Why would an NCO select the Warrant career path over the Officer career path?

CPT Aaron Kletzing — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 13:18:47 -0400

A few of my former Soldiers have contacted me with this question. In my effort to give them the best advice possible, I wanted to first ask all of you with expertise and experience with this decision.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 7 at 2013 4:12 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 16:12:00 -0400

more knowledge in a technical field is my guess.

Response by MAJ Dick Blair made Oct 7 at 2013 4:19 PM

MAJ Dick Blair — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 16:19:40 -0400

If the NCO becomes a pilot, pilot warrants get to fly much more than their other officer counterparts. If the NCO becomes a technical warrant, he will have a very similar job through the rest of his career, focused on his specialty. In the same field, his other officer counterparts increasingly focus on becoming generalists, with a wide range of experience with nowhere near the depth that a technical warrant would have.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2013 10:40 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 10:40:55 -0400

What is your response? Warrants provide more technical knowledge to their subordiantes. They also don't deal with Soldier issues as much as we do as commission officers.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2013 4:15 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 16:15:16 -0400

Yes the pay is slightly less, but...1. "Warrant Officers remain single-specialty Officers with career tracks that
progress within their field, unlike their Commissioned Officer counterparts who
focus on increased levels of command and staff duty positions." This allows you to perform you core duties longer!2. Small and Elite- The Warrant Officer Corp makes up only 2% of the Army and only 15% of the Officer Corp. 3. Tend to have a slightly higher precentage of promotion potential example from CW3 to CW4 (excluding Aviation) about 99% of those eligible get picked up for promotion.4. College is not for everyone. While you may need a few college credits such as english, math or IT. You do not need a degree to become a Warrant Officer. http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 8 at 2013 4:28 PM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 16:28:42 -0400

I think it is personality (individual) dependent. Is the NCO within a technical field that will allow for him to use his/her learned trade to become a better technician and technical expert? Maybe the individual is very technically proficient and competent, but lacks some leadership abilities that may make his/her transition to being a commissioned officer difficult. We have expectations that our commissioned officers are leaders at the platoon and above level, yet we rarely ask our warrant officers to perform the same duties - instead relying on them to be the technical experts (rarely organizational leaders above team level). The guidance/counsel you provide to each individual should be tailored to that person/NCO. Some NCOs will make great Officers (standard sense) whereas others are more suited to be the technical expert and warrant officer. There is no 'easy button' for this question as it is all personality dependent. Just like there are some NCOs who would be better off never being allowed to re-enlist, there are some who should be swayed from going a particular path with the careers - whether that be Warrant Officer or Commissioned Officer (2LT and up). YOU have to be able to counsel those individuals based on your understanding of their ability to best serve the US Army and our Nation.

Response by MSG Timothy Smith made Oct 8 at 2013 5:52 PM

MSG Timothy Smith — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 17:52:48 -0400

Perhaps another reason is that the Enlisted's career field has no Officer slots. I'm a 68P5, which means I'm a Radiologic Technologist. Short of going back to college to pursue an MD, if we even have a slot for Warrent (which we don't), that would be my only avenue to advance to the "Dark Side". So, in my MOS, with the advent of the super tech, there should be a Warrent. They could take the place (in most aspects) of the Radiologist. Having been overseas, I've been where there was a Radiologist, but other sites had none. The Warrent could fill that slot, especially with digital radiography and RIS/HIS systems in place. They could do the preliminaries, then the Radiologist could tdo the redundant reading, checking for accuracies or missed readings.

Response by CW2 Kameron Read made Oct 9 at 2013 7:08 AM

CW2 Kameron Read — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 07:08:33 -0400

This seems like an easy question. The same reason why an NCO would choose to become a Warrant Officer instead of staying in the senior enlisted ranks. If you enjoy the technical, operational side of your profession, which I do, then why not become a Warrant Officer? If you become an O-Grade Commissioned Officer you are back to the first problem with remaining an NCO, you are no longer technical in your profession and your duties are more administrative where all you do is climb the chain of command. O-Grade Officers have to hold staff positions and command positions which are common-core career paths that are branch immaterial. As a Warrant Officer you are specialized in your career field and paid to do your job. If an NCO is selected for OCS and wants to be a Signal or Engineer Officer he/she might end up with a commission as a Chemical Officer. It seems like a gamble for something you will do the rest of your career. If you want to be a jack of all trades and a master of none, then stay where you are at or become a Commissioned Officer. If you want to remain hands-on, relevant, and a subject matter expert in the field of your choosing, then apply for Warrant Officer.

Response by CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 25 at 2013 2:10 PM

CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 14:10:45 -0400

The reason I became a Warrant Officer was for two reasons. The first was to remain technically competent, kind of hard to do in the Signal field as a Sr. NCO. The second was, if I do 20 years in the military, what not get a better retirement out of it? I can stay technically skilled, and prepped for life after the military and receive a better pay check when the time comes.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 26 at 2013 11:34 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 26 Oct 2013 23:34:16 -0400

I appreciate the officer input in this thread. I would like to see more NCOs actually ask an officer what it is that made then become an officer? Be that from the enlisted ranks or as a high school student transition to the Academy or ROTC. When I chose to make the switch I did so because I was tired of "advising" officers on how to best support the mission. As a senior NCO I came to the realization that officers were the decision makers. You can't deny the impact that good (and sometimes bad officers) make on a unit. I really enjoy asking questions, looking at a process or organization, developing courses of action (COA) and then making the decision that may change that organization. Also, if you want the burden (or mantle as I like to call it) of command, there is nothing more satisfying. The big the "Man/Woman" that everyone looks too for his/her intent and direction. To be the one standing in front of that formation as the Commander. I would pose this question to the NCOs; "Why would an NCO want to be a 1SG or CSM?" Those who want that distinction, that honor could and can understand why people wish to serve as officers. While I appreciate the Warrant Officer Corps and I do believe that they are an invaluable asset to the Army, I would be afraid to get "board" doing the same job everyday at different levels. I remember looking over one of my Warrants ORBs and saying to myself "What's the difference in these duty titles?" It seems they had the same job at every duty station. "Maintenance Tech". Where as officer bounce around every 1-2 years. Platoon LeaderExecutive OfficerPrimary Staff Officer at BN (S1/2/3/4/6Company CommanderGraduate Student/Train with Industry/OBC Instructor/APMS/Aide-de-CampI felt like I was doing the same job every year as an NCO, only a promotion would change the daily drudgery I was dealing with. As an Officer I get to learn a new job every two years! The learning and Broadening experience is fantastic. Just my thoughts......

Response by SFC Charles S. made Oct 29 at 2013 11:27 PM

SFC Charles S. — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 23:27:57 -0400

Between the choices of OCS and Warrant, Warrant would win out due to the prestige of the specialty designation. As a Technical Warrant you are selected for your knowledge in your specialty skill. This gives you the ability to continue on your knowledge path and become even more specialized in your field. OCS once graduated and committed it seems the officers get assigned to Branches from a Dart board and might not even be affiliated with a Branch they are familiar with. These are just MHO and what I personally perceived from soldiers going through both paths.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 2 at 2013 9:35 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 21:35:23 -0400

Selecting the warrant path allows you become the master your craft like the head coach of a college football team. You understand everything about your players and must have experience. Plus, nobody messes with a warrant and prior service credibility is maintained.

The officer route makes you the general manager like the GM of a football team. You just have oversight of the entire department and you report to the CEO (or commander in this case). In my experience, as far as credibility, a prior service NCO becoming a Lieutenant will have to start back at the bottom like a private.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 9 at 2013 2:34 PM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 09 Nov 2013 14:34:20 -0500

Many other Warrants have already expressed my reason for switching. I loved being an NCO, training Soldiers and mentoring NCOs got me out of bed each morning. The BS of the Army has turned being an NCO into a babysitting job though. I fully comprehend and support a leader being responsible for the actions of those appointed beneath them, but there is a point when individual responsibility absolves that leader of not preventing it. I saw that I had promoted myself out of the day-to-day leading of Soldiers and was now an administrator with babysitting privelages. I chose to go Warrant Officer because I love my job, and this allows me to continue my job for years, but still to teach and mentor Soldiers and NCOs. I'm mostly absolved of babysitting duty (I only have NCOs under me), which allows my NCOs to grow and make mistakes as they learn and develop.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 21 at 2013 10:50 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 22:50:59 -0500

I have met so few WO that I never really considered being a pilot. I respect what I know of them and even knew a few of the pilots who flew UH-1s, because I briefed them and enjoyed their down to earth style.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2014 4:07 AM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 04:07:54 -0400

There are lots of reasons to choose one over the other but in my case it was the age factor. I met the requirements for both except that I ran into the age limit for OCS but not WOCS. Too easy!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 27 at 2014 8:40 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 08:40:29 -0400

Sir,
I am currently in the process of dropping a warrant packet. Age requirements are much stricter to become a Officer versus Warrant Officer. For Technical Warrant packets max age is currently 46 y/o.

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 27 at 2014 9:03 AM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 09:03:20 -0400

In my case it was due to the changing army and the fact that after SSG in the Armor world it's just not what I wanted to do. As I got closer to PSGs and 1SGs I saw how run down and stressed out they are jumping through all the hoops and systems we have in place now. Sometimes I feel like my unit just doesn't care to disseminate information until the morning of, thereby ruining any attempted prior planning you had made for the day. It's exhausting and I had had enough of it. Warrant Officer was really the only way I can stay sane and continue to serve, which is all I want to do.

I know in Aviation that if you aren't on top of your stuff, you're going to be grounded. I can't wait to work with people who don't tolerate substandard performance on a daily basis.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 27 at 2014 9:24 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 09:24:35 -0400

In my opinion it's because there up to all the writing and kissing butt isn't what a NCO do.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 27 at 2014 11:13 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 11:13:02 -0400

I asked the same question to a CW4 once and he put it very simply. We all know how when on deployment you fill a position when needed even though it is not our MOS, i.e. an intel soldier working in S1 or S4 for that matter. So when I asked this CW4 this same question, he simply said "Why would you go officer when as a 2nd Lt you're in S1, as a 1st Lt you're in S2/3/4 knowing you're a transportation officer. As an officer you're just a manager while as Warrant you get to do your job as an officer."

Response by CWO3 Bryan Luciani made Jun 19 at 2014 12:27 PM

CWO3 Bryan Luciani — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 12:27:31 -0400

See my last post.

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Jul 20 at 2014 11:44 PM

LTC Paul Labrador — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 23:44:26 -0400

It really depends on what end result you want. In the normal commissioned officer route, while technical proficiency is part of it, what you are really there for is the leadership aspect. You will be expected to lead and eventually command if you want to get promoted. Warrants remain technical experts, and while they are also expected to lead, do not have the burden or "distraction" of command.

Response by CWO3 Bryan Luciani made Jul 21 at 2014 12:28 PM

CWO3 Bryan Luciani — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 12:28:56 -0400

Excellent question Captain. Here's a Navy response. The positions available for the Warrant Officers carry significantly more responsibility and accountability than those positions made available to Junior Officers. Specifically, these positions are only offered to people with significant experience. My first Warrant Officer job (after being promoted from Senior Chief - E8) was as the Fire Marshal on a new aircraft carrier, and included coordinating all the General Quarters damage control drills and overall readiness for the ship as well as certifying the ship's damage control systems for deployment. I also ran the Flying Squad (the Fire Dept.) Great job, but not one you would assign to a junior officer with 5 or 6 years in the military.

If you want more responsibility immediately (and you are qualified), you go Warrant Officer. If you'd prefer a standard progression growth route (Division Officer (2 tours), Department Head, XO, CO), you might consider the Line or LDO Officer career path. If you are doing it (CWO) for the money, think again. I made more as an E8 than I did as a CW02. As a CW03 I made the same as a Master Chief or an O3.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2014 12:47 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 12:47:01 -0500

I wish there could be an option for Warrant Officer for Finance (36B). Unfortunately, Finance Warrant Officer specialty was eliminated in 1974.

Response by CH (CPT) Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2014 1:18 PM

CH (CPT) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 13:18:24 -0500

The question is more about making sure commissioned officers and warrant officers are doing what they are designed to do. To be a technical expert and master advisor or administrative leader. I can see the appeal in staying close to my field and area of work rather than lost in meetings.

Response by CW3 Clayton C. made Nov 26 at 2014 9:26 PM

CW3 Clayton C. — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 21:26:35 -0500

Sir,

I'm glad you asked this question. Having just been selected for WOCS I'll tell you what my mentor told me. If Officers planned perfectly and NCOs executed flawlessly, there would be no need for Warrant Officers. Becoming a Warrant Officer allows most of us to remain in our career field as Subject Matter Experts, whereas Commissioned Officers end up focusing more on Command and Staff positions. A jack of all trades is a master of none. Of course, I will be moving from EOD back to Ammo, but that's hardly a problem considering I'll be riding a desk from now on anyways.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 15 at 2014 4:08 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 04:08:30 -0500

I asked one of my former Warrant Officers something similar before. The answer that he gave me was that as a Warrant Officer he has the ability to be the SME/Technical Expert in a certain field. Where as a Commisioned Officer has to be generally smart on all things and know who the SMEs are within their formations on all things.
I was once told that as a Commissioned Officer we are not paid to know all of the answers, we are paid to know who has the answers and how to put all the answers together.

Response by CW3 Dylan E. Raymond, PHR made Jun 10 at 2016 9:48 AM

CW3 Dylan E. Raymond, PHR — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 09:48:31 -0400

For me when I made the crossover I was an E-8 a very seasoned NCO and served as Drill SGT and Recruiter. I had to much experience to hit the bottom of the totem pole as an O-1. Its amazing the things I would say as a MSG and the officers would be like yeah....yeah. but when I was appointed to W-1 the same thing I said as a MSG it must have magically sounded better because for whatever reason they listened to me and they would say get with Chief he is on to something. I felt like an NCO with a bigger bat. Mind you I was a WOJ.....Warrant Officer Junior but like EF Hutton everyone listened. I feel more of a coach and a referee. We are experts, subject matter experts in our field and about delivering results....Silent professionals. So that is why and NCO would take that route.

Response by Winston Domingo made Dec 27 at 2016 9:22 PM

Winston Domingo — Tue, 27 Dec 2016 21:22:07 -0500

what are the "MOS" for usmc warrant. all i see are musicians