Should I go Warrant Officer or Officer, as a 92A? What are some tips, advice, and recommendations?

2019-08-12T03:59:24-04:00

Hello Everyone.
My first time asking -
Im a 92A, PFC, 31yrs old, pretty good as an ERPS CLERK, I have a higher access on gcss army but i earned the trust from the leaders. I spoke to G4 chief ( previous one) and he was advising me to go officer road because of my maturity and how quick i learn GCSS ARMY.

I want to know tips as a warrant officer aspect and LT/CPT aspect. I worked before as a management manager in NYC but i know the civilian sector is the same, i keep getting shutdown by different persons in the army. The bad part about me i have a mouth and i believe in fairness, loyalty, respect... to everyone no matter their rank. I have a strong personally and i won’t say Rgr knowing that it was not who did that... i think thats the biggesr issue for me.
Please any advice. I have an associate degree. ( thinking that the army was gonna help me with my student loan but i was wrong) I need 8month of school and I’m done with my Bachelor degree in general Business.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 12 at 2019 12:24 PM

2019-08-12T12:24:15-04:00

BLUF: Finish your degree ASAP, submit officer packet fast enough to commission before you are 34. If that fails, you then have time to get to SSG for WO, and will have the needed NCOERs by that time. So either be in a position to go officer as a SPC with a degree, or spend several more years getting to SSG with several NCOERs and a degree for a WO packet.

Things like this can be done. A PV1 that I went to BCT with managed to get to SSG in his FIRST (of course it was a 6yr contract) ENLISTMENT, and is currently a WO1.

I don't know what your time line is now, but 31 without a degree is on the late side to knock out your bachelor degree in order to commission. Also, while I am USAR, all four of my WO's have graduate degrees (all four of them are 920B, which is what you would be going). I don't think a degree is required for WO, but that is what you are competing against. Plus, you probably need to make it to SSG. So you are quite a few years away from that. Independent of your career goals, if you knocked out a degree ASAP you might be able to squeeze in an officer packet.

You are 31 now. You have until your 34th birthday to commission. You need the degree done before you can put in a packet with enough time to commission before you are 34.. You need NCOER's now behind you to have a realistic packet put together for Officer, NCOER's are not required, but they help (I was a new E5/SGT and didn't have an NCOER to submit when I put in my packet that I was selected on, but I had a masters degree and a deployment). Ironically, if you were just coming in off the streets you wouldn't need that.

Either path, you need to knock out our your degree. During that time you need to get to E5 ASAP by 33, and get an NCOER so you will have BOTH a degree AND and NCOER to include in your Officer packet. You don't have time for that. You'll have to submit a packet as a SPC with only a degree. If that fails, well then you are on your way to SSG, will probably have a few more NCOERS along that way.

During the entirety of this time, you cannot ever get flagged for anything (HW/APFT, etc...) if you are to stand a chance.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 19 at 2019 11:44 AM

2019-08-19T11:44:27-04:00

As others have pointed out, time is of the essence at 31 with anything in the military. I chose the commissioned route, but frequently get asked why I did go warrant. I have known many warrants throughout my career and have yet to meet one that doesn’t love their job. Just something to think about.