What can I do now to help myself later on trying to go Warrant Officer?

SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 05:27:15 -0400

Hi,

I am active duty, 92F looking at my career in the long run. I am leaning towards the Warrant Officer path, specifically, 255A.
I am working towards my Associates in Engineering and later on Computer Science, I am also testing for my A+ cert soon and will be working on Net, Sec etc.

I am going to try and reenlist for 25B, however, I know it is an overstrength MOS and my MOS is understrength.
I enlist as a 92F because at the time I was not able to get a Security clearance due to my wife's citizenship.

Reading on the requirements for 255A I see it is open to all MOS as long as you have 4 years of IT experience, what could be a way to get experience while in the military in case that re-class was not possible.
How hard could it be to try and get into 255A field coming from a totally unrelated field, I have some experience in IT as I have been around computers since I was little, I've worked before on repair and maintenance of software and hardware so it is not that new to me and I feel pretty comfortable with the entry-level stuff and I am learning as much as I can using Army e-learning, school, little jobs that I do here and there, but I don't know how can I get more experience to be qualified for the job and be a real asset to the Warrant Officer world.

I want to start now on anything I can do to make my life easier once I get closer to the rank requirement, TIS and everything else.

As a side note, I want to go into the tech world once I'm out of the Army, so getting all the experience is a big plus since I want to do this for the rest of my life.

Thanks in advance.

Response by CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 1 at 2016 5:57 AM

CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 05:57:48 -0400

Talk to a Warrant Assessions Manager he will be able to assist you more. Dont quote me but for that MOS, you maybe able to exchance civilian education and some cetifications for military experience. Good luck

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 1 at 2016 6:20 AM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 06:20:33 -0400

First off look at the qualification and ensure you meet them. I just had to get my GT score up and working on my TABE. Ensure you take the A version and not the D version like I did. Only issue I will see you having is getting a CW3 and above that is a 255A or 255N. With that being said you need experience with WIN-T systems. Even as a 25B you will not be exposed to network equipment as much. More less being a help desk support. I would shoot for 25N to help boost your credentials .

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 1 at 2016 8:35 AM

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 08:35:20 -0400

SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member, check this link out for all of the prerequisites in general and by Warrant Officer MOS. Also, I recommend that you find a Warrant Officer of any MOS to provide you guidance for the path forward. You are young in the Military and must work with your career counselor first to get over your first hurdle and that's changing your MOS. Also please keep in mind that there is a 92F MOS that feeds into a petroleum Warrant Officer speciality.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 1 at 2016 5:15 PM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 17:15:52 -0400

Sounds like you are on the right path by getting industry certifications which demonstrate technical competence. You should contact the signal warrant in your command and ask for his or her mentor ship we are a small close knit group and we love helping soldiers to grow in the signal community. If 25B is over strength then look into 25D or really any signal MOS that is a feeder for 255A,N, or S. Ultimately you will need time in grade as a signal MOS Q soldier before applying to be considered for warrant so the sooner you can get that MOS the better.

CW3 John Mosco, 213RSG PA ARNG

Response by Capt Daniel Goodman made Apr 1 at 2016 5:59 PM

Capt Daniel Goodman — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 17:59:05 -0400

Look at learnerstv.com, MIT Open Courseware or OCW, audacity another open material site. Look also at http://www.excelsior.edu which is very military friendly, and http://www.uopeople.edu or Univ of the people and their nearly free associates and bachelors online in comp sci and bus admin along with their new MBA program I don't know if military accepts them yet I do know they just got accredited by distance educ and training commission which is I'm fairly certain an approved accrediting body formerly called the Natl home study commission or nhsc now the DETC I believe. Look too at DANTES for military educ credit by exam and also try to look at the GRE genl and subject tests excelsior had granted 30 pass fail credits for a passing raw score not percentile.

Excelsior College, an online college with degree programs, courses and exams in Business, Technology, Nursing, Liberal Arts, Health Sciences and Public Service.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 2 at 2016 1:04 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 01:04:03 -0400

I am going to take a different approach from everyone else here. First, you need to do your job. I hate to break it to you but you are a PVT. PVTs are PVTs for a reason. That reason is because you lack experience. That experience will make you or break you. I wanted to commission when I was enlisted. I was a SSG before I commissioned. By the time I was in OCS I had a deployment to Iraq as a Squad Leader. I knew my job and was ready for the next challenge. When I commissioned and went to my platoon my soldiers knew I was a bit more experienced due to my experience. It is not really required for an Officer to do that but for warrants that is not the case. Warrants should have experience and a pretty solid base of knowledge. What it comes down that you are shooting for the 300 meter target right now. You should be shooting for the 50 meter target first. In reality it would be mastering your MOS and then becoming a leader in your MOS as a SGT. I would caution you that the goal of being a warrant officer may not help you right now. You could miss the value of some tasks that don't help you become a WO but such a task would make you a better NCO.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Apr 2 at 2016 6:04 AM

CSM Darieus ZaGara — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 06:04:57 -0400

Continue your education, elevate your performance in every area possible, find a Warrant who is willing to mentor and seek your 1SG and CO's support.

Response by CW5 Michael Scheller made Apr 8 at 2016 7:08 PM

CW5 Michael Scheller — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 19:08:41 -0400

PV2 Mejia, congratulations on thinking ahead about a career.

I am going to tell you something a little counter-culture and seemingly out of character but it served me well. Don't worry solely about becoming a Warrant Officer. Become better. Becoming better at your job, better educated, better trained, a better leader. If you do those things you ~may~ become a Warrant but you're also well positioned for becoming a great NCO or a great civilian.

There are always going to be three distinct (but maybe slightly blurred categories of professional development:
1. Helps your civilian resume.
2. Helps your military resume.
3. Helps both.

I will not attempt to tell you what is good developmentally for your career field; you'll have to do that yourself. But, obviously, number 3 is a high priority. As the tide ebbs and flows over the next few years, opportunities to remain in the service are going to change with the huge gravitational pull of the political moon. Certain things such as a college degree and professional certification are so dual purpose that you can leverage them regardless of the tides.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 30 at 2019 10:10 PM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 22:10:14 -0400

I had similar aspirations when I crossed over. I was a 45K - Armament Repairer. I reclassed as a SGT to 25B. Had to start from scratch in learning IT. I had to learn fast as I was sent to Iraq two months after AIT with several new Soldiers under me. Luckily, Army eLearning (SkillPort) just started so I kept hammering courses during and after work. I did have to wait my time, but instead of waiting, I met and exceeded requirements in the meantime: I earned my Associates in Computer Technology, switched positions from Help Desk to Information Assurance, and earned CompTIA A+, Security+, and even took a Microsoft certification to show that I was hungry. I was technically waived at three years experience because of the AA degree and certs.

It took me a few tries, but I finally made the jump. My words to you are if you really want it, you will keep going until you get what you want. Don't give up!