Warrant Officer

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A warrant officer (WO) is a member of a military organization holding one of a specific group of ranks. In most countries they are effectively senior non-commissioned officers, although technically in a class of their own between NCOs and commissioned officers. In the military of the United States, however, officers at the Chief Warrant Officer level are in fact commissioned officers and are afforded the same privileges and courtesies, such as terms of address and salutes, as other commissioned officers.

The warrant officer corps began in the 13th century in the nascent English Royal Navy. At that time, nobles assumed command of the new Navy, adopting the Army ranks of lieutenant and captain. These officers often had no knowledge of life on board a ship—let alone how to navigate such a vessel—and relied on the expertise and cooperation of a senior sailor who tended to the technical aspects of running the ship. As cannon came into use, the officers also required gunnery experts.

These sailors became indispensable to less-experienced officers and were rewarded with a royal warrant. This warrant was a special designation, designed to set them apart from other sailors, yet not violate the strict class system that was prevalent during the time.

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United Kingdom

In the British armed forces, a warrant officer is effectively a senior non-commissioned officer, although he or she holds the Queen's (or King's) warrant. Warrant officers are not saluted, but are usually addressed by their juniors as "Sir" or "Ma'am". Warrant officers have all been promoted from NCO rank.

British Army

In the British Army, there are two warrant ranks, Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) and Warrant Officer Class 1 (WO1), which is the senior of the two. It used to be more common to refer to these ranks as WOII and WOI (using Roman instead of Arabic numerals). The rank immediately below WO2 is staff sergeant.

Every warrant officer has an appointment, and is usually referred to by his appointment rather than by his rank.

Warrant officers were generally introduced throughout the British Army under Army Order 70 of 1915, although Regimental Sergeant Majors and a few other appointments (beginning in 1879, when Conductors of Stores and Supplies were warranted), had been warranted before that time. These earlier warranted appointments, and some others, became WOIs. The appointments that were designated WOIIs had previously been senior sergeants.

Image:UK-Army-OR9.gif

WO1s wear a royal coat of arms on the lower sleeve, which may be surrounded by a wreath depending on appointment. Appointments held by WO1s include:

Image:UK-army-9b.png
Image:UK-Army-OR8a.gif

WO2s wear a crown on the lower sleeve, surrounded by a wreath for Quartermaster Sergeants (for all WOIIs from 1938 to 1947). Appointments held by WO2s include:

Image:UK-Army-OR8b.gif

From 1938, there was also a rank of Warrant Officer Class III. The only appointments held by this rank were Platoon Sergeant Major, Troop Sergeant Major and Section Sergeant Major. The WOIII wore a crown on his lower sleeve (which is why all WOIIs switched to a crown in a wreath during this period). The rank was placed in suspension in 1940 and no new appointments were made, but it was never officially abolished.

WOs are officially designated using their rank and appointment. For instance, WO2 (CSM) Smith or WO1 (BM) Jones. However, they would usually be referred to as "CSM Smith" and "Bandmaster Jones". WO2s holding Sergeant Major or Corporal Major appointments are often referred to as the "Sergeant Major" or the "Corporal Major", but WO1s are only ever referred to using their full appointment or its abbreviation (the "RSM" or the "Garrison Sergeant Major", for instance).

How warrant officers are addressed depends, as does much else in the British Army, on the traditions of their regiments or corps. However, there are some general rules of thumb:

  • WO1s are usually addressed as "Mr [surname]" by officers and by their peers, and as "sir" or "Mr [surname], sir" by their subordinates (for female WO1s, "Mrs or Miss [surname]", "ma'am", and "Mrs or Miss [surname], ma'am", respectively);
  • an RSM's Commanding Officer, and he alone, has the privilege of addressing him as "RSM"; all others use the normal form of address for WO1s;
  • WO2s are commonly addressed as "Sergeant Major", "Corporal Major" or "Q" (for Quartermaster Sergeants) as appropriate (or as "sir" or "ma'am").

The four most senior warrant officer appointments in the British Army are generally considered to be, in descending order of seniority:

Royal Air Force

Image:RAFwo.jpg

The Royal Air Force inherited the ranks of Warrant Officer Class I and II from the Royal Flying Corps, part of the Army, in 1918. It also inherited the rank badges of the Royal Arms and a crown respectively. Until the 1930s, these ranks were often known as Sergeant Major 1st and 2nd Class. In 1939 the RAF abolished the rank of WOII and retained WOI as simple Warrant Officer, which it remains to this day. The RAF has no equivalent to WO2 (NATO OR-8), WO being equivalent to WO1 (NATO OR-9) and wearing the Royal Arms. Warrant officers are addressed and referred to as "Mr", "Mrs" or "Miss" ("Mr Smith" etc), or as "sir" or "ma'am" by their juniors. They do not have appointments as in the Army or Royal Marines. They rank above Flight Sergeants and below Pilot Officers, the lowest commissioned rank.

Image:RAFMastAircrew.jpg

In 1946, the RAF renamed its aircrew warrant officers Master Aircrew, a designation which still survives. In 1950, it renamed warrant officers in technical trades Master Technicians, a designation which only survived until 1964.

Royal Marines

The Royal Marines has the same warrant ranks as the Army, Warrant Officer Class 1 and Warrant Officer Class 2. The insignia are the same, but all RM WO2s wear the crown-in-wreath variation. As in the Army, all warrant officers have appointments by which they are known, referred to and addressed.

WO2 appointments are:

WO1 appointments are:

The rank below WO2 is Colour Sergeant, the RM equivalent of Staff Sergeant.

At one time, RM warrant officers were similar to Royal Navy warrant officers, in that they were essentially officers and not NCOs.

Royal Navy

The history of warrant rates in the Royal Navy is complicated, but can be viewed in two parts:

  • warrant officers who were definitely officers rather than ratings, similar to those in U.S. forces, up to the 1950s;
  • warrant officers who were senior NCOs, like those in the British Army, from the 1970s on.

Originally, warrant officers were as described at the top of this article: professional seamen whose expertise and authority demanded formal recognition. These included the sailing master, the gunner, the boatswain and the carpenter.

Their positions in the hierarchy depended on the precise nature of their jobs. Most outranked midshipmen (trainee officers): the master, the purser, the surgeon and the chaplain had the privilege of dining in the wardroom with the commissioned officers (and were known as "Warrant Officers of Wardroom Rank").

From the 19th century onwards, senior warrant officers were increasingly granted commissions, and in 1949 the RN stopped creating warrant officers altogether.

In 1973, the RN created the rate of Fleet Chief Petty Officer (FCPO) as the equivalent of the Army's WO1; this was renamed Warrant Officer in the 1980s.

In 2004, the RN renamed the top rate Warrant Officer Class 1 and created the new rate of Warrant Officer Class 2 immediately below it, to replace the appointment of Charge Chief Petty Officer. The latter was a senior Chief Petty Officer, but not a substantive rank in its own right. Only those who held the specific appointment of Charge Chief Artificer (a CCPO in a skilled technical trade) gained partial recognition as NATO OR-8 equivalent, as with other WO2s.

Royal Navy warrant rates are thus now the same as those in the Army and Royal Marines, and wear the same rank insignia: like RM WO2s (but unlike Army WO2s), all RN WO2s wear the crown-in-wreath variation.

Canada

In the Canadian Forces, Warrant Officers are the senior non-commissioned member (NCM) ranks. There are three ranks in this group: in the Army and Air Force, they are: Warrant Officer (WO), Master Warrant Officer (MWO), and Chief Warrant Officer (CWO). Their Naval equivalents are: Petty Officer, 1st Class (PO1); Chief Petty Officer, 2nd Class (CPO2); and Chief Petty Officer, 1st Class (CPO1).

Rank insignia is worn centred on the forearm of the service dress tunic; on other uniforms it is worn on slip-ons affixed to epaulets. An exception is for the Army dress shirt and sweater: miniature metal rank insignia are worn on the shirt collars, and the shirt and sweater slip-ons bear no rank.

A Warrant Officer is usually the most senior NCM in a platoon, troop, or flight, and holds the position of Platoon (or Troop or Flight) Warrant Officer. The rank insignia of a WO is a royal crown. The naval equivalent is Petty Officer 1st Class.

Master Warrant Officers may hold a number of appointments as the most senior NCM or the sergeant-major of a unit or sub-unit. The rank insignia is a crown within a wreath of laurel leaves. Appointments held by MWOs include:

The Naval equivalent is Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class.

Chief Warrant Officers hold the most senior NCM rank. Their rank insignia is the Canadian coat of arms. Unlike Warrant or Master Warrant Officers, Chief Warrant Officers wear some of the uniform accoutrements of a commissioned officer, such as an officer's cap badge, waistcoat instead of cummerbund with mess kit, etc. Appointments held by CWOs include:

The Naval equivalent is Chief Petty Officer 1st Class. A CPO1, as the senior NCM aboard a ship, may hold the appointment of Coxswain, analogous to a Sergeant Major.

Special appointments for Chief Warrant Officers and Chief Petty Officers 1st Class entitle the incumbents to wear an additional badge with the Canadian coat of arms. They are as follows:

  • Base Chief Warrant Officer (BCWO) and Base Chief Petty Officer (BCPO) - the Coat of Arms over crossed crusader swords
  • Formation Chief Warrant Officer and Formation Chief Petty Officer - the Coat of Arms over the central insignia of the badge of the Canadian Armed Forces (crossed swords, an anchor and an eagle in flight)
  • Brigade Sergeant Major (Bde SM) and Fleet Chief Petty Officer (Flt CPO) - the Coat of Arms over crossed swords with a maple leaf over the point of intersection
  • Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO) and Command Chief Petty Officer (CCPO) - the Coat of Arms with a wreath of laurel wrapped around the base
  • Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer (CFCWO) - the Coat of Arms with a wreath of twenty-eight maple leaves wrapped around the base and sides

The title of the highest enlisted position in the Canadian Forces, the Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer, is not, however, ever referred to as "Canadian Forces Chief Petty Officer" if the incumbent is from the Navy.

Forms of address. The etiquette of addressing Warrant Officers is as follows (assuming a member named Bloggins):

  • Warrant Officer – initially as "Warrant Officer Bloggins" or "Warrant Bloggins", thereafter as "Warrant".
  • Petty Officer 1st Class – initially as "Petty Officer Bloggins" or "PO Bloggins", thereafter as "PO".
  • Master Warrant Officer – initially as "Master Warrant Officer Bloggins", thereafter as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by subordinates, and as "Master Warrant Officer" by superiors. May also be addressed as "Sergeant-Major" if s/he holds that title.
  • Chief Warrant Officer – initially as "Chief Warrant Officer Bloggins" by subordinates, thereafter as "Sir" or "Ma'am"; "Mr. Bloggins" by superiors; and, if s/he holds the title of Regimental Sergeant-Major, "RSM" by his/her Commanding Officer.

Australia

Warrant Officers in the Australian Defence Force are the senior non-commissioned ranks.

Royal Australian Navy

The RAN has two Warrant Officer ranks. The first is Warrant Officer (WO), and is equivalent to an Army Warrant Officer Class One (WO1). The insignia for a WO in the RAN is the Australian coat of arms. Beneath the rank of WO, and equivalent to the Army's WO2 is Chief Petty Officer (CPO).

The RAN also has the more senior rank of Warrant Officer of the Navy (WO-N). It is the most senior non-commisioned rank in the RAN and is also a singular rank. That is, it is only held by one person at any time. The insignia for a WO-N is the Australian coat of arms with a wreath around it, which denotes the singular nature of the rank.

The WO-N is responsible to the Chief of Navy (CN), and is entitled to exercise command over all other Sailors in the RAN. The WO-N is a member of the personal staff of the CN and as such, operates from the office of the CN and is a member of Chief Of Navy's Senior Advisory Committee (CNSAC). The WO-N's primary duty is to represent to CN and others the solicited and unsolicited views, concerns and opinions of Sailors which effect the Navy as a whole. In addition, the WO-N is responsible for:

  • assisting in the overall maintenance of discipline and morale of Sailors in the RAN;
  • providing input as necessary to ad hoc reviews/inquiries;
  • channeling feedback to Navy Headquarters Directorates;
  • representing Sailors on standing committees; and
  • advising any Officer seeking advice on matters relating to Sailors in general.

The WO-N provides administrative advice and input to the CN of any need to review regulations or conditions of service, monitors the effectiveness of the Divisional System, guides Warrant Officers and Senior Sailors Messes on matters of administration, protocol and has functional control over the Senior Sailor's Handbook. He/She maintains a close working relationship with the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army (RSM-A) and the Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF).

Australian Army

Like the British Army, the Australian Army has two Warrant Officer ranks: The most senior is Warrant Officer Class One (WO1). A WO1 can hold the position of Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) of a battalion or equivalent unit, RSM of a brigade or larger formation, or occasionally a training or administrative position, particularly Quartermaster of a smaller unit. The second is Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2). A WO2 can hold the position of Company Sergeant Major, or a number of training or administrative positions.

Army WO1s can be promoted to Captain, given what is known as a Prescribed Service Commission. It is rare for an officer promoted from WO1 to rise past Major, or to be given a command position.

The insignia of a WO2 is a crown worn on the sleeves. The insignia of a WO1 is an Australian coat of arms also worn on the sleeves.

Warrant Officers in the Army are addressed by subordinates as "Sir" or "Ma'am". They can be addressed by commissioned officers according to their appointment (e.g. "CSM" or "RSM").

Royal Australian Air Force

The RAAF has two Warrant Officer ranks. The lesser rank, Warrant Officer (WOFF) is equivalent to an Army WO1. The equivalent to the Army's WO2 is Flight Sergeant (FSGT).

The insignia of a WOFF is the Australian coat of arms.

The superior rank is Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF). It is the most senior non-commisioned rank in the RAAF and like the WO-N in the RAN and the RSM-A in the Army, there is only one WOFF-AF in the RAAF.

The insignia of the WOFF-AF is the Australian coat of arms surrounded by a wreath. The wreath denotes the singularity of the rank.

United States

In the United States military, a warrant officer was originally, and strictly, a highly skilled, single-track specialty officer. But as many chief warrant officers assume positions as officer in charge or department head, along with the high number of bachelor's and master’s degrees held within the community, their contribution and expertise as a community is ever-increasing.

There are no "warrant officers" per se in the U.S. Navy, but rather "chief warrant officer" is the correct title. In the U.S. Navy, a sailor must be in one of the top three enlisted ranks to be eligible to become a chief warrant officer. In the U.S. Army and U.S. Marines, a person can progress to the warrant officer rank at a grade lower than E-7, and thus have a longer career and greater opportunity to serve and grow.

Warrant officers in the U.S. Marines are sometimes informally referred to as "gunner," a term of respect similar to the informal "gunny" moniker frequently given to enlisted Gunnery Sergeants. The term is derived from one of the original functions of a warrant officer, that being the command of a gunnery or artillery detachment, although it is no longer technically accurate as warrant officers can and do hold a wide variety of billets. Although commonly used, "gunner" is traditionally reserved only for artillery and infantry weapons warrant officers.

Upon the initial appointment to WO1 a warrant is given by the secretary of the service, and upon promotion to chief warrant officer (CW2 and above) they are commissioned by the President of the United States, take the same oath and receive the same commission and charges as commissioned officers, thus deriving their authority from the same source.

Chief warrant officers can and do command detachments, units, activities, and vessels as well as lead, coach, train, and counsel subordinates. As leaders and technical experts, they provide valuable skills, guidance, and expertise to commanders and organizations in their particular field.

Even when commissioned, they remain specialists, in contrast to commissioned officers who are generalists, though many chief warrant officers fill lieutenant and lieutenant commander billets throughout the US Navy.

In the U.S. Army and U.S. Marines, CWOs may fill positions normally held by more senior officers as well. The US Army has many pilots within the warrant officer community, which differs in philosophy from the other uniformed services. Often in a battalion sized unit, the military personnel technician (adjutant), medical technician, and maintenance technician are warrant officers.

Each branch of the military "runs" the "Chief Warrant Officer" program in slightly different ways. Little is known or published concerning the chief warrant officer, and consequently they are often misunderstood by the un-indoctrinated.

A chief warrant officer's benefits and privileges are the same as those of a commissioned officer depending on warrant officer grade. Warrant Officers are paid closely to commissioned officer pay grades but because they normally have more years in service, their pay is often higher. A WO1 is paid slightly higher than an O-1 (second lieutenant or ensign), a CW2 is paid roughly the same as an O-3/O-4 (captain/major), a CW3 is paid approximately the same salary as an O-4/O-5 (major/lieutenant colonel), and a CW4 is paid roughly the same as an O-5/O-6 (lieutenant colonel/colonel).

In the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard one must have been a senior enlisted (E7 through E-9) to gain the commission.

Air Force

Image:USAFWarrant.jpg

The United States Air Force no longer employs warrant officers.

The USAF inherited warrant officer ranks from the U.S. Army at its inception in 1947, but their place in the Air Force structure was never made clear. When Congress authorized the creation of two new senior enlisted ranks in the late 1950s, Air Force officials privately concluded that these two new "supergrades" could fill all Air Force needs then performed at the warrant officer level, although this was not publicly acknowledged until years later. The Air Force stopped appointing warrant officers in 1959, the same year the first promotions were made to the new top enlisted grade, Chief Master Sergeant. Most of the existing Air Force warrant officers entered the commissioned officer ranks during the 1960s, but tiny numbers continued to exist for the next 21 years.

The last active duty Air Force warrant officer, CWO James H. Long, retired in 1980 and the last Air Force Reserve warrant officer, CWO Bob Barrow, retired in 1992. Since that point, the U.S. Air Force rank of Warrant Officer has been considered obsolete.

Perhaps an unintended result, the absence of warrant officers in the U.S. Air Force has made its enlisted structure somewhat "top-heavy" and the lower non-commissioned officer ranks can find promotions difficult to achieve at times.

Army

The U.S. Army warrant officer (AWO) is the highly specialized expert and trainer who, by gaining progressive levels of expertise and leadership, operates, maintains, administers, and manages the Army's equipment, support activities, or technical systems for an entire career. The Army program began with the warranted Headquarters Clerk in 1896.

Marine Corps

The U.S. Marine Corps has warranted officers since 1916 as technical specialists who perform duties that require extensive knowledge, training and experience with particular systems or equipment. Their duties and responsibilities are of a nature beyond those required of senior noncommissioned officers. Marine Corps warrant officers provide experience and stability in the officer ranks in critical specialty areas. The primary purpose for warrant officers is to create and maintain a selected body of personnel with special knowledge of a particular military specialty.

Within the U.S. Marine Corps, the term "gunner" is used in place of "warrant officer" or "chief warrant officer" when addressing or referring to the warrant officer. This term of address is considered informal or "friendly" and its use is highly dependent on the protocol required by the particular situation and the warrant officer's expectations regarding military conduct and courtesy. Normally, it is considered disrespectful for a non-NCO (E-1 to E-3) to address a warrant officer as "gunner". By custom, NCO's and commissioned officers use the term only if situation is informal and is accepted by the warrant officer and his superiors.

While the term "gunner" is informally used for a Marine Corps Warrant Officer, it is technically incorrect. Only a Chief Warrant Officer, CWO2-CWO5, serving in the MOS 0306 "Infantry Weapons Officer" is designated as a "Marine Gunner". A Marine Gunner replaces the Chief Warrant Officer insignia on the right collar with a bursting bomb insignia.

Navy

In the U.S. Navy, warrant officers are technical specialists whose skills and knowledge were an essential part of the proper operation of the ship. Based on the British model, the U.S. Navy has had warrant officers among its ranks, in some form or another, since December 23, 1775, when John Berriman received a warrant to act as purser aboard the brig USS Andrea Doria. That warrant was considered a patent of trust and honor but was not considered a commission to command.

Coast Guard

The Warrant Officers in the U.S. Coast Guard are similar to those in the Navy, but may be found in command of smaller stations. They wear insignia of their Navy equivalents, but add a shield above the specialty mark, as do Coast Guard Officers on Navy uniforms.

Insignia

Abbreviation Paygrade and Rank Army Navy / Coast Guard Marine Corps
WO1 Warrant Officer 1 Image:USA WO 1.png Image:USNWarrant1.jpg (Obsolete) Image:USMC WO 1.png
CW2 Chief Warrant Officer 2 Image:USA CWO 2.png Image:USN-CG CWO 2.png Image:USMC CWO 2.png
CW3 Chief Warrant Officer 3 Image:USA CWO 3.png Image:USN-CG CWO 3.png Image:USMC CWO 3.png
CW4 Chief Warrant Officer 4 Image:USA CWO 4.png Image:USN-CG CWO 4.png Image:USMC CWO 4.png
CW5 Chief Warrant Officer 5 Image:ModernUSAWarrant.jpg Image:W5-clr.gif Image:Wo5-sb.gif Image:USMC CWO 5.png

Republic of Singapore

In the Singapore Armed Forces, Warrant Officers are former non-commissioned officers (known as Specialists in Singapore) who have served for many years. Warrant Officers rank between specialists and commissioned officers, and can hold both specialist and officer positions. Thus one can see Warrant Officers serving as Regimental Sergeant Majors in certain units and Officers Commanding in other units.

There are four grades of warrant officer:

  • 2nd Warrant Officer (2WO): insignia is a point up chevron, an arc below, and a Singapore coat of arms in the middle
  • 1st Warrant Officer (1WO): insignia is two point up chevrons, an arc below, and a Singapore coat of arms in the middle
  • Master Warrant Officer (MWO): insignia is three point up chevrons, an arc below, and a Singapore coat of arms in the middle
  • Senior Warrant Officer (SWO): insignia is four point up chevrons, an arc below, and a Singapore coat of arms in the middle

Warrant Officers wear their insignia on their epaulettes, like officers, instead of on the sleeve like specialists and other soldiers. This signifies that Warrant Officers have similar status and responsibilities to commissioned officers.

See also

References

  1. DoD Almanac. The United States Military Officer Rank Insignia. United States Department of Defense.
  2. Australian Defence Force badges of rank. [1]
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