Posted on Oct 7, 2013
Why would an NCO select the Warrant career path over the Officer career path?
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A few of my former Soldiers have contacted me with this question. In my effort to give them the best advice possible, I wanted to first ask all of you with expertise and experience with this decision.
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 27
This seems like an easy question. The same reason why an NCO would choose to become a Warrant Officer instead of staying in the senior enlisted ranks. If you enjoy the technical, operational side of your profession, which I do, then why not become a Warrant Officer? If you become an O-Grade Commissioned Officer you are back to the first problem with remaining an NCO, you are no longer technical in your profession and your duties are more administrative where all you do is climb the chain of command. O-Grade Officers have to hold staff positions and command positions which are common-core career paths that are branch immaterial. As a Warrant Officer you are specialized in your career field and paid to do your job. If an NCO is selected for OCS and wants to be a Signal or Engineer Officer he/she might end up with a commission as a Chemical Officer. It seems like a gamble for something you will do the rest of your career. If you want to be a jack of all trades and a master of none, then stay where you are at or become a Commissioned Officer. If you want to remain hands-on, relevant, and a subject matter expert in the field of your choosing, then apply for Warrant Officer.
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CW2 Kameron Read
SGT Lucas, the Warrant Officer recruiting website has a chart showing all Army MOS and if it is a feeder MOS into a WO MOS. Some branches don't have WOs but if you meet the prerequisites for aviator, anyone could apply for that MOS. There are others besides Aviation, check the website for the latest. Hope that helps.
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SSG (Join to see)
SGT Lucas,
There is not a WO for every MOS. Following is the list of Warrant MOS' and the link to WO recruiting website.
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SGT Thomas Sullivan
From a pay standpoint, if you ever look at GSA contract pay rates for SME's compared to program managers, you might see why being a warrant isnt so bad when you get out and retire.
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The reason I became a Warrant Officer was for two reasons. The first was to remain technically competent, kind of hard to do in the Signal field as a Sr. NCO. The second was, if I do 20 years in the military, what not get a better retirement out of it? I can stay technically skilled, and prepped for life after the military and receive a better pay check when the time comes.
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SGT (Join to see)
Good answer Sir, I recently found out that one of the joes I used to know is a CW2 (not sure if I wrote the rank right)
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Many other Warrants have already expressed my reason for switching. I loved being an NCO, training Soldiers and mentoring NCOs got me out of bed each morning. The BS of the Army has turned being an NCO into a babysitting job though. I fully comprehend and support a leader being responsible for the actions of those appointed beneath them, but there is a point when individual responsibility absolves that leader of not preventing it. I saw that I had promoted myself out of the day-to-day leading of Soldiers and was now an administrator with babysitting privelages. I chose to go Warrant Officer because I love my job, and this allows me to continue my job for years, but still to teach and mentor Soldiers and NCOs. I'm mostly absolved of babysitting duty (I only have NCOs under me), which allows my NCOs to grow and make mistakes as they learn and develop.
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SSG(P) (Join to see)
Well said, sir.
All of the reasons you listed are reasons why I want to become a Warrant Officer. Becoming a Warrant Officer rather than a Commissioned line Officer means I get to keep doing my job and still interact with Enlisted Soldiers as well.
All of the reasons you listed are reasons why I want to become a Warrant Officer. Becoming a Warrant Officer rather than a Commissioned line Officer means I get to keep doing my job and still interact with Enlisted Soldiers as well.
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