 Appointment
to Army Warrant Officer (WO-1)
The Army Warrant Officer Procurement Program Overview
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Army
Officer
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Army Warrant Officers are technical and tactical leaders who specialize,
throughout an entire career, in a specific technical area. The Army
Warrant Officer Corps comprises less than three percent of the total
Army. Although small in size, the level of responsibility is immense
and only the very best will be selected to become Warrant Officers.
The benefits of being an Army Warrant include extended career opportunities, worldwide leadership assignments, and increased pay and retirement benefits.
The WO Appointment (Procurement ) Process
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The Army Warrant Officer procurement process is constantly undergoing
change.
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The Army Warrant Officer procurement process is constantly undergoing change and you should visit your installation warrant officer procurement representative to get the latest information. This office is usually affiliated with the Personnel Services Branch in your area.
However, in general the WO procurement process breaks down into three basic steps; Application, Selection, and Appointment following completion of the WOCS training in Fort Rucker, AL.
The Basic Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to apply for the Active-Duty CWO Program, and subsequent permanent appointment as a CWO in the Regular Navy, applicants must meet the following unwaiverable requirements:
- US Citizenship
- General Technical (GT) score of 110 or higher
- High school graduate or have a GED
- Secret security clearance (Interim secret is acceptable to apply)
- Pass the standard 3-event Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) and meet height/weight standards
- Pass the appointment physical for technicians or the Class 1A flight physical for Aviators
The Application Process
Once you have determined your eligibility you will need to complete
the application package. The application package can be downloaded
from the Army Recruiting Command.
Before you complete the application
package you must determine the Warrant Officer (WO) Military Occupational
Specialty (MOS) for which you might be qualified. The most common
MOS that personnel from other services are eligible to apply for is
153A (Aviator) because this MOS requires no prior skills or training.
All other Warrant Officer (WO) Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs)
require you to be at least pay grade E5 or higher with 4-6 years experience
in a skill that is closely associated with a WO MOS.
If you are applying
for MOS 153A (Aviator), you will need to schedule an Alternate Flight
Aptitude Selection Test (AFAST) and a Class 1A Army flight physical.
You should first try to schedule the AFAST through your education
services officer. You can refer to the Dept. of the Army (DA) pamphlet
611-256-2 for more information regarding the AFAST.
There are no local
boards to go through except personal interviews with commanders within
your chain of command. By far the most critical part of the whole
process is the packet itself, because it will be the only way for
the Centralized Board to make a judgement about your qualifications
and experience. Your packet must be strong, with any problem areas
carefully explained or eliminated by waiver, before final submission
to the Centralized Board.
The WO Selection Board Process
Once you application packet has been received by the Department of the Army (DA) it will be forwarded to the Centralized WO Selection Board. Selection as a warrant officer in today's Army depends not only on how qualified you are as a soldier, but also on how well you present those qualifications to the Centralized Warrant Officer Selection Board. Warrant officer candidates' records are reviewed at the Department of the Army level, with selections being made for the many varied fields of service.
There are areas that are definitely key to your packet's success. First, you have to have strong report cards. If you are an NCO, the board will look at your entire file, with specific interest given to the most recent five years. Every packet requires endorsements from your chain of command, normally through and including the brigade commander. These recommendations are very important and carry unprecedented weight in the eyes of the board members, because they often offer the most credible evidence that you have the potential for success in this more challenging role. The board members are given the task of selecting only the best-qualified applicants for the limited slots within the Army's warrant officer structure.
The Final Appointment as Warrant Officer
If you are selected for appointment to the Warrant Officer Program you will be notified by the DA about 90 days after the board adjourns.
If Selected you will attend the six week, four day Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS) similar to basic training or boot camp. You will be appointed as a Warrant Officer One (WO1) upon successful completion of WOCS.
Soldiers who fail to successfully complete WOCS will serve the remainder of their four-year enlistment based upon the needs of the Army. All Warrant Officers have an initial obligation of six years, which will be served on active duty as an Army Reserve Officer. Warrant Officers remain on active duty in the Army Reserve until promotion to CW3, normally between the seventh and eighth year of warrant officer service. Upon promotion to CW3, the Warrant Officer is integrated into the Regular Army.
Note: The Army will also accept applications from members of the other Armed Forces. If you are interested in applying for an appointment as an Army Warrant Officer you should contact the nearest Army recruiting office for details.
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