Going from Enlisted to Commissioned to Warrant Officer?

2015-01-20T10:26:27-05:00

I am a point in my career where I'm becoming disinterested in my current position. I love my MOS (25U) but want to do something different within the communication community. Is it possible to go commissioned now and transition into warrant as a 255A/255N at a later date? If anyone has insight on this topic and can ellaborate, please respond. Thank you in advance.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 20 at 2015 10:35 AM

2015-01-20T10:35:48-05:00

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member, I think that is theoretically (and technically) possible. I base that on a couple folks I know who were commissioned officers and transitioned to warrant. They did it because they were going to lose their position (RIF, I believe), and they were able to go warrant.

I wonder why you would choose this path -- enlisted, commissioned, warrant? Typically, you would go warrant from your enlisted position, if that's your goal. (And I realize that warrants are commissioned officers, but I think everyone gets the difference here, for discussion purposes.)

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Jan 20 at 2015 11:22 AM

2015-01-20T11:22:31-05:00

If your ultimate goal is to be a Warrant Officer... you should stick it out those last few years and then apply directly to Warrant. If you go directly into a Commissioned Officer program, that would cause so many changes that it would be unlikely that you would get back on track for the Warrant program.

Connect with as many 255A's on RallyPoint as you can and prepare for your eventual goals. Below is a link to hundreds of 255A's on RallyPoint.

https://www.rallypoint.com/specialties/255a-information-services-technician/primary

Response by CW3 Miller (RET) 251A_InfoSysTech made Dec 14 at 2015 10:43 PM

2015-12-14T22:43:42-05:00

SGT,
As this response is several months after your original post, I suspect you have already started down one path or the other. You have already received good advice on the value of becoming a WO but let me add a little more to think about. Unless it’s change, there is no MOS guarantee with the OCS option. Your are signal now and love the field but you might be given a combat arms assignment after OCS. I was an 11C in a prior life and I don’t say that to scare you off but to inform. Sure you get to list preferences but you might not get one of them. You can do the same with on a WO packet (providing you have the right qualifications) and if you are not selected the first time (which many are not) then you’ll get a relook at the next board. I think you have to resubmit after two looks but you see where I’m going.

We all struggle to some degree when we’re lower enlisted but becoming a WO was the most rewarding career move I ever made. The only thing that happened that I didn’t expect was that even a “technical expert” gets further and further away from the keyboard as they gain rank and move from one assignment to the next. If you do it right, you will allow your junior enlisted and NCOs do most the keyboard work that you now love so much. I’m not say not to remain involved and knowledgeable but don’t rush to take the seat at their expense. Your job will be to oversee and manage the strategy to get the mission accomplished. You will also have to learn how to not do the job of the NCO’s either, they are your best asset and trying to do their job for them will cause more problems than it solves. It will be a bit of a struggle at first for a new W1 to not try to be the NCOIC too but you’ll get through it as we all did.

IT is an incredibly diverse field and there is never going to be less automation than there is today so it’s a great career path. Also remember being an IT WO doesn’t mean you’ll only be in assigned to a signal unit but it’s good for your overall growth to serve in non-signal units.

BTW, a WOC classmate of mine did go from WO to CO after about 2 years as a WO. I don’t recall why or what rank she transitioned into but it is possible, at least it was about 15 years ago. 

CW3 (RET)
Information Systems Technician (251A)

Response by WO1 John Hamilton made Jul 21 at 2016 9:33 AM

2016-07-21T09:33:02-04:00

I like this question, because it MAY be quicker for me to go to become a commissioned officer than for me to go warrant from enlisted. I need to wait 3 years for 3 NCOERs as opposed to just waiting 18 months or so to commission.

Which path did you choose?