RE: http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,176557,00.html

The USAF is currently cutting officers, because they are not needed. With today's advanced military, officers are not really needed anyways. Why in the world would they create warrant officers?

Because we give the military more bang for the buck. A warrant can do the same job for a lot less overall cost.

With looming cuts in military budgets, Warrant Officers seem to be the ideal solution to the Air Forces UAV pilot delimma. Now, we just need them to listen.

In the Army, most warrants are prior enlisted so yes, they do bring more expeirence to the table than a newbie O-1, O-2, or even a O-3. Besides, any geek kid with good gamming skills can fly a UAV. Just foolin!

Just fooling? Actually, not by much. Who would have ever dreamed that little Mario the Plumber would turn into G I Joe the Bomber.

Picture working at Joint Forces as an AF Senior NCO with a BS degree. Then picture an Army CW3 with no degree (just a few credits)telling you to do something below your pay grade.

Houston....we have a problem!

A BS degree does not make you a technical expert. By definition, WOs are technical leaders and experts in their fields. So, would you rather be taking instructions from a technically trained WO about the best way to disarm a roadside bomb, or from a Senior NCO with a BS degree in Arts and Science?

In my opinion, SNCO's have technical knowledge as well. They get it from their training just like WO's. The difference between training and education is the fact that education prepares you for critical thinking where as training makes you proficient in a particular domain.

I'm not really convinced about a WO's expertise. Take Information Technology for example. Just because a WO goes to PEC and is taught the answers to critical IT exams using pass 4 sure does not make them experts. Again this is just my opinion. I have witnessed IT certified WO's with a number of Certs and had not a clue when it came down to it.

To break it down further. Compare if you will a person simply trained on a sub-system verses a person trained and educated on an entire system. If 1 + 1 = 2 and 1 + 0 = 1, then which is of greater value?

I'm not debating the worth of a WO. I simply think the Air Force should have a comparable rank especially when it comes to Joint efforts.

I am a Independent Duty Medical Technician and my opinion is that the IDMT career field is the perfect career field for a warrant officer position. I would love to see it happen so we would get more repect as a provider. As IDMT's we are th top of the medical technician food chain and need to be treated and seen as so.

YOU are absolutely right. Warrant Officers in long years past served admirably in the MSC core. While not the same cat, Medical Services is precicely one of the places I thought of.

quote:

Originally posted by 12386726:
I am a Independent Duty Medical Technician and my opinion is that the IDMT career field is the perfect career field for a warrant officer position. I would love to see it happen so we would get more repect as a provider. As IDMT's we are the top of the medical technician food chain and need to be treated and seen as so.

I'm with you. It's a truly rewarding career field that we're in, yet 9 times out of 10 we're treated like a slick 4N...just that fact that the majority of IDMTs still fall under the SGN is irritating. Why on earth as a provider are they falling under a nurse?

Even though I'm assigned to an AWACS squadron, I still work out of the Med Group and am exposed to the crap that senior nurses dish out to the 4N career field in general.

Even though I'm near the end of my career, I would still fully support the reestablishment of WOs in the Air Force if it included promoting IDMTs to that tier.

I’m a 4A2, Biomed Equipment Tech and I strongly feel we need warrant officers in our career field. I read the article title, “Time for Air Force Warrant Officers” and I agree 100% that we need this incorporated into our Air Force, again. As I was reading through the pros and cons, I would have to say that the decision should be a “no-brainer” here and that the “pros” definitely outweigh the “cons”.

Here is my story, the Air Force doesn’t really need as many AF Officers due to we are “rightsizing” the force. I’d applied for commissioning twice and wasn’t accepted, so now I have a Master’s degree and I would really like to stay within my career field as an Officer. In the Army, BMET Managers are Warrants (act as clinical engineers) and they manage the shop while the enlisted perform the work. If the AF could begin a program like this then I wouldn’t have to go over to the Army in order to keep my dream job, boost my retirement pay, and advance beyond our enlisted ranks as an AF Warrant. The reason why I’m thinking of going Army I have a better chance for promotion and retirement benefits as a warrant plus I can stay within my career field as a manager. I think it’s a fantastic idea and many career fields (like my own) would reap the benefits. I’m sorry but the cons do not outweigh the pros on this one.

The Air Force Warrant Officer Program: I’ve added some of my own comments why I feel we need them back.

The “Pro’s”
• To provide Air Force NCOs career development opportunities equal to their counterparts in the Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. Yes!
• Better pay and retirement compensation for the enlisted corps. A CWO-5, with 26 years' service, will make 20 percent more in base pay than a Chief Master Sergeant (E-9) and the retirement check could be 25 percent higher. Yes!, I’m all about retirement and I know that with only 1% to make E-9 versus in the Army as a warrant is 99% selection rate plus more money.
• Provide continuity of expertise in chronic critical skills where the Air Force is now paying as much as $90,000 to retain E-5s and E-6s. The increased retention of critical human resources will ultimately cost less than enlisted retention incentives. Yes!
• A warrant officer program could help relieve the top heavy enlisted grade structure and allow for accelerated promotions below the grade of E-8. Yes!
• Warrants can replace inexperienced company grade officers by bringing fully trained, knowledgeable, technical expertise with known leadership ability to the positions. Yes!
• Last, but certainly not least, commissioned officers, without prior enlisted service, will never fully understand the military bond between enlisted members and warrant officers. Warrants and the enlisted corps have a natural trust, loyalty and respect that can only come from "being there". Yes!
The “Con’s”
• Warrant officers add an unnecessary layer of supervision/review between senior NCOs and senior officers and further complicate the chain-of-command. I don’t think so…As it is now as an E-6 I have a 0-3 as my rater and he knows nothing about my career field. In fact, having Warrants as a flight commander and working directly for them I would be able to speak the same language with them. This is very important since all my previous flight commanders had no experience and were more of sore appendage then help to my department so a warrant can alleviate that problem.
• Depending on the number of warrant officers authorized, the cost, over time, could prove more expensive than beneficial. They also limit career development opportunities for junior officers. Again, not true for the AF. Actually, many junior officers are limited by their career development opportunities due to their inexperience. Those junior officers could be best served in the force elsewhere until they gain more management experience under their belts (let’s say from 0-4 and above).
• Highly skilled warrant officers in chronic critical skills would also have to be paid a retention bonus—one that could be considerably higher than those paid to enlisted members. Actually, you wouldn’t need offer bonuses since warrants have promotion potential that would exceed that bonus anyways. Promotion potential is far better than an added bonus to me.
• Small numbers of warrant officers will result in grade stagnation and diminished career opportunities. Not true, this would only occur if there was no clear career path for them to follow to get to the next rank. I think the Army’s 4A2 warrant career path is very good and details exactly what I would need to progress from WO1 to WO5.
• E-8s and E-9s have performed admirably over the past 50 years in higher level positions that E-7s were ever allowed to hold; off-setting the need for a warrant officer corps. I would agree that SNCOs have done a good job in the past, but in order to improve and have continuity within the force only a warrant can do that job. I’d rather have a warrant managing the department and that SNCO supervising and mentoring me (the junior NCOs).
• The technical expertise and leadership qualities of Air Force's top 3 enlisted grades are sufficient to provide the guidance, leadership and training required by the Air Force. Yes, but a warrant can provide much more guidance, leadership, and training than a SNCO. The Airmen need NCOS, and the NCOs need SNCOs. We all need a warrant in charge of us as a buffer between the NCO and officer corps. Simply, a SNCO can and has never been able to accomplish that, but a warrant can.
• Then, there is the diminished prestige and potential morale impacts of taking jobs away from senior NCOs and junior officers and giving them to warrants. I strongly disagree; I think that the SNCOs and junior officers would embrace the experience and buffer the warrants can bring to every career field. The AF needs warrants and if I could vote tomorrow yes or no then my vote is “yes”

In conclusion, simply think the Air Force should have a comparable rank especially when it comes to Joint efforts. The AF is the best and we should have “no lesser” than the other Joint Forces. I too fully support the reactivation of the AF warrant officer program.

When enough people start talking, someone will have to listen. If for no other reason than fairness between services, the Air Force enlisted corps deserves a shot at being an Air Force Warrant Officer.

quote:

Originally posted by TDStevens:
When enough people start talking, someone will have to listen. If for no other reason than fairness between services, the Air Force enlisted corps deserves a shot at being an Air Force Warrant Officer.

I totally agree and wil pass this along to as many folks as I can. The AF needs WO back. WO would benefit all career fields in the AF, especialy in the MSC career field we need them to act as our clinical engineers, medical logistic flight commander, flight commander/director of IT, and facilities management.

The Warrant Officers in the Navy were, when I was in, actually more experienced than most mid level officers in my opinion. If I remember correctly, they were from the enlisted ranks only E7 or above only. I enjoyed and respected WOs over the regular or even Limited Duty officers because of the experience required to even apply to the program.

Now with that all said I will qualify my opinion in that it has been 12 years since I left the Navy as a Petty Officer First Class, E6, and may not be clear on the requirements but that is how I remember them. The WO program provided some very talented and experienced officers.

I wanted everyone to know the popularity of this topic is growing.

There is an online petition WO Petition with 560 names so far that want this program reactivated.

My vote is the return of the Warrant Officer back onto active duty in the United States Air Force. Please support this by signing the online petition I've attached.

Spread the word sooner or later someone will have to take us seriously.

I was a Sgt EW Back Shop tech before deploying to DS/DS KKMC to augment the flight line folks, and was technically correct explaining our deficiency on our deployed A-10s, not being able to effectually use their Defensive Avionics, ECM EW systems, a month prior to hostilities while in theatre!
I had to press my point above an EW Technical Sgt E-6 in charge of EW flight line operations, who was backed by his Squadron CMSGT E-9.
Three days of hell ensued, as the pilots would not fly unprotected.
In the End the Squadron EWO got fired, and I got a 3 APR after I received a line number for SSGT.
I was eventually rifted after 10 years of service! But we did not lose a Bird.
An Air Force Electronic Warfare Warrant Officer and technical expert would have alleviated the Situation. IMHO!
Been a DOD Army contractor ever since. Sad isn’t it, but true.

When Congress authorized the creation of the two new senior enlisted ranks in 1958, Air Force officials privately concluded that these two new "super grades" 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 circa 1959. The Air Force warrant officer ranks, while still authorized by law, are not used. It’s time for these Air Force officials to rethink this issue. This is 40 years overdue--bring back the subject matter experts that are technical leaders in this ever evolving technology world! Let’s maintain these technical experts and reward them for staying the course and not force them to take a non-technical (managerial/leadership) career path in order to achieve well deserved promotions. We need to retain the technical expertise.

When I think of the Air Force I like to think of myself more like the Army Air Corps " Catch 22," or " No time for Sergeants," where old Andy Griffith was " Officer in charge of LATRINES !"

As I just bought an old Air Force **** CAP I now proudly where it around here where I live as a volunteer representing so many seniors and vets I feel like the ODNI with all those patches they represent as well ! It's like LAYS Potato Chips where " No body can eat just one," and as for patches " NO ODNI can where just one ! "

I wonder if I will get in trouble for falling for a general who works at Walter Reed who's name is Lauree in Neurology when I sing this song to her picture at home " Soldier Girl ! " " Oh my little soldier girl ! " " I'll be NUTS for you ! " I know with todays army it's not right for a soldier to fall for a general especially if she is a girl and he is a boy it's not with the new army policies superceeding the old " Don't ask don't tell," but I tell you if I have to think of a general while I do KP and LATRINES it sure a lot better her than some of those guy generals who may ask my hand in marriage when they see me handle a mop or bend over the John while I'm cleaning up the after mess hall Marine Corps Hymm " Montezumas Revenge," when they say that the coffee looks like muddy water and tastess like turpintine I say " Your coffe would taste better if you didn't draw your water down stream from the LATRINES !"