Should I do a short stint (24-26 months) as a DS or focus my efforts more on going Warrant?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 May 2020 18:00:32 -0400

I currently have roughly 10 years of service and I'm looking for the next step in my career. What are your thoughts?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 7 at 2020 6:01 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 May 2020 18:01:08 -0400

This should say 36 mths*

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 7 at 2020 6:03 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 May 2020 18:03:11 -0400

What do you truly want to gain from career?
Why are you interested in being a DS if you meet the qualifications for Warrant?

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made May 7 at 2020 6:21 PM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 May 2020 18:21:30 -0400

Drill is temporary, Warrant is permanent. Pretty simple

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made May 7 at 2020 7:35 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 07 May 2020 19:35:33 -0400

Warrant Officers have a 95% promotion rate to WO2, I believe the average rate for E7 is under 50%. (although DS time will be a positive discriminator)

As others have said, WO is a long term career choice and I have yet to meet one who regrets the decision

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made May 7 at 2020 9:05 PM

MAJ Byron Oyler — Thu, 07 May 2020 21:05:08 -0400

Say you get out at 20yrs and live thirty years past retirement, you will be paid in retirement longer than you were active. I loved my days enlisted however I plan to enjoy my O-4 retirement pay a lot more than I enjoyed my enlisted years. Pay is not everything but in retirement it is something to think about.

Response by SGM Omer Dalton made May 7 at 2020 10:01 PM

SGM Omer Dalton — Thu, 07 May 2020 22:01:43 -0400

Go warrant. If you don’t you will later thank back and play the what if game like I still do many years later. Warrant is a great career move.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made May 8 at 2020 3:58 AM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 08 May 2020 03:58:29 -0400

I did my time as a DS at Benning, then dropped my WO packet. Remember, you must must receive an Active Federal Service Waiver for more than 12 years if you wait to complete your DS time before submitting your packet. The packet process isn’t a quick one and if you are a non-select the first time you are looked at, it will be even longer. Are you trying to fly or be an 890A?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 8 at 2020 5:04 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 08 May 2020 05:04:31 -0400

Life goals are what matters. Do you want to do great things as a the backbone of the Army or do you want to be a part of the technical elite? No point in doing both if you dont have to unless your dream has always been to come be a drill sergeant(I teach at the schoolhouse, if you have questions I'm on global)

Response by SGT Herbert Bollum made May 8 at 2020 10:25 AM

SGT Herbert Bollum — Fri, 08 May 2020 10:25:09 -0400

If you are willing to spend most of your working time behind a desk, and give up the hands on work with your people then Warrant may be your best choice. I was pushed towards Warrant by my own Warrants (many letters of recommendation) and packet sent to me from DA, but I did not feel that for me it was the right thing. I wanted to keep my hands on the equipment (radar repair) not simply supervise others from a desk.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 8 at 2020 12:11 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 08 May 2020 12:11:48 -0400

Find the current requirements for WO appointment. There are age and active federal service rules. While making your decision be sure that you can meet the requirements, and if you are near the limit on age or AFS that you don't wait too long.

Response by CW4 Keith Dolliver made May 8 at 2020 1:57 PM

CW4 Keith Dolliver — Fri, 08 May 2020 13:57:58 -0400

If WO is something that interests you then I personally say start the process for Warrant Officer in tandem with your request to go DS. If you get picked up for Warrant Officer your tour will get cut short as Officer accessions trump everything, but if you aren't picked up on the first look at least you didn't put all your eggs in one basket and are doing something else you wanted to do in the mean time.

A couple points, Warrant Officers are ideally targeted for accession between 6-8 years of AFS. Anything over 12 years of AFS requires a waiver, so if you delay your packet this is one more piece of paperwork you will require. If they are hurting in your desired MOS and you are an otherwise qualified candidate than it likely won't matter. Just food-for-thought though, you're already older than their ideal candidate so the longer you delay potentially the more difficult for selection or it may be a "strike" against you. If you submit and you aren't selected on your first look, your packet will automatically get a second look, and if you are still not selected then you will need to wait one year before re-submission. In this instance it's better to get submissions in earlier.

Assuming you do get picked up you would probably be pinning WO1 around your 11 year mark, which means CW2 at 13 and your first look for CW3 around 17 years. This is good because if you get picked up for CW3 then you will hit your "high three" around your 20-21 year mark so you won't need to do much more than 20 years if you don't want to. If you don't get selected for CW3, then your second look will be around your 18 year mark so you should hit sanctuary and still be allowed to retire as a CW2. If you wait another 2-3 years to submit that means if you want to get out at 20, you will only be able to retire as a CW2 vice CW3. Also remember that promotion carries a 2-year ADSO so if you do accept promotion to CW3 you will need to stay in a couple years past your 20. As I said, this is all just food-for-thought and things that probably don't get factored in to the consideration process, but probably are considerations.

Hope this helps.

Response by SSgt Christophe Murphy made May 8 at 2020 6:25 PM

SSgt Christophe Murphy — Fri, 08 May 2020 18:25:50 -0400

Drop papers for both. If you want to check that Drill box go for it but throwing in for Warrant won’t hurt. Plus if you don’t get it the first attempt you still got to be a DS while you wait for the red tape to process

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made May 8 at 2020 6:40 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 08 May 2020 18:40:02 -0400

If I were you I’d drop both packets, especially the Warrant packet.