Society was established in 2004 as a joint venture between the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College (WOCC) the Order of the Eagle Rising Society recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to the promotion of the Warrant Officer Community in ways that stand out in the eyes of the recipient’s seniors, subordinates, and peers. These individuals must also demonstrate the highest standards of integrity and moral character, display an outstanding degree of professional competence, and serve the United States Army community with distinction. Pictured are CW5 (Ret) Robert L. Huffman, Vice Admiral Norbert R. Ryan, Jr. USN Ret, the President of MOAA) and CW4 (Ret) Robert D. Scott . (See Program with biographies)
In June 2010, Two Army Warrant Officers were honored by the Adjutant Generals Corps Regimental Association. Pictured left: Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Ret) Antonio B. Eclavea was inducted into the Adjutant General Corps Hall of Fame. CW5 Eclavea holds the honor of being the first Chief Warrant Officer in the Adjutant Generals Corps promoted to the grade of CW5. At the time of his induction CW5 (Ret) Eclavea was serving as Chief, Army Soldiers Records Branch responsible for 460,000 Active Army Enlisted records -. Pictured right: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Pamela Rogers was recognized at the Adjutant Generals Corps Warrant Officer of the Year with the Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude Medal for Distinguished Service. CW2 Rogers was assigned as a Human Resources Technician with the 3rd Infantry Division Special Troops Battalion in Iraq at the time of the award.
Also in June 2010, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Bernard L. Satterfield was appointed as the 7th Regimental Chief Warrant Officer of the Ordnance Corps. He succeeds Chief Warrant Officer 5 Arthur G. Dahl, IV who had served as the Regimental Chief Warrant Officer since September 2008.
In July 2012, the monthly edition of ARMY, the magazine of the Association of the U. S. Army, published two feature articles in commemoration of the 94th birthday of the Warrant Officer Corps. (See “The U. S. Army Warrant Officer Corps – Still a Work in Progress” and “Aviation Warrant Officers On the Leading Edge.”)
On July 23, 2010, a Virginia Army National Guard Soldier serving with the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command was awarded the Soldier’s Medal at Fort Monroe, VA for his actions that resulted in saving the lives of three men following a boating accident in the Chesapeake Bay. Lt. Gen. John E. Sterling, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Army TRADOC, presented Chief Warrant Officer 3 Clifford Bauman the Soldier’s Medal during a presentation ceremony attended by Bauman’s wife, father, and friends and coworkers at Morelli Auditorium on the Hampton base. The Army has many awards and medals it bestows upon Soldiers for heroism during battle and many recognizing Soldiers for outstanding work performed in the field and in garrison, but the Soldier’s Medal is the highest award a Soldier can receive for heroism not directly related to combat. Bauman was heralded for his swift actions that saved three men Oct. 3, 2009. Although one man died at the scene, Bauman’s quick action and years of Army training gave him the tools he needed to save the other three men. Pictured Lt. Gen. John Sterling, Deputy Chief of Staff U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, awards Chief Warrant Officer 3 Clifford Bauman the Soldier’s Medal at Fort Monroe July 23. Bauman was awarded the Medal for his selfless service which saved three lives in October. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew H. Owen, Virginia Guard Public Affairs)
On July 27, 2010, the final Ordnance Warrant Officer Basic Course and Warrant Officer Advance Course students graduated at the old home of Ordnance at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. All future classes will be conducted at the new home of Ordnance at Fort Lee, VA. Pictured left with the graduating students are Chief Warrant Officer 5 Bernard Satterfield, Ordnance Regimental Chief Warrant Officer (seated center front row); Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Retired) Kenneth B. N.. “Pete” Hill, USAWOA National Vice President (3d from left 2nd row); and Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Retired) Gregory Gouty, USAWOA Northeastern Region Director (far right 2nd row).
In July 2010, the family of an Army helicopter pilot missing for nearly four decades in Vietnam said his remains have been recovered and will be returned to his native Oklahoma. Shannon Wann Plaster told The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle that the remains of her father, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Donald Wann, were found in 2008 and the military recently confirmed the identification. Wann was one of two soldiers, along with 1st Lt. Paul Magers of Sidney, Neb., deployed in a Cobra gunship on June 1, 1971, to extract a group of Army Rangers under attack, then destroy left behind ammunition and mines near Hill 1015, or Dong Tri Mountain. Wann and Magers were hit with anti-aircraft fire, causing the helicopter to crash somewhere around the hill, about six miles southwest of Thon Khe Xeng. Pictured right Chief Warrant Officer 2 Don Wann stands in front of an injured Huey helicopter during his first tour of duty in Vietnam around 1968. Wann, a former pilot with the 101st Airborne Division, was shot down in 1971 but his body was never found. It has now been identified and are being returned to his family. (Article and picture courtesy The (Clarksville, Tenn.) Leaf-Chronicle)
On August 11, 2010, the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced that the remains of two U.S. servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors. Army 1st Lt. Paul G. Magers of Sidney, NE, will be buried on August 27th in Laurel, MT, and Army Chief Warrant Officer Donald L. Wann of Shawnee, OK, will be buried on Aug. 21 in Fort Gibson, OK. On June 1, 1971, both men were flying aboard an AH-1 Cobra gunship in support of an emergency extraction of an Army ranger team in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. After the rangers were extracted, helicopters were ordered to destroy claymore mines which had been left behind in the landing zone. During this mission their helicopter was hit by ground fire, crashed and exploded. Pilots who witnessed the explosions concluded that no one could have survived the crash and explosions. Enemy activity in the area precluded a ground search at that time.
On August 17, 2010, members of the U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association on Joint Base Balad, Iraq, joined with Soldiers and Airmen and volunteered to beautify the United Service Organization’s (USO) building with a fresh coat of paint.
Pictured: Chief Warrant Officer 4 Spencer Douglas (far left), communications and electronics chief, 498th Support Maintenance Company, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) (ESC), a Raleigh, N.C., native; Chief Warrant Officer 4 Starla A. Brown (middle), human resources technician with the 18th Adjutant General Company, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 103rd ESC, and a St. Maries, Idaho native; and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Darlene A. Pittman (bottom), executive officer for G1 Plans with the 103rd ESC, and a Des Moines, Iowa, native, help beautify the USO building by painting the outside walls. (Story and photos by Sgt. Jessica Rohr, Expeditionary Times Staff)
On October 6, 2010, Brig. Gen. Sean G. MacFarland, Deputy Commanding General, Combined Arms Center for Leader development and Education officiated at the Army Aviation Museum, Fort Rucker, AL as Colonel Mark T. Jones the outgoing Commandant relinquished Command of the Warrant Officers Career College to Colonel Stanley O. Smith the incoming Commandant.
On October 12, 2010, four bridges along State Route 840 were dedicated to four Tennessee National Guardsmen who died in 2010 while in service. The ceremonies made a total of 22 bridges along the Tennessee National Guard Parkway that are dedicated to soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard. Two of the guardsmen were killed in a helicopter accident in Iraq Feb. 21. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Billie Jean Grinder of Gallatin and Capt. Marcus Ray Alford of Knoxville were killed when the helicopter they were in made a “hard landing” at a base. Two others died at Camp Shelby, Miss., as they were preparing for a deployment to Iraq. Staff Sgt. Michael Wayne Tinsley Sr., from Jackson, died on Feb. 10 and Sgt. David Clay Prescott Jr., from Murfreesboro, died Feb. 4.
On November 3, 2010, Chief Warrant Officer Four Princido Texidor, the U.S. Army Forces Command Food Service advisor, was promoted to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Five. The promotion made Texidor the first Hispanic to achieve the rank of CW5 in the Army’s Food Service branch. “It is very satisfying to receive this honor,” he said, adding proudly, “Food Service is one of the most important jobs in the Army, and I look forward to continuing to make sure things get done right so Soldiers can do what they need to do.”
On November 15th, 2010, the U. S. Army Special Forces Command held a Change of Responsibility Ceremony for the Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO) position. The outgoing CCWO, CW5 Bruce Watts, started his new job at Task Force SWORD at Fort Bragg, NC. The incoming CCWO, CW5 Doug Frank, leaves his position as CCWO of 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne).
2011
On January 10, 2011, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 into law. Included is a change to the law authorizing the commissioning of Warrant Officers (W-1). This change now means that that all Army Warrant Officers and Chief Warrant Officers serve in commissioned status. Warrant Officers (W-1) were formerly appointed by the individual Service Secretary. See an extract of the amendments to the law. Implementation of the amendments to Title 10 of the United States Code await regulatory guidance from the Department of Defense and the Department of the Army.
On February 13, 2011, Chief Warrant Officer Luis Molinar, a Prescott, Arizona Vietnam Veteran, received a Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal and a Purple Heart at a ceremony in Scottsdale, AZ. When the 101st Airborne Commander awarded the medals, CWO Molinar was in a hospital stateside. After 41 years, Molinar’s awards ceremony took place with retired General Gordon Sullivan, former US Army Chief of Staff, presenting the awards. (AP Photo/Matt Hinshaw, The Daily Courier)
On February 17, 2011, CW5 Scott Hagar passed his responsibilities as Chief Warrant Officer of the Adjutant General Corps to CW5 Coral Jones.
On 5 March 2011, Lt.Col. Richard Kostecki, Commander, 495th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, passes the guidon of the 1049th Engineer Fire Fighting Detachment to the unit’s new commander, WO1 Scott Turner, . WO1 Turner, a 120A Construction Engineering Technician, is the first warrant officer to take command of this Montana Army National Guard unit. He recently returned from a deployment to Afghanistan with the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. The 1049th Engineer Firefighting Detachment is designated as theater available in the Global Force Pool. The unit’s mission is to provide command, control, and coordination of Engineer Fire Fighting Teams.
On March 1, 2011, the Army announced the winners for calendar year 2010 . These 28 officers epitomize the ideals for which General Douglas MacArthur stood: Duty, Honor, Country. Warrant Officers selected were CW2 Lanorris G. Ford, Active Army; WO1 David S. Turpin, Army National Guard; and CW2 Dyland E. Raymond, Army Reserve. An Awards Ceremony and related events and will take place in Washington, DC, during the period May 18 and 19, 2011.
On March 10, 2011, Redstone Arnesal’s last Missile Warrant Officer class graduated before course moves to Fort Lee. These Soldiers represented the end of more than 40 years of warrant officer missile training at Redstone Arsenal. This graduating class of 12 warrant officers marked the end of the line for the training here because it’s going to Fort Lee, Va., as part of the Ordnance school’s move under base realignment and closure. See Redstone Rocket newspaper article.
March 22, 2011, three Warrant Officers, CW3 Donald K. Procter, CW3 Uriah Hayes and CW2 Timothy Pool were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, a medal that recognizes “exceptional heroism,” for fearless maneuvers on October 2010 that enabled the rescue of 91 Italian and Afghan special forces,. Also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross were Lt. Col. Ronald G. Lukow, Capt. Paul McKnight. Pictured from the left, Italian Brig. Gen. Giacomo Bellacicco, Regional Command (West) commander, Task Force Comanche commander Lt. Col. Ronald Lukow, Capt. Paul McKnight, CW2 Timothy Pool, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade commander Col. Daniel Williams, 4th CAB Command Chief Warrant Officer, CW5 Lance McElhiney, CW3 Uriah Hayes, CW3 Donald Procter and 4th CAB Command Sgt. Maj. Donald Rose at the March 22 event at Shindand Air Base, Afghanistan, where five 4th CAB soldiers received the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Professional Development Held In Iraq
On March 25, 2011, a Warrant Officer Professional Development Day was held at the Al FAW Palace, Victory Base Complex (VBC), Iraq. The seminar was attend by over 80 Warrant Officers from across Iraq (pictured at left). The guest speaker was CW5 Harry Pershad (pictured right).
On April 6, 2011, a change of responsibility ceremony took place in the Pentagon Hall of Heroes where CW5 Ronald Galloway assumed the position of Assistant Executive Officer and Warrant Officer Advisor to the Chief of Staff, Army from CW5 Carl Jenkins.
On April 8, 2011, CW5 Thomas J. Wilson assumed responsibilities as Transportation Corps Chief Warrant Officer of the Branch (CWOB). .
On May 27, 2011, the 93rd Birthday of the Warrant Officer Corps was celebrated at the Al Faw Palace located on the Victory Base Complex. The guest speaker was General Lloyd J. Austin III, USF-I Commanding General. His speech focused on the contribution of Forces in Iraq and the technical and tactical support that the Warrant Officer Corps has provided to the OIF and OND missions in Iraq. There was a cake cutting ceremony, music by a jazz ensemble, and recognition of the Warrant Officers with the number of the most deployed months and the number with the most deployments. The event was held prior to the July 9th Corps Birthday due to the reposture of Forces in Iraq. Story submitted by CW5 Sonji C. Moss-Clyburn USF-I J4 S&S Asset Visibility Chief.
On June 10, 2011 – CW5 (Ret) Charles T. Wigglesworth, left, and CW5 (Ret) Gerald I. Sims, Sr., right, were inducted as Distinguished Members of the Adjutant General’s Corps Regiment. The ceremony was held in Columbia, South Carolina.
On June 17, 2011, CW5 (Ret) Frank Meeks was honored with two Inductions. Pictured left Brig. Gen. Gwen Bingham, 51st QM General, inducted CW5 (Ret) Frank Meeks into to the Quartermaster Corps Hall of Fame, while Mrs. Gail Meeks looks on. Standing behind Brig Gen. Bingham is Maj. Gen. (Ret) Hawthorne L. Proctor, 46th QM General, who accepted the award for COL A. Newton Horn (Decreased). Pictured right CW5 (Ret) Meeks was then inducted into the USAWOA Honorable Order of the Eagle Rising by USAWOA President Emeritus CW4 (Ret) Donald ‘Don’ Hess. The Citation was read by CW5 Candis ‘Candy’ Martin. Both ceremonies took place at the Combined Arms Support Command, Fort Lee, Virginia.
On June 28, 2011, Warrant Office professional Development and celebration of the 93rd Birthday of the Army Warrant Officer Corps was conducted in Iraq. CW3 Scott Franek (at the podium), who is assigned to the 77th Sustainment Brigade, and also is the Joint Base Balad USAWOA Sub-Chapter President addresses the assembly during Warrant Officer Professional Development at the Sub-Chapter meeting on which was held on 28 June 2011 in the Audie Murphy Room at the Joint Base Balad Dining Facility 1.
On July 8, 2011, Fort Knox Celebrated the Warrant Officer Corps 93rd Birthday. As the rain steadily poured on an otherwise warm July 8, 2011, so too did the stream of Warrant Officers arriving at the Fort Knox’s Leaders Club to commemorate the 93rd US Army Warrant Corps Birthday. The event occurred right on the heels of the Nation’s 235th Birthday celebration. The spirit of Warrant Officer Service to a grateful nation was echoed throughout the event. Mr. Emmet E. Holley, the Fort Knox Deputy Garrison Commander, provided opening remarks that featured technical pointers he learned from a supply Warrant Officer as a young Lieutenant. He challenged the attendees to “remain relevant in the future” by broadening their experience base with education, operational assignments and mentorship. CW5 Janie Diamond delivered the key note address to a packed room of Warrant Officers, retirees, NCOs, Soldiers, and community leaders.
On July 8, 2011, the Cyber Leader College, 15th Signal Brigade, Signal Center of Excellence, Fort Gordon, GA, conducted a graduation ceremony for Warrant Officer Advance Course 255S-001-11. Sixteen Soldiers completed the course that will soon qualify for military occupational specialty 255S (Information Protection Technician). This is only the second class to be run since the course was conceived. Graduates are charged with the defense of the Army’s portion of the cyber domain. These sixteen defenders will join their predecessors at various assignments around the world as the Department of Defense slowly integrates them into highly needed slots. This elite group of highly trained defenders consisted of Active Duty and Army Reserve warrant officers and one Non-Commissioned Officer. The integration of the NCO Corps into the course greatly signifies the desired union and needed support that is required to accomplish the enormous task of defending cyber space.
Immediately following the graduation, the 93rd Warrant Officer Anniversary Commemoration was celebrated with a cake cutting ceremony in the lobby. The cake cutting honors were performed by the most junior Signal Warrant Officer within the Signal Corp, WO1 Angela Ellis and the most senior Signal Warrant Officer, CW5 Todd Boudreau. There have been many significant events within the Warrant Officer Corp, from the creation of the Warrant Officer Corps in 1918, to the approval of the Warrant Officer Insignia in 1921, the retiring of the coveted “Eagle Rising” in 2004, to the creation of the prestigious Information Protection Technician in 2010. As the requirements for technical experts continue to grow, so shall the force and resolve of the Warrant Officer Cohort.
Pictured CW5 Boudreau and WO1 Ellis cut the cake at the 93rd Warrant Officer Anniversary Commemoration.
Story by CW4 Michael Gaskin and picture courtesy THE SIGNAL published for the Fort Gordon Community.
On 12-13 July 2011, the 37th Chief of Staff, Army (CSA) hosted the Army’s Training and Leader Development Conference (ATLDC) in the National Capital Region. GEN Martin E. Dempsey, CSA, articulated the way ahead for the Army in areas that ran the gamut from end strength to the new Officer Evaluation Report. For the Warrant Officer cohort, the 2011 ATLDC was a historic event in every regard since this marked the first time an invitation was extended to Senior Warrant Officers. The following Chief Warrant Officer of the Branches (CWOB) and Regimental Chief Warrant Officers (RCWO) attended on behalf of their branches. A special thanks to CW5 David Williams, G3/5/7 wh coordinated this initiative. Pictured : First Row – CW5 Robert Lamphear (EN) CW5 Wade Lovorn (QM) CW5 Todd Boudreau (SC) GEN Martin E. Dempsey (CSA) CW5 Joe Okabayashi (MI) CW5 Michael Reese (AV) CW5 David Williams (HQDA G-3); Second Row – CW5 Herman Burton (AD) CW5 Bernard Satterfiefd (OD) CW5 Coral Jones (AG) CW5 Michael Wichterman (SCOE) CW5 David Albaugh (MP). Attending but not pictured were CW5 Thomas Wilson (TC) and CW5 Bobby Whigham (FA), both of whom were not available at the time.
On July 20, 2011, in Alexandria, Va. – Vice Admiral Norb Ryan, Jr., USN Ret,President of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) presented the Honorable Order of the Eagle Rising Society 2010 Induction awards to CW5 Albert S. Eggerton of Springfield, Va., and CW5 David P. Welsh of Chincoteague Island, Va., at a luncheon hosted by the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College.
Pictured from left, MOAA Executive Administrative Assistant Michele Au Buchon; MOAA President VAdm Norb R. Ryan Jr.; inductee CW5 Albert S. Eggerton; inductee CW5 David P. Welsh; USAWOCC Deputy Commandant CW5 Mike Funk; and Cerie R. Kimball, Mt. Vernon Chapter member.
On September 1, 2011, Fang A. Wong of East Brunswick, N.J., was elected national commander of The American Legion during the 93rd National Convention in Minneapolis, MN. Born in Canton, China, Wong immigrated to the United States as a 12-year-old in 1960. He attended New York City public schools and became a naturalized citizen in 1963. Wong volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1969, served 25 months in Vietnam, and retired from the Army as a Chief Warrant Officer in 1989.
On September 15, 2011, the Army handed over responsibility for managing historic Fort Monroe to Virginia, which wants to turn much of the fort’s valuable land at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay into a national park. The U. S. Army and the Fort Monroe Authority have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that retains the Casemate Museum under the Army Museum System operated by the U. S. Army Center of Military History. Fort Monroe is the birthplace of the Army Warrant Officer in the Mine Planter Service of the Coast Artillery. Early Coast Artillery and Mine Planters were trained at Fort Monroe. The Casemate Museum, located within the moated fortress, portrays the history of Coast Artillery in addition to the other history of Fort Monroe. (Pictured left the Casemate Museum entrance, pictured right the Casemate Museum interior)
On November 1, 2011, President Obama used the Antiquities Act of 1906 to declare Fort Monroe a National Monument. This is a key step in Fort Monroe becoming a National Park. It tells the story of America’s painful journey with slavery and it is of historical value as the birthplace of the Warrant Officer Corps in the Army Mine Planter Service of the Coast Artillery. The push continues in Congress for its designation as a national park.
Also in 2011, CW4 Kevin A. N. Bone (180A) became the first Warrant Officer to graduate from the National Defense University, better known as the “War College”. Pictured left Mr. Bone received the Chancellor’s Award for outstanding performance and leadership in working with the International Students. Pictures right, to mark this mile-stone, Mr. Bone presented a statuette to the Chancellor of the College for posterity, representing the Warrant Officer Corps.
2012
On February 15, 2012, the Training and Doctrine Command issued a tasking to the Combined Arms Command to convene a “Warrant Officer Continuum of Learning Study” to validate the specified professional knowledge, skills and behaviors the Army requires of its warrant officers at each grade and determine whether current, successive levels of Professional Military Education produce those desired outcomes. See the TRADOC Tasking and a Warrant Officer Study Information Paper.
The March 2012 edition of the Army Historical Foundation CALL TO DUTY newsletter announced the National Museum of the U. S. Army VETERANS’ HALL SPONSORSHIP and asks veterans’ groups to “Follow the lead..” Of the six groups already demonstrating “Support in action!” The Warrant Officers Heritage Foundation is a SILVER STAR Member having issued a grant in the sum of $5,000 on November 3, 2009 – see more.
On April 20, 2012, Chief Warrant Officer (Ret.) Patrick E. McClendon and his family took a tour and short ride on the Army Tugboat 913 “Restore Hope” at Fort Eustis, Va. His career in the U.S. Army was long, prestigious and set him as a pioneer in the Army watercraft field. After serving in several military conflicts, he retired to continue working on civilian watercraft. After a 40-year absence, he finally sat behind the controls of an Army tugboat one more time. Pictured, Retired Chief Warrant Officer Patrick E. McClendon, center, stands with his son, Chief Warrant Officer Bryan McClendon, and soldiers assigned to the Army Tugboat 913 ‘Restore Hope’ holding his pilot flag. The flag was also flown on Patrick McClendon’s vessel in Vietnam. (U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Alexander Burnett)
On June 29, 2012. CW5 Robert D. Witzler assumed responsibility as the Command Chief Warrant Officer of the U. S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command from CW5 David F. Cooper who then retired after 28 years of service. CW5 Cooper is a Distinguished Service Cross recipient and member of the Army Aviation Association of America’s Hall of Fame. At the time of his retirement, he was the only currently serving Army Aviator to receive the DSC.
In July 2012, the monthly edition of ARMY, the magazine of the Association of the U. S. Army, published two feature articles in commemoration of the 94th birthday of the Warrant Officer Corps. (See “The U. S. Army Warrant Officer Corps – Still a Work in Progress” and “Aviation Warrant Officers On the Leading Edge.”)
, Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III the Army Vice Chief of Staff hosted a Warrant Officer Birthday Ceremony in the Pentagon Auditorium. The ceremony commemorated the 94th anniversary of the establishment of the Warrant Officer Corps in the Army Mine Planter Service of the Coast Artillery on July 9, 1918.On July 9, 2012
Also, on July 9. 2012, Lt. Gen. (Ret) Theodore Stroupe, AUSA Vice President and former HQDA Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, host a Cake Cutting at the Association of the U.S. Army Headquarters in Arlington, VA. Attending the Ceremony were members of the Senior Warrant Officers Advisory Council and representatives of the U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association.
On July 9, 2012, CW5 Phyllis Wilson assumed the position of Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO) of the Army Reserve. In a Change of Responsibility Ceremony at the Headquarters of the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve (OCAR) , Fort Belvoir, VA, CW5 Wilson succeeded CW5 James E. Thompson, the USAR Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO) since September 2003. As the CCWO, CW5 Wilson serves as advisor to the Chief and Deputy Chief of the Army Reserve and their staff at OCAR and the U.S. Army Reserve Command.
On October2, 2012, the Director of the Army National Guard, Lt. Gen. William E. Ingram, Jr., announced the selection of CW5 Thomas G. (Gary) Ensminger, Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Tennessee Army National Guard, to be the next Command Chief Warrant Officer of the ARNG. He will succeed CW5 Gary R. Nisker; report date to be determined. CW5 Ensminger will represent and advise the Director on all matters pertaining to ARNG policies and actions that affect the warrant officers of the ARNG.
On December 6, 2012, CW5 Roger C. Perry (ARNG, Ret.) was honored as the 2011 Inductee into the Eagle Rising Society at the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College, Fort Rucker, AL. The Society is sponsored by the Military Officers Association of America.
2013
On March 1, 2013, GEN Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award Winners for calendar year 2012 were announced. Among the 28 Company Grade Officer Winners were three Warrant Officers. They were: Active Army Catgegory – CW2 Jason W. Myers, U. S. Army Special Operations Command, Army National Guard – CW2 James. A. Swift, Oregon Army National Guard, and Army Reserve – CW2 Leslie C. Westbrook. Award activities, an Award Ceremony and of associatied events took place in Washington, DC on May 29 and 30, 2013.
On May 7, 2013, Army Regulation 25-50, Preparing and Managing Correspondence, was changed. It directed that all retired Soldiers are to be officially recognized by the same title – U.S. Army Retired – regardless if their service was active duty, reserve duty (USAR or ARNG), or a combination of both. ONE Team – ONE Army – ONE Nation! See more.
On July 9, 2013, at a ceremony celebrating the 95th birthday of the Warrant Officer Corps in the Pentagon Auditorium , Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. John F. Campbell asked those in the crowd that were not warrant officers to stand. “What’s the first thing that pops in your mind when you think about warrant officers?” Campbell asked to those who stood. Among the responses were words like “professional,” “candor,” “knowledgeable,” and “passionate.” Responses differed throughout the crowd. Some responses, like that of Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler, were stories, not a single word. But they all reflected the specialization and skill for which the Warrant Officer Corps has come to be known. The Warrant Officer Corps was founded on July 9, 1918, when an act of Congress created the Army Mine Planter Service as part of the Coast Artillery Corps. Since then, the Warrant Officer Corps has expanded to cover 17 of the 20 branches of the Army. The largest branch that warrant officers serve is aviation.
In July 2013, Army Times Soldier of the Year CW2 Karen D. Beattie was announced. – “CW2 Beattie raises Gold Star awareness after personal tragedy in Iraq “- Chief Warrant Officer 2 Karen D. Beattie and her husband, Sgt. 1st Class Clifford Beattie,deployed together to Iraq with the 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. She learned the devastating news almost immediately after a roadside bomb ripped through her husband’s truck. He and another soldier were dead. (Copyright Army Times, used with permission)
On July 31, 2013, CW5 (Ret) Franklin D. Meeks was honored as the 2012 inductee into the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College (USAWOCC) Order of the Eagle Rising Society. The Eagle Rising Society Award (sponsored by the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)) recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to the promotion of the Warrant Officer Corps in ways that stand out in the eyes of the recipient’s seniors, subordinates, and peers. These individuals also demonstrate the highest standards of integrity and moral character, display an outstanding degree of professional competency, and serve the U. S. Army community with continuing distinction after retirement. CW5(Ret) Meeks will receive the coveted Eagle Rising Medallion and corresponding award certificate, an MOAA Lifetime Membership, a check for $500, and his name placed on a distinguished plaque which is prominently displayed year round at the USAWOCC. (See also a listing of all individuals inducted into the Eagle Rising Society)
On October 18, 2013, the CW4 Harrison E. “Smoke” Robinson Conference Room will be dedicated at the Ordnance School, Fort Lee, Virginia. COL Jack Haley, Ordnance School Commandant and CW5 TerryHetrick, Regimental Chief Warrant Officer are scheduled to cut the ribbon dedicating the Conference Room. Members of his family are expected to be in attendance. CW4 Robinson was the emitomy of the Quiet Professional that we would hope the Warrant Officer of today would emulate.
In November 2013, the Warrant Officer Historical Foundation purchased a Commemorative Brick for the entrance walkway of the planned National Museum of the U.S. Army in recognition of WW II Medal of Honor recipient CW4 Oscar Johnson, then a PFC.
2014
On January 17, 2014 the War College Commandant visited the Warrant Officer Career College – see article by CW5 James Rathburn, Chief, Academic Instruction Division, WOCC, Fort Rucker, Al.
On January 31, 2014, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jason Starr was awarded the Broken Wing Award, during a ceremony at Lowe Army Heliport at Fort Rucker, Alabama. As a flight crew flew a routine mission overseas, a loud bang was heard and the Black Hawk flown by one of Fort Rucker’s own began to shake violently as it started to drop out of the sky, but an extraordinary Aviator’s actions saved the lives of himself and three others, earning him an award that’s rarity. Starr is a UH-60M Black Hawk instructor pilot with C Company, 1st Battalion, 212th Aviation Regiment, . (see story)
February 2014 is National African American History Month – See African American Warrant Officers and the Vietnam War by CW4 (Ret) Farrell Chiles.
On February 13, 2014, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Mark Colbert and Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Busic, of 1st Special Forces Group, were awarded the Silver Star for their actions in fending off a complex attack on Forward Operating Base Ghazni, Afghanistan. When the explosion tore a hole into the east perimeter wall of Forward Operating Base Ghazni, Afghanistan, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Mark Colbert and Sgt. 1st Class Andrew Busic rushed to the scene. There they saw 10 enemy fighters wearing suicide-bomb vests and Afghan army uniforms, and carrying rifles, grenades and grenade launchers. The men, operators assigned to 1st Special Forces Group, led a fierce counter-attack, battling back a determined enemy and fighting through multiple grenade and suicide-bomb vest blasts, to secure the FOB. (See story and picture)
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Feb. 27, 2014 – An Army Reserve soldier deployed here is a teacher in civilian life, and he puts those skills to work mentoring younger soldiers. “I do it for the youth,” said Warrant Officer Randy Jones, utilities operations and maintenance technician officer for the 760th Engineer Company out of Marion, Va. “There’s just no substitute for being able to pass your knowledge to the next generation and help make a difference in a young adult’s life.” Jones said he’s always happy when something happens to show him his mentorship took hold. “It’s a great feeling when a student you taught 15 years ago calls you on the phone and thanks you and invites you out to dinner with their family,” he said. (See complete story and picture)
March 2014 was Women’s History Month – The Theme for the year was Celebrating Women of Character, Courage, and Commitment.” See Military Women Lead the Way by CW5 Phyllis Wilson, Command Chief Warrant Officer of the Army Reserve..
On March 2, 2014, the Chief of the Adjutant General’s Corps, announced the selection of the 2014 Class of AG Corps Distinguished Members of the Regiment (DMORs). Among those selected were the following Warrant Officers: CW5 (Ret) Scott B. Hagar, CW5 (Ret) Ronald D. Mavity, CW5 (Ret) Edwin Nievesbeauchamp,, CW5 (Ret) Janice E. Ready CW4 (Ret) Percy Butler, CW4 (Ret) Lisa M. Guynn, and CW4 (Ret) Rafael A. Santos. Congratulation to these fine officers for their achievements,
On March 14, 2014, General Raymond T. Odierno, the Chief of Staff, Army (CSA) created a new position for an Army Staff Senior Warrant Officer (ARSTAF SWO) – The CSA selected CW5 David Williams as the first ARSTAF SWO (see the “CSA Sends” message). See also Meet the new voice for warrant Officers – They want more tech training, better shot at promotion, he says, Army Times, 5/26/2015 (used with permission).
On March 17, 2014, the U.S .Army Human Resources Command announced the Calendar Year 2013 General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Awards. Among the twenty-eight junior officers were: ACTIVE ARMY – CW2 John A. Sims, U.S. Army Europe; ARMY NATIONAL GUARD – CW2 Nicholas D. Thompson, HHC 2-218 FA; and U. S. ARMY RESERVE – CW2 Steven S. Elrod, 200th Military Police Command. Awards and associated events took place in Washington, DC May 29-30, 2014. (See message)
On March 27, 2014, eight soldiers from Fort Bragg’s 3rd Special Forces Group were awarded Silver Stars for acts of valor while serving in Afghanistan. Among the eight were Warrant Officer Robert Hinsley and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jason Myers. Hinsley was recognized for his actions on March 9, 2013, in which he led a 15-soldier group against an estimated force of 100 insurgents when they were ambushed in a local bazaar. He repeatedly put himself under dangerous enemy fire and retrieved a grenade launcher that allowed his group to fend off the enemy during the several-hour battle. Myers was honored for his actions after insurgents took over the Chamki district center on November 10, 2011 when he pulled together a U.S.-Afghan team of five to engage the insurgents who were throwing grenades and firing automatic weapons. Myers entered the complex three times to fight barricaded suicide bombers, rescue hostages and clear booby trapped rooms. He was wounded in the hands, arms, buttocks and legs.
On May 2, 2014, The United States Army Warrant Officer Career College (USAWOCC) welcomed its ninth Commandant, COL Garry L. Thompson. COL Thompson assumed command from COL Stanley O. Smith during a change of command ceremony at the U.S. Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker, Alabama. (See story and biography)
On June 9, 2014, CW5 Richard Ayers assumed the position of Deputy Commandant at the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College, Fort Rucker, Alabama.
In July 2014, the Army announced that they had recently approved a U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) recommendation to realign chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) warrant officers from non-CBRN formations and place them in CBRN units at the company echelon and above. (see more about the reorganization)
Army Cyber Branch In September 2014, Army Secretary John McHugh and Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno approved the creation of the Cyber branch, as one of the first official steps in establishing a 17-series career field specifically dedicated to managing the careers and professional development of officers. The remainder of the 17series career field management program is expected to be implemented by October 2015, with both enlisted and warrant officercareer paths. (see more)
2015
On January 3, 2015, the selection of CW5 Peter T. Panos to be the next Army National Guard Command Chief Warrant Officer was announced. CW5 Panos comes to the National Guard Bureau in the Army Directorate from the Minnesota Army National Guard.
On January 27, 2015, Army Directive 2015-07 (Unmasking of Army Officer Evaluation Reports) was issued by Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh. Elimination of the masking process for Officers and Warrant Officers is related to the Army moving from fully qualified to best qualified selection boards. (seeArmy Directive 2015-07 for more details and information.)
On June 4, 2015, MILPER Message 15-166 announced the initial MOS 170A Warrant Officer Cyber Branch Voluntary Transfer for active Army Warrants. (See MILPER 15-166)
On June 10, 2015, the U.S. Army Installation Management Command issued a Memorandum announcing the Warrant Officers in the grade of CW3 applying for housing will compete for quarters in the Field Grade category, and that CW5 applicants will compete for Senior Officer quarters. All other policies relating to wait list management and categories of housing remain unchanged. (see Memorandum)
On June 11, 2015, the U.S. Department of Defense announced the recovery of the remains of Chief Warrant Officers 3 James L. Phillips of Mattoon, Illinois and Rainer S. Ramos of Wiesbaden, Germany who whose UIH-1C Iroquois (Huey) helicopter was shot down in Quang Tin Province, In Vietnam on January 9, 1968. (see Press Release)
On July 10, 2015, the Commanding General of the 1st Cavalry Division conducted a retirement ceremony in honor of CW5 Jeanne Pace who retired from the Army after 43 years of active service, the longest-serving active duty female warrant officer in Army history. CW5 Pace enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps in 1972 and she later became the first female band commander in the active Army. As of her retirement date, CW5 Pace was the last former member of the Women’s Army Corps on active duty, and her final assignment was command of the 1st Cavalry Division Band. (See the CW5 Jeanne Pace story) She started as a clarinet player in the WAC Band and was a SFC at the time of her appointment as a WO. Panama, Ft Leonard, The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps were other assignments. She was inducted into the AG Corps Hall of Fame, Class of 2019.
On July 22, 2015, an Order of the Eagle Rising Society 2014 Induction Ceremony was conducted at the Aviation Museum, Fort Rucker, Alabama, for CW4 Benny R. McKee, USA Retired. Vice Admiral Norb Ryan, USN Retired, President of the Military Officers Association (MOAA) and Colonel Garry L. Thompson, Commandant of the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College (WOCC) presented the Award. The Order is based at the WOCC at Fort Rucker and is sponsored by the MOAA. Pictured right, sitting from the left are Society members CW4 Don Hess, CW4 Benny McKee, and standing from the left are CW5 Bill Walton, CW5 Bob Huffman, and CW5 Bob Cooper, Society members attending the induction. See MOAA Press Release. See also Listing of Society members.
History of Women Warrant Officers in the U. S. Army
Background
Research in this subject is difficult as few records and statistics are not available. However, there is evidence that the first appointments of women as warrant officers occurred during the latter period of World War II. Available records indicate that March 1944 was the date of initial accessions of women into the Warrant Officer Corps. Before then there existed a question as to whether or not women soldiers could be appointed warrant officers if they held positions which, for a man, carried the grade. Legislation concerning the Women’s’ Army Corps (WAC) did not mention the matter, and on this basis The Judge Advocate General ruled that appointment of women was illegal because the law did not specify that it was legal. The question was brought to the War Department’s attention by several major commanders who wished to appoint to warrant officer grade the women who were filling warrant officer
positions. It was then that The Judge Advocate General was overruled. The Department of the Army G-1 held that such appointment was legal under the general authority to admit women to full army status, and the Chief of Staff upheld this opinion. At the end of World War II, 42 women were in the Warrant Officer Corps. but thereafter appointments virtually ceased. (Source: The Women’s Army Corps, United States Army in World War II Special Studies, Office of the Chief of Military History, P. 577)
The Early Years
In 1926, the first two female field clerks became the first female Warrants. They were Jen Doble, on duty at IX Corps Area Headquarters in San Francisco, California and Olive Hoskins, on duty at the VII Corps Area headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. Both women then had about 20 years service and there were no more female warrants after they retired. Not until WWII did the Army again appoint women as warrants. [Source: “Encyclopedia of US Army Insignia and Uniforms” (Univ. of Oklahoma Press, 1996) by Bill Emerson].
On February 5, 1933, the Associated Press released a picture captioned “Miss Olive Hoskins, the only woman warrant officer, in the United States Army, at work in the army building, New York City … “. See the newspaper clipping courtesy the collection of Robert Hoskins and provided by his grandson, John Woodward.
In January 1944, the appointment of women as Warrant Officers was authorized.
In March 1944, the first six (or seven) female Warrant Officers were appointed. Several were band leaders, but others were administrative specialists. One was Nana Rae, General Eisenhower’s secretary. At the conclusion of World War II, there were 42 female Warrant Officers serving on active duty. Elizabeth C. Smith (WAC, 1944), was one of the early USAAF/USA Warrant Officers (1948). She retired in 1964 at grade of Chief Warrant Officer 4.
1968-1975
The population of women warrant officers during this period ranged from 23 in 1968 to 46 in 1979. The women warrant officers of 1968 were assigned to the following branches: AG 8; MI: 9; MP: 2; QM: 2; and SC: 2: From 1968 to 1975 the quantity of women warrant officers remained stable throughout this period. These data reflect within the Warrant Officer Corps a symptom of change that is typical both of the Army at large and of society as a whole, i.e., expanding opportunity for employment of women. The following points highlight the experience of that decade:
Sociological Inhibition. About 50 percent of all warrant officer Military Occupational Specialties are of maintenance specialties which, historically, have not been attractive to women. Also, social conditioning frequently discouraged women from entering these specialties. Such conditioning resulted in informal constraints that not only prevented women from entering the “hard skill” enlisted occupations that feed many of the warrant officer specialties. This conditioning also tended to encourage their entry into traditional “soft skill” occupational areas such as administration, supply or personnel. For most of this period only 5 of the 14 warrant officer control branches accounted for the entire female population, predominantly in the following MOS: 711A-Personnel Technician (AG); 971A-Counterintelligence Technician (MI); 951A-Criminal Investigator (MP); 761A-Unit Supply Technician (QM); and 721A-Cryptographic Technician (SC).
Qualification Criteria. During this period, the most important prerequisites for appointment in most warrant officer specialties (other than aviation) were technical competence and supervisory experience. Because of this, the primary target of the warrant officer accession program was the active enlisted base at the noncommissioned officer grade level. Within the enlisted career programs, with “stovepiped” MOS tracks, it is at the SSG or SFC level that individuals first acquire supervisory experience which bridges the several MOS in a career field. Consequently, even if there had been a large female population in the lower grades, they would not have possessed the qualifications needed for a warrant officer appointment. The fact is that throughout this period, the total female enlisted population was small and the quantity of NCO personnel was a small fraction of the total (e.g., of the 26,328 enlisted women on active duty in mid-FY 1974, only 669 were in rank SSG, or 2.5 percent of the total).
Combining this with the fact that not all enlisted MOS are feeders for warrant officer specialties it can be seen that there were very few women in the zones from which warrant officers could be drawn. All these factors served to keep the female warrant officer numbers at a low level.
1975-1978
In August 1972, the Army approved a plan for expanding the role of women. Follow-on actions significantly increased the size of the enlisted base, however, with few exceptions, it still took 6-10 years to grow a qualified warrant officer appointee. Thus, the major benefits to the Warrant Officer Corps of enlisted female e expansion were projected to be seen in the FY 78-82 time frame. An indication of these benefits was initially seen in the sharp rise in the population of women warrant officers which began in 1975 and resulted in the number of female warrant officers more than doubling by 1978. This rising population of female warrant officers was the result of three special factors:
Source of increase. Increases in the total number in women warrant officers was primarily attributable to opportunities made available to women in just two specialties, Aviation and Medical Corps. The Aviation Branch accessed 11 female warrant officers and the Medical Corps 8 in branches that previously had no female members. These two branches alone contributed 79 percent of the increase that occurred between 1975 and 1978.
In 1973, Aviation training for women was authorized based on an Army Chief of Staff decision. The women followed the same academic, flight, and physical training programs as the men except that push-ups were substituted for pull-ups required for males. Initially, women did not participate in the survival and POW exercises, but that practice was changed late in 1974. The women pilots were assigned to general support, noncombat units, where they evacuated medical patients and transported routine passengers such as inspection teams. The first female Warrant Officer candidate entered this training program in fiscal year 1974. The first completed the training and was appointed as a Warrant Officer in fiscal year 1975. The first female warrant officer aviator was Jennie A. Vallance.
The Medical Corps increase resulted from an increase in the Physician’s Assistant specialty, MOS 911A. This warrant officer specialty was established in FY 72. Appointment in this specialty required completion of a 2-year warrant officer candidate course, so the first output of warrant officers was not seen until FY 74. Because clinical medical experience was a prerequisite for entry into this program, the Army drew warrant officer candidates primarily from enlisted assets. Therefore, the enlisted female expansion did not contribute to the Medical Corps element. Instead, women already in the Army’s medical specialties were given access to this previously unavailable career field opportunity for warrant officer appointment.
Expansion of Specialties. The second factor leading to the increase in the rising population of women warrant officers was the expansion of women into specialties previously excluded. Prior to 1975 only 36 percent of the warrant officer specialties (32 of 90) opened to women. With the lifting of many of these exclusions, 80 percent (72 of 90) warrant officer specialties were now open to women. Further evolution resulted with the revision of the warrant officer MOS structure, revised in 1977, which created a warrant officer MOS structure of 59 specialties of which 85 percent (50 of 59) were open to women. A later revision opened up 97 percent (57 of 59) of warrant officer specialties for the appointment of women warrant officers.
Nontraditional Specialties. The third factor leading to the increase in the rising population of women warrant officers was the appointment in nontraditional specialties. With the elimination of MOS exclusions, women received appointments in specialties which previously had zero female membership. Not only were more women applying for warrant officer appointments, but they were ably to apply in a wider range of specialties than at any time in the past.
The 1990’s and Beyond
In 1992, Master Warrant Officer (MW4) Donna Foli, then serving as Chief, Technical Warrant Officer Recruiting for the Army Reserve at the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, was the first female to be promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 5.
In 1995, the woman warrant officer population has continued to attract high quality candidates from the enlisted female population on active duty and in the reserve forces. The female warrant officer population was 616 of the total active duty warrant officer strength of 12338. In the reserve forces the female warrant officer strength was 673 from a reserve forces warrant officer strength of 12857.
In March 2003 Three Female Army Warrant Officers were Featured in the National Media:
CW4 Concetta Hassan, a CH-47 Chinook pilot, “Is very much the 60-year-old grandmother she appears to be, boasting about her family and looking forward to retirement” – see the USA Today story. CW4 Hassan was also featured on the NBC Today Show during the week of March 17, 2003.
CWO Charisma Henzie, also a CH-47 Chinook pilot – “Perched on her cot, Charisma Henzie rips open a box sent through military mail and pulls out a white stuffed cat. Press here, reads the instructions on the belly and she does. “Happy 26th Birthday!” croaks a baritone, a recording of her father’s voice. “A cat for Kuwait!” – see the Washingron Post Story.
WO1 Laquitta Joseph, a Maintenance Technician, “The first thing Warrant Officer Laquita Joseph did the other day was find the private who inadvertently — and foolishly — had dirtied up her truck with a broken oil-leaking transmission differential.” – see the Wall Street Journal story.
On February 1, 2005, the Army Remembered Women Judge Advocate General Corps (JAGC) Pioneers – the ribbon was cut on a JAGC Exhibit at the Army Women’s Museum at Fort Lee, VA. The exhibit includes a highlight on the career of Chief Warrant Officer Five Sharon Swartworth the first active Army CW5 and the first female Regimental Warrant Officer of the JAGC. She was killed in November 2003 when the Blackhawk helicopter she was riding in was shot down near Tikrit, Iraq.
Unlike both the enlisted and commissioned officer accession programs, which primarily draw from civilian markets, the warrant officer program relies heavily on the active Army enlisted base. Except for the aviation specialty, which is a “hands-on” function, prior military experience is an important requisite to warrant officer appointment and performance. Consequently, there has been little input to the warrant officer ranks directly from the civilian market except for the aviation candidate enlistment option. Therefore, the expansion of the female enlisted force on active duty and in the reserve components continues to provide a strong base from which female warrant officers can be drawn.
Summary
As of December 31, 2014, the Army Warrant Officer cohert consisted of over 29,000 warrant officers serving in the Active Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve.
ARMY WARRANT OFFICER SERVING AS OF 12/31/2014
Active National Army Total All
Rank Army Guard Reserve Components
CW5 661 384 97 1,142
CW4 2,233 3,493 562 6,288
CW3 4,140 2,054 776 6,970
CW2 6,395 3,521 1,447 11,363
WO1 2,019 1,125 401 3,545
TOTAL 15,448 10,577 3,283 29,308
Total Active National Army Total All
Officers Army Guard Reserve Components
All Ranks 96,995 45,304 35,661 177,960
Warrant Officer Percent of Total Officer Strength
15.9% 23.3% 9.2% 16.5%
Source: Defense Manpower Data Center as of 12/31/2014
Technical Warrant Officer authorized positions – 64.2%
Aviation Technical Warrant Officer authorized positions – 2.9%
Aviation Warrant Officer authorized positions – 32.9%
Branches with Warrant Officers assigned – 17 of 20 Army Branches
Number of Warrant Officer Military Occupation Specialties – over 70
(See also “Where Do Warrant Officers Serve?”)
Army Warrant Officers are soldiers, technical experts, officers, and leaders that manage and maintain increasingly complex battlefield systems. Warrant Officers enhance the Army’s ability to defend our national interests, and to fight and win our nation’s wars.
Candidates who successfully complete Army Warrant Officer Candidate School are appointed in the grade of Warrant Officer One (WO1). When advanced to Chief Warrant Officer Two (CW2), Warrant Officers are commissioned by the President and have the same legal status as their traditional commissioned officer counterparts. However, Warrant Officers remain single-specialty officers whose career track is oriented towards progressing within their career field rather than focusing on increased levels of command and staff duty positions.
There are five grades within the Army Warrant Officer Corps. A person is initially appointed as a Warrant Officer (WO1), and progress to Chief Warrant Officer Two (CW2) after 2 years. Competitive promotion to Chief Warrant Officer Three (CW3), Chief Warrant Officer Four (CW4), and Chief Warrant Officer Five (CW5) occur at approximately six year intervals for Aviation Warrant Officers and five year intervals for those in technical specialties.
This history grew out of a history written by then Warrant Officer 1 Syverston, USA, whose primary resource was a student handout from the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Career College. The history was edited and put into HTML by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Callahan, USA, Webmaster at the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Center and School. The history has been further edited, expanded and is currently maintained by Chief Warrant Officer 5 (Retired) Dave Welsh, then National Webmaster & Past National President of USAWOA (1988-1992) and who currently is the President, a Board Member and the Founder of the Warrant Officer Historical Foundation (formerly Warrant Officers Heritage Foundation).
Information on the Warrant Officer programs of the other services was derived from the Defense Department Report to Congress on the Warrant Officer Management Act, dated 30 November 1989. CW5 Welsh was a member of the DoD Study Group.
We also gratefully acknowledge the contributions to this history by CW4 Don Hess, USA Ret; CW4 Lon Flurer, USA Ret; CW4 Jerry McRee, USA Ret; CW5 Don Howerton, USA Ret; Mr. Dave Johnson, Casemate Museum, Fort Monroe VA; CW5 Ray Bell, USA Ret; CW5 Don Woodruff, USA Ret; CW3 Melanie Ladra, USA; CWO3 James R. Smith, USMC; CW4 Farrell Chiles, USAR; CW4 Pat Hudson, ARNG; CW5 Gary Nisker, ARNGUS; CW2 Paul J. Carilli, ARNG; CW4 Kenneth ‘Pete” Hill, USA Ret; CW5 Bob Huffman, USA Ret; CW5 (Ret) Jerry DiIllard, USA Ret; CW5 Matt Wojdak; CW5 Mike Adair, USA Ret; Ramon Jackson, Patriot Net; CW4 (Ret) Bob Scott, CW4 (Ret) Jack DuTiel, CW5 (Ret) Rhea Pruitt, and numerous others.
WOHF “Grants” (NMUSA Memorial Donations)