Army Warrant Officers, how would you feel if the Warrant Officer Career College removed class signs and class songs from the WOCS course?

I don't like the idea of taking this particular tradition away. The environment at WOCS is meant to be high stress through time management for a reason. Class songs provide candidates a team building opportunity designed to promote communication and coordination with each other in a candidate driven task. Keep the songs, they lighten the mood encourage a little fun while in the WOCS environment.

I personally dont think they should. I think its a important part if the course. It teaches people to work together and to interact. It also brings some critical thinking and problem solving skills to the game some of us lacked. But most importantly it brings a sense of accomplishment and pride. You can kook at that sign and say.....I HELPED MAKE THAT.

Time honored tradition, team building, camaraderie. What ever you call it, it was a moment to get away from the stress of the course. It is meant to be a stressful course for a reason. Over time, there have been changes to get away from the traditional aspects of the course because someone thought they were a waste of time or that other courses (NCOES, OCS) did not do these things. They quit or they whined to their congressional delegates that the cost and the things they were doing did not serve a purpose. It has been a while but the last time I was there during the Senior Staff Course, we visited the barracks and was told that there was not more daily open wall locker inspections. No more sock and T-shirt rolling, which may have been considered dumb but there was a purpose, Task, Condition, Standard to include Time Management. WOCs were spending more time in the field for tactical training, some one wanted the Warrant to be the complete officer. We are not Commissioned Officers nor are we Non Commissioned Officers. WE have a specific role and that lane is where we should be. If you want to be one of the others go there and leave the WOCS as a stress building course and leave the parts of it as it is. Ranting aside, as someone else put it. "If it isn't broke, leave it alone".

If it's been a tradition and it isn't broke don't mess with it. Way too many people in the military want to mess with tradition. Just my 2 cents.

It has been a part of our tradition as Warrant Officers. It enriches the value of being part a timed honor Corps. Keep it .

Doesn't bother me at all. My experience with the sign making: about 4 classmates worked on the sign independently of us. Somewhere else. I didn't even see the sign or know what it's design until it was unveiled at presentation. How does that build camaraderie/teamwork? My experience with the song: One person volunteered to write it; we all gladly agreed and checked that off our time crunched list of things to do. How does that build camaraderie/teamwork?
I think many people are "miss-remembering" the "camaraderie" they experienced as a result of the "time honored traditions." I think they are experiencing "euphoric recall"
One of the most uplifting experiences I remember in WOC school was finishing the 5 mile run - when the ENTIRE WOC school lined up and we ran through them while they high fived us. When we had WOC Olympics - it was such a well timed and perhaps purposeful mental break from all the stress experienced just before it. I don't even remember what our sign was or what it looked like. I don't remember our class song and could not tell you what it was.

We do similar tasks as part of our Navy Chief initiation process. At the moment it seems like a waste of time but looking back, it helped develop team building skills and the ability to work through problems in a large group. As well as doing so while under a large amount of stress from other required tasking. All skills that are required of a leader. Sure it's tradition , but don't underestimate the training value.

While I agree with Ms. Burkholder that it was only a few candidates working on the sign independently, I think that it and the song add a layer of stress that helps prepare us for the juggling of multiple tasks that come with being an officer. I don't know if this is true for all classes, but I don't keep up with anyone in my class and sure as heck can't remember anything but the first verse of the song. But I wear my shirt all the time, and it brings back memories both good and bad about my time at WOCS.

Keep the song, signs and class name. It took some time but it was really about teamwork! Plus it was a much needed stress breaker!

The Red Rams of class 98-20, to the tune of "Y.M.C.A": "Please sir, may we take down that hat? And get dessert, so we all can get fat...... It's fun to stay at the W.O.C.S......." Those were the days.