Is Warrant officer the way to go?

I retired as CW4 before Army implemented CW5....my Warrant was in Aviation, so you might say, even though I had prior service (Infantry), I was NOT the traditional Warrant groomed from enlisted ranks after reaching E-6 or higher.....so my insights to your question may not be consistent with Warrants who had your level of experience.

From my vantage point there are NO "cons" to choosing a Warrant, and lots of "pros"...including opportunities for greater responsibility, additional training, and increased interaction, not only with enlisted ranks but with commissioned folks as well....the Warrant Corps has its own esprit, and respect induced by the narrow expertise of the MOS, coupled with same enthusiasm you express for working with and caring for the "troops"!!!!! The difference is partly that as Warrant you will have new and more powerful networks and tools to support and achieve them, and the mission.

Opportunities as a Warrant are broader than those as NCO, even at senior levels....my last duty assignment was on staff of DA DCSOPSAvn in an O5 billet....CW5s today are routinely assigned at Brigade and higher staff levels, and have access to senior leaders, often as trusted advisors.

Finally, Warrants are privileged to have opportunity for longer careers than many other soldiers...often to 30 years or longer.

Although Warrants are now assigned "Branch Specific" we honor the "squashed bug" that was once our Branch insignia (branch immaterial) because our contributions and fraternity cross most organizational and job description lines.

Good luck to you in your continued quest for excellence and service to the Nation!

Peter McHugh, CW4, USA (Ret)

Ok who better to tell you than someone who has been an NCO and now a Warrant, YES it's the way to go, also the myth about you don't get to work with Soldiers anymore is a lie. You interact with Soldiers more and you influence them more as a Warrant than you can as an NCO. The Pros of being a Warrant everybody turns to you for your recommendation in your field, there are many more pros and if you want to know about them talk to any Warrant Officer. The only Con I can think about is your name will not appear under the CDR or 1SG on the company area. But SSG GO Warrant you will not regret it..

Best move I ever made.
CWO Neal Long

Do a pro and con list on whether to stay enlisted or whether to go warrant officer. I did that when I turned down CSM for an Army Guard support battalion in Alaska. I knew I was going to be in quite a while and it made sense for me to go warrant. You can still mentor enlisted Soldiers as a warrant officer. When I made the choice W4 was as high as you could go then but W5 came along and I was able to retire as a W5. Retirement life is really good now! Good luck!

Warrant Officer is a specialized group. I was a bandmaster, played my instrument and enjoyed officer privileges. You move up in pay grade as high as CWO5. Go for it! A very respected position.

GO WO!!

If you love being an NCO, you will love being a Warrant Officer. What track? What MOS are you in now? Is your MOS a feeder into the Warrant Officer field you desire? These are a few factors to consider. Becoming a WO was the absolute best decision for me. Do you have a WO in your organization? Speak with him/her. Do you like the job they do? Is it something you desire? You have to want it. There were people who showed up at the WOCC and signed out the next day. They did not want it after all.

You say you want to take care of troops, Well there is not one better way to ensure troops are being cared for than becoming a Warrant Officer. You not only get to mentor NCO's but also Regular Officers. In many cases you will end up filling platoon leader positions or command positions. What better way is there to have input on the training and care of soldiers?

As others have recommended, this is a personal and family decision that should be in line with what and how you want to further contribute to the service. Once you make the decision, fully commit to your change of path. The Warrant Officer cohort, because of our lower numbers, tends to be very 'tightly knit'; my MOS has less than 100 across all compos, with extreme shortages in the Guard and Reserves. Regardless of your choice, your ability to network across career fields and influence positive change will be your legacy when the time comes to leave.

SSG the bigger question is do you love the field you are currently in. That is what drove me to become a Warrant in 1983. I had a desire to be a maintenance person longer than I wanted to be a NCO. It afforded me the ability to train Soldiers in maintenance and do it till I retired in 2014. Yes the pay is greater after SFC. But you get more respect unless you are CSM. Getting to CSM is as hard as getting to CW5, but it is worth it.