Warrant Officers (WO) are highly specialized experts and technicians who provide insight, advice and consultation to Commands and unit organizations. It is their specialized skills and knowledge that make Warrant Officers in high demand. As you progress throughout your career as a Warrant Officer, you continue to enhance and sharpen these specific skills, unlike a Commissioned Officer who gains increased levels of Command and Staff Positions.
One specific area within the Army where technical expertise and specialized skills are a must is within the Aviation Branch. As a Warrant Officer you have the opportunity to become a pilot of one of the Army’s advanced aircrafts such as the AH-64D Apache, CH-47 Chinook, UH-60 Blackhawk or OH-58 Kiowa.
Every day many Commissioned Officers, for whatever reason, elect to resign their Commission and become a Warrant Officer and pilot. If this is you, or you are simply curious, here is a brief synopsis of the items involved to get the ball rolling to be enrolled in the Aviation Warrant Officer Program. Your “packet” will contain the following items…
Item 1: NGB 62, Commander’s Memorandum. Basically, you cannot enroll to become a Warrant Officer or pilot unless you obtain a Recommendation for Appointment.
Item 2: MILPO Memo, AGT Control Grade Letter. Here, you need to be applying for a specific vacancy position within the Aviation Unit you wish to join. Speak with a Warrant Officer strength management Officer to determine where these vacancies exist.
Item 3: NGB Memo & Proponent Memo or SAAO Memo for Aviation Appointments.
Item 4: Waivers (if applicable). Usually there are waivers needed if you have medical issues, are too old (i.e. over 32) or have any prior issues with your unit.
Item 5: DD 2808, DA 4186, DA 7349, DA 5500/5501, DA 3349. To summarize, you will need any and all documents to verify medical clearance.
Item 6: JPAS Summary or a security clearance prior to signing your “Statement of Understanding (SOU) for Appointment as a Commissioned Officer”.
Item 7: DA 1059 which summarizes your Military Education and schools attended.
Item 8: Official Transcripts to illustrate your Civilian Education.
Item 9: AMEDD, Resume, DD214, ORB/DA 2-1, NGB 89, etc. or any item that illustrates professional certifications and previous employment history.
Item 10: DA Form 705… Come on, you think you are going to put together a packet without one!? Make sure you are meeting 80 pts on EACH event prior to applying!
Item 11: DA 67-9, DA 2166-8, DA 1059, DA 25. Basically, any additional evaluation reports that you can provide.
Item 12: Birth Certificate, SSN, etc.
Item 13: DA Photo. Make sure this is up to date and you are nicely groomed. The Aviation Commander will see this photo and we all know that a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Don’t want to look like a turd…his mind will be easily made up.
Final recommendations should be secured from your current Company Commander, the Aviation Battalion Commander which states the paragraph and line number you will be satisfying and recommendation from AASF facility commander. You will also want to type up a good resume with a statement stating why you want to become a Warrant Officer and a pilot.
Again, this is just to get the ball rolling and does NOT guarantee that you will be a pilot…it will just get your foot in the door! The Aviation Program really continues once you’ve been accepted and arrive at Fort Rucker, AL. For more information about the Warrant Officer Aviation Program or regulations therein, see AR 611-110, NGR 611-100. AR 611-85 and NGR 600-101.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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Being a pilot is probably the sexiest warrant officer career, and I have a buddy who went to WOCS as an E-6 and became one, but there are plenty of other career options for warrant officers. Generally speaking, warrant officers are technical specialists. You will find them in the intelligence, signal, and ordnance branches in particular. We don’t see many of them in the infantry, although typically the battalion/squadron motor officer (BMO/SMO) is a warrant officer.
It really is the best kept secret in the Army.
Warrant Officers are my favorites, probably because I ‘grew up’ in the Army around them, having been in an aviation unit for 7 years. One thing I appreciated was the senior Warrants in my company gathered all of the WOs together and fostered unity and professionalism among their ranks. It was nice to see them explain that even though they are job experts, they are also commissioned officers and should act as such.