Should the Air Force bring back Warrant Officers?

This thread has been alive for a few months, but this is this first I've noticed, so please excuse if I'm repeating what others have added. As a retired CW4 I would have a ton to add on this, but let me make a couple important statements regarding any potential return of warrants.

1. Before the question of "if" warrants would be returned to AF duty, the AF must define their place in the chain of command. Warrants in US military are commissioned officers. That, there, is a mouthful. I was a commander for 13 years, from W1-W4. How does a warrant position affect the rating system, the chain of command, and is the AF unified on that decision? I ask this because despite major advances in understanding the role of warrant officers in the Army, that point is still being debated.

2. A warrant officer is a technically and tactically trained officer, specializing in areas of expertise and often employed as advisors to the commander and team leaders of critical units. Warrants are not "3rd lieutenants," senior-senior enlisted" or "cheap" officers for 66% of the cost of O-grade officers-- all of which are the misguided views that warrants often have to guard against.

If the Air Force was to bring back the W1-W5 ranks in order to be a force multiplier, all these things have to be clarified from "Top down."

True story, down in MacDill AFB, I was lucky enough to meet one of the few surviving retired AF warrant officers. This conversation came up with him while talking with a few fellow soldiers and airman at a "getting out" meeting.<br><br>The general consensus at least from people working in STRATCOM and Missidle/Space is that we have too many young Air Force Officers filling roles that could and probably should be filled by enlisted and warrant officer roles. Especially in the satellite control and missile control fields.<br><br>Giving Enlisted members in the airforce a chance to fly as warrants I think would also be an excellent tool at retaining some very good skillsets in the military.<br>

I have always been a supporter of bringing them back. We could cut some company grade officer slots and move a select few SNCOs into the WO ranks. I think this would be particularly good for Maintenance Officers. The Cons would be based on who was looking at it. For Os it would be changing up the status quo. For Es it would remove some top level jobs from SNCOs that wouldn't become WOs.

I think the best way to approach this is not "Can the AF use Warrant Officers?", but rather "Can certain career fields in the AF use Warrant Officers?" Being a comm Airman myself, I'll use comm as an example. If you're familiar with comm at all you know that it's made up of several different career fields that must constantly work together in order to be effective. No offense to my SNCOs but IT is a constantly changing world and if you're not actively working in a technical position you can get left behind real quick. How can you effectively orchestrate cohesion between all these career fields when you're behind the learning curve? Aside from that you'll also retain those people that leave the AF for high paying technical jobs just to avoid promoting into that managerial role. I guess the overall point I'm trying to make is that the WO ranks may not apply to every job, but in a select few could be highly useful.

how about folding the whole Air Force into the Army Air Corp....yeah I'm going to duck some bricks.

Should the AF appoint people to the Warrant Officer Corps. In short I would say yes. Having a unique perspective on this subject, in that I started off my service in the AF and after reaching TSgt I made the switch to Warrant Officer. The Warrant Officer brings unique skills in the fact that they are not concerned about command as RLOs are, and they are more focused on their craft than the Enlisted. While the reasoning that the AF stopped appointing Warrants in documented it is also flawed. Currently, for a person to be promoted to E9 they are not doing the job from the time they are a MSgt instead they manage people and account for equipment.
Now on to the cons, just as with the Army there is no defined way to treat Warrants. RLOs want to lump us in with them however, we are more concerned with the technical side. It is also figured that because we are the experts that we do most of the work when things go south. Instead the Enlisted should have enough knowledge to get things up a running and we just give them pointers as to items they might have forgot. I recently had an exercise in which I had to bring up two separate sites because the Signal Soldiers were not trained to do the job. This then brings the question of the Warrant doing training (which I will add I am not opposed to but I just need a heads up to conduct training).

It's time to bring them back, especially with the push of focusing on our jobs again. Also it would save the AF money. All other branches can't be wrong!

I have always believe that the Air Force should bring back the WO Corps. I believe it more now with these reductions in the officer and enlisted due to force reduction. While it is understandable that there are some AFSC were an WO can not be utilized (example doctors) there are many areas where it is crucial. However, just like in the Army they can be considered technical experts in their field. Below are some examples where the WO Corps will be great to have.

Ops Groups: Finding those enlisted personnel who have an aptitude to fly, the Army utilizes many WO for helicopters. The same principle can be used in the AF as well as for Drones or other airframes. Additionally, WOs can be assigned to lead ATCs, plans, QA, etc.

Security Forces: Especially assigned to units where their is only one or two commissioned officers assigned. examples would be Flight Commanders (WO 1/2) to work along side with the Flight Sergeant (usually a SNCO), CWO (3/4) to fill in section chief duties (S-2: Investigations, S-3 Assistant OPs Officer or as Ops Officer if a commissioned officer is not assigned, S-4 Supply and Logistics, etc) , CWO5s Work along side the Security Forces Manager and Commander as the overall supervision for all WOs

Fire Fighters: The WO1/2 are station chiefs while WO3/4 can be fire chiefs along with SNCOs. CWO5s are lead the over all fire dept. and works with the CE commander as an assistant fire marshal.

LRS/CE: WO1/2 are section chiefs (i.e. lead for POL shift, warehouses shift, etc.) CWO3/4 lead whole sections with their SNCO counterpart, and CWO5 works with the command sections.

MDG: Specialized practitioners that do not require to be a doctor (i.e. Social Workers, Counselors, etc) as well as nursing, and chiefs of sections. While they meet the education requirement to be a commissioned officer with a BS/BA or higher degree, this will allow them the option to be practitioners specifically

I also believe that when an enlisted person reaches E-6 they have a choice of going on to a management track (SNCO) or a technical expert track (Warrant Officer) meeting a set of steps necessary to meet each. Both tracks must require the TSgt has completed NCOA, meets all fitness requirements with at least an overall 80%, and have at a minimum a CCAF degree in the field that are in (exceptions are specialized practitioner). Furthermore, the TSgt must state in writing which track they wish to pursue and be accepted through a board of SNCOs or WO based on EPRs (past 5 years) and recommendations of at least 3 SNCOs or WO, the TSgt may submit to both boards. Boards will meet at the base level annually and a TSgt who has been passed over from the board may resubmit no more than three times. This will allow the AF that ability to invest those deserving while allowing TSgt to reach retirement (20 Years) while allowing the TSgts a chance to progress if passed over previously. Finally, WOs should only consist of about 10% of the total force such as the SNCO corps (WO1/2=MSgt Strength, CWO3/4=SMSgt Strength, and CWO5=CMSgt Strength)

Just for fun: All WO are called either "Warrants" or "Chief Warrants"

When I was&nbsp;first enlisted in 1968, the rational was that the WO ranks were being fazed out of the&nbsp;AF because the "new" super enlisted ranks of SMSgt and CMSgt were slotted to fill the&nbsp;WO ranks.&nbsp; I served for 20 years,&nbsp;16 years as a Security Pollice, security specialist and 4 years as an Officer Recruiter.&nbsp;&nbsp;During my time as a SP, I was fortunate enough to serve with JTF-Bravo in Hondurous, there I served with USMC, USA and USAF&nbsp;personnel.&nbsp; There were some&nbsp;WO personnel as well as senior enlisted and officer personnel.&nbsp; I was always intrigued with the amount of respect and deference that was afforded USAF senior enlisted&nbsp;by the other branches, additionaly USAF senior enlisted, myself, a MSgt,&nbsp;included, were given more responsibility and in some cases more authority then our peers and&nbsp;WO's from the other services.&nbsp; I think that the USAF did an excellent job of educating and preparing senior NCO's to fill the void that was left by the&nbsp;fazeing out of the WO positions, in my opinion, to re-introduce&nbsp;the WO positions&nbsp;would do nothing more then add another layer of command that is not needed.&nbsp; Layers of command do no get the job done, having well educated/trained and motivated&nbsp;individuals is paramount to successful accomplishment of the mission.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;