Getting fired as a Warrant Officer vs. Retiring?

2020-05-16T21:23:35-04:00

I am interested in pursuing a Warrant Officer career as a 255N, however I heard that it’s possible to get to 20 years and get “kicked out” with no retirement benefits instead of retiring with full benefits if I don’t get selected for promotion from CW2 to CW3. Is there truth in this?

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2020 9:32 PM

2020-05-16T21:32:49-04:00

20 years is retirement. If you are passed over twice before you are eligible to retire, they can seperate you. I have seen people get passed over twice and booted out at 18 years.

Response by CW2 James Hughes made May 16 at 2020 10:40 PM

2020-05-16T22:40:47-04:00

When I received my appointment, it was in the USAR with concurrent active duty. At that time, the only way to stay past 20 years was to be selected for RA status. Promotion to CW2 was normally automatic after 2 years if your previous enlisted rank was E6 or below. Unless things have changed, and it has been a few years since I was in, once you pinned on your bars, you would be able to retire as a warrant unless you were released for disciplinary/substandard performance reasons. You need to check with your personnel section to find out the current regulations.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 17 at 2020 1:00 AM

2020-05-17T01:00:51-04:00

No, those people talking got their wires all crossed. It's possible to have less than 20 years and be a two time non select and and be separated. In those cases if you have over 15 years AFS then you can request to stay till retirement. You would never be able to compete for promotion again and HRC will review your records before approving. Plus you would be entitled to Statutory Entitlement which would allow you to revert to your last enlisted grade and retire. You would receive the average of your high 3 years of pay for your highest grade successfully held for retirement pay.

FYI its not a CW2 thing, all commissioned officers eventually have to face the two time non select. All commissioned officers get two looks at promotion and must get promoted or separate out.

As for retirement, it's damn near impossible to take that away from a Soldier. If you're at 18 years AFS you will receive something called Sanctuary where you can become a fat turd and still retire while flagged. Short of UCMJ, you will be entitled to receive your retirement as long as you submit your retirement request.

Response by CW4 Keith Dolliver made May 17 at 2020 1:58 AM

2020-05-17T01:58:04-04:00

As some others have said, once you get to 20 years you can retire regardless. Actually, you only have to make it to 18 years and then you enter sanctuary for the last two years, but will be required to retire at your 20 year mark. If you are a two time non-select prior to hitting 18 years AFS though you will be separated from service seven months after SecArmy certifies the board results. (e.g. Board convenes/adjourns in April, board results are typically certified in July or Aug, so separation would occur sometime around Jan-Mar.) Basically, you will probably need to make CW3 in order to retire. If you are young enough, depending how many years in service you have when you promote to WO1 you might be required to make CW4 in order to retire.

The one other caveat that no one has mentioned is Selective Continuation (SELCON). SELCON varies from year-to-year and you cannot request SELCON, but it can be offered to you. If you are a two-time non-select another board will automatically consider you for SELCON. Basically, it's saying you're not good enough to promote, but you're good enough to retain. SELCON varies widely with needs of the Army. If your MOS is under strength than SELCON is likely, if it's over strength than it's not. How long SELCON is offered for also changes each year. I've seen it offered for 3-years and also just 1-year. If you are offered SELCON than you continue to be considered for promotion and I have known multiple people that were selected for promotion while in SELCON. SELCON is nice to get you over that hurdle, or another couple years to get the OERs you need to get promoted, but basically it can't be counted on.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made May 17 at 2020 10:01 AM

2020-05-17T10:01:48-04:00

From US Code:

(3) If a warrant officer described in paragraph (1) has at least 18 but not more than 20 years of creditable active service on (A) the date on which the Secretary concerned approves the report of the board under section 576(e) of this title, or (B) the date on which his name was removed from the recommended list under section 579 of this title, whichever applies, the warrant officer shall be retired not later than the date determined under the next sentence unless he is selected for promotion to the next higher regular warrant officer grade before that date. The date of the retirement of a warrant officer under the preceding sentence shall be on a date specified by the Secretary concerned, but not later than the first day of the seventh calendar month beginning after the date upon which he completes 20 years of active service, except as provided by section 8301 of title 5. A warrant officer retired under this paragraph shall receive retired pay computed under section 1401 of this title.

Response by CW3 Dudley Weldon made May 18 at 2020 5:08 PM

2020-05-18T17:08:32-04:00

Having read the comments i feel i need to my dime worth of knowledge. I retired in 91 as a CW3, AD rank was CW2. On my first selection i was passed over for my CW3 however i was still a reserve Officer on AD and was selected for CW3 . Before my second selection came up i made CW3 as a reserve officer, i just could not wear the rank. I got passed over again on my second round and was then givien 3 options, get out, revert back to my enlisted rank or retire, i choose to retire with the rank of CW3. I am sure things have change since i retired so each case will be different. To answer the question how was i able to retire as a CW3, because i was a reserve officer on AD and had already mafe my CW3.