Command Warrant Officer vs Senior Warrant Officer

Not a fan of a Command title for a warrant officer. Those guys are the experts in their field, not commanders of jack or squat. The Command Sergeant Major only has responsibility for what his Commander gives him, but Command Chief? Please. The senior Warrant officer in any unit should do exactly what Chief Dean decribed. Provide guidance and mentoring to junior WO's, but the moment a warrant officer becomes obsessed with his own privelege, he steps over a line that was never meant to be present in that rank structure. The next thing you know we will be wasting time doing a ceremony where a CW5 does the traditional handover of the TM. I love a good CW2 or 3, with their sleeves rolled up doing what they do best...let's keep it that way...and let those that chose to be a commissioned officer keep the label "Commander."

The roots of the CCWO are not as described here. There is no Command Warrant Officer (CWO) but there is a Command Chief Warrant Officer who is at the Brigade echelon ONLY and at the Regiment of Aviation Special Operations and SOF. The COMPO 2/3 partners have had State CCWO's for decades to manage their populations and get the load OFF of the Commander and Executive Officer for talent management and career development and mentorship.

GEN Dempsey created the Conventional Army CCWO out of necessity for the extremely large populations of aviation warrants and special operators in the group environment. CCWO is misused when one has 3-25 warrants. In the Combat Aviation Brigade, I, for the commander manage hiss warrant officer population concerning everything warrant. I develop an annual training guidance that includes leadership development, reading list, cross pollination of the force, talent management, WOQ boards, schooling, PME and assignments.

In Aviation, 160th SOAR has had the position for years with huge successes, hence the creation of the MTOE CCWO position as of 3 years ago. The battalion commander do NOT have to assign an additional duty to their Senior Warrant Officer, but it is hard for me to get into the belly of the hangers to reach all 50-60 warrant officers from the brigade level, therefore a good battalion commander will appoint a Senior Warrant Officer Advisor (SWOA). This term is reaching official status now.

Advising commanders is a plus no matter how you look at it. More to follow in edit, have to take a break for the CG.

Ok gentlemen time for my two cents. Having stood in 10th CABs CoR for our CCWO yesterday I guess I have a unique view. The position is there to help Commanders with a large formation of Warrant Officers manage those assets. I am currently the Senior Warrant Officer in my BN and advise my commander on manning, training, schools, and any other issues that arise for my Warrant Officers. I do this as an additional duty as I am also the Aviation Maintenance Officer for the BN. I have no special privileges other than an office close to the BC so he can get advise much like the CSM. I agree the Warrant Officer was not created for Command however in a formation with 280 Warrant Officers even the best Commanders need help managing those assets. In my Battalion alone we have 64 Warrant Officers with three MOSs and four vastly different functional specialties.