Warrant officer

Two Bermuda Regiment Warrant Officers.

A Warrant Officer (WO) is a member of a military organization holding one of a specific group of ranks. In most countries they are effectively senior non-commissioned officers, although technically in a class of their own between NCOs and commissioned officers. In the military of the United States, warrant officers are accorded the same privileges and courtesies, such as terms of address and salutes, as commissioned officers, and now receive a commission upon achieving the level of Chief Warrant Officer.

History

The warrant officer corps began in the 13th century in the nascent English Royal Navy. At that time, noblemen with military experience took command of the new Navy, adopting the military ranks of lieutenant and captain. These officers often had no knowledge of life on board a ship—let alone how to navigate such a vessel—and relied on the expertise of the ship's Master and other seamen who tended to the technical aspects of running the ship. As cannon came into use, the officers also required gunnery experts.

These sailors became indispensable to the running of the ship and were rewarded with a royal warrant. The warrant was a special designation, designed to set them apart from other sailors, yet not violate the class system that was prevalent during the time.

Nevertheless, while the class distinctions embodied by the distinction between commission and warrant were important at Court and in society both at home and abroad, on board ship a person's status has always depended more on the practical importance of the job that he did rather than the formalities of commission or warrant. Admiralty commissions were therefore never accorded the unique status that the Queen's commission holds in the Army, and in the hierarchy of a Royal Navy ship important warrant officers such as the Master would outrank commissioned officers such as the marine Lieutenants.

Originally, warrant officers were as described at the top of this article: specialist professionals whose expertise and authority demanded formal recognition. They eventually developed into three categories:

• Wardroom warrant officers
• Standing warrant officers
• Lower-grade warrant officers

Wardroom warrant officers

Wardroom warrant officers, formerly called "Warrant Officers of Wardroom Rank", were accorded the same privileges as commissioned officers.

• The Master, like a master of a merchant ship, responsible for the navigation and general sea-handling of the ship.
• The Surgeon
• The Chaplain
• The Purser, responsible for the provisioning of the ship.

It may be noted that the positions listed above are now equivalent to commissioned positions in the modern Royal Navy (i.e. navigating officer, chaplain, surgeon and supply officer).

Standing warrant officers

The standing warrant officers generally remained with the ship even when she was out of commission, and often were involved in the initial fit-out.

• The Boatswain, (pronounced bo'sun) responsible, under the master, for the rigging, sails and anchors of the ship.
• The Carpenter
• The Gunner, responsible for the maintenance of the guns, but not the actual firing of them.

The carpenter was rendered obsolete with the end of wooden sailing ships, but the roles of boatswain and the gunner in the Royal Navy are now carried out by commissioned officers.

Lower-grade warrant officers

Below the standing warrant officers were various warrant officers, such as the Master-at-Arms, the Sailmaker and the Armourer, although in the hierarchy of the ship these warrant officers might be junior to others who did not hold formal warrants, such as the master's mates or the midshipmen.

The demise of the Royal Naval warrants

In 1843, the wardroom warrant officers were given commissioned status, while in 1853 the lower-grade warrant officers were absorbed into the new rate of Chief Petty Officer, both classes thereby ceasing to be warrant officers. By the time of the First World War the standing warrant officers had been divided into two grades: Warrant Officers and Chief Warrant Officers (or "Commissioned Warrant Officers", a phrase that was replaced in 1920 with "Commissioned Officers from Warrant Rank"). Their ranks had by then expanded with the adoption of modern technology in the Navy to include Telegraphists, Electricians, Shipwrights, Artificer Engineers, etc. Both WOs and CWOs messed in the Warrant Officers' mess rather than the wardroom.

Until 1949, WOs and CWOs carried swords, were saluted by ratings, had their own mess and ranked between Sub-Lieutenants and Midshipmen. In 1949, the ranks of WO and CWO were changed to "Commissioned Officer" and "Senior Commissioned Officer", the latter ranking with but after the rank of Lieutenant, and they were admitted to the wardroom, the WOs messes closing down. Collectively these officers were known as "Branch Officers", being retitled "Special Duties" officers in 1956. In 1998, the Special Duties list was merged with the General list of officers in the Royal Navy, all officers now having the same opportunity to reach the highest commissioned ranks.

Warrant officers in the Royal Marines

The development of the warrant officer ranks in the Royal Marines closely paralleled those in the Royal Navy. As in the RN, by the Second World War there were Warrant Officers and Commissioned Warrant Officers, e.g. Staff Sergeant Majors, Commissioned Staff Sergeant Majors, Royal Marines Gunners, Commissioned Royal Marines Gunners, etc. As officers they were saluted by junior ranks in the Royal Marines and the Army. These all became (commissioned) Branch officer ranks in 1949, and Special Duties officer ranks in 1956.

Warrant officers in the Army

Warrant officers were generally introduced throughout the British Army under Army Order 70 of 1915, although Regimental Sergeant Majors and a few other appointments (beginning in 1879, when Conductors of Stores and Supplies were warranted), had been warranted before that time. These earlier warranted appointments, and some others, became WOIs. The appointments that were designated WOIIs had previously been senior sergeants. Unlike in the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines, warrant officers in the Army were not considered officers and were not saluted.

Australia

Warrant Officers in the Australian Defence Force are the senior non-commissioned ranks.

Royal Australian Navy

The RAN has two Warrant Officer ranks. The first is Warrant Officer (WO), and is equivalent to an Army Warrant Officer Class One (WO1). The insignia for a WO in the RAN is the Australian coat of arms. Beneath the rank of WO, and equivalent to the Army's WO2 is Chief Petty Officer (CPO). CPOs are not however classified as Warrant Officers.

The RAN also has the more senior rank of Warrant Officer of the Navy (WO-N). It is the most senior non-commissioned rank in the RAN and is also a singular rank. That is, it is only held by one person at any time.

Warrant Officers are not saluted because they are not a commissioned rank.

Australian Army

The Australian Army has three Warrant Officer ranks. The most senior Warrant Officer rank is that of Warrant Officer (WO), introduced in 1991. This rank is held by the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army (RSM-A). It is the most senior non-commissioned rank in the Australian Army and is only held by one person at a time.

A Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) can hold the position of Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) or Battalion Sergeant Major (BSM) of a battalion or equivalent unit, RSM of a brigade or larger formation, or occasionally a training or administrative position, particularly Quartermaster of a smaller unit. Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2) can hold the position of Company Sergeant Major, Squadron Sergeant Major or Battery Sergeant Major, or a number of training or administrative positions.

Army WO1s can be promoted to Captain, given what is known as a Prescribed Service Commission. It is rare for an officer promoted from WO1 to rise past Major, or to be given a command position.

The insignia of a WO2 is a crown. The insignia of a WO1 is the Australian coat of arms (changed from the royal coat of arms in 1976). The insignia for the RSM-A is the Australian coat of arms surrounded by a wreath. All these are worn on the sleeve on the upper arm.

Warrant Officers in the Army are addressed by subordinates as "Sir" or "Ma'am". They can be addressed by commissioned officers according to their appointment (e.g. "CSM" or "RSM").

Royal Australian Air Force

The RAAF has two Warrant Officer ranks. The first is Warrant Officer (WOFF) which is equivalent to an Army WO1. The insignia of a WOFF is the Australian coat of arms. Beneath the rank of WO, and equivalent to the Army's WO2 is Flight Sergeant (FSGT). Flight Sergeants are not however classified as Warrant Officers.

The senior WO rank is Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF). It is the most senior non-commissioned rank in the RAAF and like the WO-N in the RAN and the RSM-A in the Army, there is only one WOFF-AF in the RAAF.

The insignia of the WOFF-AF is the Australian coat of arms surrounded by a wreath. The wreath denotes the singularity of the rank.

Canada

In the Canadian Forces, Warrant Officers are the senior non-commissioned member (NCM) ranks. There are three ranks in this group: in the Army and Air Force, they are (in descending order):

• Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) / French: adjudant-chef (adjuc)
• Master Warrant Officer (MWO) / French: adjudant-maître (adjum)
• Warrant Officer (WO) / French: adjudant (adj)

Their Naval equivalents are, respectively:

• Chief Petty Officer 1st Class (CPO1) / French: premier maître de 1re classe (pm 1)
• Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class (CPO2) / French: premier maître de 2e classe (pm 2)
• Petty Officer 1st Class (PO1) / French: maître de 1re classe (m 1)

The rank insignia of the WO is a royal crown, worn on both forearms of the Service Dress tunic; in gold metal and green enamel miniature pins on the collar of the Service Dress shirt and outerwear coats (Army only); on CADPAT slipons worn in the middle of the chest, embroidered in tan (Army) or dark blue (Air Force) thread; and in "old gold" thread on blue slip-ons on both shoulders of other uniforms (Air Force only).

A WO of the Canadian Grenadier Guards and the Governor General's Foot Guards is referred to and addressed as Colour Sergeant (CSgt). On ceremonial full dress and patrol dress uniforms, a Colour Sergeant wears a distinctive rank insignia, but on all other uniforms wears the WO's crown.

Forms of address

The etiquette of addressing Warrant Officers is as follows (assuming a member named Bloggins):

• Warrant Officer – initially as "Warrant Officer Bloggins" or "Warrant Bloggins", thereafter as "Warrant"; except in foot guards regiments, initially as "Colour Sergeant Bloggins", thereafter as "Colour Sergeant".
• Petty Officer 1st Class – initially as "Petty Officer Bloggins" or "PO Bloggins", thereafter as "PO".
• Chief Petty Officer 1st/2nd Class – initially as "Chief Petty Officer Bloggins" or "Chief Bloggins", thereafter as "Chief". The distinction between 1st and 2nd class (for both Chiefs and POs) is usually only made during formal awards, promotions or other presentations.
• Master Warrant Officer – initially as "Master Warrant Officer Bloggins", thereafter as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by subordinates, and as "Master Warrant Officer" by superiors. May also be addressed as "Sergeant-Major" if s/he holds that appointment.
• Chief Warrant Officer – initially as "Chief Warrant Officer Bloggins" by subordinates, thereafter as "Sir" or "Ma'am"; "Mr. Bloggins" by superiors; and, if s/he holds the title of Regimental Sergeant-Major, "RSM" by his/her Commanding Officer.

Appointments

A WO is usually the most senior NCM in a platoon, troop, or flight, and holds the position of Platoon WO (Pl WO), Troop WO (Tp WO), or Flight WO (Flt WO). This applies to independent organizations – e.g., an Air Reserve Flight – as well as sub-units of a larger unit – e.g., a Pioneer Platoon in an infantry regiment. If necessary, they may also act in the capacity of second-in-command (2IC) of such a sub-unit under a lieutenant.

WOs may also command detachments of larger organizations, for example Communication Detachment Great Village, near Debert, Nova Scotia, which falls under the command of 726 Communication Squadron at CFB Halifax, almost 100 km away.

Due to the unified nature of the CF, it is not unheard-of for Air Force WOs or even Navy PO1s – especially those of the so-called "purple trades", such as logistics or military police – to find themselves filling WO appointments in what are otherwise considered "hard" army units (such as Service Battalions or Communication Squadrons). Conversely, it is not impossible for an Army WO or Navy PO1 to find themselves filling a WO billet in an Air Force squadron – an example would be an Army Line Technician as the Technical WO of an Air Force base's telecommunications and information services squadron.

Messes and quarters

WOs generally mess and billet with other Warrant Officers and with Sergeants, and their Naval equivalents, Chief Petty Officers and Petty Officers. Their mess on military bases or installations are generally named the "Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess".

Usage note

The term "Warrant Officer" can be ambiguous; care must be taken to distinguish between Warrant Officers as a particular Army and Air Force rank, and Warrant Officers as a cadre, consisting of all ranks mentioned above (including Warrant Officer). Generally, whether one is referring to the rank or the cadre will be determined by context.

Singapore

In the Singapore Armed Forces, Warrant Officers are former Specialists who have attained the rank of Master Sergeant and have been selected for and graduated from the Joint Warrant Officer Course at SAF Warrant Officer School. Warrant Officers rank between Specialists and commissioned officers, and can hold both Specialist and officer appointments. Thus one can see Warrant Officers serving as Regimental Sergeant Majors in certain units and Officers Commanding in other units. However units that have a Warrant Officer as their Officer Commanding are usually training units. Having had extensive practical experience through their career, Warrant Officers are often given staff officer appointments such as Quartermaster and Motor Transport Officer in training and non-combat units. A great deal of them serve as subject-matter experts in various training establishments as well.

There are four grades of warrant officer:

• Second Warrant Officer (2WO): insignia is a point up chevron, an arc below, and a Singapore coat of arms in the middle
• First Warrant Officer (1WO): insignia is two point up chevrons, an arc below, and a Singapore coat of arms in the middle
• Master Warrant Officer (MWO): insignia is three point up chevrons, an arc below, and a Singapore coat of arms in the middle
• Senior Warrant Officer (SWO): insignia is four point up chevrons, an arc below, and a Singapore coat of arms in the middle

These are the successor ranks to the previous warrant officer rank structure which comprised of Warrant Officer Class II and I only. Their rank insignia were the Singapore coat of arms, and the coat of arms in laurels respectively.

Warrant Officers usually have their own mess. For smaller units, this mess may be combined with the Officers' Mess as the Officers'/Warrant Officers' Mess. Warrant Officers wear their insignia on their epaulettes, like officers, instead of on the sleeve like specialists and other soldiers. This signifies that Warrant Officers often have similar responsibilities to commissioned officers. Warrant Officers are addressed as "Sir" by those junior to them and "Warrant Officer". They are also commonly addressed "Encik" ("Uncle") as a form of respect by commissioned officers. They are not, however, saluted by enlisted ranks.

Warrant officer ranks of the Singapore Armed Forces

Insignia
Rank	Third Warrant Officer	Second Warrant Officer	First Warrant Officer	Master Warrant Officer	Senior Warrant Officer	Chief Warrant Officer
Abbreviation	3WO	2WO	1WO	MWO	SWO	CWO

United Kingdom

In the British armed forces, a warrant officer is the highest non-commissioned rank, holding the Queen's (or King's) warrant, which is signed by the Secretary of State for Defence. Warrant officers are not saluted, but are usually addressed by their juniors as "Sir" or "Ma'am". Warrant officers have all been promoted from NCO rank.

Royal Navy

In 1973, warrant officers reappeared in the Royal Navy, but these appointments followed the Army model, with the new warrant officers being ratings rather than officers. They were initially known as Fleet Chief Petty Officers (FCPOs), but were renamed Warrant Officers in the 1980s. They always ranked with Warrant Officers Class I in the British Army and Royal Marines and with Warrant Officers in the Royal Air Force.

In 2004, the RN renamed the top rate Warrant Officer Class 1 and created the new rate of Warrant Officer Class 2 immediately below it, to replace the appointment of Charge Chief Petty Officer. The latter was a senior Chief Petty Officer, but not a substantive rank in its own right. Only those who held the specific appointment of Charge Chief Artificer (a CCPO in a skilled technical trade) gained partial recognition as NATO OR-8 equivalent, as with other WO2s.

Royal Navy warrant rates are thus now the same as those in the Army and Royal Marines, and wear the same rank insignia. Like RM WO2s (but unlike Army WO2s), all RN WO2s wear the crown-in-wreath variation of the rank insignia.

Royal Marines

The Royal Marines now has the same warrant ranks as the Army, Warrant Officer Class 1 and Warrant Officer Class 2. The insignia are the same, but all RM WO2s wear the crown-in-wreath variation. As in the Army, all warrant officers have appointments by which they are known, referred to and addressed.

WO2 appointments are:

• Company Sergeant Major
• Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant
• Bandmaster
• Corps Drum Major

WO1 appointments are:

• Regimental Sergeant Major
• Bandmaster
• Corps Bandmaster
• Corps Bugle Major

The rank below WO2 is Colour Sergeant, the RM equivalent of Staff Sergeant.

British Army

In the British Army, there are two warrant ranks, Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) and Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1), which is the senior of the two. It used to be more common to refer to these ranks as WOII and WOI (using Roman instead of Arabic numerals). Warrant Officer 1st Class or 2nd Class is incorrect. The rank immediately below WO2 is Staff Sergeant.

Every warrant officer has an appointment, and is usually referred to by his appointment rather than by his rank.

WO1 arm badge (British Army)

WO1 arm badge (British Army)

WO1s wear a royal coat of arms on the lower sleeve, which may be surrounded by a wreath depending on appointment. Appointments held by WO1s include:

WO1 variant arm badge (British Army)

• Academy Sergeant Major (AcSM)
• Accountant Sergeant Major (obsolete)
• Armament Sergeant Major
• Armourer Sergeant Major
• Artificer Sergeant Major (ASM)
• Bandmaster (BM)
• Bugle Major
• Clerk of Works Sergeant Major
• Conductor (Cdr)
• Draughtsman Sergeant Major (obsolete)
• Drum Major
• Farrier Corporal Major
• Farrier Sergeant Major
• Foreman of Signals (FofS)
• Foreman of Works Sergeant Major (obsolete)
• Garrison Sergeant Major (GSM)
• Lithographer Sergeant Major (obsolete)
• Master Gunner 1st Class
• Master Gunner 2nd Class
• Orderly Room Sergeant Major (ORSM)
• Pipe Major
• Regimental Corporal Major (RCM)
• Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM)
• Royal Artillery Sergeant Major
• Saddler Sergeant Major
• Schoolmaster 1st Class (obsolete)
• Sergeant Major (obsolete)
• Sergeant Major Instructor (SMI)
• Staff Sergeant Major (SSM)
• Staff Sergeant Major 1st Class (obsolete)
• Supervisor (Information Systems) (Supvr (IS))
• Supervisor (Radio) (Supvr (R))
• Sub-Conductor (obsolete)
• Superintending Clerk
• Surveyor Sergeant Major
• Trumpet Major
• Yeoman of Signals (YofS)

WO2 arm badge (British Army)

WO2 arm badge (British Army)

WO2s wear a crown on the lower sleeve, surrounded by a wreath for Quartermaster Sergeants (for all WOIIs from 1938 to 1947). Appointments held by WO2s include:

WO2 (QMS) arm badge (British Army)

WO2 (QMS) arm badge (British Army)

• Armament Quartermaster Sergeant
• Armourer Quartermaster Sergeant
• Artificer Quartermaster Sergeant (AQMS)
• Band Corporal Major (BCM)
• Band Sergeant Major (BSM)
• Battery Sergeant Major (BSM)
• Bugle Major
• Clerk of Works Quartermaster Sergeant
• Company Sergeant Major (CSM)
• Draughtsman Quartermaster Sergeant
• Drill sergeant
• Drum Major
• Engineer Clerk Quartermaster Sergeant
• Farrier Quartermaster Sergeant
• Foreman of Signals (FofS)
• Foreman of Works Quartermaster Sergeant (obsolete)
• Garrison Quartermaster Sergeant
• Lithographer Quartermaster Sergeant (obsolete)
• Master Gunner 3rd Class
• Orderly Room Quartermaster Sergeant (ORQMS)
• Pipe Major
• Quartermaster Sergeant Instructor (QMSI)
• Regimental Quartermaster Corporal (RQMC)
• Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant (RQMS)
• Saddler Quartermaster Sergeant
• Squadron Corporal Major (SCM)
• Squadron Sergeant Major (SSM)
• Staff Quartermaster Sergeant
• Supervisor (Information Systems) (Supvr (IS))
• Supervisor (Radio) (Supvr (R))
• Surveyor Quartermaster Sergeant
• Technical Quartermaster Sergeant (TQMS)
• Troop Sergeant Major (TSM)
• Trumpet Major
• Yeoman of Signals (YofS)

From 1938, there was also a rank of Warrant Officer Class III (WOIII). The only appointments held by this rank were Platoon Sergeant Major, Troop Sergeant Major and Section Sergeant Major. The WOIII wore a crown on his lower sleeve (which is why all WOIIs switched to a crown in a wreath during this period). The rank was placed in suspension in 1940 and no new appointments were made, but it was never officially abolished.

WOs are officially designated using their rank and appointment. For instance, WO2 (CSM) Smith or WO1 (BM) Jones. However, they would usually be referred to as "CSM Smith" and "Bandmaster Jones". WO2s holding Sergeant Major or Corporal Major appointments are often referred to as the "Sergeant Major" or the "Corporal Major", but WO1s are only ever referred to using their full appointment or its abbreviation (the "RSM" or the "Garrison Sergeant Major", for instance).

How warrant officers are addressed depends, as does much else in the British Army, on the traditions of their regiments or corps. However, there are some general rules of thumb:

• WO1s are usually addressed as "Mr [surname]" by officers and by their peers, and as "sir" or "Mr [surname], sir" by their subordinates (for female WO1s, "Mrs or Miss [surname]", "ma'am", and "Mrs or Miss [surname], ma'am", respectively);
• an RSM's Commanding Officer, and he alone, has the privilege of addressing him as "RSM"; all others use the normal form of address for WO1s;
• WO2s are commonly addressed as "Sergeant Major", "Corporal Major" or "Q" (for Quartermaster Sergeants) as appropriate (or as "sir" or "ma'am").

The four most senior warrant officer appointments in the British Army are generally considered to be, in descending order of seniority:

• Conductor, Royal Logistic Corps
• Royal Artillery Sergeant Major, Royal Artillery
• Academy Sergeant Major, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
• Garrison Sergeant Major, London District

Royal Air Force

Warrant Officer's arm badge (Royal Air Force)

Warrant Officer's arm badge (Royal Air Force)

The Royal Air Force inherited the ranks of Warrant Officer Class I and II from the Royal Flying Corps, part of the Army, in 1918. It also inherited the rank badges of the Royal Arms and a crown respectively. Until the 1930s, these ranks were often known as Sergeant Major 1st and 2nd Class. In 1939 the RAF abolished the rank of WOII and retained WOI as simple Warrant Officer, which it remains to this day. The RAF has no equivalent to WO2 (NATO OR-8), WO being equivalent to WO1 (NATO OR-9) and wearing the Royal Arms. Warrant officers are addressed and referred to as "Mr", "Mrs" or "Miss" ("Mr Smith" etc), or as "sir" or "ma'am" by their juniors. They do not have appointments as in the Army or Royal Marines. They rank above Flight Sergeants and below Pilot Officers, the lowest commissioned rank.

Master Aircrew's arm badge (Royal Air Force)

Master Aircrew's arm badge (Royal Air Force)

In 1946, the RAF renamed its aircrew warrant officers Master Aircrew, a designation which still survives. In 1950, it renamed warrant officers in technical trades Master Technicians, a designation which only survived until 1964.

United States

In the United States military, a Warrant Officer was originally, and strictly, a highly skilled, single-track specialty officer, but many of today's warrant officers serve in a broader capacity than their predecessors; and many even hold bachelor's and master’s degrees. In theory, warrant officers are specialists, in contrast to commissioned officers who are generalists, although warrant officers may occupy positions within the military that are normally held by higher-ranking commissioned officers, especially in the Navy where Chief Warrant Officers often fill Lieutenant and Lieutenant Commander billets. In fact, modern 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.

Currently, there are five different pay grades authorized by Congress: W-1 through W-5. W-5 is a relatively new addition to the rank structure having been created by the Warrant Officer Management Act in 1992.[1] Upon the initial appointment to WO1 (W-1) a warrant is issued by the secretary of the service, and upon promotion to Chief Warrant Officer (W-2 and above) they are commissioned by the President of the United States. A Chief Warrant Officer takes the same oath and receives the same commission and charges as commissioned officers, thus deriving authority from the same source. Despite these similarities, warrant officers are generally not referred to as "commissioned officers" perhaps to distinguish between the two classes of officer.

Each service selects and promotes warrant officers differently, using unique models of accession, training, and utilization,[2] most notably the Air Force who no longer uses the distinction. Only a very small percentage of the other services' officers are warrant officers; therefore little is published concerning the Warrant Officer, and consequently they are often misunderstood by the un-indoctrinated.

Air Force

The United States Air Force no longer employs warrant officers.

The USAF inherited warrant officer ranks from the U.S. Army at its inception in 1947, but their place in the Air Force structure was never made clear. When Congress authorized the creation of two new senior enlisted ranks in 1958, Air Force officials privately concluded that these two new "supergrades" could fill all Air Force needs then performed at the Warrant Officer level, although this was not publicly acknowledged until years later. The Air Force stopped appointing warrant officers in 1959, the same year the first promotions were made to the new top enlisted grade, Chief Master Sergeant. Most of the existing Air Force warrant officers entered the commissioned officer ranks during the 1960s, but tiny numbers continued to exist for the next 21 years.

The last active duty Air Force Warrant Officer, CWO4 James H. Long, retired in 1980 and the last Air Force Reserve Warrant Officer, CWO4 Bob Barrow, retired in 1992. Since then, the U.S. Air Force warrant officer ranks, while still authorized by law, are not used. The W-5 grade was authorized by Congress for use by the Air Force along with the other armed forces, but was never used.

Army

The Army defines the Warrant Officer as:

...a self-aware and adaptive technical expert, combat leader, trainer, and advisor. Through progressive levels of expertise in assignments, training, and education, the WO administers, manages, maintains, operates, and integrates Army systems and equipment across the full range of Army operations. Warrant officers are innovative integrators of emerging technologies, dynamic teachers, confident warfighters, and developers of specialized teams of soldiers. They support a wide range of Army missions throughout their careers.

— Department of the Army Pamphlet 600-3

The purpose of the Army WO is to serve in specific positions which require specialized technical knowledge of complex systems. Warrant Officer career management assigns WOs to positions within a tightly focused field for longer periods of time than branch officers. The duration and scope of these WO assignments within their field results in high levels of detailed technical expertise as well as the leadership and management skills that make them so effective for the Army. Warrant officers make up approximately 2% of the Army, and about 11% of the officer corps. Within the Warrant Officer corps, aviators make up slightly less than 50% of total Warrant Officer strength, with the remaining 50% divided among more than 40 technical specialties.

Background

The Army Warrant Officer program began with the Headquarters Clerk in 1896. Although originally viewed as a civilian, Army Judge Advocate General review designated them as members of the military. Since that time, the position of WO in the Army has been refined as both technical expert and leader. Today, Army warrant officers serve as technical and tactical experts and leaders in 45 basic WO Military Occupational Specialties. They serve in 15 specialty branches of the Army , spanning the Active service, the Army National Guard, and the U.S. Army Reserve. They also serve at every level from section or team to the upper echelons of the Army.

Most warrant officers begin as enlisted Soldiers, where they gain their initial levels of technical expertise and knowledge of the Army's systems. The exception is the Aviation WO who has no comparable enlisted specialty, and so draws from all MOSs, all the services, and even accepts highly qualified civilian applicants. After selection to the Warrant Officer program, all candidates attend the Army's Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS), which is collocated with the Warrant Officer Career Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Upon graduation, each candidate attends training at their respective branch's Warrant Officer Basic Course where they learn advanced subjects in their technical area before moving on to their assignments in the Army.

Regardless of rank, Army Warrant Officers are officially addressed as either Mr. or Ms., although the informal and technically incorrect "Chief" is widely used.

Ranks

Warrant Officer 1 (WO1)

• Appointed by warrant from the Secretary of the Army, WO1s are technically and tactically focused officers who perform the primary duties of technical leader, trainer, operator, manager, maintainer, sustainer, and advisor.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2)

• CW2s become commissioned officers by the President of the United States. They are intermediate-level technical and tactical experts who perform increased duties and responsibilities at the detachment through battalion levels.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3)

• CW3s are advanced-level experts who perform the primary duties of a technical and tactical leader. They provide direction, guidance, resources, assistance, and supervision necessary for subordinates to perform their duties. They primarily support operations levels from team or detachment through brigade.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4)

• CW4s are Senior-level experts in their chosen field, primarily supporting battalion, brigade, division, corps, and echelons above corps operations. They typically have special mentorship responsibilities for other WOs and provide essential advice to commanders on WO issues.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5)

• CW5s are master-level experts that support brigade, division, corps, echelons above corps, and major command operations. They provide leader development, mentorship, advice, and counsel to Warrant Officers and branch officers. CW5s have special Warrant Officer leadership and representation responsibilities within their respective commands.

Marine Corps

The U.S. Marine Corps has warranted officers since 1916 as technical specialists who perform duties that require extensive knowledge, training and experience with particular systems or equipment.

An enlisted Marine can apply for the Warrant Officer program after serving at least eight years of enlisted service, and reaching the grade of E-5 (Sergeant) for the administrative warrant officer program and E-7 (Gunnery Sergeant) for the weapons warrant officer program. If the Marine NCO is selected, he or she is given additional training in leadership and management. The duties Marine warrant officers typically fulfill are those that would normally call for the authority of a commissioned officer, however, require an additional level of technical proficiency and practical experience that a commissioned officer would not have had the opportunity to achieve.

While Marine warrant officers may often be informally referred to as "gunner", this title is actually reserved for a special category of chief warrant officers known as the "Marine Gunner" or "Infantry Weapons Officer", who serve in the MOS 0306. These Marines serve as the senior weapons specialists in an infantry unit, advising the commanding officer and his staff on the proper use and deployment of the current Marine infantry weapon systems. The title "Gunner" is almost always used in lieu of a rank for these Marines (e.g., "Gunner Smith" as opposed to "Chief Warrant Officer Smith"), and the rank insignia worn on the left collar or shoulder is replaced with a "bursting bomb", similar to the insignia inside the rank chevrons of a Master Gunnery Sergeant.

Unlike the Army, Marine Warrant Officers are never referred to as "Mister" or "Ms." They do, however, have the officers' Mameluke sword for their dress uniform.

Navy

In the U.S. Navy, warrant officers are technical specialists whose skills and knowledge were an essential part of the proper operation of the ship. Based on the British model, the U.S. Navy has had warrant officers among its ranks, in some form or another, since December 23, 1775, when John Berriman received a warrant to act as purser aboard the brig USS Andrea Doria. That warrant was considered a patent of trust and honor but was not considered a commission to command. An enlistment program, called the "Chief Warrant Officer Program" (CWO) is available to senior noncommissioned officers (E-7 through E-9), and is one of only a few ways for an enlisted member of the US Navy to become commissioned without a 4-year college degree.

The US Navy does not use the W-1 grade of Warrant Officer and only the grades of Chief Warrant Officer are used (W-2 through W-5) and only recently began using the rank of CWO5 in 2002. The Navy typically appoints senior NCOs in the grade of E-7 and above. Since these candidates typically have extensive enlisted service, they are commissioned as CWO2s (W-2) rather than WO1s. The service employs their WOs in many of the same roles as commissioned officers, with the addition of years of enlisted experience. Since candidates are accessed so late in their careers, they typically do not have enough time in service to reach the rank of CWO5 before retirement, despite quicker promotions than the Army and Marine Corps.

Recently the Navy started a test program called the "Flying Chief Warrant Officer Program" for pilots and flight officers. Enlisted sailors in the grades E-5 through E-7 who have a 2-year college degree and are not currently serving in the diver, master-at-arms, nuclear, SEAL or SWCC communities are eligible to apply. Upon being commissioned as CWO2s, selectees will undergo warrant officer indoctrination and then flight school for 18 to 30 months; after completion of flight school, will be placed in one of four types of squadrons: anti-submarine, combat support, patrol or reconnaissance and operate P-3s and H-60s. The program will be evaluated for four years.

Chief Warrant Officers should not be confused with Limited Duty Officers.

Coast Guard

The warrant officers in the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) are similar to those in the U.S. Navy, but may be found in command of smaller stations and some boats. They wear insignia essentially like that of their Navy equivalents, but add the USCG shield above the specialty mark, as Coast Guard commissioned officers do with their rank insignia. While the Coast Guard has been authorized use of the CWO5 grade, to date, it has not done so due to the late-career accessions (typically from senior enlisted sailors in the grade of E-7 and above). The current ranks in the Coast Guard are CWO2, CWO3 and CWO4.

In the Coast Guard, petty officers and chief petty officers with a bachelor's degree are encouraged to apply for officer candidate school rather than for a CWO position.

Public Health Service

The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is planning to add warrant officers in grades W-1 through W-4 in 2006. Addition of a W-5 would require action by Congress, and is not anticipated at this time. Initial specialities will include associate's degree nurses, laboratory technicians, and paramedics. Rank insignia will be identical to that of U.S. Navy warrant officers, with the USPHS badge replacing the specialty insignia.

Insignia

Abbreviation	Pay grade and Rank	Army	Air Force (discontinued 1959)	Navy / Coast Guard	Marine Corps
WO1 (USA) WO-1 (USN/USMC/USAF/USCG)	W-1 - Warrant Officer 1	U.S. Army Warrant Officer 1 Rank Insignia U.S. Army Warrant Officer 1 Rank Insignia	U.S. Air Force Warrant Officer 1 Rank Insignia	Discontinued 1975	USMC Warrant Officer 1 Rank Insignia
CW2 (USA) CWO-2 (USN/USMC/USAF/USCG)	W-2 - Chief Warrant Officer 2	U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rank Insignia U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rank Insignia	U.S. Air Force Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rank Insignia	U.S. Navy & U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rank Insignia U.S. Navy & U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rank Insignia	USMC Chief Warrant Officer 1 Rank Insignia
CW3 (USA) CWO-3 (USN/USMC/USAF/USCG)	W-3 - Chief Warrant Officer 3	U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rank Insignia U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rank Insignia	U.S. Air Force Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rank Insignia	U.S. Navy & U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rank Insignia U.S. Navy & U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rank Insignia	USMC Chief Warrant Officer 3 Rank Insignia
CW4 (USA) CWO-4 (USN/USMC/USAF/USCG)	W-4 - Chief Warrant Officer 4	U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rank Insignia U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rank Insignia	U.S. Air Force Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rank Insignia	U.S. Navy & U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rank Insignia U.S. Navy & U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rank Insignia	USMC Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rank Insignia
CW5 (USA) CWO-5 (USN/USMC/USAF/USCG)	W-5 - Chief Warrant Officer 5	U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Rank Insignia	N/A	File:W5-clr.gif Established 2002	USMC Chief Warrant Officer 5 Rank Insignia

See also

• Comparative military ranks
• British Army enlisted rank insignia
• RAF enlisted ranks
• Chief Warrant Officer

External links

• DoD Almanac. The United States Military Officer Rank Insignia. United States Department of Defense.
• Australian Defence Force badges of rank. [3]
• Unites States Congressional Budget Office study on Warrant and Limited Duty Officers
• Unites States Congressional Budget Office study on Warrant and Limited Duty Officers}