In all other branches of the United States military, a pilot must be a commissioned officer, but in the United States Army an enlisted soldier has the opportunity to fly.
In today’s post, we will take a look at Army 153A Warrant Officer: Rotary Wing Pilot. I will provide a job description along with this Warrant Officer’s duties and responsibilities. I will also explain the training that is required to attain this position in the U.S. Army.
Army 153A Job Description
The Army 153A Warrant Officer: Rotary Wing Pilot designation is essentially a starting MOS for helicopter pilots in the Army. As training is completed on a specific type of helicopter, this MOS designation will most likely change.
Army helicopters that call for needed pilots may include the OH-58 Kiowa, AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Blackhawk and the CH-47 Chinook.
So essentially, Army 153A Warrant Officers could end up behind the controls of an observation, an attack or a cargo/transportation helicopter. During training, all Warrant Officers will learn on the TH-67 Creek training helicopter.
So to be brief, the job description of the Army 153A Rotary Wing Pilot is to bear down and learn their specific aircraft to the utmost. They are operators and commanders of aircraft in tactical and non-tactical situations. They must be able to handle their aircraft in adverse conditions.
The fact is, the 153A Warrant Officer has a wide range within their job description. You will find out when I explain their duties and responsibilities.
Army 153A Warrant Officer Duties and Responsibilities
As I stated earlier, this MOS is normally just a feed to a specific Rotary Wing aircraft MOS. The 153A Warrant Officer must maintain the required flight requirements in accordance to rotary wing aircraft to maintain their status according to the Army Aircrew training manual.
On a regular basis, the Army 153A Rotary Wing Pilot will participate in training operations in areas of combat and combat support. They will also perform real time combat operations in the areas of:
Reconnaissance
Para drop
Internal loads
External loads
Security
Mine delivery
Gunnery
Rescue
Air assault
and more
Another duty that the Army 153A Warrant Officer may be responsible for is missions in transporting passengers, cargo or mail for military functions or purposes.
As stated earlier, the Rotary Wing Pilot must be capable of operating their aircraft under all conditions of weather, day or night or with night vision gear.
Above all, the Army 153A Warrant Officer is a leader. They must be willing to lead, train and help others within the Army service.
Requirements To Become An Army 153A Warrant Officer
There are some prerequisites to becoming a 153A Rotary Wing Pilot. In no certain order, you will have to meet these requirements, but I will say that any current MOS can apply:
You must be at least 18 years of age but cannot have reached your 33rd year before the convening of the selection board. This can be waived in exceptional circumstances.
You must have at least an 110 score on the General Technical of the ASVAB.
You must pass a Class 1 Flight Duty Medical Examination that is approved by the United States Aeromedical Center Commander.
You must have a passing score on the Selection Instrument for Flight Training (SIFT). You can find these testing locations on the Army website, or through your education services Officer.
You must have a letter of recommendation from an Army Aviator that holds the rank of CW3 to CW5.
Before being accepted to Army Warrant Officer Flight Training, you must attend and complete the Survival Escape Resistance and Evasion (SERE-C) at the United States Army Aviation Center, and also the Helicopter Ditching and Dunker Training.
Training To Become An Army 153A Warrant Officer
Just because you have been accepted to train for the Army 153A Rotary Wing Pilot position does not mean you will immediately attend flight school. Before you do that, you must have what it takes to be a Warrant Officer.
Your first stop will be Warrant Officer Candidate School. This is a school that will teach you the leadership skills you need to act, and react as a Warrant Officer in the United States Army should. For 6 to 7 weeks, you will be located at Fort Rucker, Alabama and when graduation arrives, you will officially be a Warrant Officer.
After Warrant Officer School, you will stay at Fort Rucker’s U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence. You will be training on a TH-67 Creek helicopter. The order of training is:
2 weeks of aeromed
8 weeks of flight training
8 weeks of flight instruments
and 4 weeks of basic air war fighting skills.
Upon graduating from this training, you will then carry the 153A Warrant Officer: Rotary Wing Pilot MOS. But, do not expect to carry that MOS for a long time, because you will now be designated the air frame that best suits you depending on how you did in flight training.
You will not necessarily have a choice in the helicopter you are specifically trained for. Each one has various training times, but when finished learning the nuances of a certain helicopter, you will end up with one of these MOS designations:
152D: This MOS pilots the OH-58 Kiowa observation helicopter. It is lightly armed, but the main mission is to give ground Commanders a look at battlefield conditions.
154C: This MOS pilots the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter. These large helicopters can transport a large amount of troops, equipment and supplies.
152F and H: These are pilots of AH-64 Apache attack helicopters.
153D and M: These are pilots of the UH-60 Blackhawk utility helicopters. You may recall these from the movie Blackhawk Down.
Final Thoughts
Well there you have it… this is the lowdown on the Army 153A Warrant Officer: Rotary Wing Pilot MOS.
I believe this position not only can help you immensely with your Army career, it will also be a huge benefit in your after Army civilian career.
Helicopters are used by police, hospitals and ambulances, and even some private corporations employ the use of helicopters. By having the experience and qualifications of being an Army helicopter pilot, you will have a huge advantage over any other applicants.
We would love to hear from any Warrant Officers who have or had the Army 153A MOS. Please tell us more about becoming a Warrant Officer and Rotary Wing Pilot in the United States Army.
If you have any comments or questions, you can post them in the comment area at the end of this post. Thank you for your service and for visiting Part Time Commander.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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