Army 921A Warrant Officer: The Airdrop Systems Technician

If you’re currently serving as an 92R enlisted Soldier (parachute rigger) and you are thinking about going Warrant Officer, the 921A Airdrop Systems Technician might just be the perfect match for you.  Warrant Officers in this specialty are subject matter experts with all aspect of airdrop operations.

In the paragraphs below, I’m going to discuss the duties, responsibilities and job description of the 921A Army Warrant Officer.  I’ll also talk about the pre-requisites, career opportunities, life after the Army, and a few other things.  

Duties, Responsibilities and Job Description 

Here is a short list of duties and responsibilities of the 921A:

• Develop policies and procedures concerning air drop operations
• Inspect parachutes, rigging and equipment
• Advise commanders on airdrop operations
• Maintain inventories and equipment accountability
• Mentor, develop, teach and train Soldiers under their authority
• Supervise packing of parachutes
• Prepare reports

Prerequisites to Serve as a 921A 

Here are the prerequisites I found on the official Army website:

• Active Component Soldiers must be a SGT(P) or above; Army National Guard and US Army Reserve Soldiers must be a SGT or above.
• Be an ALC graduate in MOS 92R.
• Have at least seven years experience in the feeder MOS within the last ten years; to ensure currency in all certifications, the Soldier’s most recent year of experience must be performing as a 92R. Soldiers must also possess two years experience supervising operations in a packing shed, repair shop, cargo airdrop facility or storage warehouse. Military Technician, Government Contract, and other civilian job experiences that correlate with the feeder MOS will be considered for all Army National Guard and US Army Reserve Soldiers.
• Must be Jump Master Qualified with a Senior Parachutist rating and have completed the Airdrop Load Inspectors Course.
• Must score at the 12th grade level on the English portion (Language) of the Test for Adult Basic Education (TABE); Soldiers possessing an Associate, Bachelor, Master or PhD Degree are exempt.
• Provide copies of all NCOERs; the majority of the Soldier’s NCOERs must be noted with “Successful” Performance and “Superior” Potential ratings by the Senior Rater. Military Technician, Government Contract, and other Civilian appraisals will be taken into consideration to determine the Soldier’s level of competence in the feeder MOS.
• Submit HQ USAREC Form 1936 (Letter of Recommendation) from a Senior Airdrop Systems Technician (e.g. CW3-CW5), assigned to the Soldier’s organization, that attests to their technical and tactical competence in MOS 92R. If no Senior Airdrop Systems Technician is assigned, provide a letter of recommendation from another Senior Quartermaster Warrant Officer (e.g. 920A, 920B, 922A or 923A) assigned to the Soldier’s organization/installation.

Job Opportunities in the Army 

This career field offers plenty of opportunities in the Army to work your way up through the ranks.  In most cases, you will be assigned to some type of airborne unit; however, you could also serve as an instructor or staff officer somewhere else.  Here are a few jobs you could have in the Army:

• Instructor
• Commander
• Supervisor
• Staff Officer
• Advisor

Life after the Army

After retiring or separating from the service, you have plenty of civilian career opportunities.  You could work with a logistics company such as UPS or FEDEX.  You could work for another government agency as an instructor or inspector.  You could also work in the civilian sector as a airborne instructor.

Skills to Succeed in this Job 

Here is a short list of skills you might need to develop to succeed in this job:

• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to work long hours
• Strong attention to detail
• Good supervision skills
• Not scared of heights
• High level of discipline
• Perfectionist

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is that the 921A Airborne Systems Technician is a great specialty for the right person.  If you love heights, enjoy logistics, enjoy jumping out of airplanes, and want to have a job that is fast paced, stressful, and extremely important, you should learn more about the Airborne Systems Technician Warrant Officer program.

What are your thoughts?  If you have experience as a 921A, I would love to hear from you.  Please tell us what you did on a daily basis, what you liked about the job and what you would recommend to anyone interested in becoming a 921A.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,








Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com

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