Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin - Federation of American ...

Two major events have occurred within the Warrant Officer
Corps recently that have changed the perceived
role of warrant officers (WOs). These events were the
commissioning of WOs into the various branches of
the U.S. Army and the significant rise in numbers of
technical WOs.
These events (and a few others), without a more
defined Army follow-on plan for WO roles and professional
development, have clouded the understanding
of the new roles of the WO. DA PAM 600-3, Commissioned
Officer Professional Development and
Career Management, dated 14 October 2005, makes
a good start at addressing these WO roles. This article
will offer a recommendation expanding the stated
roles of the WO by function and task in several critical
areas for each WO rank. 1
The current definition of a WO as stated in DA PAM
600-3 is “The Army WO is a self–aware and adaptive
technical expert, combat leader, trainer, and advisor.
Through progressive levels of expertise in assignments,
training, and education, the WO administers,
manages, maintains, operates, and integrates Army
systems and equipment across the full spectrum of
Army operations. WOs are innovative integrators of
emerging technologies, dynamic teachers, confident
warfighters, and developers of specialized teams of
soldiers. They support a wide range of Army missions
throughout their career. WOs in the Army are accessed
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by Chief Warrant Officer Five Michael Guzy
with specific levels of technical ability. They refine their
technical expertise and develop their leadership and
management skills through tiered progressive assignment
and education.” 2
Recommendations
The following is the stated definition of the WO by
rank and my recommendations for role and task enhancements
to that rank.
Warrant Officer One (WO1). An officer appointed
by warrant with the requisite authority pursuant to assignment
level and position given by the Secretary of
the Army. WO1s are basic level, technically focused
officers who perform the primary duties of technical
leader, trainer, operator, manager, maintainer, and
sustainer. They also perform any other branch-related
duties assigned to them. They provide direction, guidance,
resources, assistance, and supervision necessary
for subordinates to perform their duties. WO1s
have specific responsibility for accomplishing the missions
and tasks assigned to them and, if assigned as a
commander, the collective or organizational responsibility
for how well their command performs its mission.
WO1s primarily support levels of operations from team
through battalion, requiring interaction with all soldier
cohorts and primary staff. They provide leader development,
mentorship, and counsel to enlisted soldiers
and NCOs. 3
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